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Rules! Review: joins the ranks of cute puzzlers

There’s only one rule – follow the rules!

Price: $1.99/£1.49
Developer: TheCodingMonkeys
Size: 11.7 MB
Version: 1.0.1

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Like all great puzzlers, Rules! asks you to play by them, so all you Dirty Harrys out there, well, you’re simply not welcome.

In Rules! you’re presented with a four-by-four board with twelve tappable squares. Each one filled with a colorful character and a number. This is where the rules come in – they will instruct you as to what order you should tap the squares in until none remain.

As you progress, different rules are added

As you progress, different rules are added

Sound simple? Well, it is – kind of. To make this more than just a simple game of whack-a-mole, you have to complete the instruction within 20 seconds. Once you do you’ll head to the next level and a new rule presents itself. Follow this rule until you run out of options then revert to rule one. As you progress through the levels, more and more rules are piled on– and this is where you start to struggle and succumb to the 20-second time limit.

Attention is seriously paid to the look and design of Rules! Characters on each card are all beautifully designed, while there are also unicorns, tiny robots, and gremlins to become familiar with. Through playing the game, it’s clear that Rules! wouldn’t be out of place among the growing ranks of cute puzzlers, alongside Threes and Monument Valley.

Characters are placed on the playing board, you have to tap them based on the rules you've been given

Characters are placed on the playing board, you have to tap them based on the rules you’ve been given

Rules! is a game all about speed and your ability to spot patterns. It may look slightly childish in places but this is a game that is rock-hard. You’ll soon be cursing your clumsy thumbs but in time you’ll get better and crown yourself the king of Rules! Until you check the leaderboard that is…