Bonjour, Our new slider puzzle game, Blockwick, is now available on the App Store! You can download Blockwick for free and play through the first 60 puzzles. If you want more, you can purchase more in the app. Enjoy! - Los Kieffer Bros. App Store Link: Blockwick Kieffer Bros. **Blockwick 2 is now available. It has 160 puzzles of increasing difficulty with a slew of new specialty blocks—includin… TouchArcade Rating: $4.99 Buy Now Watch Media Details**Blockwick 2 is now available. It has 160 puzzles of increasing difficulty with a slew of new specialty blocks—including caterpillar blocks, flip blocks, entangled blocks, and more.** There is a place with lots of blocks. It's called Blockwick The blocks here are all different shapes and colors and have mysterious symbols on them. Everything is mixed up, but when you place same-colored blocks next to each other, their symbols glow! Organize the blocks to bring light and order to this world. From the creators of Aqueduct, Orba, and Monster Soup comes an intriguing new slider-puzzle called Blockwick. Information Seller:Kieffer Bros. Genre:Family, Puzzle Release:Dec 14, 2011 Updated:Aug 13, 2017 Version:1.1.2 Size:21.8 MB TouchArcade Rating: User Rating: (2) Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal Gameplay Video: TC Games Well-Known Member Dec 5, 2011 267 0 0 iOS developer #2 TC Games, Dec 14, 2011 Looks interesting. Best of luck guys! QuickWit Well-Known Member Oct 28, 2008 548 0 0 Video Writer, Director, Producer Salt Lake City, Utah #3 QuickWit, Dec 15, 2011 I gotta say... I love this game. I picked it up just to see if it could be a good little pick up and play time waster, but then found that I couldn't put it down. The mechanics are the basic "parking lot" type where you move blocks around in order to get the proper piece where you need to be, only this time you're trying to get certain pieces to match. As the game ramps up you have to match different types on the same board. It's wild how many times i thought that the puzzle I was working on was impossible but kept working until i was finally able to solve it. Each level is very well designed and the play is smooth. The game tries to add a little extra element by hiding a "dot" somewhere on the screen, but this is really not that great. After the first few rounds you move pretty much every piece anyway so finding the dot is not a big deal. The game could use a time element or possibly a "number of moves" scoring system to get some replay factor. This could work it's way into the Game Center. As it stands now the achievements are pretty weak. But all in all. It's a great game and one that I kept playing all night long... Just one more level. I highly recommend the free pick up and then getting the rest of the game. HerbertKornfeld Well-Known Member Oct 13, 2008 141 1 18 #4 HerbertKornfeld, Dec 15, 2011 I agree that this is a very nice game. Ive played it for a while now, and they still havent even asked me for any money yet. Their freebie section is very generous. Nobody who doesnt love this game will have to pay anything, which, I think, makes for the best possible business model. Youre right QuickWit, that the time and the number of moves isnt tracked. I see this as a plus, though. I see this as a design decision, rather than an omission. It lends itself to a more relaxing game, a more zen-like experience. I can see the value in adding a scoring system like youve suggested, but I hope that its implemented as an option. This is a game that Id rather not play competitively. As for the hiding the dot element, I agree that its nothing spectacular. It does add a little something, though. And this added gameplay element makes apparent another nice little design decision in the game. When youve solved a certain level, its not necessarily over. If you dont hit the Next button right away, you can continue playing. You can unsolve it and find a different solution, or you can move around the other blocks to try and uncover the missing dot. In every other game that Ive played that has a find this thing element, if you beat the level before finding the thing, youre forced to start over and try again. Not here. Its a subtle difference, but I think its a nice touch. Aside from the game, theres a very nice feedback feature built right in. Ive written already suggesting the ability to push multiple blocks at a time and the ability to use multitouch to move more than one piece. They responded very quickly, and mentioned that theyre considering both ideas: If you agree that these are important features, be sure to let them know that it would make their great game even better. But even without these additions, this is a free-to-play gem. It saddens me a bit that this thread isnt yet bustling with activity. Id hate for this game to be overlooked. Its very well done, and in my opinion, this is the kind of game that plays best on iOS. Nothing fancy, just using a touchscreen to move blocks around. But in the best possible way. Youll spend more time on this than you expect to. Good stuff. Dense Well-Known Member Jul 27, 2009 167 2 18 #5 Dense, Dec 17, 2011 Finally finished the free levels which meant that I pretty much meant I had to buy the first level pack. This is one of those games you don't think will be very special until you realise you've spent the last few hours playing it. There is absolutely no excuse not to check this game out considering there is so much free content provided. BrettArchibald Well-Known Member Jul 17, 2008 1,435 18 38 Male Self-employed interactive designer. Formerly Zimbabwe - now England. http://www.LonelyMachine.com #6 BrettArchibald, Dec 19, 2011 Last edited: Dec 19, 2011 A few replies to other comments before I make any comments of my own... This I do agree with. It's not a puzzling test to be able to find it - it's more a case of throw ALL the pieces around until you find it. No, no, no, no, no... Please no, do not do this. This I agree with. YES! Indeed, I've often found myself instinctively trying to push a whole row of blocks just by pushing the one at the very end. It just feels like I somehow *should* be able to do that, and it then feels weird when I can't actually do it. ————— Moving on... This is indeed a great puzzle game, and it oozes the usual Kieffer Bros charm. My only problem with the game, interestingly, is the icon and the way it looks on my iPhone screen. Because the icon is rather dark, and it has a weird little even-darker bit right at the bottom of the icon, it actually ends up looking like the game is in the process of installing. Have a look at it here, right next to a couple of other games that are trying to install at the moment (but cannot do so due to lack of space - but that's another story). All the other icons on the screen are bright and vivid, and the two games that are installing are darkened with the black installer progress bar at the bottom of the icon. The Blockwick icon looks much more like the two installing icons than an already-installed game. Kieffer Bros. Well-Known Member Sep 30, 2009 118 0 0 Wisconsin http://kiefferbros.com #7 Kieffer Bros., Dec 19, 2011 Wow, thank you, everyone, for the great feedback and suggestions! This gives us a lot to think about for future updates and even for sequels and other games we're working on. It's these attention-to-detail/attention-to-UX type suggestions that we really love. You can work on something for a long time and begin to pass over subtle elements like these. But they do make a huge difference. I've added this all to Blockwick's feature brainstorm/wish list. Thanks again! QuickWit Well-Known Member Oct 28, 2008 548 0 0 Video Writer, Director, Producer Salt Lake City, Utah #8 QuickWit, Dec 19, 2011 And I have backed off of my suggestion for a moves count or time device. As the game gets harder and harder it is nice to just have the "zen like" feeling that was talked about earlier so that you can try to solve it without pressure. Though it would be fun to see just how many moves you've made on a level. I know I'd be shocked to see how many moves it took me (some in the 1000 range I'm sure). Great game and should be an instant pick up for any puzzle fan. Misguided Well-Known Member Jan 27, 2009 2,346 19 38 #9 Misguided, Dec 19, 2011 I kind of like this, but it isn't totally grabbing me. It feels like there is something missing. I think it could use a little bit of beefing up in the audio department. I want some sound to reinforce that I'm moving blocks about, but it might be tricky to do this without it seeming repetitive. Also, the sounds made when finishing a group are maybe a little too subtle. I will play it some more, though. Dense Well-Known Member Jul 27, 2009 167 2 18 #10 Dense, Dec 20, 2011 I have been playing this solidly over the last few days. Am up to 8-9 and am amazing by how much content there is. The way a new shape is introduced each chapter gives you a chance to really learn how to master moving it around. After a few chapters the difficulty level really ramps up and you can expect some levels to take a very long time as you struggle to find a way to move the blocks around to get the desired result. Misguided Well-Known Member Jan 27, 2009 2,346 19 38 #11 Misguided, Dec 23, 2011 I wanted to update my previous impressions. Two things: 1) the puzzles get much more engaging once you get past the first set. I'm nearly through the third set and the second and third have been great! Just spent an hour on the treadmill working on set 3. I'm really loving it now. 2) this is a headphones game. With headphones on, you can really appreciate the soundtrack, which has a mellow, mushroomy vibe to it. pluto6 Well-Known Member Jun 21, 2009 5,837 3 38 Military #12 pluto6, Dec 23, 2011 Glad I saw this thread, otherwise I would have totally missed this puzzler. Everything Kieffer Bros does has been good to exceptional in my book. djflippy Well-Known Member Mar 9, 2009 4,441 0 36 #13 djflippy, Dec 23, 2011 ^This. currymutton Well-Known Member Oct 16, 2008 4,430 1 0 #14 currymutton, Dec 23, 2011 Love all the games from you guys. Shoulda mention this is universal which appeals to many. Thanks. I will try this later and post some impressions. Misguided Well-Known Member Jan 27, 2009 2,346 19 38 #15 Misguided, Dec 23, 2011 I've always loved the sliding block puzzles in the Professor Layton games and Blockwick is that on steroids. 1776-1865_RIP Well-Known Member Dec 12, 2011 148 0 0 #16 1776-1865_RIP, Dec 23, 2011 Any idea when the full pay version will be available? I'm not a fan of IAP nickle and dime shenanigans, I'd rather just buy it and future updates all at once. Misguided Well-Known Member Jan 27, 2009 2,346 19 38 #17 Misguided, Dec 23, 2011 Last edited: Dec 23, 2011 They are giving away hours of content for free. Then selling many more hours in dollar increments. While I see your point, and would also be wary of spending dollar after dollar (I didn't buy Kard Combat for that reason) I really don't think this is going to turn into an endless dollarfest. So I guess I'm calling shenanigans on your shenanigans. What I'm trying to say is that they are giving large chunks of content at a time. I really don't see it as a nickel and dime thing. While 60 puzzles might sound modest, these suckers get rather challenging, even in the freebie levels, and they only get tougher, so those levels will last awhile. pluto6 Well-Known Member Jun 21, 2009 5,837 3 38 Military #18 pluto6, Dec 23, 2011 ^^^^^^^ This seconded. Kieffer Bros have not spammed IAP in the past, no reason to think that they will in the future. While I agree with the IAP sentiments (I don't like it), kieffers pricing is reasonable to me. Also, for those that love sliders - Grabarchuk Family has a new Slider - Sliding Tiles that is quite clever as well. CygnetSeven Well-Known Member Feb 6, 2010 7,596 33 48 #19 CygnetSeven, Dec 23, 2011 Really enjoying this game. It would be nice if they had a $2 or $3 price that included all present and future levels but hey, I'm totally enjoying the 60 free one and may grab more. slewis7 Well-Known Member Apr 6, 2011 3,768 41 48 Male Retired! Houston, TX #20 slewis7, Dec 23, 2011 Thanks for mentioning this. Downloaded now to try on my iPad. (You must log in or sign up to post here.) Show Ignored Content Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > Share This Page Tweet Your name or email address: Password: Forgot your password? Stay logged in
I gotta say... I love this game. I picked it up just to see if it could be a good little pick up and play time waster, but then found that I couldn't put it down. The mechanics are the basic "parking lot" type where you move blocks around in order to get the proper piece where you need to be, only this time you're trying to get certain pieces to match. As the game ramps up you have to match different types on the same board. It's wild how many times i thought that the puzzle I was working on was impossible but kept working until i was finally able to solve it. Each level is very well designed and the play is smooth. The game tries to add a little extra element by hiding a "dot" somewhere on the screen, but this is really not that great. After the first few rounds you move pretty much every piece anyway so finding the dot is not a big deal. The game could use a time element or possibly a "number of moves" scoring system to get some replay factor. This could work it's way into the Game Center. As it stands now the achievements are pretty weak. But all in all. It's a great game and one that I kept playing all night long... Just one more level. I highly recommend the free pick up and then getting the rest of the game.
I agree that this is a very nice game. Ive played it for a while now, and they still havent even asked me for any money yet. Their freebie section is very generous. Nobody who doesnt love this game will have to pay anything, which, I think, makes for the best possible business model. Youre right QuickWit, that the time and the number of moves isnt tracked. I see this as a plus, though. I see this as a design decision, rather than an omission. It lends itself to a more relaxing game, a more zen-like experience. I can see the value in adding a scoring system like youve suggested, but I hope that its implemented as an option. This is a game that Id rather not play competitively. As for the hiding the dot element, I agree that its nothing spectacular. It does add a little something, though. And this added gameplay element makes apparent another nice little design decision in the game. When youve solved a certain level, its not necessarily over. If you dont hit the Next button right away, you can continue playing. You can unsolve it and find a different solution, or you can move around the other blocks to try and uncover the missing dot. In every other game that Ive played that has a find this thing element, if you beat the level before finding the thing, youre forced to start over and try again. Not here. Its a subtle difference, but I think its a nice touch. Aside from the game, theres a very nice feedback feature built right in. Ive written already suggesting the ability to push multiple blocks at a time and the ability to use multitouch to move more than one piece. They responded very quickly, and mentioned that theyre considering both ideas: If you agree that these are important features, be sure to let them know that it would make their great game even better. But even without these additions, this is a free-to-play gem. It saddens me a bit that this thread isnt yet bustling with activity. Id hate for this game to be overlooked. Its very well done, and in my opinion, this is the kind of game that plays best on iOS. Nothing fancy, just using a touchscreen to move blocks around. But in the best possible way. Youll spend more time on this than you expect to. Good stuff.
Finally finished the free levels which meant that I pretty much meant I had to buy the first level pack. This is one of those games you don't think will be very special until you realise you've spent the last few hours playing it. There is absolutely no excuse not to check this game out considering there is so much free content provided.
A few replies to other comments before I make any comments of my own... This I do agree with. It's not a puzzling test to be able to find it - it's more a case of throw ALL the pieces around until you find it. No, no, no, no, no... Please no, do not do this. This I agree with. YES! Indeed, I've often found myself instinctively trying to push a whole row of blocks just by pushing the one at the very end. It just feels like I somehow *should* be able to do that, and it then feels weird when I can't actually do it. ————— Moving on... This is indeed a great puzzle game, and it oozes the usual Kieffer Bros charm. My only problem with the game, interestingly, is the icon and the way it looks on my iPhone screen. Because the icon is rather dark, and it has a weird little even-darker bit right at the bottom of the icon, it actually ends up looking like the game is in the process of installing. Have a look at it here, right next to a couple of other games that are trying to install at the moment (but cannot do so due to lack of space - but that's another story). All the other icons on the screen are bright and vivid, and the two games that are installing are darkened with the black installer progress bar at the bottom of the icon. The Blockwick icon looks much more like the two installing icons than an already-installed game.
Wow, thank you, everyone, for the great feedback and suggestions! This gives us a lot to think about for future updates and even for sequels and other games we're working on. It's these attention-to-detail/attention-to-UX type suggestions that we really love. You can work on something for a long time and begin to pass over subtle elements like these. But they do make a huge difference. I've added this all to Blockwick's feature brainstorm/wish list. Thanks again!
And I have backed off of my suggestion for a moves count or time device. As the game gets harder and harder it is nice to just have the "zen like" feeling that was talked about earlier so that you can try to solve it without pressure. Though it would be fun to see just how many moves you've made on a level. I know I'd be shocked to see how many moves it took me (some in the 1000 range I'm sure). Great game and should be an instant pick up for any puzzle fan.
I kind of like this, but it isn't totally grabbing me. It feels like there is something missing. I think it could use a little bit of beefing up in the audio department. I want some sound to reinforce that I'm moving blocks about, but it might be tricky to do this without it seeming repetitive. Also, the sounds made when finishing a group are maybe a little too subtle. I will play it some more, though.
I have been playing this solidly over the last few days. Am up to 8-9 and am amazing by how much content there is. The way a new shape is introduced each chapter gives you a chance to really learn how to master moving it around. After a few chapters the difficulty level really ramps up and you can expect some levels to take a very long time as you struggle to find a way to move the blocks around to get the desired result.
I wanted to update my previous impressions. Two things: 1) the puzzles get much more engaging once you get past the first set. I'm nearly through the third set and the second and third have been great! Just spent an hour on the treadmill working on set 3. I'm really loving it now. 2) this is a headphones game. With headphones on, you can really appreciate the soundtrack, which has a mellow, mushroomy vibe to it.
Glad I saw this thread, otherwise I would have totally missed this puzzler. Everything Kieffer Bros does has been good to exceptional in my book.
Love all the games from you guys. Shoulda mention this is universal which appeals to many. Thanks. I will try this later and post some impressions.
I've always loved the sliding block puzzles in the Professor Layton games and Blockwick is that on steroids.
Any idea when the full pay version will be available? I'm not a fan of IAP nickle and dime shenanigans, I'd rather just buy it and future updates all at once.
They are giving away hours of content for free. Then selling many more hours in dollar increments. While I see your point, and would also be wary of spending dollar after dollar (I didn't buy Kard Combat for that reason) I really don't think this is going to turn into an endless dollarfest. So I guess I'm calling shenanigans on your shenanigans. What I'm trying to say is that they are giving large chunks of content at a time. I really don't see it as a nickel and dime thing. While 60 puzzles might sound modest, these suckers get rather challenging, even in the freebie levels, and they only get tougher, so those levels will last awhile.
^^^^^^^ This seconded. Kieffer Bros have not spammed IAP in the past, no reason to think that they will in the future. While I agree with the IAP sentiments (I don't like it), kieffers pricing is reasonable to me. Also, for those that love sliders - Grabarchuk Family has a new Slider - Sliding Tiles that is quite clever as well.
Really enjoying this game. It would be nice if they had a $2 or $3 price that included all present and future levels but hey, I'm totally enjoying the 60 free one and may grab more.
