Drop That Candy

The puzzle game genre has a bit of a candy problem. Candy Crush Saga gobbles up more worker hours than Tumblr galleries of cats in silly hats, and the countless imitators spawned by King.com's success aren't without audiences of their own.

Drop That Candy is a physics-puzzler that's quite different from what's being offered by the likes of Candy Crush rush, though imperfect mechanics make it a little bitter.

Drop That Candy revolves around Gizmo, a cute little monster with a big sweet tooth. He waits at the bottom of the screen while you sort out the tangle of candy in each level. When you succeed, the candy drops through a slot, and Gizmo feeds.

To sort out the candy problem presented in each stage, you simply tap on the sweets and make them fall to the bottom of the screen. But here's the kicker: you have to clear the screen with as few taps as possible.

The fewer taps, the higher your star ranking. Luckily, when pieces of same-coloured candy touch one another they become part of a chain that can be cleared with a single touch.

Ah, but the path to candy-coated bliss is not so easily trodden. There are several obstacles that keep the candy from touching, most commonly other chunks of candy in different colours (that purple chew has some brass, being all grape-flavoured in a peppermint world).

When said obstacles are cleared, physics is free to take its course, and pieces of same-coloured candy stack on top of each other.

In time, you're introduced to more tricks, traps, and barriers. You must navigate through and around electricity, conveyor belts, toffee sticks that cling to your candy and prevent them from meeting mates, and candy-zapping lasers.

Drop That Candy is tricky at times, but it's surprisingly forgiving. You can pass levels with zero stars, and even though you need stars to unlock new level packs, the required numbers are quite low.

It's nice to play games that don't hold you back if your performance is poor. Players who don't have hours to spend on a single level can simply move on, and people who crave a challenge can attempt to three-star every level.

However, therein lies the problem with Drop That Candy: it presents itself as a game of skill and wits, but luck above all else is necessary for success.

There's a clear solution to every level, but it's pointless to plan ahead because physics often monkeys with your methods. When same-coloured pieces of candy collide, they're often knocked askew and don't fit together as the game intends.

There are points when candy pieces will touch each other for a split second, and you could theoretically get rid of them then, but input lag makes fast reflexes useless. Before long, it becomes obvious why Drop That Candy has a 'level reset' button front and centre.

Less important, but still notable, is Drop That Candy's dull appearance. Gizmo is a cute fellah, but the candy he eats looks less than mouth-watering. Say what you will about Candy Crush Saga, but you wouldn't pass up an opportunity to munch on its game pieces.

Drop That Candy is built around a neat idea, but its imperfect physics prevent it from being as sweet as it sounds.