Oh, what a tangled web we weave . . .

Even if you think spiders are creepy, we suspect you’ll enjoy Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor. In this clever adventure/puzzle game, the player directs the action by touching a spider to make it walk, run, or jump to its next destination--and we were pleasantly surprised by how responsive the touch control was. Place the spider in web-spinning mode and when you jump, the spider will leave behind one line of a web. Continue jumping while spinning a web to create geometric shapes that can be connected to form a web. Bugs then fly into your webs and are eaten for points and energy. Your spider utilizes the energy to create more webs and consume more bugs. Not all insects can be handily captured in a web. Some need to be attacked and others dragged into the web to be destroyed, while still others need to be lured into your trap (we would tell you how, but we don't want to spoil the fun). Once enough insects are consumed, a portal is opened and you progress to the next room. You need to be strategic with your silk, because if you run out (which happened more times than we care to admit) and can’t eat a bug, you lose.

... when we practice to perceive.

It is the extraordinarily beautiful hand-illustrated artwork that draws you into the mystery at hand: What happened to the inhabitants of Bryce Manor? Clues are hidden throughout the 28 levels, and the goal is to sleuth (and munch) your way to unraveling the mystery. Finding the secret clues hidden throughout the levels is what enchanted us initially, but over time, we found the clues to be rather cryptic and vague. Solving the mystery should be challenging yet revealing enough to keep you hooked and not so hard that you end up bewildered and disinterested.

If you just want to test your skills at being a spider, there are three other modes for you to enjoy: Feeding Frenzy (eat and score within a timeframe), Hunger (must eat to play; use your silk wisely), or Precision (expert level: less silk, shorter threads). These mini-games are fun, but not quite as appealing as Adventure mode, where getting to the next level to unveil the secrets hidden within the abandoned mansion is much of the appeal for us.

Spider is a game that takes perfecting, which will keep inveterate gamers hooked, but is also easy enough that it keeps the not so adept fully engrossed. And while arachnophiles and -phobes alike will enjoy catching bugs, we wish the mystery was not quite so obtuse.

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor
COMPANY: Tiger Style
CONTACT: www.tigerstylegames.com/Spider/
PRICE: $2.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPod touch or iPhone with OS 2.0 or later
Outstanding graphics. Not too hard for a newbie gamer. Not too boring for a seasoned vet.
Some may want to level up, and there isn’t an option for that. Doesn't allow multiple player profiles. Basta with the Facebook reminders.