App of the Day: Quell

One of the things I really love about the explosion of apps and app developers is you get to see the continual refinement of classic tools and games. One such refinement is Quell by Fallen Tree Games ($1.99). The concept for Quell has been executed a number of times: Move a drop (or block, or character…) left, right, up or down and it moves until it hits something. Attempt to pick up all the targets in the least number of moves without getting stuck or running into something dangerous.

As I said, this game is a refinement of that genre. If it were simply a rehashing of that style of logic puzzle then there might not be much to recommend the game over its competitors. However, Quell one-ups all the others with its attention to detail and its soothing soundtrack. For example, the playing board appears to be on a window facing out onto a rainy landscape, with raindrops slowly dripping down the pane.

Also included are a number of achievements, a hint system and support for webOS gestures. With 72 levels of brain challenging puzzles you’ll definitely get your money’s worth out of this.