The physics-based iPhone game, like Tiggers, is made for bouncing.
Enigmo salutes those who "fix" ceiling leaks by placing a bucket underneath, making this mechanic into a game. A faucet drips a steady stream, and a vase waits some distance away, often obstructed by walls and other blockades. You’ll have to route the water to its goal by bouncing it off drums and other objects. Originally released on the Mac, Enigmo works well on the iPhone and iPod touch; you just drag parts to reposition them. We usually enjoyed the game’s pace and challenge, but an inconsistent difficulty progression and a lack of a tutorial keep Enigmo from fully riding its wave of potential.
The first level begins simply; one drum bounces dripping water into a bucket. Players move the drum and twist its angle by pushing it with a finger. That position is crucial; we often zoomed in with the pinch gesture in order to subtly arrange parts.
In the second level, Enigmo already introduces four new objects: a more powerful drum, two plane lengths, and a sponge. And already, the game gets too complicated, too quickly. While the eight possible parts are manageable on their own—a megaphone-shaped droplet-launcher was our favorite—Enigmo doesn’t introduce them gradually enough. Up to three liquid types and other obstacles are also quickly added, such as locked doors that need to be opened by droplets hitting buttons.
No tutorial is included, and you’ll have to launch a PDF in Safari to read details on everything. Once we understood how to use the parts, we enjoyed most of the levels. Some of the 50 challenges subtly twist what seems possible, creating elegant puzzles. But other levels are just rote exercises in routing streams through obvious mazes.
The Enigmo concept is perfectly suited to the iPhone’s touch controls. While still fun, inconsistent complexity keeps the game from meeting its strong concept.
Physics engine invites play and experimentation. While lacking background music, plinking droplets make soothing soundtrack. Some great puzzles are solved by bending your perception of how the game works.
Lack of tutorial and in-game documentation leads to needless frustration. Level difficulty is inconsistent, with some too confusing, challenging, or mindless. Because of portrait-only view, wide levels require lots of scrolling.
