Quell

Judging by Quell's artsy design and wistful soundtrack, Fallen Tree Games must think there's an untapped market of nostalgic gaming pensioners out there who like to stare out of the window at falling rain all day while playing on their Android.

If you ignore the strange sitting room setting, though, Quell is a smart, beautifully polished puzzler that makes a pretty solid attempt at conjuring up an atmosphere of zen-like contemplation.

It's just the presentation is so, well, odd that it can occasionally distract from the process of solving a level.

In principle, you're trying to guide a raindrop around a succession of increasingly complicated mazes, snagging all of the collectibles in as few moves as possible.

The basic mechanics of play are fine. You swipe the screen to send the raindrop up, down, left, or right. You keep moving until you hit something, so the challenge is to work out whether to avoid the obstacles or use them to your advantage.

Spikes will kill you, for example, but approach them from behind and they can stop you in a better position to pick up your next pearl.

The controls are smooth and responsive, the UI is clean and intuitive, and a host of achievements should keep fans busy perfecting the levels.

It's just the game underneath the twee visuals and ethereal tunes isn't that original, and when the methodical pace and soporific mood fail to connect, being reminded of that can at times feel frustrating.

Still, they come together more often than they irritate, meaning Quell ranks comfortably above most of the generic smartphone puzzle games out there.