Toy Physics, a physics-based collection game that sees you guiding falling objects safely into moving containers, has been released by Athos Consulting and is now available from the app store. Featuring a clean interface, simple controls, and devilishly clever design, Toy Physics is a fun challenge that would make your mom proud.
Toy Physics Pros:
- Accurate physics
- Nice level design
- Simple controls
Toy Physics Cons:
- Could use more levels
- No scoring or achievements
- No level select option
Toy Physics includes 40 levels of gameplay across 3 levels of difficulty (Normal, Hard, and Expert). A conveyor belt along the screen bottom slowly moves wooden boxes from left to right as various children’s toys (blocks, balls, jacks, monkeys, dolls, etc.) fall from the top of the screen. Their descent is often slowed or delayed by various obstacles, such as spinning propellers, swinging platforms, hydraulic-powered paddles, and more. The goal is to get the target number of objects into the bins without missing. Each toy that hits the conveyor belt results in a strike. As in baseball, three strikes are all you get. Your only method of interaction is to draw lines with your finger, creating ramps, walls, or temporary platforms to influence the movement of the toys. A line is not solid until you lift your finger. Only one line is allowed at a time. Tapping the screen or drawing a new line will erase any line that is already on-screen. Many levels will require several attempts to complete.
Graphically, the game has a nice, old-style look about it. There are lots of earth tones given the amount of wooden objects used. The physics engine seems to work pretty well, as objects act as they would in the real world. The interface is crisp and clean, uncluttered by buttons or the like. The background music evokes carnival memories and feels just right for this style of game. Controls are purely touch-based and worked very well. Drawing lines on top of objects will cause the objects to reorient based on the line’s position, adding some level of strategy that can help you to force stationary objects to move or even raise falling objects if you are quick and accurate.
Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any sort of level select screen or ability to replay completed levels at this time. We’d love to see a way to go back and replay levels, and a level editor would be an outstanding addition to the game. While 40 levels is a good amount for the initial release, they can be completed quickly, which will leave the gamer wanting more.
Replay value is okay, with the higher difficulty levels offering quite a challenge. However, with only the 40 levels to play, no scoring, no achievements, and not even a goal of completing all levels without dropping a single toy, it’s hard to imagine many gamers coming back too often once they’ve completed the game. Hopefully, we’ll see some updates to keep things somewhat fresh. At the current sale price of $0.99, Toy Physics is a 4-Dimple throwback that’s worth your time.
