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Category: Puzzle games
Developer: MunkyFun, Inc.
Requirements: iPhone 2.1 software
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
File Size: 30.1MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0.
Price: $1.99

I’m not sure who these MunkyFun people are and why they’re here, but if I ever run into them, I’m going to have two things to say. 1.) Monkeys get too much airtime. I don’t know if it’s because people think they’re cute animals or if the word “monkey” is just fun to say, but can we please start passing some of that love onto the jackalope or the platypus, both of which are equally fun to say? 2.) You’ve created the perfect iPhone game.

Now, but let me qualify that. Ivory Tiles is not for everyone. It’s a puzzle game. I know that turns a lot of people off, and that’s fine. But as far as puzzle games go—and when it comes to use of the iPhone/iPod touch’s accelerometer—Ivory Tiles is the best I’ve seen yet.

The point of Ivory Tiles is to slide any number of (get this) ivory tiles onto certain squares on the game board. Cleverly placed obstacles will block your path, forcing you to maneuver in certain ways to reach your goal. It starts off quite simple, where the only challenge is reaching the goal in the minimum number of moves. Before long, though, you’re presented with multiple tiles, multiple goals, and even multiple levels to manipulate. Your tiles can get trapped in holes, forcing you to start over. You can get caught in “obstacle hell,” where it seems no matter what you do, the tiles won’t go where you want them to. There was one puzzle later on that I believe could’ve been completed in less than 30 moves, and it took me nearly 250 (yes, the game keeps track of that). For the most part, though, a quick study of the game board and a lucky start would often have me completing the puzzles in about 5 to 15 moves above the minimum.

Sound like the equivalent of every other puzzle game on the iPhone? Maybe, but Ivory Tiles comes together on every level. First of all, the controls are spot on. To move your tile(s), you simply tilt the phone in the direction you want the tile to slide. It’s very responsive, and only occasionally did a tile move when I didn’t want it to. In a way, this makes you feel as if you’re holding and manipulating an actual game board, something you just don’t get by clicking and dragging your mouse in similar games for the Mac or PC. Touch control is also available, but don’t use it. Just don’t. The tilt capabilities are so perfectly implemented that you’d be doing MunkyPhone and the very soul of the iPhone itself a huge disservice by not taking advantage of them.

Second, the design is fantastic. Obviously, a game like this is going to have an Asian theme, and it’s very well done. The graphics are very attractive without trying to be anything more than a natural mahogany game board with actual ivory tiles. You’ll feel like you’re looking at a video game trying to be nothing more than what it is, as opposed to screaming out, “Hey, I’m a video game! See my flashing lights! Hear my whistles and bells!”

And speaking of whistles and bells, the music is traditional Chinese; whether that works for you will depend upon your taste. It obviously fits in quite well with the design of the game, but may be a bit much for westerners playing the game for prolonged periods when their only previous exposure to such music is at the local Chinese restaurant. You can turn the music down, but you can’t replace it with your iTunes library.

If there’s a third item that makes Ivory Tiles so great, it’s that it’s playable both in short bursts and in longer sessions. The puzzles flow quickly into one another, so it can become quite addictive. “That one was easy enough, let’s see how long this one takes.” Play it for two minutes, play it for 20 minutes, you’re not messing up the gaming experience either way.

Ivory Tiles offers over 80 levels of gameplay. They go by quickly at first, but will become extremely challenging before long. If you’re a perfectionist, you don’t need to quit playing after you’ve completed them all; you can go back to any puzzle to try to beat your previous score. There’s no real reward for doing so, unless playing the game is it’s own reward.

With Ivory Tiles, that just may be the case.