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Review: Simian.Interface lands on iOS with its primate-stumping puzzles

Simian.interface has been around for a while as a browser-based Flash game created by Vested Interest. Thanks to some hard work by the developers at Bullseye Studio and the publishing prowess of Chillingo, the title is now available for iPhone and iPod touch owners.

Just like the web title, Simian.interface for iOS has you taking the role of a primate that is challenged to solve spatial puzzles. The interface has an 8-bit look and feel with a bleep-blop soundtrack to match. In the game, you start off by moving sets of squares so they fit into each other. As you progress, the patterns get more challenging to solve. Get your brain fired up as there are no hints or pointers to help you out. You will be confused and flounder at times, but that is part of the challenge!

Simian.interface is a perfect fit for the iPhone, and many people will be happy to see the title ported to the mobile platform. For those who are used to playing the game on the web with a mouse, the app has a touch control option that allows you move shapes with your fingers. There's also a tilt control that allows you to tilt your phone to move the shapes on the screen. The tilting adds a new dimension to the game and is my preferred mode of play.

My only critique of Simian.interface is that it is a short game. Don't expect hours and hours of gameplay. And once you've completed a puzzle, there's little replay value because the challenge to figure it out is gone. That being said, I think Simian.interface is worth the buck that it costs. It's a fun puzzler that'll fill your free moments with some unique challenges. My advice is to spread the puzzles out. Don't download the game and blow through all the puzzles in 30 minutes of frenzied play. Do a puzzle here and there and enjoy the challenges... one puzzle at a time.

You can download Simian.interface for US$0.99 from the iOS App Store. It's compatible with the iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later. There are no ads and no in-app purchases.