Shadowmatic for iOS

Shadowmatic for iPhone is an engrossing 3D puzzler, where you progress through 100 levels in 12 different room environments by managing to rotate and flip abstract objects till their shadowed silhouettes look recognizable.

Pros

Simple UI: Shadowmatic is easy to navigate, with only three major options: Play, which gets you into the same; Options, which enables you to choose whether to sync game progress across your devices, turn music on or off, and select a language; and Extras, which offers a Game Info section, with a detailed description of the game, the credits, and a link to obtain the Music on iTunes.

Easy-to-learn gameplay: For single-piece levels, rotate the object via one-finger dragging or keep it intact while turning it via two-finger dragging. For two-piece levels, toggle between both using the button on the bottom left to move, or hold the button and swipe with one finger to manipulate both relative to each other. To rotate together, tap and hold the button for one second for that control mode. For three-piece levels, rotate three pieces till they're properly angled, then place any two in their correct positions, and the third will automatically align. The progress meter on the bottom-middle of the screen will glow as you get closer to completion.

Secondary objectives: Sometimes you can create alternative silhouettes from the same object or objects. While alternative silhouettes are not necessary to win, players are incentivized to find them with extra hint-points and a higher score. A silhouette list can be found in the Secrets section.

Helpful hints: You can take advantage of the game's hints -- four hints per level -- if you're stuck. You are given 32 hint-points to start to pay for them, but you'll have to earn or purchase more in the app after you run out. But we recommend not relying on them too heavily to keep the game challenging.

Arcade Mode: Reach the levels that incorporate three objects and gain the option of Arcade Mode. In Arcade Mode, you solve a series of puzzles you've already solved previously in a random order within a 30-second timeframe. Tap the Energy button on the top right if you get stuck.

Cons

Progress meter is hard to read: The progress meter is a little small and its dots that glow as you get closer to solving puzzles are a little faint, making it hard to track your progress, especially if you're focusing on gameplay.

Bottom Line

Shadowmatic is a challenging 3D puzzler that you can lose yourself in while trying to uncover hidden objects.

• bug fixes and improvements for all supported iOS versions