I love to play Sudoku. There’s something about the challenge of getting all those pieces of the puzzle into the right combination that appeals to my inner geek. Keeping with the season (if you celebrate Christmas, that is), I felt compelled to check out the release of Christmas Sudoku from 99 Games. 99 Games was nice enough to give me a copy to check out!
Although the idea of Christmas and Sudoku don’t necessarily seem like an easy fit, the program is a nicely implemented Sudoku game with a well-done set of Christmas themes.
I found the game easy to use – I usually play the “Quick Game” option, and, although it takes a little bit to get used to filling in “Christmas Items” versus numbers, I found myself adapting pretty quickly and enjoying the general game play.
They offer several variations on game play. There’s the “Quick Game” mode that I mentioned a moment ago – that’s pretty much traditional Sudoku, but using holiday items instead of numbers. There’s also a “Campaign” mode, that allows you 30 levels of puzzle that you play (and track via your profile). Lastly there is what they call the “Tug-a-Friend” mode where you compete against a friend via bluetooth or WiFi so complete your puzzle first.
There are also 3 different “themes” you can use to set the mood for your game play. There is “Santa Red”, “Merry Green”, and “Icy Blue”. If the Christmas items are a little too different for you, you can also revert the screen back to traditional numbers. There’s even an error checking option.
They’ve also added a cute little holiday feature they call “Hug-a-Friend” that allows you to design a Christmas scene and send it as an e-Card to your loved ones.
They even have a little preview available over on YouTube!
Overall:I really enjoy this little holiday game. I think it would be better priced at 99 cents (instead of $1.99), but it’s still nicely entertaining and pretty well executed. If you’re looking for a little holiday-themed casual entertainment you should check out Christmas Sudoku at the AppStore!