PipeRush, another release by the great folks at Chillingo, is definitely not your grandmother’s pipe game.  The goal, as with other pipe games, is to make a closed pipe system using available pipe pieces.  With other games in this genre, I’ve seen the time element portrayed as finishing the end of the pipe before the water going through the pipe reaches it.  In this case, the time element is based on the conveyor belt of available pieces not filling up.

Differences don’t just end there though.  Occasionally, the top of the pipe maker will open up and you are allowed to recycle pieces you do not need.  The game gets more involved though.  As it progresses, some of the 15 different styles of pipe are “magical” and give you bonuses when you use them.  You can also get rewarded when you connect a house.  These bonuses can include things like the ability to air-lift in a pipe that is automatically what you need to connect in a particular place.  Another bonus is explosives that can be used to remove pipe that you do not want or obstacles that may be in your way.  Upper levels get more difficult as things like fog appear, obstructing your visibility of the pipeline.

Game play is simple.  Select a piece of pipe from the conveyor belt and drag it to where you want it to go.  Rotating the piece is achieved by using your left hand to tap the rotating icon in the bottom left while dragging the selected piece to where you want it.  I found this a little cumbersome at times and wish tapping an item on the conveyor would activate the rotation icon allowing more single-handed game play.  As you construct your pipeline starting at the bottom of the screen, the screen will automatically scroll down so that completed parts are replaced with parts still needing pipe.  This is a very nice feature that really enhances the playing experience.  And, as levels are scored, you are also given the opportunity to post your scores on Crystal leader boards.

This $0.99 title is sure to please fans of this genre of puzzle/arcade game.  That will particularly be the case if the developers add to the existing 15 levels.