The start of the "Puddle" players' journey. (IGN)

“Puddle” begins with a cup half full (or half empty) of water on a counter, and with only two active buttons on the Xbox 360 controller (the left and right trigger), the player quickly figures out that to get the water out of the cup and toward the goal, in this case a drain pipe, the buttons have to be alternately pressed, tilting the game environment to give the liquid enough momentum to tip the cup over and set it on its course.

In the game’s the various stages, the liquids (water, liquid fertilizer, or other chemicals) encounter buttons, valves, heat sources, and various forms of vegetation as obstacles en route to the goal, and by shifting the environment, the player helps the liquid  traverse the course and (hopefully) arrive at the end with as much liquid as possible. It’s a completely different take on the survival genre.

At the heart of the game is the assumption that the player cares enough about the fate of the water to become emotionally invested in its fate. I quickly found myself grimacing as my liquid encountered heat sources and a sizzling sound signaled that my water was quickly turning to vapor.

Various forces are at work throughout the game including velocity, gravity and friction. At times, the liquid has to be completely stopped by pressing one of the triggers, similar to a pinball player holding the flipper up with the ball in it to slow the game down and achieve a more accurate hit. At times, high velocity is essential to shoot over the top of barriers, and at times the liquid has to be at a slower pace to sneak under obstacles.

While it only takes a few drops to complete a level, the game challenges the user to “do better” and achieve bronze, silver or gold on each level. Without the reward of a medal, the player feels compelled to try again. “You already succeeded, but you can do better,” states the game’s menu. Scores are calculated, somewhat scientifically, based on the time required to finish the level and the amount of particles saved.

Because of its complete lack of dialogue and characters, aside from a blob of liquid, some, especially younger, players may find that the game lacks the excitement necessary to keep playing, but those with a problem-solving mentality can quickly become addicted. Some levels seem impossible initially, but any player with a desire to achieve more remains engaged, and when you finally complete a level and receive a medal it genuinely feels rewarding. Despite the fact that the medals are meaningless outside (possibly even inside) the game, the player achieves satisfaction in compiling them.

The evolution of smartphone gaming has triggered a push in the simplicity of gaming controls, even on consoles such as the Xbox 360 with a dedicated controller featuring eight buttons and three control pads. I like the fact that “Puddle” has such limited controls. Upon first playing the game, I wondered if there was a button I was failing to press to perhaps bump the game environment (a la many pinball games) and provide a slight excitation to the liquid. By keeping controls simple, players know that if they’re failing at a certain point it can only be because they are not shifting the environment at the right times or creating enough velocity.

With downloadable games such as this, the engagement with the player typically first begins with the downloading of the free, trial version of the game, with the ultimate goal of hopefully enticing them to shell out the equivalent of $9.99 in Microsoft Points for the complete version. Given that, it’s important to make the game instantly engaging to the player, and having the controls simple and the goal of each level easy to understand plays a key role in that.

For a downloadable arcade game, which can be hit and miss graphically, the game feels very polished. I did feel that the techno music that accompanies the game could make the experience a bit more dynamic by changing pace or sounding a bit more ominous when encountering a particularly difficult obstacle. The scoring does seem a bit too complex as well, with the score being displayed after each level as an equation of numbers, representing (1) the time needed to finish the level, (2) the total amount of liquid, (3) the value of each bonus particle, and final score, 1-(2*3).

Overall, I enjoyed the game’s unique take on the puzzle genre and feel that the game has done an excellent job in achieving its goal of making it an addictive experience for players.