iPhone App Review: Zen Bound

March 6, 2009 by Jason Kaneshiro

Zen Bound is a beautiful, unique puzzle game where you rotate a wooden block, trying to cover as much of its surface as possible with a piece of twine.

zen bound the iphone game

The Good

Satisfying use of the iPhone’s multitouch and tilt recognition. Rotate the wooden block toward or away from you by touching and dragging, and rotate it clockwise or counter-clockwise using two fingers. One end of the twine is secured to the block with a nail, while the other rests at the iPhone’s base. Tilting the iPhone moves your end of the twine. It’s all quite intuitive within seconds of starting the the game for the first time.
A plethora of neat details: Twine-covered areas are indicated by bleeding paint that slowly blossoms over the block’s wooden surface. A light source illuminates the block’s top edge, emphasizing its three-dimensional nature. Several blocks are designed as exotic animals. Relaxing, ambient background music and sound effects complete the picture. Lastly, the main menu is a cherry blossom tree, with silhouettes of each block hanging temptingly on wooden tiles. Your score for each puzzle is indicated with flower blossoms and glowing lanterns.
No time limit. Rotating a block quickly is a sure path to hardship. The act of block-winding is meant to be a thoughtful, contemplative act.
The twine has a set length, so if you reach its end, your only choice is to unwind and consider things more carefully.
It’s a rare game based on such a simple concept, one wonders why it’s never been done before. Tetris is an example of this sort of game.
Well-suited for playing in short increments - a big plus on a mobile device.

zen bound the iphone game

The Bad

Block parts occasionally appear off the screen.

Conclusion

Zen Bound is a nearly perfect iPhone game, a “killer app.” It’s well worth its $4.99 price and then some. Highly recommended. There’s a video at this website.