Monsters. There are so many monsters out there. Whether you love them or hate them, you're stuck with one in Monster Physics, a colorful physics puzzle game by Dan Russell-Pinson, author of Collider and the Tipping Point series of browser games. And if you're saddled with a monster, might as well have fun with it by using it in your experimental physics inventions, right?

You start the game by making a profile where get to create your very own monster who will be your companion throughout the game. Once you've made your creature as cute or hideous as you'd like, you'll jump right into the excellent tutorial. Before each level starts, you'll be given a goal for that level. Scroll around the screen using two fingers to see what you have to work with, then start building your machine!

Push the gear on the upper right to enter build mode, then just drag and drop from the various menus to create anything you wish. If your first invention doesn't work, don't worry, you can try as many times as you need until you figure it out. You can also skip levels if necessary. The difficulty ramps up slowly, giving you plenty of time to figure out how everything works. After you've created something, push play and you're off! If you've got some sort of motor or propeller on your invention, it doesn't automatically start up on its own, you get to control it yourself! If you like experimenting with different parts, there is also a sandbox build mode that lets you design anything you'd like, and save it to show off to your friends later.

With so many parts to choose from, there are many different ways to solve each level in Monster Physics. This open-ended design is one of the things that makes the game so much fun. Without a set way to win, you are free to experiment and even go back and win levels in different ways. The one drawback is the game never gets too challenging. The physics feel spot on, however, and it's impossible not to like the bright, cheery graphics. Whether you are new to physics games or an old pro, everyone can have fun building creative machines with the large variety of parts available. Have fun discovering what you can invent with a monster at your side!

Monster Physics

(iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on an iPad 2. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.