Puzzlejuice

Review

Common Sense Media says

Tetris-like word app wins with clever concept, snarky humor.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Puzzlejuice is a challenging combination of word finds and Tetris with a concept similar to DigitZ, all with a mildly aggressive, "bro"-ish tone. Players arrange falling colored block shapes to complete rows, and group blocks of the same colors. Completed rows and color groups can be converted into letters. Players then spell words among adjacent letters to make those tiles disappear and let the block above fall. In core mode, players continue until their blocks reach the top of the screen. In zen mode, the blocks fall only when players guide them down, but the game lasts only 90 seconds. After a round, players can tap on words to see their dictionary definitions, which enhances the app's educational value but also may expose younger kids to mature content. Players can share high scores via Twitter or the Game Center social network, but participation is optional.

  • Ease of use3
    The game has an excellent tutorial and adapts to the player's improvement and skill level by suggesting the player change modes, increasing the level, and providing new objectives in sets of three. There are different game modes and difficulty levels for a range of ability levels. Some strategic aspects of the game, such as how to best utilize special blocks, must be learned through trial and error. Similarly, it takes a while to learn how to select letters without accidentally moving a falling block. The game generally moves smoothly between menus with engaging music, graphics, and sound effects, though we noticed very occasional bugs (such as a tile freezing and becoming unresponsive). 
  • Violence1
    The tone of the app is snarkily aggressive -- the intro to the game says it will "punch your brain in the face," and the option to exit a game is called "rage quit." Solved words and special bomb tiles (that look like stars) make surrounding tiles disappear.
  • Sex1
    The game accepts (and provides definitions for) commonly accepted words, including ones related to sex and body parts.
  • Language3
    Curse words that have dictionary definitions, such as "ass," can be submitted.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Words related to drinking, drugs, and smoking can be submitted, and their definitions can be viewed.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Some privacy concerns. Kids can share their high scores using Twitter. Players can opt in to Apple's Game Center to track scores and achievements, and for some games, challenge friends. Players can send and receive friend requests using an email address or Game Center nickname, revealing the first and last name associated with each party's Apple ID and, in the case of email requests, the sender's email address. With iOS 5, players can opt to have a private or public profile, which can include a photo. With a public profile, your real name is visible to all other players, and Game Center will recommend you to other players using your real name. With a private profile, only your friends can see your real name, and Game Center will not recommend you to other players.
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Is it any good?

 

Puzzlejuice is addictively fun! In addition to the neat game concept, the menus and graphics are smooth (particularly on the larger iPad screen), and the music and sound effects are great. The tone of the app is a tad bro-ish (when players type in their username for their first high score, the presented name is "broseph"), but not in an offensive way. The excellent tutorial, different game modes, and varying difficulty levels and objectives give this app a lot of replayability value for older kids and adults alike. This is a great app to play together (with one player finding words, the other directing falling blocks), or challenge each other on Game Center -- and be sure to look up definitions of new words after each round!

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This review was written by Liz Panarelli

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This review was written by Liz Panarelli
Category:Word Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$.99
Size:17.40 MB
Publisher:Colaboratory
Version:1.0
Release date:January 19, 2012
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.1.3 or later
This review was written by Liz Panarelli

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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