IPod App Reviews: Str8ts

Str8ts, a stellar new Sudoku-style puzzle game from Syndicated Puzzles, is available in the app store. A cross between a Sudoku puzzle and a crossword puzzle, Str8ts is sure to give Sudoku fans something to get excited about all over again.

The Str8ts board is a 9 x 9 grid full of mostly white squares with a few black squares strewn about. The black squares effectively divide the board into several compartments of white squares of varying length. A single digit, between 1 and 9, must be entered into each square. There can be only one instance of each number per row or column, just like in Sudoku. The major catch in Str8ts is that all of the digits in each compartment must be part of a straight, such as 4, 5, 6, and 7. The numbers need not be in order, such as 6, 4, 7, and 5, so long as there are no gaps in the straight. An invalid straight would be 4, 6, 7, 8, since the missing 5 creates a gap. Some of the black squares contain numbers, too. These numbers cannot be used in the row or column that intersects at that point and are not part of any straight, either. There is a very detailed tutorial that also takes you through the completion of an entire puzzle. This can be helpful to newbies.

The graphics are simple, yet appealing. Buttons and squares are big enough to avoid mis-taps. There are no special sounds or background music; just pure gameplay. The controls are pretty simple. Below the game grid, the digits 1 through 9 each have a button. Tap any square to highlight, and then tap a number to enter it in the grid. There is an erase button to clear the highlighted square. Undo and redo buttons are self-explanatory. The check button can be used to validate the puzzle. Any errors are highlighted in red. If the puzzle is error-free, the border will flash green. There is even an option to enter notes, which appear as tiny numbers. With a square highlighted, tap the notes button and any possible numbers. Each will be entered in the highlighted square for future reference. Each and every puzzle has a unique solution that can be arrived at using only logic.

There are 4 difficulty levels: Jack (51 puzzles), Queen (300 puzzles), King (300 puzzles), and Ace (100 puzzles). Those 751 puzzles should keep any gamer busy for some time. The game autosaves your progress for each difficulty level, and a timer tracks how long it takes you to complete each puzzle, though these times seem to have no bearing, nor are they stored anywhere. At $2.99, Str8ts is a terrific, 5-Dimple value that’s worth every penny.

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