Review Score:

The physics puzzle is no stranger to the App Store. Quite to the contrary, these puzzlers are some of the most enjoyable apps due to the iPhone’s interactive screen and accelerometer. Emantras has just released their take on this genre in the $0.99 title Rafter.

Rafter Pros:

• Amazing Bounce Physics Effects
• Gorgeous Sketched Artwork
• OpenFient leaderboards
• Unique and intuitive user involvement
• Flawless controls

Rafter Cons:

• 31 levels isn’t bad for $0.99, but more levels at a higher price point seems more appropriate

We’re fans of many of the physics puzzles we’ve come across such as Ragdoll Blaster and the Perfect Balance series. While these titles aimed to stack or collapse structures, Rafter takes a different approach. Here the goal is to get geometric shape to touch and destroy a target orb in each level. The cool and unique part about it is that players can draw their own shapes to get the job done.

At the top of each level screen resides a sketch area. A finger drag will produce a rectangular object scaled to a desired size. Releasing your finger will drop the block into the playing field. So, not only is size important, but also the location the shape design is started and finished. Upon completion of Level 5, sphere creation is unlocked. Once the sketched object is dropped, it will interact with the environment below on its way toward the target. Of course, the target orb is conveniently obscured in most levels. Therefore, players must plan their route carefully. Most early level environments contain static obstacles but as Rafter progresses, moving or rotation shapes and fans interfere with a direct path to the target.

Visually, Rafter is outstanding. The hand-sketched graphics are inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s blueprints. Actually, Da Vinci is a recurring theme throughout the game. The idea is that players will “invent” their way out of design dilemmas by sketching various solutions. The result is a beautiful presentation that we wish more games would emulate. Controls are quite responsive and accurate. Rafter allowed us to draw hair-line rectangles and teeny tiny spheres. The physics element is flawless too. The weight of an object is proportionate to its size. So, a large sketch will have a greater influence on moveable structures below. Conversely, small sketches will themselves be influenced to a great degree. Sometimes our tiny spheres would quickly bounce right off screen. That’s another endearing quality of Rafter; the deflection bounce. In other physics titles, objects drop and slide or topple. Here they bounce and spin all over the screen as if made of rubber. We loved simply watching the reactions.

A fun turn-of-the-century soundtrack is included along with sound effects. OpenFeint leaderboards track scoring which is based on number of shapes drawn and completion time. Our only complaint is that the game is way too short. We found ourselves finishing the initial 21 levels in less than 30 minutes [10 additional levels have been released in a free update]. Doing the math shows this is not an overly difficult experience. If Emantras quadruples the number of levels (100 is not unheard of in this genre), we believe they will have a hit on their hands. In the meantime, Rafter is a great diversion for the $0.99 price tag. In its current form, Rafter gets our 4-Dimple rating.