c-o-n-f-i-g-u-r-e HD from Cogent Logic is a 2-player game which comes across like a mashup of Scrabble, poker and dominoes. Played on a board almost identical to the world’s leading word game, the tiles contain numbers instead of letters, and your goal is to rack up the points by placing sequences – or runs – of consecutive numbers. After getting your head round the concept – which can take a good few attempts – it presents a refreshing and original challenge.

Gameplay

c-o-n-f-i-g-u-r-e is a game for two players played on a board divided into squares. Some squares contain symbols, which – like Scrabble – give extra points for the tile or sequence you place upon them. Players are dealt a hand of numbered tiles, and take it in turns to place runs on the board, aiming to be the player with the highest score when no tiles are left to play.

The rules governing runs are quite complex. A tile can only be played next to another if it has an identical value; or if it differs by exactly one. Runs can be played horizontally, vertically or diagonally; and runs can be of any length between one and six numbers. Sixes in your hand can be turned into nines by touching them to flip them over; and any tile can be used as a blank or wildcard, again by tapping on it to turn it over.

On your first few attempts, these rules are likely to cause some mistakes on your part as you try to figure out why you can’t place a certain number on your desired square. Eventually however it all clicks: it’s usually the diagonals you have to be aware of, especially if you’re used to the strict horizontal and vertical lines of Scrabble.

Implementation

As with many two-player tile placing games, there’s not much to get wrong with an iPad implementation and configure is no exception. The mechanics are intuitive and fluid, and there is enough information on screen showing scores and tiles remaining to let you see all you need to.

Graphics are basic, but get the job done; and there is no sound or music, giving configure a slightly budget feel. Games can be played against the iPad (on three levels of difficulty); or against another human player using the same device. Note that unlike many games, both players can see each others hands – it may have been nice to at least have the option to hide your hand from your opponent, in case an eagle-eyed player spots an opportunity to thwart you that they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to deduce.

Verdict

configure HD gains points for presenting an original game, even if it does get its inspiration from elsewhere. And once you get your head round the way the numbers on the board must relate to each other, it presents a challenging and quick slice of number-crunching fun.

Score: 6/10

Review By: keith

Has played games since games were first invented on every format ever, but now mainly plays them on the iPad (largely due to time constraints). Lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Freelance digital consultant and photographer.