Fix the Leaks Review

Grab your wrench and transform into a plumber; or, in the case of Fix the Leaks, grab a furry critter and commence to plumbing. Emotion Rays Entertainment has created a puzzle game in which you have to stop the leaking jelly coming out of the walls. Does Fix the Leaks make plumbing fun, or should it be flushed with the rest of the iOS crap?

In Fix the Leaks, little furry critters are spaced vicariously in each level, and the player is tasked with connecting them with ropes, or cutting the ropes, so that when you press play, they fall perfectly to stop up the leaking holes. One difference, though, is that once you press play there’s nothing else you can do except watch the results of your genius/not so genius setup. It’s like racking up a set of dominoes to watch them fall -- once they’re set up and moving you can’t adjust anything. There are additional props to use as well, like balloons to float the critter upwards, walls to make things more difficult, pulleys to use physics of weight, etc. If you’ve ever played Cut the Rope, you’ll probably feel right at home with Fix the Leaks, as the two feel and look very similar.

Fix the Leaks has an admirable approach to free-to-play; the free version is a demo in the traditional video game sense. It’s a sweet taste of what the full game has to offer, with no in-game advertising or intrusive in-app purchases to annoy you. The free version is simply there to whet your whistle, which is an approach to getting gamers to make a purchase. There are over 100 levels in the version you pay for, whereas in the free edition you get a nice 25+ levels in each of the two episodes. Another addition you’ll get for the extra green is a strategy guide for those levels that are just too difficult to figure out on your own.

The graphics aren’t exactly the most advanced aesthetics in the world, but they’re serviceable enough and have a cutesy quality that works well on an iPad. The music and sound effects aren’t particularly memorable, nor are they grating -- they simply serve the purpose of providing auditory cues, as well as keeps things feeling pretty light and upbeat.

Fix the Leaks is a cute, fun puzzle game. It’s inexpensive and respects the players enough not to bombard us with additional in-app purchases and ads. If you like Cut the Rope, you’re sure to like Emotion Rays Entertainment’s adorable new puzzler.

App Store Link: Fix the Leaks for iPhone & iPad | By Emotion Rays Entertainment | Price: Free | Version: 1.0 | 76.5 MB | Rating 4+