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Labyrinth

04.12.2010
This Android app is based on a game that involves moving a marble or ball bearing through a three-dimensional maze on the tiltable upper surface of a wooden box, avoiding holes that the ball can fall into. If the ball drops out of sight, you have to start over at the beginning point. And because tilting the box is an imprecise way to make the ball move, the ball often acts as though it had a mind of its own. Also, as the ball approaches one of the holes, you tend to react more quickly than you should, which makes controlling the ball harder. This struggle against the force of gravity is both frustrating and addictive.

As a kid, I enjoyed playing the original game. The advantage of the digital version of Labyrinth is that you can test your skill on multiple maze designs, whereas when you play the wood-and-marble game, the only way to get a new labyrinth is to buy a new box. The Labyrinth app gives you thousands of levels to play.

Better yet, you can go to the and design your own levels. The editor is highly intuitive and easy to use.

When properly calibrated, the controls for Labyrinth work perfectly. If the tilting controls for your phone seem off, you can recalibrate them from the settings. There's also an option for '3D mode', which creates the illusion of depth around the walls as you tilt your phone. Labyrinth is a beautifully designed app, and a game you'll have trouble putting down.