At first glance, it may not seem like much, but Electronia is a clever and addictive little puzzler
Price: $0.99 (£0.99)
Version: 1.0
Size: 32.5 MB
Developer: Mario Hiermann
Platform: iPhone and iPad
Electronia – a new release on the App Store – is a great little puzzler that will certainly keep you busy over a quiet weekend. The minimalist app is packed with electronic circuit-style puzzles, in which the goal is to light up an electric bulb using a mix of increasingly complex switches.
The puzzles start off relatively simple but soon become more challenging.
To begin with, the kind of circuits you need to complete are simple enough. You have a battery at one end of the circuit, a bulb at the other end, and wire in between. Well, that’s not all – a series of switches separate the battery from its bulb, and these can be rearranged with a tap on the screen. Some switches send your current at a right-angle, while others are horizontal. You can cycle through all of the switch’s configurations by tapping on it.
Towards the end of the game, a few extra components will further complicate your circuits.
Once you’re happy with your switch placement, you can test to see if the connection is solid through tapping your battery. A small pulse of current will travel from your battery to the bulb; if it reaches the end, you can move on to the next level – but if it doesn’t, you’re going to need to debug the circuit, and this can take, well, quite a while.
The game features a simple, minimalist design – and the electronic soundtrack is very relaxing.
There are times when the solution is pretty straightforward, but as you move through the game, the circuits presented become more and more challenging; you’ll often be left squinting at your iPhone or iPad in order to find the solution. Bulbs might need activating from two or more sides, meaning you’ll need to run the circuit several times with the switches configured differently in order to supply the necessary current. And additional components, like fans, also make an appearance.
Think you could solve this one?
One particularly great feature of Electronia is its minimalism: the app features a gray or black background, simple graphics, and a soothing electronic soundtrack. The sound effects are ridiculously satisfying, too – especially when you manage to complete a circuit and light the bulb.
You can expect a good few hours of playtime – potentially as many as four, according to the developer. Individual levels can be replayed and there are 50 which are progressively unlocked. What’s nice about Electronia is that the app, at $1/£1, is universal and ad-free. For the price, there’s a lot to love here: Electronia is a great puzzler and well worth the entry fee.