Fenced In Review

Ever fancied being a shepherd or a farmer? Well charming iOS arcade puzzler Fenced In has all the perks of herding sheep, cows, and pigs without having to deal with the less attractive drawbacks of the job.

The basis of the game is as such: a storm has caused the animals to be scattered all over the place, and it’s up to the player to find each animal and fence them in to their rightful places. Unfortunately, although the premise is simple the same cannot be said for the sudden spike in difficulty that occurs after the initial levels. The idea is to swipe across the screen in a variety of directions in order to move the structure of the fencing and gradually work towards closing the animals in. It’s a bit like "Babe," but without the sheepdog or sheep-pig.

Each level is a mixture of frantic fence drawing and tactical challenges. It’s taxing, and earning three stars takes a whole lot of work but rates high on the replayability factor. As the stages get increasingly difficult new mechanics are introduced; such as throwing animals over fences with jump pads and the addition of the good-old red barn. Shaking the device (gently now) causes the animals to move more rapidly, which can be used to great advantage.

Fenced In is beautifully rendered and it sure packs a punch in terms of power. Children will love the bright colors and exciting gameplay, and adults will have even more fun grappling to achieve the top star ratings. Fencing masters can then compete further with the added ability to compete against friends and other players across level and world leaderboards.

With seventy levels to work through over three different worlds, Fenced In is hard to put down and easy to fall in love with. Achievements such as "Divide And Conquer" and "Duck Shoot" give the game further appeal and longevity, and with 22 more achievements where that came from there’s never a dull moment where Fenced In is concerned.

What is so overly cute about the game is the animations of each animal depending on the action taken. Shake the device and watch the hugely comical chickens get in a complete frenzy amongst themselves. Accidentally run over a cow with a fence and they’ll land sprawled on all fours.

Fenced In is a truly unique and challenging experience; combining innovative gameplay and a wonderfully eye-catching art style to create a remarkably fun-filled arcade puzzler for all ages.

No farm animals or Apple products were harmed in the making of this review.