I’m going to come clean on something: I really hate Sudoku.
Category: iOS Games
Works With: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
I don’t know what it is about it; maybe it’s because it’s supplanted my beloved crossword as the go-to newspaper puzzle. Maybe it’s because I suspect that one could throw logic aside and accidentally solve it, possibly while drinking. Or maybe it’s just because it’s popular, and my Grinch heart is two sizes too small.
Whatever the reason, my heart or my booze, I’m not a fan. So I didn’t really expect to like FlowDoku, a shape-focused version of my puzzle nemesis by developer Hapafive. Turns out I was wrong, and I learned a very important lesson about prejudice.
With FlowDoku, instead of numbers, you fill your grid with squares, circles, triangles, and diamonds. You have two rules: Each row, column, and box must contain a specified number of each kind of shape, and identical pieces must be next to each other.
It has enough puzzles and difficulty to keep addicted players going for a while.
With those two simple guidelines and your own logic, you have to fill in the grid. You tap the grid square until the desired shape comes up; speedy players can also drag from an already-placed piece to fill adjacent squares with the same one. The game tells you when you have too many of one thing in a row, column, or box, and if you find your board messed up beyond all reckoning, an especially useful feature lets you go back to before you made your first mistake.
FlowDoku has enough puzzles and difficulty to keep addicted players going for a while, and competitive folks can compare completion times with their friends. FlowDoku is a simple, elegant game that will draw you in and make you feel smart. It’s so simple, in fact, that I can’t really find anything to complain about other than the fact that I really enjoyed playing a game that ends in “-doku.”

 Game Name: : FlowDokuThe Good: Simple, addictive puzzles that require interesting logic to complete.The Bad: Sudoku. Still can’t stand it. The Verdict: It’s a solid, fun puzzle game that is easy to pick up and less easy to put down. Buy from:App Store |
