VenusGaming

When I discovered Levers by vectorpark.com, I wasn’t even sure it was a game. I thought it was an interactive mobile builder. And while building a mobile is the premise of Levers, there is a puzzle to solve, that will require a knowledge of basic physics, energy, and weight balance to succeed.

Levers is easy on the eyes, with bright, simple vector graphics done in a playful, child-like style. There is no soundtrack to the game, although the sound effects that are present, such as the splashing of water, are playful and unobtrusive.

To master Levers, you’ll need a bit of understanding of mobiles. Mobiles are sculptures that rely on movement to provide their artistic effect, with  equilibrium being the key factor to keep all ends of the mobile balanced. Although they’re most common in nurseries for the average person, don’t expect to hang the mobile of Levers in a nursery: I’m sure the squid or the (eventually) headless snowman might traumatize a tyke.

The object of Levers is simple: for each stage, balance all objects on the mobile for ten seconds straight without any item touching the water below.  As the stages progress, you’ll get more hangers to attach items too, and more objects to hang. But be aware: this isn’t just a balancing of scales. Many of the objects are interactive or change over time, and require some readjustment along the way.

There’s no theme to the items on the mobile of Levers, and you can view this as either whimsical or cluttering. Once you beat the last stage, though, that’s game over: no more levels or objects await you. With reduced replayability - there may be more than one solution, but how likely is it for you to find others, or care? - it’s unlikely this game will keep you busy for more than 10 or 15 minutes. Levers is the kind of game you’d recommend to someone who really enjoys physics, mobiles, or puzzles - but nothing worth linking to all your friends.

Play Levers at vectorpark.com.