What is it? A chilled seating-arrangement puzzle game
Who is it for? Fans of thoughtful, bite-sized logic challenges
How much does it cost? $10/£9 one-off price
What makes it special? It’s cute, charming, and just the right level of challenge
Is This Seat Taken? asks you to play matchmaker for a ragtag bunch of personified shapes, each with their own increasingly awkward wants and needs. Your task is to arrange them in a public setting like a cramped taxi or a fancy restaurant while respecting everyone’s quirks and keeping the entire lot happy. It gave me flashbacks to building the seating plan for my wedding, but somehow in this context it feels fun.
Each level layers in new rules and delightful complications. On the bus, you’ll be banishing the loud and stinky folks to the back seats, leaving nappers and window-gazers to their preferred spots. In the cinema, you’ll navigate popcorn-stealing kids, huge view-blocking hats, and short-sighted viewers who need to be up front. Reading the room is the puzzle: who sits where so that every picky preference is satisfied?
The presentation helps this loop feel great, with chirpy music, cutesy graphics, and a pleasing blip when you nail the organization. Short narrative vignettes between levels add some personality and humor, giving these simple shapes a surprising amount of charm.
Dragging characters into place is lovely and tactile – their little legs dangle as you move them – but on iPhone it can be a bit fiddly to drop someone exactly where you want. A tap-to-select-then-tap-to-seat option would be a welcome alternative to the drag system, but it’s not the end of the world.
With no timers, leaderboards, IAP, or other complications this feels like a nice throwback to a simpler time. Despite being a port from PC, it certainly feels at home on an iPhone. If you enjoy logic games that balance coziness with challenge – or you’re an incessant people-pleaser – this is an easy recommendation.