My green monster is hungry for candy. He's telling me so, gesturing. I need to cut the rope with a finger swipe, sending the sugary treat into his mouth. But how do I clear the spikes? Ah... the whoopee cushion!
Cut The Rope is a puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod touch that tasks players with the responsibility of feeding a cute monster named Om Nom. What complicates the task is that said candy dangles from ropes, and the various boxes (Cardboard Box, Fabric Box, Foil Box and Gift Box) Om Nom resides in are laden with traps. Cut the wrong rope, and the candy might go crashing onto the ground. Disaster! Things like whoopee cushions, bubbles and sliding rails help players move the candy through obstacles like spikes, pesky spiders and electric currents and into Om Nom's mouth.
Ideal Player
With stages lasting a couple seconds, Cut the Rope is perfect for those who want super short bursts of play.
Why You Should Care
Cut the Rope is tearing up the iPhone App Charts, second only to perennial fav Angry Birds.
Wait. The Monster's name is On Nom? Little too cute, no? Maybe! But that doesn't mean this is some dumbed-down cutesy affair. The graphics are solid — better than you'd expect. The animation is smooth. This graphics, along with the music, make Cut The Rope a real charmer.
That's all you do, give the monster candy? Well, that's the goal. But players can also collect the three stars scattered about the stages. It's not mandatory, but it's an added challenge.
Daily brushing prevents tooth decay.
You mentioned finger swipes. Is that the only control input? Finger swipes are how the ropes are cut, but there are other elements in the stages. Take balloons and whoopee cushions. Players don't swipe, but press them to make the balloons "pop" and the whoopee cushions fart out air. But, the basic swipe gesture — simple as it is — is incredibly satisfying and actually relaxing. The basic controls are very much in-tune with the iOS and take advantage of Apple's hardware.
Does it ever get difficult slicing ropes with your finger? There are a hundred stages in Cut The Rope, and they do a fine job of introducing new elements to keep gameplay fresh. The game is challenging, but never impossible and clearing harder levels feels like figuring out a magic trick. However, controls get a bit messy with the sliding rails, and the game sometimes doesn't know if you want to cut a rope or slide a rail.
Cut The Rope In Action
The Bottom Line
There are a handful of "essential" iOS games. Titles that take advantage of Apple's hardware and offer a fresh gaming experience. Inventive and fun, Cut The Rope is one of those games. For a game centered around feeding candy, Cut The Rope is just sweet enough not to induce cavities. Highly recommended.
Cut The Rope was developed by ZeptoLab and published by Chillingo for iOS, released on October 5. Currently priced at $0.99. A copy of the game was purchased by Kotaku for reviewing purposes. Completed all 100 stages.