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Kenshō ($3.99) by FIFTYTWO is a match-three block sliding puzzle game that provides players with a surreal experience. If you enjoy games like Threes!, but want visuals like Campfire Cooking, then you will love what Kenshō has to offer.

When life gets hectic, I like to sit down and play some games to relax. My go-to for this task is usually puzzle games that make me think, because I don’t like to just let my mind rot away. While I feel like I’ve played most puzzle games that the App Store has to offer, sometimes they slip under my radar and I don’t get a chance to play them. Kenshō is one of those games, and I’m glad that I’m discovering it now.

$2.99

Threes!

Sirvo LLC

Free

Threes! Free

Sirvo LLC

$3.99

Campfire Cooking

Layton Hawkes

Visually, Kenshō is absolutely beautiful. The game is completely rendered in 3D that is stunning, with blocks that truly pop out at you and vivid dreamscapes of nature that unravel a deeper story. There’s also gorgeous particle effects and lighting that make the game stand out from the crowd. The color palette in Kenshō consists of bold and vibrant hues that contrast nicely with the dark backdrops, and the cutscenes between levels are fun to watch due to the graphics coming to life. The animations in Kenshō are buttery smooth and fluid, so there were no issues with lag or choppy frame rates on my iPhone 8 Plus. The ambient and atmospheric music is also captivating and immersive, while being a delight to listen to as you play. Honestly, Kenshō is a marvel in terms of visual and audio design.

In Kenshō, you’ll find the levels locked away behind doors, with each of them featuring some kind of creature from nature guarding it. While I’m not completely sure how many levels there are total in the game, I know that each stage is broken up into several different parts, so one level can be rather lengthy, especially since things get more challenging as more mechanics are introduced. The goal is simple and straightforward: slide the blocks to match at least three like-colored squares in a line, either horizontally or vertically. Eventually you’ll need to match the blocks with key fragments, which lead to key pieces. The key pieces are necessary to clear that part before moving on to the next one.

Controls in Kenshō are straightforward and intuitive. If you’ve played Threes! before, then you’ll know how this works. Slide your finger on the screen to move all tiles in that direction. You can also slowly drag to see a preview of what that move would look like before you complete it. At the top of the screen is a preview of the next block, so there’s strategy and planning involved.

While things start out easy, it gets more difficult and challenging as you progress. You’ll have black, crumbled blocks that move but can’t be matched with anything, stones that won’t move at all, and more. Key pieces also start having walls on the sides, meaning it will only get cleared out when you make a match on the sides that aren’t blocked. When you take all of these into consideration, Kenshō gets pretty hard. Once the board fills up with blocks that don’t match, then you’ll have to restart that part over.

A block sliding puzzle matching game with a great design.

The Good

Kenshō is definitely a puzzle game that stands out from the rest. At this point it’s a bit older, but still worth a download. It has exquisite and excellently done visuals that are immersive and engaging. The original serene soundtrack is another fantastic touch to the game, and it’s recommended to play with headphones to get the full experience. Controls are easy and intuitive, and the various game mechanics that are gradually introduced keep things fresh. And once you complete a stage, the game rewards you with a moment to kick back and relax with the peaceful cutscenes.

The Bad

Kenshō is a great game, but there’s one thing that I found kind of annoying. While you can "skip” the cutscenes by doing a long-press, this is more of a “fast-forward” function than a full on skip. I feel that sometimes these scenes are a bit long, and I just want to get to the next chapter. I think making it so that it skips the scene entirely would optimize the overall experience for those who prefer it.

The verdict

Even though Kenshō has been out for several months, I’ll admit that I messed up by letting it slip by me all this time. However, I was going through my iPhone games and stumbled upon this, and decided to launch it and give it a go. I’m so glad I did, because Kenshō is a real hidden gem for me. The game looks amazing, the music is relaxing, controls are simple, and the puzzles are great for those who appreciate strategy and challenge. Kenshō is a distinctive match-three block sliding game that everyone should check out.

Kenshō is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $3.99.

9.3

OVERALL

Graphics 10

Sound/Music 10

Game Controls 9

Gameplay 9

Replayability 8.5

$3.99

Kenshō

FIFTYTWO

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It's Full of Sparks (Free) by Noodlecake Studios is a fast-paced platformer that will have you contemplating life by the end of it. If you enjoy games like Sonic Runners Adventure or FEZ, then you'll like what It's Full of Sparks has to offer.

Most of us enjoy fireworks, but have you ever wondered what the life of a firework is like? Yeah, me neither. Honestly, it's never occurred to me, but it's interesting enough to make a game about it, since It's Full of Sparks exists. I consider myself having quite an open mind to things, so It's Full of Sparks is one of those games that I had to check out for myself. What Noodlecake did was create something that's as fun as it is philosophical.

$2.99

Sonic Runners Adventure

Gameloft

$4.99

FEZ Pocket Edition

Corporation Polytron Inc.

$4.99

Lara Croft GO

SQUARE ENIX Ltd

Visually, It's Full of Sparks is gorgeous and a sight to see. The game's fully rendered in 3D with beautiful, crisp architectural structures. In a way, the graphics remind me a bit of Lara Croft GO, except cleaner because you're not dealing with ancient ruins. It's a modernized low-poly look that is rather trendy these days, and definitely eye catching. The colors in It's Full of Sparks are a nice mix of soft pastels and bold, vibrant hues that mesh together to create a lovely world of fireworks. Animations are smooth and fluid, with no issues of lag or frame rate choppiness on my iPhone 8 Plus. The music is rather whimsical and charming, and the sound effects are fun and quirky.

Since It's Full of Sparks is a platformer, it's level-based, which is pretty standard. The game starts off with a firecracker who's all fine and dandy, that is, until they realize that once the fuse (spark of life) is out, they explode and die. With that in mind, the goal of the game is simple: get these sentient firecrackers safely to the water to put out the fuse, and live a little longer. Ultimately, if you're successful on the journey, you'll meet The Old One, which is a mythical firecracker that's never had their fuse lit.

While you can enjoy the game at your own pace, there are also stars to earn depending on how fast you complete a stage. The faster you are, the more stars you get. From my experience so far, you'll need to replay a level multiple times to memorize what to do, and then do everything correctly on your speed run. This is great for competitive players.

Controls are simple and intuitive. In the bottom left are two buttons to move your firecracker left and right. On the right side, after you collect the corresponding artifacts, are colored buttons. When you obtain the colored glasses, you'll be able to see or unsee certain obstacles and objects that can help guide you safely across. You have to tap on these buttons at the right time to toggle them, and make sure you get the timing and positioning of your firecracker correct, otherwise, it may lead to untimely deaths.

It's Full of Sparks is a game where you're going to die a lot. Each time your firecracker dies, whether by exploding or falling, you'll have a chance to try again with a new firecracker. These firecrackers count as "lives." You start the game off with a handful of firecrackers, but once you're out, you'll have to get more lives.

Fortunately, the game can be fairly generous with giving you more lives for free. You can slowly get a few lives at a time as a free gift every so often, or watch a video ad to get 15 at a time. If you enable ads, you get 25 more. If the video ad system bothers you, unlimited lives can be bought via a $2.99 in-app purchase.

A beautifully rendered 3D platformer that lets you play as a firecracker.

The Good

It's Full of Sparks is definitely a gem in the App Store, as it's fun, challenging, and makes you ponder your own life (existential crisis, anyone). The game has stunning graphics that are pure eye candy, and the music is delightful to listen to. The levels start off easy enough, but the difficulty ramps up at a nice pace. It's also great that the game allows you to either play at your own pace or do speed runs, since you can move on to the next level without earning stars.

The Bad

While there's a lot of good about It's Full of Sparks, it's not perfect. During my testing, I experienced a handful of crashing right after "completing" the first stage. The game would just freeze up and become unresponsive, resulting in force quitting and trying again. It happened twice in a row before I was able to have it not crash and proceed with actually playing the game. I'm not sure what the cause is, but it should be ironed out in the next update.

I like the idea that each new life is a new firecracker, but I also think that you can burn through your lives too quickly since things get a bit twitchy. Though there are free ways to obtain more firecrackers, I feel like it's pushing you towards the in-app purchase.

The verdict

Despite the minor inconveniences, I'm enjoying It's Full of Sparks a lot. The game is downright beautiful on Retina HD and Super Retina displays. The whimsical music is great to relax to, and the controls are easy enough for anyone to learn. I always like challenging games, as it's incredibly satisfying when you manage to overcome a stage you're stuck on, and It's Full of Sparks provides just that. Hopefully the kinks get ironed out sooner rathe than later.

It's Full of Sparks is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone or iPad for free with in-app purchases.

8.3

OVERALL

Graphics 9

Replayability 8

Game Controls 8

Sound/Music 8

Gameplay 8.5

FREE

It's Full of Sparks

Noodlecake

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