Parents' Guide to Blek

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Common Sense Media Review

Chris Morris By Chris Morris , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 7+

Creative minimalist game defies expectations.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 7+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.

What's It About?

Players attempt to erase colored circles on-screen by drawing a single line. That line then repeats itself, moving in the direction of the swipe. So, if you draw a straight line, it moves straight. If you draw a loop, the line will curve again and again until it hits the top or bottom of the screen. (Lines bounce off the left and right sides.) Should the line hit a black circle, it will be absorbed and you'll have to try again. (Also, some colored circles are surrounded by black circles, which must be destroyed by taking out other colored circles with white dots, which eliminate the outer black ring.) It's a tough game to describe but an easy one to play once you grasp the concept. Simply swipe and try to forecast where the line will go.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Part of what makes BLEK so appealing is its apparent simplicity, but it quickly becomes a complicated game -- and that's what keeps you playing. It's both basic and complicated, which is a perfect recipe for an addictive experience.

There's a bit of repetition, yes. And the vocal sounds made when your line is sucked into a black dot can get annoying after a while, but it's the sort of thing you won't care about as you focus on how best to make the other dots disappear. It's an uncomplicated, uncluttered game that understands that less can be a whole lot more -- and that a terrific play experience can be accomplished with the simplest of ideas.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the need to think before acting.

  • Families also can talk about how games can be great without flashy graphics.

App Details

  • Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
  • Pricing structure : Paid
  • Release date : March 26, 2014
  • Genre : Puzzle Games
  • Publisher : Denis Mikan
  • Version : 1.2.1
  • Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later
  • Last updated : August 16, 2016

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