Square Valley 4+

It’s a deceptively simple premise. Each tile has different rules governing where it can be placed and how it scores points. You are given a small selection from a random deck and must find the best place to play a tile. But the interlocking and competing requirements of all the different tiles quickly ramp up the challenge and the available spots shrink the further the game progresses. Add every few turns you have to consider how best to place a road or a river or a wall or a fence. Each will have a different set of implications for the tiles on the board and those you have yet to place.

The art is simple but pleasing, the UI is very intuitive and any thought that the gameplay might get repetitive is quickly dispelled by the huge set of levels that gradually unlock more and more buildings, rules and challenges.

All this and no in-app purchases or irritating adverts? This - this! - is how mobile games should be.

I don’t know how to sum up this game in few words, but the idea is that you take turns placing tiles with certain rules, the rules are given so that if you follow them, you make a ecosystem that makes sense, for instance singing stones have to be in the same row, most cattle should be in fences, and so on. Each level has interesting stories where you as the player have to create a landscape that shows the special tiles characteristics. The game is extremely fun, repayable after the main story, and has custom level settings to make the levels suit you. It may seem overwhelming with all these tiles but the game introduces you to the rules gradually until you are a master of placing these tiles without much thought.

This is an excellent puzzle game. It strikes the perfect balance between challenge and simplicity. Every level is different and some of the random features mean you never know what sort of challenge you’ll face each round. The tile characteristics are sometimes a little difficult to interpret, but after a few tries and seeing the final scoring it makes more sense. Otherwise it’s quite brilliant. The experience of playing is actually quite relaxing when listening to the pleasant music too. Thoroughly enjoying it and worth the small cost of the app. Five star game.