Nuzzle - Number Puzzle Game

Visually, Nuzzle is super simple and minimalistic. While everything appears in a 2D fashion, the number tiles are stacked, giving it a pseudo 3D aesthetic. The chosen typeface is thick and easy to read. Nuzzle's color palette consists of navy blue, red, and light gray with white text, which all contrast nicely with each other. There's not many animations in this game except when you move the number tiles around, but that's done smoothly. I did find it odd that the game is completely silent - there's not even any sound effects as tiles snap into place. But if you prefer listening to your own tunes while playing games, then this is good news.

There are three options to pick from in Nuzzle: 3x3, 4x4, and 5x5 grids. As you'd imagine, the bigger the board is, the more difficult it will be to solve. Regardless of which board size you choose, the goal is the same: place and align the number tiles on the grid so that you match up with the six numbers shown at the top. While it sounds easy, it's much harder than it looks on the surface. Similar to Sudoku, players must be cognizant of where they are placing the number, since the numbers can be read horizontally or vertically.

Controls in Nuzzle are as easy as they come. At the bottom of the screen is where the number tiles are. To get them on the grid, just drag them to the spot that you want them in. But be warned - once they're set, you can't move them! There's no "undo last move" button either, which I found to be annoying.

It's not clear from the get-go, but you can tap on a placed tile to put it back in the stack, but it counts as a move. The game does not tell you about this, and I only happened to find out about it by accident.

Instead, there's a "reset puzzle" button, but this means starting over with an empty slate. And with the move counter at the top (fewer moves means more points), using the restart button essentially doubles your moves, because it places all of the tiles back. While you technically "restart" the puzzle, it doesn't reset the move count, which I found irksome. At least there's no time limit, I suppose.

When you have all of the tiles on the grid, you win if you were able to get all of the numbers shown at the top. If not, then you lose. When you win, your score is dependent on how many moves it took you to solve.

Nuzzle - Sudoku Puzzle has a unique concept that is definitely engaging and challenging. The minimalistic graphics are nice too, with simple colors and an easy-to-read typeface. No music means that you can listen to whatever you want, though I wish that there were some sounds at least.

The lack of a single undo move button is the biggest flaw of the game. It's annoying to have to start over from the beginning if you notice that you make a mistake. While you can tap on a tile to take it back, it's not obvious and I only happened to find out by accident.

And then to have your move count doubled because you have to restart is just rubbing salt into the wound. I hope that the developer considers adding a clearer undo button in an update, because it would help streamline the game and be less frustrating.

While I'm not the best at solving numerical puzzles, I'm still enjoying Nuzzle for what it's worth. The minimalistic design appeals to me, because it lets you focus on the gameplay. The puzzles are challenging and should appeal to anyone who enjoys Sudoku or other similar logic puzzles. I just want to see a single undo move button added in the future, as it would make the game much more streamlined.

I'd give Nuzzle a try if you're looking for a Sudoku-like puzzle game for the weekend. Nuzzle - Sudoku Puzzle is on the App Store as a universal download for $0.99. There are in-app purchases.