Great fun though physics-based puzzle games usually are, they're also kind of high-maintenance on the iPhone.
Downloadable game of the week: Tiki Totems
For: iPhone/iPod Touch
From: spokko
iTunes Store Rating: 4+
Price at time of review (subject to change): Free for basic version, $US1.40 for premium version
Games that require precise degrees of tilting and touching also demand that players sit upright and use both hands, which isn't ideal for a lazy pre-bedtime game session.
So Tiki Totems gets points for adopting a "less is more" approach.
The object of each level is to remove bricks and planks in order to safely drop a Tiki statue from the top of a structure to safe ground below, and removing certain pieces of the structure can ignite a chain reaction that's entirely physics-powered.
But the game's low-maintenance control scheme - tap pieces of the structure to remove them, with no tilting or other precise motions running interference - makes it easy to pick up and play without sacrificing all that's good about a physics-driven puzzle game in the first place.
Now also is a good time to pick up Totems: The basic version, which comes bundled with 80 levels and the option to purchase 64 more, is currently free, while the premium version, which includes all 144 currently available levels and a promise to include all future level packs free, costs only $US1.40.
The games' iTunes descriptions indicate these are temporary prices, so don't waste time if you're feeling thrifty.