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Shifting Sands quick review

By Nathan Mustafa, USA
for www.touchgen.com

Published: May 20, 2009

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Shifting Sands is a fun-filled puzzler that is perfect for its 99 cent price point. The game is a satisfying mind bender that offers a challenge to those willing to attempt its 30 levels.

The objective in shifting sands is to move one’s little patch of sand along numbered tiles from the start tile to the end tile. Each tile displays a number, this number represents the amount of times one must move the sand onto the tile in order to make the tile disappear. In order to complete the level, all tiles must be wiped out, and the sand must end up on the end tile. While the concept is simple, the game is entertaining and reminds me of the stupid games I used to make up for myself while hopping along tiles in the grocery store.

Shifting sands is not without faults, the game’s graphics are simple and the sound is nothing special. The opening theme song is cheesy, and unfortunately there is not support for listening to one’s own music. Controlling the game is conceptually easy, but trying to press the little arrow buttons to move the sand can be difficult as precision is necessary. There seems to be no way to return to the menu while in a game, and there is no in-game tutorial/instructions page. The continue game option does not start you back from where you were in a level, rather it simply starts you at the beginning of the puzzle you last played. My final gripe is that when one pauses the game, the puzzle is not hidden and this renders the timer on the level almost pointless.

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While I did present a substantial list of complaints, the game is only 99 cents. Not all of the puzzles are hard, but a select few will assuredly stump the player. From a time spent vs money spent perspective, Shifting Sands delivers with its 30 well-constructed levels that will undoubtedly provide ample entertainment. Head on over to the app store and pick this one up if you enjoy puzzles, Shifting Sands will not disappoint.

Final Score

3-stars

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Review disclosure: Any games reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note: the resulting review score is never impeded by this fact, all opinions are that of the TouchGen reviewer and not the developer. This is in keeping with our O.A.T.S oath. Read more about O.A.T.S here

iPGN comments

3 Comments on "Shifting Sands quick review"

  1. Rock $ Rolla on Wed, 20th May 2009 8:27 am 

    Definitely not my type of game

  2. LagMac Studio on Tue, 4th May 2010 9:56 am 

    We have submitted to Apple a big update.
    At this time it is still in review.
    Below the change log :

    NEW VERSION 2.0

    Shifting Sand, the spot with eyes and mouth.

    Guide Shifting Sand along the 35 game tracks until you’ll have saved her; try hard to do this in the shortest possible time, making no mistakes which could cost Shifting Sand one of its five available lives.

    The numbers marked in each of the boxes composing the way are there to complicate your life. Such numbers do indicate how many times Shifting Sand has to run over that very box, so as to erase it for good.

    Use the Accelerometer to move through, run over and eliminate all boxes, making care not to get off the way.

    - Thoroughly renewed graphics, which have been partially hand-drawn, in the best tradition of the Doodle-family games
    - New music and new sounds effects
    - Thirty five levels, each one increasing the difficulty rate
    - Game controls by means of the Accelerometer
    - Option of “Pausing” the game
    - A total of five lives available, and two minutes of time to complete every level
    - Automatic memory-saving of the progresses made during the games
    - Possibility of re-starting the game as from the last completed level
    - General game-skill ranking available on-line (*)
    - Local game-skill ranking of the last three best scores(*)

    (*) To get these functions you need of course an Internet Connection (Cellular Network or Wi-Fi); relevant connecting fees to be regulated by the concerned Phone Operator or by the Provider.

  3. LagMac Studio on Wed, 5th May 2010 7:38 am 

    Shifting Sands 2.0 available.
    Thanks.




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