DRIFT – Absolutely Nothing To Do With Cars

Have I mentioned I like puzzle games?

Have I mentioned I like puzzle games? Because I do. Quite a bit. DRIFT is another excellent puzzle game that I’ve been alerted to, and since I’ve already finished Monument Valley , I was in need of a new mobile puzzle game for those moments when I bring out my phone in an effort not to make eye contact with people in hallways. DRIFT is a very pretty way to do just that.

The premise is very similar to traditional sliding puzzles, but instead of trying to form a picture ( or get to an exit) by moving pieces into the one empty slot, you instead drag the piece you want to move onto the spot you want it to take. When you release, they swap. Simple! Well, except for the fact that the picture, the one you’re supposed to be unmixing, is constantly shifting and moving through a pattern. In other words, the picture you’re rebuilding is not, in fact, a picture. You’re essentially rebuilding a gif while it loops. It’s… pretty fun, actually.

Just in case that all sounds too easy for you, the game also gives you a limit on how many swaps you’re allowed to make, and a time limit in which to make those moves. In other words, stress. But it gives you a nice, jazzy riff whenever you beat a level, just to make sure you don’t tear your hair out if you get stuck.

DRIFT will be developer RandomSeed’s debut project, and so they’re launching it on three platforms: Android and iOS devices — at $2 USD — and in your browserfor free. If you aren’t convinced about whether or not you need more puzzles in your life (hint: you do ), you can also find out more about DRIFT from RandomSeed’s website.