Play on Jar on a Bar!

One fine day, while a goldfish is happily gallivanting in the river with a friend, he is suddenly captured by a fishing net. Surprisingly, he finds himself trapped in a jar on top of a wide variety of structures made of wood, ice and other materials.

Jar on a Bar (iOS)

Will the goldfish be able to get back to the river? Find out what will happen after the jump.

If we scrutinize the app market, most things that are prominent there are the never-ending stream of puzzle games. Accordingly, there are enormous games that emerged constituting the law of Physics and has spread like wildfire over the past years. Chillingo, developer of apps, wasn’t an exception. They revamped and innovated the idea to produce its own physics removal sub-genre. With that, they came up with Jar on a Bar. Unlike Finger Physics, with its simple touch-to-remove interface, this game’s similar to Jenga which is about removing the pieces of each level’s puzzle. Ergo, this game probably might attract the puzzle fans alike with its dodgy physics that certainly stifle any broader appeal it may have.

Jar on a Bar is a fun Physics-based puzzler game that allows you to embark on a mission to save the goldfish from its perilous condition (remember the aforementioned tale?). Basically, you have to guide the goldfish stuck in its bowl to safely descend to the welcoming ground below, so that it can hop back to its habitat (the adjacent river) and be free.

Fish-tures

• Simple, intuitive tap and swipe controls mean anyone can play.
• Ingenious, head-scratching puzzles with multiple solutions.
• Addictive and challenging gameplay, always time for one more go to get those stars!
• Gorgeous artwork and comical animations—watch the fish get scared.
• Power-ups to unlock including a shield and wings...never seen a flying fish?
• Universal, works great on all devices.

The gameplay is very simple. You must get fishy to the river by removing the bars below the jar. Sounds easy right? Well not really, I tell you.

The objective of the game is to guide the fishbowl down to the bottom of the adjacent river by moving around the pieces of materials stacked below it. Moving one of the bars by swiping it left or right will have it respond in kind along with the fish bowl. You can slowly move pieces that are about to balance on top of it, or you may pull the pieces out quickly to minimize the movement above. It’s all up to you what course of action you are going to execute in this mind-boggling game.

But beware! You must always remember not to tip the jar too much or else, you won’t get those precious 3 stars. If the bowl tips on the way down, you lose water along with its corresponding points, which also determine the rating you’ll receive at the end of the stage. Worst scenario is if it happens that you break the jar then you’ll have to repeat that particular level.

In addition to earning stars, completing each level gives you the chance to attain seashells that can be used to purchase power-ups such as wings. However, such power-up can only be utilized one at a time in every level. While you don’t earn that much daily, you may purchase the shells via the internet.

As the game continues, new elements will be introduced like ice blocks that are tapped to break apart and false tufts of ground that’s bound to halt your progress. These pieces add to your strategy as they can work as a solution to get the fishy to the river or on the other hand, be the cause of other makeshift obstacles (such as ramps and barriers). This side effect allows you to line up the bowl over different bars before flinging away the one it’s positioned on. Given that, it will not just challenge your problem solving skills but your reflexes will be put to a test as well.

First and foremost, what I particularly like about the app is the scenic and relaxing idyllic backdrop. The unpredictability factor is also inherent in the game, which of course, is an initial formula that is imperative for most physics-based puzzler. However, it makes this particular app falter for the reason that it removes the overall enthrallment of the game. My other gripe is its oversensitiveness when it comes to your jar tilting a little bit where your scores get deduction instantly. Nonetheless, this app doesn’t offer much new elements to its sub-genre for it didn’t entirely change the gameplay all that much. Hence, it’s just a game we’ve played before.

I personally find Jar on a Bar a fascinating puzzler game to play. I don't know but there's something satisfyingly evil about yanking out the bottom pillar, removing the planks and watching the bar structure topple over until the fishbowl plummets to the ground. Strange as it seems, the game is certainly playable and offers enough entertainment, albeit it's limited to some noteworthy appeal.

Get yourself hooked and download the app on the iTunes AppStore for $0.99 now!