Friday Free Game: Blueprint Friday, December 22, 2006

This week's Friday Free Game is a unique puzzler called Blueprint. The object is to arrange the board such that the ball reaches its target. To do so, click and drag the various ramps, conveyors, springs and tubes so that the ball is guided to its destination.

There are about thirty different puzzles available, with a nice range of complexity, but even the easy ones aren't that simple. Arrange the board and then hit the red "START" button to cause the ball to drop. Sometimes you have to let the ball drop further than on other boards to build up momentum. For example, on the second easiest puzzle (in the lower-left corner), if you arrange the parts in the obvious way, it won't work because the ball doesn't have enough speed to hit the target from underneath. The graphics are good, the levels are well-designed, and the challenge is definitely there.

This is a traditional puzzler; there are no time limits and you'll be spending most of your time staring at the board, arranging and rearranging. If you're looking for a game that's fast-paced and action-packed, go play something else. But if you like brain teasers, this one is just the ticket.