An unparalleled, heart-racing challenge of coordination, codeglue’s HydroTilt is a strategy game in which the player manipulates their iPhone/iPod touch to control the flow of a droplet of water through obstacles over floating platforms. Don’t be deceived by the mundane sound of the concept, HydroTilt can be riveting.

The goal in HydroTilt is to guide the water droplet over basic geometric shapes. It seems simple. That is, once I gained a feel for how to tilt and direct, as opposed to careening perilously off the edge again and again. (And again.) A tilt calibration available in the options is a well-thought-out touch.

The motion of the water droplet is smooth and fluid, no pun intended, and a delicate trickle sound accompanies it. Frivolous graphics or audio may have been an irritating choice given the concentration needed to play. HydroTilt’s developers made a great choice to utilize simplicity.

Along the way, the water droplet can undergo transformations into ice, vapor and back into H2O to achieve the task at hand. For example, a wet droplet is necessary to conduct electricity to move platforms and reach a new portion of that level. However, the blue cube called the “Cool Block” is necessary to give the droplet solid form to place pressure on a button (as well as to finish the levels.) Running down the slides causes the droplet to “melt,” leaving the “Cool Block” wherever contact with the slide was made, to be retrieved again if necessary. The player’s goal in HydroTilt is to collect the crystals placed throughout the 25 levels to gain a reward upon completion.

HydroTilt’s overall simplicity does a wonderful job of highlighting the immense skill necessary to carry out the tasks.

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app category: Editor's Picks, Games, Strategy