Sporos on iOS, Android is simple to learn but difficult to master

Last week, we brought you a preview of Appxplore's Sporos on iOS and Android, a puzzle game that sees you infecting cells with light to complete 500 levels across two gameplay modes. We've now had a chance to go hands-on with Sporos, and have found this to be one relaxing yet challenging puzzle game experience.

The concept behind Sporos is simple: in each stage, you'll be given a limited number of lighted "Sporos," which will light up surrounding cells in very particular ways. Each Sporos has dashes that indicate which direction(s) the light (or infection) will travel when they're placed on an empty cell, with the object being to find just the right places for these Sporos to light up every cell before moving on. Since you're limited in the number of Sporos and the direction(s) that the infection can travel, each level might be more difficult than the last, depending on the formation of those empty cells.

Once you jump from the game's basic Essential levels into the "Experimental Lab," you'll come across mutations, or cells that may impact the way the light travels around the stage. These mutations can make levels easier, allowing the light to reach areas that you wouldn't be able to infect using basic Sporos, or they can make stages harder, by diverting the light from the direction you actually wanted it to go.

Thankfully, even though Sporos comes with an expected amount of trial and error, the game allows for multiple ways of thinking. If you can look at a stage and manipulate the board and light in your head before ever making a move, that's great, but for those that need to have a more hands-on approach, the game allows that too. Each time you tap and drag a Sporos around the screen, the cells will highlight, showing you exactly what you're manipulating before ever letting go or placing a Sporos. This saves you time when it comes to replaying each stage, but that isn't to say that it makes the game easy.

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Sometimes, you'll need to spend a few minutes dragging a single Sporos around the screen to figure out its exact placement, but that's what makes this puzzle game so intriguing. It's not a difficult concept, and some levels are a breeze to complete, but when you find one that's tougher, there's a great feeling of satisfaction that comes from making it all click.

Sporos is pretty basic from a visual standpoint, and while the glowing atmosphere is fun, the limited color palette leaves a bit to be desired. Furthermore, the game's relaxing soundtrack is almost a bit too calming, especially after you've stared at the same stage for a long period of time.

Overall, Sporos has an interesting concept, and it's thankfully easy to pick up right from the beginning. While the game comes with plenty of easier stages, actually completing all 500 will thankfully take you quite a bit of time, making this worth the $0.99 investment. If you're ready to try out Sporos for yourself, you can now download the game on your iOS or Android device of choice.

Download Sporos on iTunes for $0.99 >

Download Sporos on Google Play >

What do you think of this calming puzzle game on iOS / Android? How many of the game's 500 levels have you been able to complete so far? Sound off in the comments!