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Crayon Physics Deluxe

(2009, Computer Software - Puzzle, Rated NR, Play it on: Mac/Windows, iPhone, iPod)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Innovative game combines physics puzzles and drawing.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Players use logic, knowledge of physics, and their creativity to solve the series of puzzles.
  • Messages:

    You draw your own solutions using your creativity.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Crayon Physics Deluxe was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that this is a nifty puzzle game that can teach your kids some physics. Play is drawing-based where your cursor becomes a crayon, and once you draw something, it immediately assumes mass and weight. There is nothing to concern parents with the content, other than if your kids are old enough to tackle the puzzles which start out easy but get progressively harder. While kids as young as age 6-7 can play the early puzzles, the later puzzles are better for kids ages 8 and up. Since there is no storyline, this is a game best played by kids who like to do puzzles.

Families Can Talk About

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  • Families can talk about whether this environment of virtual crayon and paper made you feel comfortable? This game was created by a solo developer. Would you want to try to create and market a game?
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More on Crayon Physics Deluxe

What’s the Story?

CRAYON PHYSICS DELUXE is a puzzle game set in a familiar, childlike environment of crumpled paper with crayon drawings. And yet, this juvenile environment houses a powerful physics engine that turns your scribblings into objects that have weight and mass. The game consists of 76 puzzles which all share the same goal: get the little red ball to roll over to the yellow star. Your cursor is a crayon and you can draw anything that you can imagine to solve the puzzle.

At first, solving a puzzle can be as simple as drawing a line between the ball and the star and clicking on the ball to get it to start rolling. But you will quickly learn how to draw objects that fall, as well as platforms and ramps. As you progress through the puzzles, new concepts are introduced through drawn instructions. In one, you will see a small round circular pushpin and dotted lines showing the outline of a mallet around the pin. When you connect the dotted lines, the mallet appears, rotates around the pin, and hits the ball so that it will roll over the star. The puzzles get more challenging by introducing the concepts of levers and pulleys.

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Is It Any Good?

For puzzle lovers, this is a fabulous game. Because this is an environment made up solely of paper and crayons, it is a comfortable environment in which children (and adults) can stretch their creative and scientific muscles. Its genius is that there is no right way to solve a puzzle -- it is all about how you use your creativity. The game also provides you with a way to create your own puzzle levels and then allows you to upload them to the Crayon Physics Playground for others to share. Uploaded puzzles can be rated by stars, similar to the user-created content found in Little Big Planet.

While your solutions are drawn on the screen by using a computer mouse, you don't have to be good at drawing to play this game. This is a game about exploring how the physics of this game environment will affect the objects you think to draw. What makes this game so good is that it encourages you to expand your thinking – if something doesn't work, figure out why and try something else. If you really get stuck, you can check out video solutions shared by others on YouTube.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 1/7/2009, price $19.95, online enabled
ESRB rating: NR

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Highly addictive.

    I played this game for half the night when I first downloaded it. It also sucked in my wife and son. The puzzles start out easy, and get progressively more diabolical. Highly recommended.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Safety isn't an issue

    Awesome, simple game. My 6 year old is glued to this game. He can easily solve the early puzzles, needs a little help past level 15-20. My husband and I enjoy it, too. No speed involved, just brain power. Take your time on each level, try again as many times as you need to solve a level -- there is no penalty for mistakes and taking your time. You can even redo levels as many times as you'd like to see if you can come up with a better solution. The downside is that the instructions are minimal, so it's hard to know what tools you have at your disposal. There is a demo video on the CPD website that helps. Enjoy!

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