The Mayan bug has bitten the App Store hard. If you have come across Mezopuzzle and Noid, you will know what I mean. And if you have also checked out Wriggle by Conlan Rios, you should know that Reizer Knizia’s Monumental will be a winner for sure. This new puzzle game follows the match-three mode, but with its own Mayan flavor and unique strategy.

The game interface is made up of eight rows of three tiles each. We can flick the tiles that come down the middle of the screen either to the left or right to make matches. The gap created by the stone which has been flicked away is filled by the stones above it. The goal of the game is to score by making matches of three colors, symbols or numbers. Identical pairs also get us points, but unlike the other stones, broken stones can only be matched by color.

It is a bumper score when we can make matches on both sides of the rows, or make multiple matches. The game is up when we fail to clear the bottom rows but instead hit two X’s; this happens when we are faced with two non-scoring sets.

Monumental can be played in Action Mode where we play against time. Here the two X’s transform into hourglasses to let us know we are out of the game when the bottom rows fail to score. In the Challenge Mode, skulls warn us of our defeat. We have a savior in the form of dynamite which helps us clear stones which come in the way of our scoring. These are carried by a jeep at the bottom of the screen, and we have to wait for it to reach the base camp to get the dynamite.

As we go on clearing rows, the game play gets more difficult with added symbols, numbers and colors. Monumental has a scoreboard of the top 50 scores on personal, country and world levels. The amazing artwork and smooth game play is something to appreciate. It is definitely a monumental collaboration between Knizia and Rios.

• App Name: Reiner Knizia’s Monumental
• Price: $1.99
• App Category: Games
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• Developer: Conlan Rios
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