The award-winning KooZac game, which has racked up 15 million plays online and picked up a Channel 4 “Best International Interactive Viral” award, is coming to iOS and Android according to a recent statement from Square Enix. A cross between Tetris and Sudoku, KooZac is a puzzle game that has players position falling blocks on top of each other to hit the target number and complete the set amount of combinations to finish each level.

The mobile version will include new ways to play, including Puzzle, which brings the player through 60 levels of destroying silver blocks and cleaning the board by completing the targets, Endless for no level and no stage parameters and the ability to compete against the world as well as Blitz for completing targets and using boosts to achieve even higher scores within one minute. The game’s creator Ben Cusack was hired by Square Enix to head up its expanding mobile division.

Sudoku has become as popular as crossword puzzles and iOS devices of all sizes make ideal companions for this particular brand of endless (and paperless) number puzzle solving. With so many Sudoku games on the App Store, finding the one that fits best can be as big a puzzle as the game itself. So we’ve collected our four favorites for you here. Did we miss yours? Please let us know.

Sudoku 2 Pro

Classic Sudoku has a great uncluttered look and comes with a special scoring system that lends itself well to Openfeint leaderboards. In this version of the game a win counts only if the puzzle was solved with less than three mistakes and easy levels must be solved before unlocking harder ones.

$2.99

▻Sudoku HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad

Our Rating: :: NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2010-08-23 :: Category: Games

$2.99

▻Sudoku Pro

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Games

FREE!

▻Sudoku

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-05-07 :: Category: Games

: ) Sudoku +

This Sudoku game has a full 16 levels of difficulty all of which are unlocked from the start. This version has a “multi-stage hint system” where first the game just reminds a puzzler to double check a square followed by more clues up to a complete illustration of how the puzzle should be solved. The standout feature for us is that : ) Sudoku + allows users to enter puzzles from any print source for endless portable solving.

$2.99

:) Sudoku +

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2008-07-23 :: Category: Games

FREE!

:) Sudoku

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2008-08-03 :: Category: Games

Big Bad Sudoku Book

Apple’s choice for their Game Starter Kit, Big Bad Sudoku Book has an intuitive interface, allows background apps to run, and like >Sudoku there is a scoring system, but here the leaderboards are on Game Center. Its key feature is “highlights” which allows players to highlight rows, a specific number on the grid, or whatever helps focus attention on problem areas. Challenge mode is particularly fun with 50 increasingly difficult puzzles that must be unlocked sequentially.

$0.99

$1.99

Big Bad Sudoku Book

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Games

Social Sudoku

The classic with a great twist, Social Sudoku, as the name implies allows solvers to compete against one another via Game Center. There is even a cooperative mode for solving together. In both cases both players see the same puzzle and solve in sync. This game contains six different versions of Sudoku from Classic to Killer to Kakuro.

$1.99

Social Sudoku

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: SOMETHING NEW
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2010-12-21 :: Category: Games

Lola’s Fruit Shop Sudoku is a very nice application simplifying the classic game Sudoku and adding a nice fruit theme which creates a version that kids and adults will enjoy. Both iPhone and iPad versions of this application are available, and there is an impressive choice of languages to choose from, specially English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Finnish, Japanese, Korean and simplified Chinese.

I really enjoy this app and the changes made from the traditional game of Sudoku to make it easier and more enjoyable for kids as early as four years, as well as beyond in the more difficult sections. This application is part of the “Lola” series of apps starring lovable panda Lola, who keeps a watchful eye on the users, adding bits of narration about her love of fruit as well as encouraging the players throughout these games.

Read the full review at GiggleApps.

$0.99

Lola's Fruit Shop Sudoku

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-07-19 :: Category: Games

Well, well, well. Apparently EA Games doesn’t want to put some of their top-selling titles like Tetris, Sims 3, and Scrabble on sale, because they’ve changed the terms of the 25 Days ‘Til Xmas Sale. Instead of offering a new game for sale each day, ten games will be on sale for the remainder of the holiday season. These are mostly ones that we’ve seen before. Here’s the full list, with brief descriptions:

Spore Origins
Spore Origins is based around the first stage of the Spore PC game, in which you play a tiny creature (your “Spore”) and must swim around the “primordial ooze,” avoiding larger creatures while devouring smaller ones. As you eat, you’ll eventually evolve, adding parts and customizing your creature. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

Spore™ Origins

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-09-05 :: Category: Games

Snood
Snood is an age-old game that everyone should recognize. While it’s a classic, we unfortunately found this to be a “baffling, inexplicable, and aggravating” port. Besides, there are plenty of bubble-popping clones to choose from if you really, really need this kind of game. If you’re a diehard fan, though, this is probably the time to get it. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

SNOOD

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: BAFFLING PORT
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-08-17 :: Category: Games

Auditorium
I’ve repeatedly praised Auditorium for its uniqueness and polish. You manipulate a stream of light to create music using “controls,” which alter gravity, directional flow, speed, and more. Auditorium is both soothing and challenging, and a worthy addition to any library. On sale for $0.99.

FREE!

Auditorium

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: ELEGANT
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-11-13 :: Category: Games

Sudoku
EA Games’ incarnation of Sudoku oozes polish. Sure, there are free versions out there, but if you’re looking for a well-done paid app with a sleek oriental theme, look no farther. Speed demons might be annoyed by EA’s signature insistence on animating things, but there’s no denying that it look pretty. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

SUDOKU

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: RECOMMENDED
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2008-07-11 :: Category: Games

Connect 4
The iPhone version of Connect 4 doesn’t add anything particularly exciting to the age-old game, though it’s certainly a decent port. The graphics are good and there a few bells and whistles to spice things up, such as a myriad of multiplayer options (local only, though, via Pass ‘n’ Play, WiFi, or Bluetooth). If you’re dying to get it, now’s the time; otherwise, there are more engaging concepts out there than this one. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

CONNECT 4

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: BORED GAME
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-11-27 :: Category: Games

Anytime Pool
It’s pool. With multiplayer. To be precise, Facebook multiplayer, which means that finding an opponent shouldn’t be too difficult. We haven’t reviewed this one, but it looks promising enough that, coupled with the new price, fans of pool games should definitely take a look. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

Anytime Pool

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-05-07 :: Category: Games

Zombies & Me
In this little game, you’re in charge of protecting Granny from the hordes of zombies outside her house. To do so, you must run around in circles, attempting to lure the zombies into designated “blast zones.” It’s simple, but the graphics are solid and it should be worth a chuckle or two. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

Zombies & Me

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-07-12 :: Category: Games

Jewel Quest Mysteries
This cheesily-themed game is combo of the match-3 and hidden-item genres. It’s managed a rather incredible feat, however, maintaining a 5-star App Store rating. While I doubt you’ll find much innovation here, it looks like it maintains the addictive qualities so important to its genre along with enough polish to make it a contender. On sale for $1.99.

$0.99

JEWEL QUEST MYSTERIES: CURSE OF THE EMERALD TEAR

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-11-05 :: Category: Games

Mystery Mania
Mystery Mania is a collection of small puzzles with limited challenges and low replay value, but, heck, it’s a quarter of the price it was when we reviewed it. If you’re looking for some light mental exercises wrapped up in a Halloween theme, at least give Mystery Mania’s light version a spin. On sale for $0.99.

$0.99

Mystery Mania

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: SLOW
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-10-08 :: Category: Games

Command & Conquer Red Alert
Command & Conquer is a pricey RTS based on the popular franchise, but at least the price has been slashed! We gave it a solid four stars even at its former $10 price point, but if you were on the fence before, there’s no excuse to skip this one now. On sale for $4.99.

$0.99

COMMAND & CONQUER™ RED ALERT™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: COMES UP SHORT
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-11-02 :: Category: Games

And…that’s the end of EA’s list. Good lord, that should keep everyone occupied for a while…though I am disappointed that blockbusters like the Sims 3 won’t be on sale.

Cheese Collect
Let’s return to normalcy, shall we? Here’s the Appvent Calender’s offering for today:

The cat is trying to attack you again! In this fun puzzle game, you are a mouse who tries to steal cheese without setting off the traps set by the cat. However, everytime you move, the cat would move the cheese away from you, unless there’s no space for it.

I haven’t tried Cheese Collect for myself, though the App Store reviews have been overwhelmingly negative. Oh, well…at least it’s free, right?

$0.99

Cheese Collect

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-09-17 :: Category: Games

That concludes our Daily Double for today!

We continue our Daily Double article with another bonus freebie in addition to the Appvent Calender. While the Appvent Calender is offering Balcassa, a slider puzzle-Rubik’s Cube combo, Gogogic has just released their multiplayer game Soft Freak Fiesta, and it’s only free for today! Not to be left out, EA Games is throwing us a familiar puzzle game, Sudoku, for the rock-bottom price of a buck.

Sudoku
Oh, Sudoku, the puzzle that took my school system by storm. I think I’ve seen enough of these boxes to last me a lifetime, thank you very much, but if you’re a fan of the games, EA’s version is sure to delight. While it might be one of the older apps in the store, it retains all of the graphical glitz of all of EA’s apps. Unfortunately for speed-demon serious players, the animations might get annoying as they slow you down. We looked at it in February, and found it to be a slickly presented clone of an age-old concept:

“Sudoku’s presentation is top-notch. The whole user interface is very slick and has a nice oriental vibe to it. Actual game play is very refined and the way annotations and hints are integrated is simple and easy to use. Initially three difficulty levels are available. You accrue Sudoku points by winning games and those are used to unlock two additional difficulty levels.

When you start a new game you can turn on error checking. This will instantly reveal whether you’ve correctly filled in a cell or not. In-game hints can reveal a particular cell’s value, and you can ask the game to annotate all cells if you wish. These all reduce the number of Sudoku points earned. In-game help explains all modes and aides.”

It’s not going to get any cheaper than this, folks. Grab it quick!

$0.99

SUDOKU

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: RECOMMENDED
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2008-07-11 :: Category: Games

Soft Freak Fiesta
Yeah, it’s not part of the normal Appvent Calender, but you can’t pass on this one! We previewed it a few weeks ago and thought that it had a lot of promise, given a large-enough player pool. Obviously anticipating that a lot of players are necessary to make this game work, Gogogic has made Soft Freak Fiesta free for its first day! Here’s a snippet from our preview article:

Soft Freak Fiesta is a sort of last man standing game take on marbles played out in turn on various game boards. While there are various game modes, they all have you aiming, bouncing, and rebounding your characters in the quest to destroy the players on the other team.

Complete with cartoony graphics, 3 types of Soft Freaks, 3 modes, and 5 levels, Soft Freak Fiesta looks like a lot of fun. You might as well give it a go while it’s free, right? You can connect with friends using WiFi or Bluetooth, or play with anyone on the game’s servers.

FREE!

Soft Freak Fiesta

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-15 :: Category: Games

Balcassa
Like I said, Balcassa is a slider puzzle/Rubik’s Cube combo. It looks pretty complex at later levels, so puzzle fans looking to stretch their brains a bit should be interested. Here’s what the developer has to say:

“Balcassa includes a variety of games offering hours of increasingly challenging game-play. The object of each of the games is to rotate a number of cubes into a sequence, a pattern or orientation by moving them around the screen. In some games it may be enough to get each cube into position with the correct side showing, while in other games rotation of the cubes must also be considered. The idea is simple, the solution is not!”

If you’re interested, remember: this “sale” is one day only!

$0.99

Balcassa

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-08-19 :: Category: Games

Handmark / Astraware have put a few of their applications on sale for a limited time. They are the latest in a long line of developers trying to use limited time price drops to increase sales. It’s an interesting promotion. But one that some developers have strong argument against it working.

No matter the impact, it’s the easiest way for developers to get a little promotion for their apps. They appear all over the internet on the price drops pages, like our price drops list.

Highlights from the Handmark / Astraware sale include the recently release Westward, a real time strategy game, Astraware Sudoku, and also the recently released helicopter shooter, Hellfire.

$2.99

Hellfire - Exciting Helicopter Combat

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-01-22 :: Category: Games

$2.99

Westward® - wild west frontier simulation

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: RECOMMENDED
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-02-03 :: Category: Games

$0.99

Astraware Board Games

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2008-12-08 :: Category: Games