Fifteen, a classic sliding puzzle game is now available for symbian 5th edition devices, courtesy- Offscr Technologies, a company which has quiet an impressive lineup of games and applications  for the symbian fifth edition platform. Fifteen is a form of n-puzzle which exists in either 3x3 matrix as  8 puzzle or 4x4 matrix as 15 puzzle. The puzzle consists of random arrangement of numbers 1-15 in a 4x4 matrix, with one slot missing. The objective of the puzzle is to rearrange the matrix such that the numerals are arranged in ascending order from left to right. While the gameplay seems simple, it heavily relies on touch interpretation and Offscr Technologies have done a great job in this department. Not only is the game well designed for touch screen play but the aesthetics has also been given its due importance in design of this game.

Installation

Puzzle screen

Fifteen is a paid game and can be bought from Ovi store from the client or from the ovi web store. The installation file is around 300 kb and shouldn't take more than 10 seconds to download over wi-fi. Installation is breezy with the customary security warnings and the whole process should take around 15-20 seconds.

Features

As explained earlier, gameplay involves rearranging slides such that the numerals are arranged in the ascending order from left to right. One can rely on finger touch to slide the number plates as the slide size is optimum for finger touch. If you are comfortable with the stylus, it can be used to for sliding but I prefer finger touch and there is no considerable difference in game play using either of them.

As can be seen from the screenshot to the right, there are two distinctive colours used for odd and even numbers. While this is of no relevance to the puzzle as such, it gives cool chess board like look when you are able to crack the puzzle or for that matter even if you can arrange odd and even numbers alternatively, which is not the objective of the puzzle.

The interface as such is very well designed with a timer and an indicator displaying number of moves made at the bottom. A second timer displays the least time taken to crack a puzzle, so that users can challenge themselves to beat their own timing. Three buttons are smartly placed at the top of the screen, which are very much similar to the buttons found in Offscr Technologies ebook: A Scandal of Bohemia reviewed earlier on our blog. There is an additional play button when compared to the ebook. The play button will restart the game with a single tap and hence will be the most widely used button of the three

Pros

1. Well designed interface
2. Optimised for finger touch gaming
3. Minimal but optimum control buttons

Cons

1. There is option for setting difficulty level
2. No customisation options whatsoever

Verdict

Fifteen Puzzle is a very well designed game which brings the classic sliding puzzle to our 5800s. While the interface is very intuitive and visually appealing, the lack of customization like setting the difficulty level make it a mediocore game. At USD 3, its a good bargain though with a finger touch optimized game play and  easy controls. This is one of the best games to exercise your grey matter especially during those boring rides in train or bus while commuting to work.

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