Parents' Guide to

Levers

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Addicting game anchors wonderful, wordless balancing act.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Paid Kids' Games
Levers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Levers App: Screenshot #1
  • Levers App: Screenshot #2
  • Levers App: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

In LEVERS, players work to balance a series of objects by hanging them from two hooks that hang from a circular object at the top of the screen. You start out with two objects, which you must hang correctly and balance to get new objects. A timer ticks down on the central circle. If the objects stay balanced for one full revolution of the clock, another object drops from the sky. A few other obstacles -- such as unruly birds that land and take off at will -- add an extra layer of complication. Eventually, once all the objects are on-screen and balanced, the circle's display will change and all the objects will spin wildly to let you know you've won the game.

Is It Any Good?

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

Levers is remarkably addicting. It's not easy to play, but it's not easy to give up either; there's clearly a way to balance all the hangers and objects to get to the right answer, and it's fun to keep trying until you get it right. Since there are no instructions (users can toggle the app's title on and off, but that's the only written content), prereaders and older kids will be equally well equipped to start experimenting with the best way to arrange the objects and reach the solution. Once you've won the game, it's also worth giving it another try; each additional object requires another round of balancing, and each intermediate step offers its own challenge that stays fresh and compelling. A few extensions and more variations would extend the shelf life even more. Though it's simple in concept and execution, it's a fun, addicting game to challenge kids and adults alike.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the basic physics principles involved in the game, such as density. Some objects have similar sizes but different weights. Why might that be?

  • Talk to your kids about problem solving. This game doesn't have any instructions; what hints are there to tell you what to do? How do you approach a game that doesn't have instructions? What do you do to figure out how to play?

App Details

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