There are countless Windows Phone games in the Store that are entertaining time wasters. These are the games that are fun and challenging to play but don't require lengthy amounts of time to conquer (or fail). Pipeman 2 falls nicely into this genre of Windows Phone games with over fifty pipe laying puzzles to solve.
The game is well suited for those times you need help passing short bits of time and is available for low-memory Windows Phones. Game mechanics are easy to pick up and the puzzle levels will make you scratch your head at times as you search for a solution. Pipeman 2 makes a nice first impression and we can see why it has made its way towards the top of the New and Rising category of Windows Phone games.
The main menu for Pipeman 2 tosses out options to play the game, access the gaming options (sound/music levels), view more games from the developer, access the Help screen and rate the game in the Windows Phone Store. The Help section is a single screen that illustrated the puzzle piece movements.
Game play is scattered across fifty-four levels. Each puzzle level can be replayed and the puzzles, as you would guess, do become progressively more challenging as you move up the ladder.
While there is no point value score in solving these puzzles, you are graded on the time it takes to get everything in order. Your current time, best time and the number of moves will be displayed at the bottom of the gaming screen.
The puzzle is a series of disconnected pipes with an assortment of pipe pieces that will need to be moved into position to connect all the pipes. Puzzle pieces move horizontally and vertically (no rotation) in a confined area of the playing field. You will need to shuffle the pieces around in order to get everything in the right spot and solve the puzzle.
Some puzzles have blanks squares that will have to be shuffled about as well to make room for the pipe pieces to get into the right position. Other levels of play will have obstacles or stationary squares within the puzzle field that you will have to navigate around.
Overall Impression
While the concept sounds easy, the puzzles with Pipeman 2 can be somewhat challenging. You will find yourself getting a pipe piece in the right location, only to have to move it to allow another piece to get to where it needs to go. Overall, Pipeman 2 is a nice collection of dissection type puzzles to solve.
The only gripe I have with Pipeman 2 (and it's minor) is that the ad banner sits a little lower than normal at the top of the screen to the point it is a little distracting. I don't think it is a deal breaker but I would not mind seeing the banner being more flush with the top of the screen and more discrete.
Otherwise, Pipeman 2 is an entertaining Windows Phone game. The puzzles are challenging enough to avoid coming across as too easy and Pipeman 2 is a good option to consider for those times you need a little help passing the time.
Download Pipeman 2 for Windows Phone (Free)
