Enigmo

Most iPhone puzzle games are of the falling/destroying block variety, but not Enigmo. Pangea Software's imaginative brainteaser has you thinking creatively in order to solve its many challenges, making it an ideal selection for players searching for something different.

In Enigmo, the goal is to redirect the flow of water and lava by positioning set pieces around the game board and filling a container (or containers) with 40 droplets. If you don't do this fast enough (let's say a couple droplets hit the container every few seconds), you lose points, so it's possible to reach 40, screw up and wind up at zero.

To avoid failure, you must position various items around the playfield in such a manner that you quickly fill these containers. A sponge soaks up water, a bowl like object bounces the substance to higher areas and a tiny ramp allows you to angle it downward. As expected, some puzzles have easy solutions, while others require lots of experimentation. Expect to stare at your iPhone for quite some time without doing anything.

Placing items is easy because of great touch screen controls. Items are on the left side of the screen, and you can tap and drag them wherever you want. Once selected, a circle appears around the object, and you can slide a finger in a circular motion to adjust the item's positioning, tilting the aforementioned bowl, for example, to adjust the substance's trajectory. However, the game never tells you what an item does, meaning you'll need to discover it for yourself. Gamers that despise handholding may enjoy all the trial and error. As for us, it makes Enigmo more annoying than it should be.

Whereas other puzzlers force you to beat them within a time limit, Enigmo has no such feature, giving you the opportunity to obsess over its levels without the threat of a clock. Just make sure you keep an eye on your iPhone's battery life.

Furthermore, Enigmo has the luxury of being one of iPhone's better-looking games. It's not flashy by any means, but its developers created simple but attractive 3-D levels full of conveyor belts and other contraptions. It's not as good a showpiece as Crash Nitro Kart, but it's a great example of 3-D done right. Its superb physics, where liquid and lava react to changes you make, adds to the visual experience.

If you haven't already, make sure you download Enigmo. It's a nice break from the standard issue block busting games, and it'll make you think. Just don't hurt yourself.