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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

AAQR: Refraction (free, $1.99) game / puzzle

Refraction is a cute puzzle game that ultimately left me more frustrated than puzzled.

The premise is great: a light / color based puzzle. You need to use a few parts, like mirrors and prisms to get a proper colored light beam from "source" to "destination". There could be more than one of either.

The problem is with the arbitrariness of the puzzle pieces.

You see, with a mirror, the output is obvious. Rotate the mirror to move the beam... somewhat. Else, move the mirror.

With the prism, it ain't so simple. A prism divides a secondary color light back into two components, or it split a single primary color light beam into two. Or if you shine two beams into it you get a combo. In other words, it will "bend" the light. However, the path is completely arbitratry: one goes 45 degrees, while the other output is actually rotatable (huh?!) to a degree. Now does that make any sense?

And I admit, I'm not the brightest guy, but I'm stuck on level 4 (out of 120, really). You get two light beams... yellow, and blue. You need to make TWO green beams... using just 5 prisms. Bending one beam and split off some branches, okay. No problem there. recombining them? NOT so easy. Argh!

Still, it's worth a look. It is unique in a sea of Bejeweled clones and derivatives.

NOTE: The lite version has 20 levels, while the full version has 120 levels (which are NOT the same as the 20 in the lite version)

EDIT: Apparently on the prism you CAN move BOTH beams by tapping the prism itself and it toggles between the exit beams in splitter mode. (This game needs a TUTORIAL!)

Refractions Lite  http://www.appbrain.com/app/refraction-lite/com.textualindices.refractionlite

Refractions Full   http://www.appbrain.com/app/refraction/com.textualindices.refraction
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1 comment:

  1. I notice if you press an object that has two beams coming out of it, only one moves. Pressing that same object again toggles which beam you're moving. On my HTC the activated beam is slightly bolder-looking. You'll have no trouble with level 4 after this!

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