Cut the Rope – Flawlessly simple/Simply flawless puzzle game

When reviewing iPhone games, I’ve been inadvertently dedicated to reviewing ports of famous titles from other formats. This has made me overlook the vast collection of brilliantly simple games tailored specifically for the iPhone. Cut the Rope is the latest of these, and is a reminder that sometimes the simple pleasures are the best pleasures.

Cut the Rope is a puzzle game that involves feeding a piece of candy to a monster called Om Nom. However, the candy is suspended from ropes and to get them to reach Om Nom you must cut them in the right order. In each level there are also optional stars to collect that unlock further levels and generally give a sense of closure to the levels. All it takes is for you to make one simple mistake, and poor Om Nom won’t get his candy.

While the graphics are all cutesy and the gameplay simply involves swiping your fingers to cut the ropes, don’t be lulled into thinking this game is easy. Throughout the game you’ll come across bubbles, air cushions, spikes and other such objects that add layers upon layers of complexity to achieving your goal. Sometimes Cut the Rope becomes a rhythm game as much as a puzzle game, as you have to carefully time your cutting and popping to get the candy to Om Nom.

Cut the Rope makes you feel like a puzzle-solving genius in the first few levels, and then slowly has you regress to a drooling halfwit as it progresses. Perhaps some people will be put off by this genuine mental stimulation, but they should be looked down upon and condemned. Cut the Rope’s flawless use of the touch-screen means that you can only ever blame yourself when things go wrong, and its increasing catalogue of levels should keep you endlessly occupied. At 59p it’s some of the best value for fun you can get out of your iPhone.

Developed by Chillingo, £0.59, Updated 5^th October 2010, Price: £0.59