Developer/Publisher: Press OK Entertainment
Genre: Puzzle/Physics
Price: $0.99 (Lite Version Available)
Acquired: Promo Code Provided
Verdict: Fun puzzler with physics elements, although some elements are not perfect
Pros: Requires you to really think and toy with the objects you are given in order to succeed, OpenFeint support
Cons: More ways to manipulate blocks would be welcome

Finger Physics is, contrary to what you might immediately expect, not a game based around something like a physics sandbox, but it’s actually a puzzle game, that requires you to manipulate objects in order to complete the levels. As such, little actual knowledge of physics is actually required (thankfully, because physics messes up even my genius mind), so it’s really just all about the behaviors of objects and what you do with them.

The game’s puzzles largely consist of 3 different types. There’s stacking objects up to a point where you have to put a star on top and have it reach past a certain height (with the ability to get silver and gold stars for reaching to higher levels). There are levels where you have to take all the objects you’re given and stack them into a structure that stands solidly for 5 seconds after everything together. Well, technically, all they have to do is for you to not be manipulating the pieces and they have to remain on the board – they could be a pixel away from falling off the side and as long as that timer has hit 0, you’re good as gravy. What’s also interesting about these levels is that eventually, you’ll see things like underwater levels with blocks that can sink or float, and you have to basically find a way to keep them from floating to the top or sinking to the briney deeps below. The third type of level is completely different, in that you have to tap destructible blocks in order to get an egg into a basket.

This game certainly provides a lot of variety in its gameplay – but the constant is that everything is ruled by physics, and you have to think about the way the objects will act on how you place them. Also, with the building modes, all your objects come in a set order, so you either have to be creative with your building or figure out how to make the structure you want with what you’re given. You can still move objects around after they’ve been placed, so this is something that you can keep in mind as you’re trying to solve the levels.

This is NOT a stable building by any definition except Finger Physics'

Well, is it any fun? It has its moments – it’s a fun use of the ol’ noodle, and solving some of the levels where the solution to building a particular structure seems so out of left-field, that when you do figure it out, it is a great feeling. If you enjoy games with those “a-ha!” moments, then you might want to check this one out. If you’re a fan of the band a-ha, iPod music plays fine in-game, so you can have an a-ha moment while listening to a-ha. The game has some flaws though – it would be nice if you could see the order in which pieces are going to come to down in before you play the game. Maybe this makes sense to surprise the gamer the first time, but as the pieces come in a set order, after the first time you’ve played, it’s not really a mystery any more, and would just be helpful to the player to do this.

Also, although your pieces come down in a set orientation, they can be rotated by dropping them against scenery or other blocks, and this is a valid strategy to use in solving levels. What would be useful is if you could rotate the blocks manually – maybe by putting another finger on the screen as you hold a block to spin it around. Also, if you could move 2 blocks at once, that would make some of the puzzles easier by making it easier to position blocks, but this may have also been a deliberate design decision as well. Either way, it just feels like the controls get in your way sometimes – in a game where manipulation of objects is the whole point of the game, not having all the control you could potentially have kind of stings.

However, these little issues I had do not hurt the game – for $0.99, it’s a fun little puzzler that plays solidly, and gets you thinking. And it’s a puzzle game that doesn’t require you to play with words or match X number of objects together. For that alone, it deserves your love.