Situation Shuffle: Do the iPod Shuffle

If you liked the splendid Say What You See (and why wouldn’t you?), you might find the alliteratively-similar Situation Shuffle (currently free) a comparably pleasurable time-passer. It’s another game in which forensically examining the fine detail of hand-painted pictures is the key to success, and if you want to try it out, you can play a level using only the picture below.

The object, as alert viewers might be able to ascertain, is to put the six frames of a short comic strip into the correct order. All you have to guide you is what’s in the pictures, and it’s not as easy as it looks.

Complete a sequence and you score IQ points according to how many times you pressed the Check button, and whether or not you used the hints, which give you the first and last frame. (Speed isn’t a factor in the scoring, so it’s better to take your time and get it right.)

It’s an engrossing blend of observation and deductive reasoning, and the 15 levels each come with a bonus game on completion, where you can grab some extra IQ points by putting photographs in a specified order. (The first, for example, calls on you to rank six animals by weight, including a hippo, a giraffe and a blue whale.) New strips are promised to extend the lifespan, but you won’t be rushing through these anyway – level 3 currently has me completely stumped.

The lack of time limits makes it ideal for passing even the briefest of idle moments, and the price makes it ideal for grabbing without delay.