Pardon the pun, but as puzzle games go the Sneezies app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is nothing to sneeze at. The simple premise of Sneezies is to advance through levels in one of two modes by setting off a chain reaction of sneezes that subsequently free the animated “sneezies” from their captive bubbles. Once freed, they open a parachute and float down and off screen. Each level requires an increasing minimum of freed sneezies to advance to the next.
Though the game play itself is simplistic, one touch of the screen will have you hooked. The colorful backgrounds are enhanced by vibrant graphics and the music is relaxing. I find the sneezing sound effects to be amusing, but the game settings can be adjusted to individually increase or decrease the volume of music and sound effects for those who might disagree.
Sneezies features two modes — Classic and Challenge. Classic mode is comprised of 45 levels and Challenge mode has 15. In both modes, you receive points equal to the number of sneezies that pop free, but in Challenge mode you can earn bonus points and extra turns for meeting certain requirements, such as freeing all sneezies of one color or freeing 75% of the total sneezies in the level. Scores can be submitted online to compare with other users.
Sneezies, developed by Antair Corporation and published by Chillingo Ltd., is available in the App Store for just $0.99. Though obviously not designed to challenge the mind, those with a penchant for puzzles may find themselves attempting to decipher a pattern hidden amongst the free-form critters that will maximize scores. When it comes to killing time Sneezies is what I’d call contagious, if not highly addictive.