Rhythm-based video games have been readily available for over a decade now, but there's something inherently intuitive about tapping along to the beat on a touch-screen that makes them a natural fit for Apple gadgets. We already tap our fingers and toes to most tunes that spill out of our earbuds; why not make an app of it?

Beat Sneak Bandit, the latest title from Bumpy Road creator Simogo, boasts one of the best blends of clever one-touch gameplay, charming 2D art, and head-bobbing beats available on the App Store. Cast as the criminally smooth Bandit, you'll have to stealthily tap your way through the devilish Duke Clockface’s creepy mansion, reclaiming stolen clocks and dodging all sorts of rhythmic dangers along the way.

Each stage sees Bandit sneaking up, down, and across four stories in the Duke's manor, collecting clocks while avoiding guards, trap doors, robo-vacuum 'bots, and other outlandish obstacles. A single tap sends Bandit forward once pace, but watch out – he can only move in the direction he's facing, and only in step with the beat. Recklessly rapping on your touch-screen will make the clocks on Bandit's current floor explode, and cause our sneaky thief to stumble over his suede shoes.

The hook lies in spotting the best route to sneak to each stage's clocks unseen, but Beat Sneak Bandit's deceptively intricate level layouts – and surprisingly punishing difficulty curve – demand plenty of trial and error. True, a single misstep can make several minutes of shrewd sneaking go to pot, but it's tough to stay mad at this quirky beat-based puzzler. It's a fun, novel take on an underfed genre that undoubtedly deserves your three dollars.

The bottom line. Beat Sneak Bandit's charming visuals, wicked sense of humor, and toe-tapping tunes make it one of the best music games available on iOS.