Paper Munchers HD Review

Paper Munchers HD, (sold separately for iPhone) is a physics-based puzzler with killer style.

The object is to feed small monsters to large toothy monsters in order to clear the board. It's simple casual gaming fun.

Gamers touch the screen where they want to place a bomb - at the start of each level the player is allocated three. Tap a spot to start the little monsters jumping, directly into the munchers' mouthes if possible. Feeding them with like-colored morsels earns additional bombs.

The distance, angle and location of bomb-dropping are the important variables.

That’s really all there is to the refined and easy-going gameplay – the challenge is to develop a strategy to get the little creatures in the mouths of the larger monsters, while matching colors when possible. Simple, but compulsively replayable.

Paper Munchers is nice and low-key. There's no time-pressure, scoring is based on the percentage of monsters eaten, and the number of bombs used. Points translate into monster dollars which can be used to buy temp bombs, which are helpful to clear trickier levels.

Bonuses and achievements can be earned by completing specific tasks, and Paper Munchers is Game Center enabled.

The graphics make the game a standout. Little monsters are colorful and vary in shape and size, but are not so cute that feeding them to the big munchers will cause a crisis of conscience. Munchers spit out the monsters cardboard carcasses and everything has a bright construction paper cut-out look.

The game has humor and 75 levels set in five worlds, with a gradual difficulty curve. Check out the trailer:

It's not easy to earn monster dollars to buy temp bombs, and the more they are needed the less likely it is that gamers will have earned the in-game currency to buy them, so there are in-app purchases to get more. It's not a big drawback, but it is a cheat. Players are very much able to complete the game without buying the extras and the game is more of a challenge without the paid “free” lives.

Addictive gameplay and gorgeous level design are the real strengths of the game. Paper Munchers HD has just the right blend of style and originality to make it a physic-puzzler standout.