Neuroshima Hex Puzzle for iPhone Review

Our rating:

By: Big Daddy's Creations, Wspolnik S.C.

Version #: 1.0

Date Released:

Developer: By Big Daddy's Creations

Price: $2.99

User Rating:

Loading...

Download App

There are two people in the world, those that have no idea what I am talking about when I said Neuroshima hex, and there are those that wax nostalgic and begin to recount this or that battle they have played and how the game is one of the quintessential examples of board games done right on the iOS platform. So when I mention that Big Daddy Creations has brought us another NS Hex game where you complete board puzzles instead of multiple-player battles, you are either the kind of person that say, “the only puzzle is what you are talking about,” or you are the kind of person that has already hit the purchase button before I even finish the sentence. My hope is that for those of you in the former group, you will be making tracks to the app store by the end of this review because once again, Big Daddy has done a superb job at bringing us a title from the Portal Publishing House’s award winning title, Neuroshima Hex.

To understand NS Hex Puzzle, you should at least know what the game it is based on is about. Neuroshima Hex is a polish board game that pits two to four players against each other in turn-based combat utilizing hexagonal tiles that are placed in turn by the players. Periodically a battle ensues and the tiles take turns based on their priority. The game has a rich set of units to play and a great balance among the four different races. This game was ported to the iOS by Big Daddy in September of 2010 and quickly became a hit among both boardgamers, and SciFi fans for the beautiful artwork and depth of play. If this sounds even remotely interesting to you, I highly recommend you purchase the board game which is a universal app for iPhone/iPod and iPad.

With that out of the way, lets look at the NS Hex Puzzle. This turn-based puzzle game utilizes the tiles, board, and gameplay of the original, but sets up scenarios known as “Hex-Aches,” that you must solve in one turn with the provided titles. Each level starts with a short tongue-in-cheek description of the level and will, at times, offer clues as to how you will have to solve the puzzle. You then are given three titles and must discard one before you start. You then must use the remaining two tiles to effect the board as it is laid out to end the battle with more hit points in your HQ than the opponents. This may sound easy, but you quickly find the hex-ache’s difficulty ramping up to the point that I would spend a couple hours trying to figure out some of the later puzzles. There are one hundred hex-aches to complete with the first ten levels being a tutorial that introduces you to the world of Neuroshima Hex. This is great for those that are not familiar with the original game but are interested in the puzzle aspect this app offers. Game Center support gives you accomplishments so you can brag to your friends as you finish each section of the game, but there are no other metrics to measure your abilities in this game. If my experience with Neuroshima Hex is any indication, I suspect that Big Daddy will have more in store for fans with future updates. As it stands, Neuroshima hex Puzzle is an amazing game that will challenge your mind while simultaneously introduce you to the grand world os Neuroshima Hex. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a couple more hex-aches to finish.

We rate this app 5 out of 5 stars.