Professor Pym and the Secret of Steam Review

Professor Pym and the Secret of Steam is a ad supported, free-to-play game with a fanciful, steam-punk inspired atmosphere. In this game, players are tasked with helping the titular professor escape noxious rising waters by jumping onto and off of immense, spinning wheels and gears. The whole affair seems somewhat dangerous, but the lab coat adorned hero leaps up, down, and sideways with no fear as the player taps the screen.

The goal in Professor Pym is simple. Each level is composed of a vertical shaft throughout which are placed several spinning wheels. By tapping the screen, the player makes the professor jump and when the professor gets near enough to one of these spinning wheels he lands on it and begins to rotate with it. The player must then time the professor's jumps to move him from wheel to wheel and ascend the narrow shaft to the finish line before the rising water level engulfs him. There are occasional other obstacles for the professor to avoid as well, like spikes or jets of fire.

The controls are super simple. All it takes is the push of a button to make the professor jump, and that's all. Players can literally play the game with one finger and one hand. The steam punk inspired environments are clever, and some of the levels are diabolically challenging. However, the gameplay can get a bit stale after a while. Level scoring, character power ups purchased with in-game currency and competitive leaderboards all help keep things fresh, but the core gameplay suffers a bit from the very simplicity that makes it appealing. That said, the gameplay is solid and the game is genuinely fun to play. In any case, the price is certainly right for players who at least want to give it a try.