HueBrix

Like all good puzzle titles, HueBrix takes a seemingly simple premise and gradually adds layers and layers of complexity to create a truly taxing piece of entertainment.

In this case, the objective is to fill a grid with coloured lines so that no blank spaces remain. Getting to that point is often easier said than done, however.

On some levels you'll only be given one colour to use, and this will also have a number on it that shows how many blocks it will fill. Later stages introduce additional colours, which means you have to be quite savvy with the paths you create.

Block buster

To complicate matters further, there are modifier blocks on the grid which change things significantly. For example, some levels have cross blocks indicating that a line has to end on them. Others have arrows signifying that they can only be filled by a line moving in that particular direction.

As you move through the game's 400 available levels, these elements are mixed together to create a mind-numbing challenge.

Thankfully there's a hint system in place, although using it means you forfeit the chance of earning a medal on completion of the level. It's also worth noting that hints are limited in quantity, and the only way of obtaining more is using the game's in-app purchasing system.

HueBrix cannot be faulted when it comes to its central focus. Hardcore puzzle fanatics - such as those brought up on Nintendo's seminal Picross series - will be well and truly at home with this title.

Another positive is the snappy presentation, which strikes the right balance between simplicity and sophistication.

Read between the lines

The level editor included in the iOS version of the game is sadly absent from this Android edition, but this is more than balanced out by the fact that iPhone players have to shell out cash to obtain all of the levels, whereas on Android they're unlocked from the start.

The biggest criticism we can level is the use of IAPs to fund the hint system. When you've already paid money for a game, it seems a little cheeky to ask for more so early on - especially when the hint system is an almost essential component of the package for novice players.

Some of the later puzzles are so hard that it's almost impossible to solve them without at least a little help.

Even so, this doesn't alter the fact that HueBrix is a solid puzzle effort - in fact, it's one of the most polished and enjoyable examples of the genre currently available on Android.