Developer: Large Animal
Genre: Puzzle
Download the demo

AlphaQUEUE is an isometric, space-themed puzzle game. The playing surface consists of a checkered board with "sheds" on its edges. Each of these sheds contains one of several differently shaped pieces. The object of the game is to strategically align these differently shaped pieces onto a game board in a specific pattern, and your only interaction throughout the game will be to push pieces out of the various sheds. You will use this simple mechanic to try to push the correctly shaped pieces to the spaces where they need to go. Once you have gotten all the pieces in the correct position, you'll be able to advance to the next level. Each level has its own par, and the number of turns it takes you to beat a given level is the game's sole scoring system.

The object of the game is to get the correctly shaped pieces onto the marked spaces--however you can.

Each level becomes increasingly more complex with not only more shapes added, but also certain other elements that require timing. For instance, in some levels, a "sweeper" comes along a specific track. He can push your pieces out of the position you intended, or, if you plan correctly, he can push them into a more strategically advantageous position. Additionally, you can actually change his path by timing a move to push him off-course. The game does quickly ramp up its difficulty and requires you to consider your moves well in advance if you want to make par.

While the graphical presentation is relatively simple--a board fixed in space--the three-dimensional nature of the playing surface makes it a little more interesting than if it were just a two-dimensional top-down view. This is certainly a nice touch, as is the synth soundtrack that plays throughout the levels.

Given that the sole interaction in the game is to click on different sheds to push out differently shaped pieces, it's very simple to learn. However, something else you'll notice very quickly is that it takes a very long time to master. AlphaQUEUE is definitely a thinking gamer's game.

Developer: Flashbang Studios
Genre: Puzzle
Download the demo

You could probably compare Beesly's Buzzwords to a union between every family's favorite letter-scrambling game, Boggle, and the Bust-A-Move series. The premise is simple: You are a bee named Beesly, and it's up to you to stock up your hive's honey supply for the year. In order to do this, you are presented with a honeycomb-like structure, with letters inside each comb. Your goal is to make words out of connectable letters within the comb. Any letter touching another letter can be connected, and you can spell words going in any direction. Depending on the number of letters used, and the complexity of the word, a score is awarded for each word, which in turn fills up your honey pot. Once a word has been created, the used combs disappear, leaving you with fewer letters to choose from. However, at the end of each "season"--effectively the game's answer to a basic round structure--a new line of letters will drop down, replenishing your supply.

Our man Beesly is all about makin' that honey!

Beesly's Buzzwords features three different modes of play: classic game, challenge game, and action game. Classic game follows the aforementioned gameplay progression; challenge game is essentially the same as classic, though a score (usually a very high one) is set at the beginning of the game for you to clear; and action game continuously adds letters to your comb, challenging you to fill up the honey pot before your comb fills up completely. The game also features some simple but eye-pleasing flash visuals, as well as some oddly soothing classical tunes that make up the in-game soundtrack.

Though Beesly's Buzzwords is an altogether simplistic effort, its puzzle-themed gameplay is remarkably addictive and should appeal to any fan of vocabulary-based puzzle games.