Warlock’s Tower
$1.99 Developer Midipixel, midipixel.com Platform Universal Requirements iOS 6.0 or later
There’s something oddly sweet about the premise of Warlock’s Tower. The villain has set out to destroy the world, using his life-draining tower to bring about the apocalypse. The world’s nations have signed a letter to say said warlock is not, as you might expect, hated, and perhaps he’d really rather reconsider his actions. Tim the mailman becomes the hero of the hour, aiming to reach the top of the tower to hand-deliver the note. (Letter or not, quite how he’ll convince the warlock he’s loved despite his genocidal ways is another matter.)
The journey plays out as a path-finding, turn-based puzzle game. Every step you take depletes your life force. However, regenerating gems are dotted about, giving you extra steps. You simply need to figure out which – often circuitous – route will get you to the exit before you croak.
Only it’s not so simple, because as you work your way upwards the warlock occasionally appears before you, to gloat and lob further complications into the mix. Most are welcome and force you to shake up your strategy: crisscrossing moving walkways; levels where you switch between two players, sharing the moves limit; encroaching zombies that shuffle your way after every few moves. We could, however, have lived without levels where the lights go out, forcing you to inch around in the gloom.
Other aspects of Warlock’s Tower may prove divisive. The Game Boy aesthetic and chip-tune soundtrack may evoke feelings of nostalgia or just grate, depending on your viewpoint; and the controls can be a little awkward. The biggest flaw, though, is the lack of a multiple undo button. On larger levels, it can be irritating when you once again make an error and have to retrace your steps to the point of failure, in order to try something new.
Still, trying to halt the machinations of a magical despot was never going to be easy, and when it comes to the puzzle parts, Warlock’s Tower very much has what it takes to succeed. Do you? the bottom line. A great puzzle mechanic insures Warlock’s Tower comes recommended by us.