Blueprint 3D Review

When you first start a puzzle in Blueprint 3D, a confusing mess of lines and shades clutters up the screen. But there’s a method to the madness. You can rotate the scribbled cluster by swiping your finger across it, and if you turn it just so, the lines arrange themselves into a recognizable thing, like the Eiffel Tower or a war axe from the Crusades.

You see, each puzzle is actually a blueprint that's been exploded it in such a way so that it only looks like the original image when it's viewed from a particular angle. Without seeing the game in action it's a little tough to wrap your head around, so watch the trailer below for a better idea of what we're talking about. It’s a clever gimmick-- one that’s been used in other games, like Touch Magic and Pictorial-- but really that's all it is. Once you find the proper angle to view the puzzle from, you've solved it and can move on. The question is: is that enough to hang an entire game on?

In a word, yes. Since the iPhone version only costs a buck, and the game comes with 240 puzzles, you get plenty of content for very little cost, even if the gameplay is a little shallow. It doesn't hurt that the game looks great and is playable in very short spurts, perfect for when you're looking to be entertained for a brief period of time.

But even with such a simple premise, the game isn't perfect. You’re scored based on the time it takes you to solve each puzzle, but the way it wants you to rotate the image isn’t always obvious. For instance, if the image you're trying to solve is a pencil, you'll be required to point the tip of the pencil a particular way before the game knows you've "solved" the puzzle. It tells you how to rotate it once the mess of lines starts to look like a pencil, but rotating it takes time, meaning you'll be docked points.

Regardless of any small flaws, Blueprint 3D is a fun game that looks great, and will appeal to just about anyone with an iOS device. Pick it up for your mom or your little brother, or to fill in the time between your marathon gaming sessions with a deeper game.