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World of Goo oozes onto iPhones

And it's selling for an introductory price of just 99 cents! But if you already bought the iPad version, you'll be glad to know it's newly iPhone-compatible.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
World of Goo for iPhone! World of Goo for iPhone!
World of Goo for iPhone! World of Goo for iPhone! Screenshot by Rick Broida

Back in January, celebrated indie game World of Goo made its iPad debut, leaving iPhone and iPod users everywhere to cry, "Where's my Goo?"

It has arrived. World of Goo is now available for iPhone (and third- and fourth-gen iPod Touch), and it's every bit as good as its tablet predecessor--just a little smaller.

As I explained in my original review, the World of Goo is populated by Goo Balls--cute, squealing little blobs of, well, something. In each level, it's your job to guide them to a specific destination: up a tube, across a bridge, and so on.

The Goo Balls themselves become part of whatever structure you have to build, but if you use too many of them, you won't accomplish your collection goal.

It's hard not to be drawn into this beautifully animated, thoroughly cinematic world, with its mystery-shrouded cutscenes and alternately dreamlike and inspiring soundtracks. There's really no other game like World of Goo.

I did have one complaint with the iPad version: very often your finger, which is used to drag and drop the Goo Balls, blocks your view, making precise placement difficult. Needless to say, this problem is exacerbated on an iPhone or iPod Touch, which squeezes everything into a much smaller screen. (My finger, alas, is the same size.) Thankfully, you can pinch to zoom in, which helps somewhat.

Don't let a little finger interference stop you from trying this unique and thoroughly entertaining game. And be sure to grab it while it's on sale for 99 cents--an introductory price that will soon jump to $2.99. (If you bought the iPad version, you'll find it's now universal--and playable on your iPhone or iPod, no extra charge!)

If you're a Goo fan, shout it out in the comments.