Item: Orbu: AR Puzzler
Rating: 88
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. AR is a gimmick I usually avoid, but Orbu at least tries to do something tactile with it. Moving around your coffee table to find the best angle for a shot is interesting for about fifteen minutes. After that, your arm gets tired and you realize the puzzles themselves are incredibly basic.

The art is 'cute'—if you like that sort of thing—but it feels targeted at a much younger demographic. As a serious gamer, I want depth. Orbu gives me a nice visual trick but the mechanical substance is thin. It's a well-made piece of software, I'll give them that, but as a game? It’s a novelty that wears off fast. It’s the kind of thing you show your friends once to prove your phone is fancy.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Solid AR implementation
Charming character design
Intuitive controls

Limited puzzle depth
Requires significant physical space
Short overall length

Technical Report

Performance: Heavy battery drain due to AR usage. Requires good lighting to track surfaces.

Accessibility:

Audience Fit

Buy if: You want to see what your phone's AR capabilities can actually do.

Skip if: You prefer traditional gaming setups and deep puzzle logic.

Similar Games:

Angry Birds AR
AR Dragon
Euclidean Skies

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative critic
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 2 hours
Status: Finished the first three seasons

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

1271707085

$2.99 4+★4.1 70 reviews

Author : Dream Reality Interactive

Pubish Date : Thu Dec 14 2017

Last Update Date : Thu Dec 12 2019

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 1.0.16Thu Dec 12 2019

- We have made some minor updates to improve the game.
- We have created some lovely new screenshots and a new app icon.
- Fixed an occasional crash that affected playing in Aeroplane mode.
- Fixed various issues with the in-game lighting.
Requires iOS 11.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (9.7‑inch), iPad Pro (9.7‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th generation), iPad (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5‑inch), iPad Pro (10.5‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch), iPad Pro (11‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation), iPad (7th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Air (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (8th generation), iPad (8th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation), iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th generation), iPad (9th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2), iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M2), iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16), iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3), iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5), iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, and iPod touch (7th generation).
** AR Pioneers** Apple 2017
** Game of the Day** Apple 2017
** Fun for little ones** Touch Arcade
Help a host of cute and cuddly animal spirits journey home in this tranquil Augmented Reality (AR) game. Tap, drag and release to guide your spirit animal through a variety of zen gardens, each with their own hidden secrets to find. Watch the seasons change as you master each level by earning three stars and unlocking new chapters in the story.
AR allows you to choose your play space whether indoors or out and enables you to physically walk around the in-game environments. This will help you find all the secrets and the perfect angles to complete each level.
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FEATURES
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* Watch the season change as you unlock new chapters.
* Play as a Tanuki, Noko, Konkon and Pombo.
* Explore the beautifully crafted gardens to find all the hidden butterflies.
* Reach enlightenment by completing all the achievements.
* Enjoy the game from any angle with Augmented Reality.
* New playground mode that lets you paint or decorate a wall in AR
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PLAYER REVIEWS
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5/5 Charming aesthetic and intuitive gameplay, Orbu transforms your favorite coffee table into a relaxing zen garden/puzzle exploration.
5/5 I was a fan of Pokémon Go and thought I’d try this new Ar game a friend recommended and it’s great.
5/5 Easily worth of 5 stars, would give 6 if I could!!

Ratings & Reviews

4.1 out of 5 with 70 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Orbu is an augmented reality puzzle game that transforms your surroundings into a series of beautiful Zen gardens. Players guide spirit animals like the Tanuki, Noko, and Konkon through various levels by dragging and releasing to catapult them toward targets. The game emphasizes exploration, encouraging players to move physically around the AR space to find hidden butterflies and optimal angles for completing puzzles across different seasons.

Features

Physical movement-based AR puzzles

Beautiful seasonal Zen garden environments

Playable spirit animals: Tanuki, Noko, Konkon, and Pombo

Hidden collectibles and achievements

360-degree level exploration

Tips

Navigating the Gardens

Place the garden on a flat surface. Tap and drag behind your spirit animal to aim, then release to hop. Look for hidden butterflies tucked behind obstacles by physically moving your phone around the play area.

Promotion Videos

Orbu AR Gameplay

Gameplays

Unlocking New Spirits

As you progress through the seasonal chapters, you will unlock new characters like Pombo the panda, each with unique movements to help solve increasingly complex environmental puzzles.