Zenned Out Special: TanZen

iTunes Link

TanZen is a Tangram game by Little White Bear Studios. $0.99

I may be one of the nine people on this planet that have never heard of TanGram puzzles before I saw this. To be honest I didn't know what to expect, but after getting the hang of it I was instantly hooked. There are 441 puzzles challenging puzzles to complete with a Masters mode for those who have completed all 441. Masters mode includes making the puzzle with just a small thumbnail image in the right hand corner. For the other eight people who have no idea what TanGram is it is basically a picture or outline that must be filled in perfectly by 7 puzzle pieces that do not change shape for different puzzles. I was amazed how many puzzles can actually be made from just seven pieces. When starting out the puzzles are very hard as you are not familiar whether pieces will fit or not, and you will usually be forced to use both hints to complete the puzzles. After a while the puzzles get easier and then you can start to aim for completing puzzles without using any hints.

There is not much that can be done to the graphics without losing its simplicity. But what is in the game looks smooth and very professional. The background and puzzle pieces are simple yet effective. For those who are looking for a bit of variety you can choose the colors out of the puzzles pieces from three colors! The controls are fairly simple to use once you master it. To move pieces you touch them to control them and hold and drag to move them. When you are controlling that certain piece there is a circle around it. Dragging your finger around it will change the angle that the piece is positioned and is necessary for 99% of the puzzles. For those who want a quick way to rotate the pieces 180 degrees you can just double tap the piece to do just that. These controls work well in TanZen, and as you fill find out they are totally different for Zentomino.

The sound in this game is definitely a strong zen theme. The game reminds me of sitting in a Zen Garden and just meditating. I really enjoy listening to the sounds for a short period of time, but sometimes feel like I need to rock out to my own tunes for a break in the piece.

The game has no time limits, level requirements or achievements to complete in order to unlock more puzzles in the game and such. While completing all 440+ puzzles is an achievement in itself I believe. As stated above this game is all about fitting those pieces into the puzzle with no overlapping or any of it over the edges. While some of them seem impossible they are all possible to complete, I can tell you that from experience. The pieces of the puzzle do not lock into place like in Zentomino so can become a bit annoying when they only just slightly touch, but generally it isn't a problem. This super addicting game is great to just pick up and play whether you are stressed or already at one with your inner self.

Patience is the key to this game. I found the game so addicting that a five minute gaming period will soon turn into a two hour puzzle fest as you just need to complete that one more puzzle. Simplicity is bliss, and TanZen provides just that. I would recommend this game to everyone, there is a lite version to try with quite a few puzzles on it already, but I believe that there is no need trying it out first. The best Tangram puzzle game on the iDevice hands down, amazing value for $0.99

Gameplay- 10/10
Graphics- 9/10
Sound- 8/10
Overall- 9/10

I would recommend this game if you enjoyed- Zentomino

Tell me what you think about this review at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/iPhone_Reviews and next to come is Zentomino & Zen Bound

Thanks- iPhone_Reviews