AAQR: Refraction (free, $1.99) game / puzzle

Refraction is a cute puzzle game that ultimately left me more frustrated than puzzled.

The premise is great: a light / color based puzzle. You need to use a few parts, like mirrors and prisms to get a proper colored light beam from "source" to "destination". There could be more than one of either.

The problem is with the arbitrariness of the puzzle pieces.

You see, with a mirror, the output is obvious. Rotate the mirror to move the beam... somewhat. Else, move the mirror.

With the prism, it ain't so simple. A prism divides a secondary color light back into two components, or it split a single primary color light beam into two. Or if you shine two beams into it you get a combo. In other words, it will "bend" the light. However, the path is completely arbitratry: one goes 45 degrees, while the other output is actually rotatable (huh?!) to a degree. Now does that make any sense?

And I admit, I'm not the brightest guy, but I'm stuck on level 4 (out of 120, really). You get two light beams... yellow, and blue. You need to make TWO green beams... using just 5 prisms. Bending one beam and split off some branches, okay. No problem there. recombining them? NOT so easy. Argh!

Still, it's worth a look. It is unique in a sea of Bejeweled clones and derivatives.

NOTE: The lite version has 20 levels, while the full version has 120 levels (which are NOT the same as the 20 in the lite version)

EDIT: Apparently on the prism you CAN move BOTH beams by tapping the prism itself and it toggles between the exit beams in splitter mode. (This game needs a TUTORIAL!)

Refractions Lite  http://www.appbrain.com/app/refraction-lite/com.textualindices.refractionlite

Refractions Full   http://www.appbrain.com/app/refraction/com.textualindices.refraction
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