Casual games like Candy Crush family haven’t received a good rival for long, though many tried. Toon Blast by Peak Games seems a step to that level, with simple yet colorful graphics, easy basics, and gameplay full of nuances.

The idea of the game is as simple as it is for most its rivals. There is a field filled with colored cubes, you need to tap a group of at least two of them to blast it, and then the blasted ones get replaced by new ones falling from above, of random color.

Level by level you complete a mission with a puzzle featuring colored cubes. You need to blast some number or certain colors, to blow some candies, to drive rubber ducks down to the bottom, and so on. The further you advance, the more complicated the levels get.

As you progress, you get chests to unlock, containing some bonuses you can use at will. Some can also appear if you make extremely good moves during the game. These bonuses may be rockets swiping away the whole row or column; bombs wiping all around them; or disco balls hitting all the cubes of the same color all over the board. These can be helpful for completing certain missions.

As you form a group that offers such a bonus, its picture appears on every cube of it. So you may blast it immediately or try to add some more cubes to get a greater power-up. The set of power-up may remind you some other games, but it only makes making it out easier.

Maybe the most impressing difference with Toon Blast is its being very social. Players can form groups to take part in tournaments, send each other lives and bonuses, or get more bonuses for completing missions. These groups have their leaders responsible for their policy. It’s a real problem for a group to lose its leader, as it gets out of control.

As for design, the game is not as cartoony as it says on the tin. Yes, it features some cartoon animals in its interludes, but they don’t affect the gameplay at all. They don’t even stay on the screen for long, so if you like it stricter, you’ll appreciate that restricted presence.

Of course, free players get limited access to bonuses and power-ups, but a little donation can fix it. That’s just the way it is, things will never be for free. Anyway, you don’t have to make those payments if you’re good with this slow pace, even though sometimes it gets too intolerably slow.

If you like casual puzzles, Toon Blast is not the one to miss. Not that this title brings some real innovations; it rather packs the most popular ideas properly.

Pros

• The puzzles are funny and bright;
• The game gets both kids and adults hooked;
• Teamwork brings bonuses;
• Works on cheap and old devices.

Cons

• The developers sometimes act strangely;
• Some levels are too hard.