After the tutorial levels, the game simply challenges you to go for as long as you can without running out of lives. See, you're given three sets of "requests", each asking you to fill a certain number of tiles by colour. You tap and drag to select adjacent matching tiles, doubling their value with each one you pass over, though you must be able to select all matching tiles that are currently touching in a single unbroken line. The tiles are then removed from the board and replaced with fresh ones, and the value of the removed tiles is applied to the corresponding requests for the colour, prioritizing the right-most request. If you need to move things around a little, the green arrows at the edges of the grid move lines and columns around, but of course, there's a twist. Every move you make, be it using the arrows or removing tiles, causes the counter beneath each request to tick down. While this can be replenished by completely filling a request for a specific colour, once one request runs out of moves, you'll start losing lives. You can gain a life back by successfully clearing all three current requests, but when all your lives are gone, it's game over. In a pinch, the tiles you earn by making big lines at the bottom of the screen can be dragged wherever you like without spending a move to help you, but they take a while to recharge.

What's great about Twofold Inc is how easy it is to pick up, yet how unexpectedly strategic it is. You'll quickly realize after clearing just a few sets that you need to make the most of your moves, and even occasionally be willing to sacrifice a life, to organize the board to be most efficient. The difficulty ramps up as the amount of tiles needed to be gathered for each request rises, making it the sort of game that's perfect to whip out of your pocket for a bit whenever you have time, but also great for hunkering down with for a while and really sinking your teeth into. And, I mean, you'll kind of want to, since Twofold Inc's presentation is perfectly lovely. It's clean, bright, and carried along by a fantastic soundtrack that encourages kicking back with the game for an hour or two and your favourite beverage. Some players may bemoan the lack of even a limited undo function, especially in regards to, oh, accidentally placing your extra bonus tiles in the wrong spot or tapping the wrong arrow (not that I've done either of those... seven or eight times), but otherwise the game is a joy to play. It's addictive, but more to the point, it's clever and rewarding, exactly the sort of game you want to have on your phone or tablet. Twofold Inc is a bright and shining gem, and easily worth a slot in your library. Your free time will thank you, even if your productivity won't.

Twofold Inc (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

Twofold Inc (Android, Android Tablet)