Exclusive: Pogo's Puck's Peak hits new puzzle challenge heights

Puck's Peak, the latest puzzle game from EA's Pogo.com isn't for the average Poppit balloon popping crowd; it's a solid puzzler for those who find a good mental twist from games like Jenga a pleasing thing. But don't let that fool you; Puck's Peak's premise is relatively simple. You're given a series of blocks that you stack in order to erect a jumbled and seemingly rickety tower. The goal? Stack the blocks until they rise up to a bonus bar. Once there, the tower is frozen and you're given a new and higher bonus bar in order to build on the creation you started.

Of course, the challenge is finding a way to balance all the oblong blocks together without letting any drop off. While you can drop ("strike") up to 15 blocks per game before losing, 15 blocks won't feel like nearly enough during your first few games. As two blocks appear to the left of the screen, you drag the blocks to a platform in the bottom center of the screen. Thankfully there's no timer but slow, exact movements are required here to make sure that your creation's balance isn't knocked off. Swift movement can quickly fill up the game ending "strike" list as pieces feel overly sensitive to any movement.

Despite having three unlockable islands which hold new and higher peaks, there's loads of challenge here. With a hodgepodge of blocks that will test the spatial abilities of any tower-building player, knowing when to tap one block, letting columns swap a little to give a little more space to add another block and mentally visualizing how to counterbalance a column enough to get to the next level is at times infuriating. But you'll try again for two reasons. First, you're a little smarter now. And second, you can't just let a bunch of simple blocks beat you.

If you're looking for a new challenge beyond the need to rapidly find three gems, balloons or other colorful items, Puck's Peak delivers a roller coaster style rush that those with potty mouths might want to avoid (at least until the family isn't near).

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