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Daily App: Paperama brings origami to the masses in a clever puzzler game

paperama

Paperama takes the craft of origami and makes a game out of it. In each round, the clever puzzler provides you with a square piece of paper and challenges you to fold it to create the outlined shape. Paperama starts off easy with outlines such as a simple triangle, and escalates quickly to more complex shapes, such as a boat, arriving as early as level 12.

paperama

You must fold the virtual paper carefully along the lines of the shape by tapping a section of the paper and dragging it to its target location. The mechanics of folding are fluid, allowing you to precisely move and angle the paper as you fold. Paperama does give you some room for mistakes as you only need to fold with 80 percent accuracy or more to advance to the next level. There also is an undo button to reverse your folds if you realize you have made a mistake.

Though there is no time component to Paperama, each level is limited by the number of folds you can use to create the shape. I found in playing the game that you end up needing all the allotted folds, a fact which helps you plan your folding strategy. If you are not sure how to even start your fold, there is a hint system that'll provide the information you need to solve the puzzle. You are given a small number of hints when you start and earn more as the levels increase. You also can purchase hints via an in-app purchase with 3 hints costing $0.99.

paperama

Paperama is a wonderfully satisfying game to play, especially for those who enjoy spatial-style challenges. The game is mentally stimulating -- requiring you to think about your folds before you touch the paper. It also challenges your motor control as you must precisely move the paper to match the fold lines. The only critique is that the folds are sometimes difficult to complete because your finger blocks your view. In these cases, you have to undo a fold and move your phone so you can get a better viewing angle.

Paperama is available for free from the iOS App Store. There are in-game advertisements for other games that appear occasionally between levels. There also are in-app purchases for hints that start at 99-cents for 3 hints and climb to $14.99 for 100 hints. It is a universal app that requires iOS 6.0 or later.