If you haven’t yet met the Peablins, now’s a great time to start, with Joining Hands 2 (out now, $2.99). As the “2” indicates, this is a sequel to 10tons’s earlier title.
Joining Hands 2 offers essentially more of the same puzzles, though I found the earlier levels more enjoyable to get through because new elements are introduced at a faster pace than in the original game. Regular Peablins are simple to handle. They may have one or more hands, but you can shift them anyway anyhow. As long as they’re next to each other, they can join hands. Once hands are clasped, you get bright beaming Peablins. There are also stars to be earned by placing the Peablins over them.
Elder Grandlins, being old, are stiff. They come with three hands — two on either side and one under their beard. Unlike the Peablins, which can move their flexible arms about, Grandlins can neither shift their arms nor turn their bodies. Hence, you’ve got to position Peablins or their friends exactly where the Grandlins’ hands are.
You won’t meet the Starblins very often, but when you do, you’ll need to surround them with Peablins to please them. As for the Geoblins, who look like chunky ice balls, you can only place them on rocks or next to a rock. The yellow Brufflins look tough and muscular, and like the Grandlins, are stiff. They’ve got only two rigid arms, but you can pivot an entire Brufflin around by tapping on it.
Except for the conditions listed above, positioning Peablins and their buddies is easy. You can move them any number of places on the board and reposition them as often as needed. After the Geoblins are introduced, you’ll have to work through a good number of levels before you’ll meet new whatever-lins. Midway through the game, one could conceivably tire of seeing the same types of critterlins too many times, and the background doesn’t change either. Fortunately, the levels are all fun and challenging.
Joining Hands 2 currently offers over a hundred levels. One immensely helpful thing about this game is you can get unlimited levels and moves, so getting stuck forever is simply impossible.
iFanzine Verdict: Joining Hands 2 is very recommended to both adults and kids. The Peablins are cute and the game is challenging, but not in an impossible way. Since the levels start looking very similar after some time though, it’s possible to tire of the game eventually.