HeavenHell

Summary

Ah—good vs. evil, angels battling demons... need I say more? If you enjoy brain and puzzle games with an ultimate archetypal gameplay do read on as HeavenHell may just be your sizzling, hellish cup of tea.

Test device
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Android Version: 4.0.2
Root: Yes
Modifications: none

App details
As of: Android 2.1
Apps2SD: Not the in the Galaxy Nexus
Size: Ca. 22 MB
Optimised for Ice Cream Sandwich: No, but runs smoothly nonetheless

Brain and puzzle games are generally well loved, and by now the choice of games available from the Android Market is so ample that shopping around for something new makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. That said, there is a lot of boring rubbish out there, which is why I’m always pleased when I stumble across something I actually really like.

The HeavenHell gameplay is simple: there are angels and demons that change appearance when you click on them, sometimes they’re round circles and sometimes they’re square. The goal is to escort the demons into a fiery pit by tossing them off the screen. To do so you must change the shapes of angels/demons so that, for instance, an angel will roll down a slope and in doing so bump into a demon which then falls off a cliff. Don’t let the simple gameplay lull you into a false sense of security: the game is challenging enough to keep you on your toes. In higher levels you will encounter obstacles such as tree stumps and holes.

To recap: get rid of all the demons and make sure the angels stay safe. This calls for a good sense of timing, which is where my one criticism comes in. As mentioned, HeavenHell is a brain and puzzle game, so thinking ahead is a given, although a lot will simply boil down to trial and error. But when success depends more on nimble fingers than a good strategy I find myself becoming frustrated. Such was the case with level 12 in the second world. Let me know if you experienced something similar.

Bottom line:
HeavenHell is heavenly and devilishly fun all at once! The gameplay isn’t exceptional but the game is well thought out and designed. It’s challenging enough to keep you hooked, but at times it’s simply a bit too frustrating.
 

The HeavenHell  graphics are nice but nothing to write home about. The image is very sharp, even on the Galaxy Nexus. Unfortunately, controls aren’t as great: they’re just not as precise as one might hope.

HeavenHell runs nice and smoothly and doesn’t take long to load.

HeavenHell is available for free. The ad banners can be deactivated for five days by recommending the app on Facebook or Twitter. You can also pay EUR0,50 in order to permanently deactivate ads.