Though it is true that there are shameless copies of popular and successful mobile games being released at a breakneck speed, there are still the apps that stand out as being unique and innovative. Blackbox is one of those apps that shows how much creativity can be stuffed into a single app. Instead of popular puzzle games where the player is required to use the touchscreen to solve puzzles, Blackbox requires the player to use everything except the touchscreen. Puzzles are presented with a single, unfilled box. By using visual clues, the player determines what the app is trying to make them do. For example, there is a puzzle that requires the user to turn their phone on silent in order to complete the challenge.

The amount of creativity and innovation in this game is quite stunning. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of mobile games due to their simplicity, but I can definitely see that this game is quite the hidden gem. It requires the player to, quite simply, think outside of the box. It makes the user think hard about what feature of their phone is required to solve the puzzle. There aren’t any games like this despite the large pool of mobile games on the market.

Although this game finds a way to pull itself away from the persistent copycat format we’re used to seeing in mobile games, it does fail to avoid making micro transactions. Although I haven’t played this game to the fullest, thus leading me to find every example of micro transactions, I have found a “pack” that gives the user 13 more puzzles along with a “hint.” For those of you who don’t know, micro transactions are small, virtual payments commonly used in “free-to-play” games. If you were to become obsessed with a game, you might be willing to purchase items from the app’s store in order to have a “superior” experience. Personally, I find them incredibly annoying and yet, not unexpected. A lot of time and energy was most certainly put into this game and the people who made Blackbox need to make some kind of profit, thus offering more puzzles for a small price. After all, the app itself is initially free and can definitely give someone a decent challenge for a few days. This is a good way to see if you likes the app enough to pay $1.99 for a couple of extra puzzles.

Believe what you want about micro transactions, but I personally think this game is worth anyone’s time and energy. Blackbox is the perfect game for someone who enjoy a good challenge and appreciate innovation. If you are a person who thrives on frustrating puzzles that require a huge amount of out-of-the-box thinking, Blackbox is the game for you. Blackbox is currently sitting at five stars on the Apple App Store and has most certainly earned every one of them.