This IGF Grand Prize Winner (2008) can be fun, but it has a hard time keeping your attention for very long.
It's rather funny if you think of it, but with the numerous games which now use drawing mechanics, you may forget that in 2008, a whole 2 years ago, this was still a relatively new concept. No, not entirely new, but certainly not as common as today. In fact, in my opinion, Crayon Physics is largely responsible for the increase in the use of this mechanic we've seen over the past few years.
For those not familiar with Crayon Physics, it's a puzzle game which uses a fairly robust physics engine, and the goal of each map/level is to get a ball from its starting position to a star which is located in each level. Of course you'll be doing that by means of a drawing tool, which can create bridges, swings and hammers, ramps, etc. Once you complete a set of levels in one section, you are able then to move (through the overhead "map") to a new area which tends to incorporate specific themes within it, for instance a "golf" area that often requires drawing clubs/hammers to knock the ball across the room over the pit.
The physics engine, as noted, is pretty spot on, and its certainly helpful to remember your education on the subject. But even if you don't, it turns out that physical properties are pretty common-sense (velocity is the result of mass and speed, etc). So while you won't be using any actual calculations, its nice to have a sense of it. Of course in Crayon Physics world (two-dimensions) mass is basically the same as size. So two objects of the same size will react the same way.
The unfortunate thing is that after playing for a short while and getting the hang of it, you'll likely find yourself bored. While I have yet to put my finger on exactly why that is, in general i think that A) the visual design is, while initially friendly and cute, ultimately drab. There's no sense of texture or of substance to anything, which makes the whole game feel too etherial for its good, especially for a game of physics. B) There is in general too much repetition of problems. On the whole there's just so many basic physics tools to use, and when you've gone through them there's not much replay value within the game itself. and C) its way too easy to solve many puzzles by drawing straight lines which act as bridges. The game shouldn't be that easy.
Despite these problems, the game does include a tool-set to create your own levels to play and share. If you've read my other indie game reviews, you'll find that I always across-the-board find this to be a great gift to players and not done enough. So much of what this game is in it's heart is about playing around with the physics engine, and so I'm very pleased that such a tool has been incorporated here. Though its actually quite challenging to make a level that's satisfying, such an open sandbox mode as it ends up being is a worthy consideration here.
Bottom line: Despite the accolades its received, Crayon Physics Deluxe is a mediocre game which suffers from easy cheats and too much repetition, as well a lackluster visual design. So while its a fine puzzle game, it likely won't hold your interest for very long.
Rating 5.5/10