Yoku-Gami is a pretty simple, straightforward board game, adapted from the work of game designer Reiner Knizia .  Here is the premise.  You have a board of 36 space. arranged in a 6×6 square.  Each square contains a number.  Your job is to draw a line connecting adjacent numbers (it does not need to be a straight line as long as the next number is adjacent to the previous one).  Here is the catch, all of the numbers in your line must add up to total the highest number in your grouping.  Sounds pretty easy, but watch out.  The further you progress in the game, the higher the numbers will be, making it more difficult to find moves.  Once you have completely run out of moves, the game will end.

Sitting on top of the board is Yoki.  He is your friend, and a sort of mascot of the game.  If you get stuck, just tap Yoki and he will show you a group of numbers to select (though you will not earn points for this).

There are three game playing modes in the game.  In Endless Mode, your goal is simply to rack up as many points as possible.  Play will continue until you run out of moves.  In Arcade Mode, your goal is to remove entire columns at a time.  Once a column is cleared, the rest of the blocks on the screen will shift to fill the gap.  Finally, in Level Mode, the game will take place over a series of independent grids, or levels.  Depending upon the moves you make on each grid, you can lose one or more of your 24 lives, or even gain additional lives, as you progress from one level to the next.

I have to say I really enjoyed this game.  It is deceptively simple.  The three game modes really add a level of complexity to this.  I used Endless Mode to get a feel for the game, and then moved on to the more challenging Arcade and Level Modes.  While the concept behind the game may not have been the most original. Meritum software did a fantastic job, as they have in the past, of putting their own unique spin on it. 

Additionally, with its reliance upon addition, this is the perfect game for young children just learning their way in the world of math.  With that in mind, I would love to see them add negative numbers into the mix so that you can use the game to strengthen both addition and subtraction skills. 

Yoku-Gami is available for the iPad for $1.99.  It can be purchased for only $0.99 on the iPod Touch and iPhone.

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