Brain It On! - Physics Puzzles 1.6.312

Whenever it comes to trying a 'physics-based' game, the first thing you need to figure out is the degree to which physics is ignored. What I'm saying is unless we're dealing with squarish objects and orthogonal movements, chances are stuff is not going to behave as you would expect.
With that said, I am surprised at how well "Brain It On!" pulls it out.

In Brain It On! you're facing some two hundred mindbending doodle-based puzzles. In each one, you are tasked with drawing objects that fall, apply friction, bounce and, most importantly, have a real center of weight. This is the most important aspect that you will need to take into account.

There are many puzzles in which you will need to create leverage using only one or two objects. For example, how are you going to tip over a glass, or lift a box off the ground, using nothing but your doodling skills and the magic of 'gravity'? Never mind if you can't figure it out. You can always consult the solution of every level at the meager cost of watching a video commercial. In fact, the ad placement in this app suggests utmost respect for the user. This is to be appreciated.

When it comes to the actual gameplay, I can't help but complain a little. Since the drawing is so free-form, it's often that the results aren't going to reflect your intentions, especially in cases in which you want to fill a container, but not go over the edge. Some might enjoy this seemingly arbitrary challenge, but frustration is not very far on the horizon either.

The flip side is that there's no limit to how many times you can try. As I said, the business model is very relaxed, which earns this game an extra star from me. No need to thank me.

The puzzles themselves are relatively varied and include distinctive cases like immovable elements, no-drawing zones, and even polarized magnets.

Final Thoughts

I think Brain It On! falls under the love-it-hate-it category. Some will be enthralled by the out-of-the-box solutions that you'll need for many puzzles, but others might not appreciate the inevitable shortfalls of physics combined with freehand drawing.