RollerCoaster Tycoon Story

The puzzles get progressively more challenging as gamers play, thanks to elements you don't always see in similar apps. RollerCoaster Tycoon Story changes gameplay up by letting players line up items in an L-shape, for example, to clear them from the board, instead of just putting three together vertically. After a few rounds, they're no longer just sliding items back in forth in horizontal and vertical rows. In addition, players get hints at times and are rewarded for finishing games in fewer moves than have been allotted, which encourages them to pause and think about a strategy.

Players also get a number of bonus items to help them remove items from game boards faster. While those definitely help, introducing one in essentially every round really slows down the pace. A character has to explain how it works, and players test it out before they can actually start playing. The ongoing storyline also moves somewhat slowly, since players continually complete and receive tasks to renovate and access more areas of the park. Hitting the skip option to bypass a character's dialogue just takes players to the next line, so that doesn't save much time. As a result, you may wish the puzzles moved a little more quickly. If players stumble as the rounds get more challenging, they can replay one stage for a balloon. They'll have to go through the entire description of the new bonus item before they can use it again, though, and they could potentially burn through the six balloons they're given and run out of lives. They'd then have to buy a life with coins or wait a half-hour for one to replenish. That system could potentially add even more delays -- which might make it hard for gamers to be excited about what will happen next in RollerCoaster Tycoon Story.