Pavilion: Touch Edition 4+

The artwork is absolutely stunning! However, this also makes the game more difficult. Too often I was tapping randomly, trying to find something interactive in all of the detail. Zooming in made it easier in some ways, but then I learned there were things happening elsewhere on the screen where I was not looking and I was missing them. I have no idea how much of the story I witnessed and how much I missed.

Sadly, I have a problem with the level with the rose. It is a long and simple 5 minute walk, ending with the game crashing just after the rose scene. It passed the rose the first time and closed the game, thinking that was a checkpoint, but I had to repeat the level and now it always crashes.

The unique style of play is definitely interesting, and there is a good variety in the kinds of puzzles thrown at you in this game. I would definitely recommend playing on iPad for the bigger screen and easier controls.

However sometimes having to slide things into the *exact* position in some of the timed puzzles can be frustrating, as often you have fewer than 3 seconds to move a massive block through a tight corner, wait exactly 2 more seconds then quickly move it into the second spot. Not having the block in the exact spot meant the man (which you can’t directly control) will start heading in the wrong direction, stop, or slow down. After 20 minutes I checked a walkthrough only to find I was doing the right thing. Extending the time by a minuscule amount for the timed puzzles involving moving around of blocks could help compensate for this annoyance of getting a puzzle right but still not being able to continue on.

The urgency from the timed puzzles is good, but I think it needs to be slightly more lenient for the sometimes awkward iPad controls. I did like the time I spent on this, however I don’t think I would have bought it had I known that the controls would inhibit my otherwise great puzzle session. This game’s music and art definitely sets a calming atmosphere, but spending a total of 30 minutes on one point (that you were doing correct all along) has unfortunately made this game lose its charm for me.