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Lit the Torch ($0.99) by Beijing Corn Network Technology Co.,Ltd. is a unique puzzle platformer with a fun twist that is unlike most you’ve tried so far. If you enjoyed games like Badland 2 and Le Parker: Sous Chef Extraordinaire, then you will like what Lit the Torch has to offer on the App Store.

With so much going on these days, I find my solace in spending time with my boyfriend and playing video games to take my mind off of everything. A lot of my gaming is on the PS4 lately, but every now and then I return to my iPhone for gaming, specifically of the puzzle variety. I also grew up with platformers of all kinds, so naturally, when the two genres are combined, I can’t help but have the curiosity to check it out for myself, which is what happened with Lit the Torch. If you’re looking for a special kind of puzzle platformer to sink your teeth into this weekend, then Lit the Torch will not disappoint.

Visually speaking, Lit the Torch is downright stunning with a beautiful art style that is incredibly detailed. The game carries a somewhat dark and gloomy aesthetic that is full of soft, muted colors as well as darker and richer hues in the environment. There’s a minimalistic and flat look and feel to everything since it’s all done in 2-D, but the textures and other fine details are all present. The main character, a “Night Watch,” has a rather cute sprite that reminds me a bit of the protagonist in Limbo due to the glowing white eyes, but naturally, the Night Watch has a bit more life and personality flowing through her. Animations in Lit the Torch are smooth and fluid, though sometimes I felt that the movement of the Night Watch uphill was a bit slow, which gets annoying. Lit the Torch also features an ambient and atmospheric soundtrack that is a delight to listen to, so I recommend a good pair of headphones while you play this game. It’s rather soothing, adds to the overall tone of the game, and helps you focus on the puzzles that are at hand. As the developer’s first release on the App Store, Lit the Torch is a nice treat in the visual and audio department for puzzle platformer fans.

As per typical puzzle platformer fare, Lit the Torch is level-based. At the moment, there are 41 stages that are spread out across six different worlds, so there is plenty of content available for the price. Like many other games, players must go through each level in chronological order, so the game is fairly linear in that fact, but the game mechanics can be anything but. As a Night Watch, the objective is pretty straightforward: light all of the torches with your flaming hair, but things aren’t as easy as they seem. The Night Watch must get past obtrusive obstacles to reach the altar torches, and use their power to navigate a shattered, alternate timeline in order to get where they need to go.

The control scheme in Lit the Torch is simple and intuitive. In the bottom left corner are two directional buttons for moving left and right. In the bottom right corner are your buttons for jumping and activating the portal, which is your Night Watch burning a hole through time essentially to view different altar placements in the past. Once the portal is activated, you can drag the window around on the screen with your finger to reveal many hidden secrets on the stage that you’ll need to use to achieve your goal. Eventually, you’ll also encounter other things, such as switches, that your Night Watch can interact with just by moving on top of the object.

As I mentioned, the controls are easy enough for anyone to understand, but it does take a few moments to get used to. You’ll have to constantly toggle the portal and move it around to reveal hidden areas that will help you solve the puzzles, and make sure that you don’t lose your place on platforms. But once you get the hang of things, the game is surprisingly satisfying.

I’m still pretty early on in Lit the Torch, but so far I have enjoyed the game. It’s definitely something that’s different on the App Store, which is always refreshing to see these days. The graphics are gorgeous, the music is charming, and the controls are easy enough for anyone to learn on the fly. If you’re a fan of puzzle platformer games in general, then Lit the Torch is one that you should check out this weekend.

Lit the Torch is available on the App Store as a universal download for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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Rhom Bus ($1.99) by Creatiu Lab is a fantastic new puzzle board game that features cute animals and rhombuses. If you enjoyed titles such as Aurora and Partyrs, then chances are high that you will like what Rhom Bus has to offer. It’s from the same developers of The Mesh and Stubies.

A lot has been going on for me these days, so when I have some downtime I just like to kick back and relax with some video games. While I’ve been on my PlayStation 4 much more lately, I still like to take a break every now and then with some iOS games, especially puzzles. If you’ve followed my work here at AppAdvice for the past few years, then you’ll know that puzzles are one of my favorite genres because they’re mentally stimulating yet relaxing at the same time, which I truly appreciate. Even though it feels like I’ve played every kind of puzzle game there is on the App Store sometimes, I’m still always on the lookout for something new. When the news of Rhom Bus hit my inbox, I knew it was something that I had to check out since I loved The Mesh, and needless to say, I’m definitely not disappointed by Rhom Bus.

Visually speaking, Rhom Bus is downright gorgeous with a minimalistic design that is beautiful to behold. Everything is rendered in 2-D with a flat, vector-like aesthetic that looks and feels modern and fresh. Despite the flatness, the animals (and even the bus driver, Tom) appear realistic and have a ton of fine details, such as their outfits, that breathe personality and charm into them. The color palette in Rhom Bus ranges from bright and vibrant tones to dark and rich hues for the background and game board, while the animals have realistic colors and shading. All of the animations in Rhom Bus are smooth and fluid, with seamless transitions between levels. The game also has a rather quirky and whimsical soundtrack that is a delight to listen to, and the sound effects are a fun touch. Overall, I would say that Creatiu Lab has created another masterpiece of a puzzle game on iOS, especially for the visual and audio departments.

In typical puzzle game fashion, Rhom Bus is level-based with different destinations for the driver to take animals to. At the moment, the chapters include the Gym, Disco, and Spa. There are a handful of levels for each destination, since you know, a bus can only fit so many passengers before it’s full. However, once you play through the first seven levels of Rhom Bus, you’ll unlock the Infinite Mode, which lets you play until you run out of space on the board, essentially, while trying to rack up a high score. But be warned — the seventh level is rather tricky and a decent challenge before you get to the meat of the game. The objective of the game is simple enough: get the animals on the bus by getting enough tiles on the board to match their name. Sometimes though, you’ll need to get multiple letter tiles, as indicated by the number underneath the letters at the top of the screen, and special blocks get introduced as you make progress in the game. Don’t worry about being overwhelmed — the game introduces everything with a brief tutorial screen that explains the game mechanics, so you’re never lost or confused. The further along you get in the game though, the longer the names become, making the difficulty level of the game pick up at a gradual pace.

Controls in Rhom Bus are pretty straightforward and intuitive, though it will take a bit of practice to master. At the start of a level, there may or may not be some letter tiles already on the board. Two tiles appear at a time along the top, and you can slide them left or right to reposition them before dropping them down with a swipe. When two letters connect with each other at their highlighted corners, they will form the next letter in the animal’s name, and you continue this process until you’ve acquired all of the necessary letter tiles to complete the stage. However, sometimes you will have to make adjustments to the board to make the letters connect. You can tap anywhere on the board to rotate all of the current tiles at once, or a tap in one of the four corners of the board itself will spin the board 90 degrees. There is also a “Magic Tile” power-up that you can use to rotate a single tile on the board, but this can only be used once per level, so make sure to use it wisely. Once you have collected all of the necessary tiles (including special ones) for the stage, then that animal is picked up in the bus and you can move on to the next level.

I’ve only been playing Rhom Bus for a little bit and am still pretty early on in the linear levels, but the Infinite Mode is definitely the best part of the game. Rhom Bus features a unique gameplay mechanic that proves to be challenging, fun, and rather addictive. Plus the game has a rather endearing aesthetic, delightful music, and intuitive controls that are perfectly optimized for touch screens. I think the only improvement that can be made to the game would be more levels or modes later down the line. Still, this is a great release and a must for any puzzle game fan.

Rhom Bus is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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