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Expand It is a real eye-opener. Apparently not only were there dinosaurs that resembled
what we today call rudimentary shapes, but one of the favorite past-times of these prehistoric
abominations was to absorb rainbow streams to obtain a euphoric state of being. It wasn't
the ice age, volcanoes, or a meteor that defeated the dinosaurs, it was simply hallucinogens.
The goal of each level is pretty simple. At least one of the dinosaurs has to stay in
the warm glow of the rainbow sparkles till the bar fills, and then you're rewarded with
up to a three-star rating. How do you get to the magical rainbow you ask? Tapping on
any of the dinosaurs will cause them to expand, and this is the core mechanic of the game,
leaving room for lots of clever expansion, if you'll pardon the pun. All the puzzles
revolve around either expanding creatures in the right order to make use of the physics
involved, or expanding one or more of the creatures at the right time.
The only issue really is the lack of precision. While it seems obvious that most levels have
particular solutions, the engine doesn't always react the way you want it to while your creatures
are growing. This leads to a lot of restarting, and trial and error while you work out the
right order and when one tap is too many. This problem is being overstated, but it was
noticeable over the ease of gameplay and ridiculously amusing premise.
With its cartoony presentation, solid amount of levels, and simple mechanics, Expand It
should be a no-brainer for those looking for a time wasting puzzle experience. It might
be the design of the levels, or the quirks of the physics engine, but there's something
here stopping this game from creating a smooth play experience, and that is indeed unfortunate.