Parents' Guide to Windosill

Once you start, you won't want to stop playing Windosill. Users quickly catch on to its central goal -- unlock the door and move the locomotive forward -- without any instructions or guidance. Though some users might find the lack of guidance off-putting, overall the result is an immersive experience that's especially accessible to prereaders and an easy fit for speakers of any language. The challenge ramps up nicely on each level, culminating with a challenging Rube Goldberg machine in the app's final stage. It's nice that you can revisit levels one at a time after you've completed them; some levels aren't especially interesting on the second try, but others remain rewarding after repeated play. Features for further exploring the artwork are a nice touch too -- this could be a great starting point for parents to talk about artwork, creativity, and imagination with their kids. In addition to the artwork, the active physics of the game are quite amazing: Each object responds to tapping and dragging in an exceptionally accurate way. Though some challenges are more interesting than others, and the gameplay is relatively short-lived for the price, the great sound, great visuals, and engrossing gameplay make Windosill a worthy one-of-a-kind experience for kids and their parents.