IOS Review #112: Abzorb

Title: Abzorb
Developer: Gerald Kelley
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $2.99
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It's been six years since Tilt To Live showed how to do tilt controls well on mobile, and three years since its sequel expanded on the strengths of the original. Tilt-controlled games can be difficult to nail, but the new arcade puzzle Abzorb might be the best I've played since Tilt To Live, featuring both responsive controls and surprisingly varied twists on its simple concept.

Abzorb is quite straightforward. You control an arrow, sliding around the screen to absorb blue energy from orbs. To collect the energy, you need to stay close enough that the orbs are in the radius of your triangle, but not close enough to actually touch. Meanwhile dangerous red orbs drain the level's clock if they enter your range, making Abzorb a game of fast-paced evasion and puzzling as you figure out how to gather each level's blue energy without running out of time.

If Abzorb was merely an endless game revolving around those mechanics, it would still be a fun game thanks to its stylish minimalist aesthetic and surprisingly tight tilt controls. But Abzorb layers on a vast range of additional mechanics and tricky level design to create a unique polished arcade puzzler.

Some orbs grow or shrink your absorption radius. Other orbs are chained together and inactive until drained of energy. Other orbs form barriers around you, forcing you carefully push and shove the sides to move across the screen, Special gates change the color of orbs that pass between them, Many more mechanics await, as well as the additional challenge of completing each of the game's 65 level as fast as possible for the best scores.

Abzorb is available for $2.99 and has no in-app purchases.