Rescue Beary is more of a puzzle game with a few elements of action and adventure threw in. Once you start the game for the first time, you will be shown a brief animation of a plane crashing into the sea. It’s your task to help the sole survivor of that crash (which happens to be the titular bear character) reach the safety of the shore.

As in any kind of puzzle game, most of Rescue Beary’s appeal lies in its gameplay. Its concept is unique in that you don’t have direct control over the bear, which is only kept afloat (and alive) by a single lifebuoy. Instead, you will have to rely on external forces to dictate the movement of the bear.

You do this by dropping bombs and creating waves that create enough force to propel the bear toward any direction you want him to go. Deciding where to place the bombs and waves is ultimately where most of the challenge lies. The closer you place it to the bear, the stronger its force. Take note that bombs unsurprisingly create more force than waves. The latter’s effect is also more delayed, unlike the former’s which is almost instantaneous. 

Of course, you can expect obstacles to be added into the mix. In every level, you there will be flotsam and jetsam (in the form of logs) that block the bear’s path. These are also able to abruptly stop the bear’s movements (once propelled) or cause him to ricochet towards the opposite direction. Ultimately, these only ever add a tangible amount of difficulty to the already challenging gameplay. As you get higher in levels, you might even begin to encounter sharks!

Once you are able to aid the bear in getting ashore, the current level is immediately finished and the succeeding one unlocked. However, you are encouraged to collect all the fish first, though, to get better scores or if you prefer to be a completionist. As in any puzzle game, you will be tasked to do this on every level that you decide to play through. 

Rescue Beary also incorporates the level-unlocking progression that is common in a lot of puzzle games, so you have to finish the present challenge first before you can try out the next one. It’s very physics-centric so for those who like this kind of concept being integrated into puzzle games, then Rescue Beary’s surely worth picking up. It’s also recommended for puzzle gamers who want a different and harder challenge in their games. 

Price: Free