Square King

You can learn a thing or two about the tricks of game development from a title like Square King.

For example, it's highly unlikely those at Net Lizard set out on a mission to release a game chronicling the adventures of a king with a very large and incredibly square face.

Rather, those involved probably wanted to serve up a plain old physics-puzzler - popular as they are - and settled on the idea of 2D Jenga.

The royal dressing, believe it or not, will have been tagged on afterwards to appeal to us consumers, who were all presumably enthralled by Wills & Kate's wedding. And immediately went hunting for a mobile tie-in.

Underneath Square King's strange exterior is a simple but addictive brainteaser, which has the power to hook you in all by itself. Its take on the genre, in fact, is arguably purer than some of its more illustrious rivals.

The idea is to remove a set number of blocks from a structure, all the while ensuring various pieces - shapes dressed up as members of a royal family - stay off the ground and remain in play.

With the clock ticking away, only a select band of shapes can be removed (stone blocks are immune to your efforts) -each one bringing various parts of the structure falling to the ground.

As you might expect, such a model lives and dies by the design of its levels, and on this score, it's hard to fault the developer one bit.

Every stage subtly brings something new to the table: some are simple symmetrical tasks, where keeping a balance is the main goal, while others require more creative deconstruction, relying on a foul up or two before things become clear.

The only area in which Square King is found wanting is its length. The game features just 20 levels in all - five of which are actually billed as 'bonus' affairs - with the game's rhythm crudely cut short by its premature end.

Still, that itself is a testament to the moreish nature of play. Square King may be a prime example of a developer too keen to paint its game in rather peculiar (if memorable) clothes, but the play beneath is exquisite enough to be more than worthy of its royal billing.