Off the AppStore: Balancing chaos in Meta Swing Blocks

• A physics puzzler all about blocks and traps
• Save the blocks through balance, timing, and a little luck
• Play tons of custom puzzles and make your own

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

There's an innocent joy that comes from playing with blocks that can still be felt in the physics engines of different games today. It's fun to stack them up, knock them around, and throw them at each other and other things. However, it's what we do with this feeling that leads us to try out new activities or even create them. This is what GROUP900 did when they put together the coding blocks that would become Meta Swing Blocks. Whether or not there are actually 900 people in the GROUP is a discussion for another time, because it's time to play with blocks!

Ever since the late-90s and early 2000s, designers and players have had a tremendous enthusiasm for good digital physics. Meta Swing Blocks harnesses that for its concept and mechanics. You are one of several creatures that have been brought into a chaotic universe where blocks are placed and arranged in ways you likely wouldn't stumble across. Each level shows several dots in the top-centre, representing the blocks you need. All you have to do is interact with the level physics and mechanics to keep each block safely in the level before the timer runs out. Sound familiar?

This is a series of balancing puzzles where you must use timing and object properties to ensure that everything comes together in harmony. What makes things complicated is that a majority, if not all, of the primary levels are custom-made challenges. You'll see swinging, dangling, sliding, bouncing, and more while interacting with ropes, springs, conveyor belts, and even chainsaws. You can be creative with how you design your levels and how you introduce the blocks of affection for everyone. The only requirement is that you can beat the challenge you're putting down, so be careful when pushing the limits of dangling black hole chainsaw factories.

Meta Swing Blocks is a perfect way to spend some minutes here and there to see if you can complete the latest level of lunacy. The sheer number of levels is impressive, some taking only a few seconds to master and others taking an embarrassing amount of time. You never know what a level is going to throw at you until you're smack dab in the middle of it. The pieces may not come together right away, but that's why you're playing with blocks.

You can play Meta Swing Blocks from its itch.io page!