Atsumari is an exceptionally fun puzzle game that requires logic, strategy, and maybe a bit of luck! Provided to me by Quadratic Games, it brought relaxation and entertainment for hours and is sure to continue making me happy for many more. It features beautiful photographs and music as well as a challenging and entertaining puzzle mechanic.

The game is actually fairly simple. Each level consists of an arrangement of touching hexagons. Each hexagon can be either white or black. Using various rules, you have to decide which hexagons should be black and which white to create the unique solution to each puzzle.

There are four basic rules to Atsumari. First, some hexagons are numbered, indicating that they must be part of a cluster made of the specified amount of white hexagons. For example, if a hexagon is labeled with "1," it will be white (and unable to change to black) and be surrounded by black hexagons. If it's labeled with a "2," it must be touching another white hexagon. Second, all black hexagons much be touching. Third, a cluster of seven black hexagons in the shape of a larger hexagon isn't allowed. Finally, some puzzles have hexagons that are labeled with an 'X.' To solve the puzzle, you have to determine what number 'X' must be in order to create a unique solution. These algebraic puzzles are rare in the game and require more guessing than the other puzzles. Strangely, these puzzles aren't described in the instructions. Most likely this is because they were added late according to the developer's website. An explanation of the algebraic puzzles is available on their website at http://www.atsumari.com. Quadratic Games specifies an e-mail address to which you can write if you need additional help or have feedback, and they responded very quickly when I wrote to them. The algebraic puzzles confused me at first, but once you understand what the puzzle wants you to do, they're quite solvable.

Atsumari consists of 125 puzzles of varying difficulty. They start off relatively easy, allowing you to get a grasp of the game's rules before proceeding to more difficult puzzles. The difficulty increases at a nice pace, and even the early puzzles are still fun when I went to try them again after finishing the game. Of course, some puzzles are much more challenging than others, but even playing these puzzles is relaxing. The music is tranquil and seems inspired by Chinese and Japanese music. According to the developer's website, Atsumari's music was created using Korg DS-10 for the Nintendo DS, Apple's Garage Band, and Audacity. The music is fantastic and fits the game well. The game features a simple, crisp interface and serene, nature photographs in the background.

Sitting back with Atsumari is a great way to relax and challenge your mind at the same time. I played it a lot during the holidays and enjoyed it immensely. It's great to play alone when you're able to really focus on it, but it can also be played when your attention is split between the game and something else. You could easily play it while talking over a meal with a friend, and because the game's rules are so simple, you could get your friend playing too! At $0.99 US, Atsumari is an amazing bargain. I eventually finished all 125 puzzles as well as the puzzles in the lite version and holiday version, both of which are free, and I never grew bored of the game. Atsumari is an elegant, calming game that's simple to learn but requires reasoning and strategy. It'll definitely bring a smile to your face. It was one of the best iPhone games of 2009, and I highly recommend it!