Twisty Planets

There's a fizz to Twisty Planets. A zesty oomph behind its simple exterior that makes it almost impossible to dislike.

It's thoughtful without ever being overbearing, and fast-paced without ever getting ahead of itself. And from its simple core idea it creates a series of intriguing challenges that beguile and befuddle in equal measure.

At its most basic it's a game about movement. But you're not just shifting Qub, the TV-headed character you're in control of. You're moving the entire world as well, rearranging the ground to solve puzzles.

It's like a three dimensional block-sliding puzzle mixed with a slow-paced platformer. And layered on top of that is the sort of star-grabbing challenges that make mobile gaming so compulsive.

Each level sees you dropped onto one of the titular planets. Your job is to collect the three stars that are scattered around the blocky surface, then get away through a glowing blue portal.

You don't need all of the stars to make your escape, but if you do grab them, and make it to the portal in less than a minute, you'll get the best score possible.

The worlds are made out of cubes. Tapping on one of the simple arrow controls moves Qub one cube in that direction.

The twist is that you can literally shove the planets around as well. With a swipe you can tilt the whole jumble of cubes.

And as long as you've positioned Qub sensibly you'll be able to take advantage of the new terrain, springing out to grab stars that were out of your reach before the reshuffle.

You can jump one block high, but any more than that is beyond you. Later in the game there are jump-pads that spring you into the air. These give you the chance to rearrange the ground when you're airborne.

Swirling black holes suck you in at one point of the level and spit you out at another, and fiendishly designed levels make it simple to grab two stars, but tough as old boots to get three.

The game doesn't look breathtaking, but there's a level of polish to it that makes it stand out. Qub is a reasonably personable character to spend some time with, and there's enough zip to proceedings that you're unlikely to find yourself picking at the presentation.

The controls aren't always entirely reliable, but the levels are so small that a misplaced step or an incorrect swipe isn't the end of the world.

Twisty Planets is the sort of game you can lose hours in. Its levels might only be bite-size, but you'll find yourself sticking around for one more go again and again and again.

It's down to the rare combination of brains and reactions that the game demands. The puzzles are never too taxing, and the platforming is never too tough. But when they're squished together they form an intoxicating mix.

Twisty Planets is fun, engaging, and bubbles along at an irresistible speed. If you like your puzzlers fast or your platformers clever, it's well worth a look.