Draw and Roll Review

Physics games are one of the most rapidly expanding genres on the App Store. It is becoming excessively difficult for developers to design something that can make their game stand out amongst the crowd. One way of at least expanding the audience is to mash-up the base genre's mechanics with that of another style of gameplay. A perfect example of this is Draw and Roll, which blends together traditional physics puzzles with line drawing. The product is a sublime look into the world of swine love that shouldn't be missed.

Draw and Roll is a game that loosely revolves around the narrative of a pig trying to reunite with its one true love. How does it do that, you ask? By drawing and, you guessed it, rolling. The player is trying to bring these two lost lovers together, through drawing lines in the environment that will funnel the two creatures together.  The problem is that there are numerous pesky items strewn about, bent on preventing this from happening.

Featuring a drawing mechanic that is akin to that of Max and the Magic Marker, players use their finger to draw lines that guide movement of the male pig.  The trick is that there is a limit to the amount of lead in the pencil.  Keep in mind that the less lead that is used to bring the swine together, the more stars that are awarded at the completion of the stage. These stars are then cashed in to unlock new stages and worlds as the game progresses.

One other clever snag is that lines cannot be drawn while the level is in motion, resulting in a loop of trial and error that could keep a player scratching their head in confusion. That said, once the moment of realization occurs and a puzzle is correctly solved, it is hard not to feel like a genius. Instants of revelation are what makes Draw and Roll so fulfilling. There is no one correct way to solve a puzzle, so the key is experimentation. The only limitation is the player's creativity.

Anymore, it is rare to be pleasantly surprised in a game released on iOS. Draw and Roll has proven to be a rare exception to this rule. It is an interesting take on physics puzzlers, that can not only keep the player guessing, but also inspire them to persevere, despite a constant barrage of potential failure.  For $0.99, this is a mind bending bargain that should deliver hours of doodling shenanigans.

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