Developer: Ravensburger Digital
Price: $3.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPod Touch 4th Gen
 
I feel slightly bad for saying this, but I’ve never heard of the board game Labyrinth. What makes it worse is the fact the brand has apparently sold over 13 million units over the last 25 years, so how did I miss it? Well I’m in luck, as now a version has come to the iPad/iPhone.
Titled THE aMAZEing Labyrinth, the premise of this puzzle game is easy to grasp but in reality it’s difficult to master, just like a good puzzle game should be. The main ‘Puzzle’ mode sees the player trying to obtain pieces of treasure. Each level has a path that leads to this treasure, but it has been broken up and scattered across a grid, so it’s down to the player to slot all the pieces back together in the least number of moves.
It sounds easy, but there are limitations on what can be done. Rather than just move single squares, the player has to move entire rows at once, which means that whilst one piece of the path might slot nicely into place, moving it dislodges another piece further down the line. Thinking several steps ahead is key, as moves can’t be undone. Luckily when the player does go wrong, and that will happen, there is a quick restart option that will load up the level again.
There are ten ‘packs’ in the Puzzle mode, making up 80 levels in total. Don’t expect an easy ride though, as whilst packs one and two can be blitzed fairly easily, the ante gets upped. Game Center is also supported, adding that little nudge to head back in and finish off some of the tougher challenges.
Once Puzzle mode is cleared there is a Time Duel mode to consider. This is a much faster paced affair than Puzzle mode, and sees the edge of the level surrounded by treasure. Whilst the clock is ticking the player has to quickly slot a path together to reach the highlighted piece of treasure, at which point a new piece becomes highlighted and must be reached.
The game also features comprehensive multiplayer features, for both offline and online players. Offline supports up to four players using the same device, whilst online will either set the player up with a random person, or someone on their Game Center friends list. The player can even send text chat messages during bouts!
THE aMAZEing Labyrinth is a great puzzle game, enticing the player in with a few gentle levels before hooking them entirely. Well worth a play.