Panel Panic! a Windows Phone game that isn't too square

Panel Panic! is a puzzle game for your Windows Phone that has a little bit of a Bejeweled flavor to it with a touch of Tetris. You have colored squares that you are trying to shuffle about to create a combo of three or more of the same color. As you play the game, the columns rise from the bottom adding more squares to the mix.

As you create the combos, the squares dissolve and you earn points. Panel Panic! has four game modes and it's a very enjoyable, challenging game for your Windows Phone.

The main menu for Panel Panic! presents you with the four game modes. They are as follows:

Panic!: A time trial mode is a two minute game where you compete against other players to score as many points as possible before the clock strikes zero. Scores are then compared online and players ranked.

Endless: The Endless mode has no time limits. You just rack up as many points as possible before the columns reach the top of the screen. The longer you survive, the faster the columns rise.

Time Trial: Race against a 1, 2, or 5 minute clock to see how many points you can score.

Puzzle: You are presented with a set of squares that you have to move about to eliminate all the squares. The faster you solve the puzzle, the better your score. As soon as you solve the puzzle, a new one is generated.

Additionally, if you swipe left or right from the main menu you can access the game's tutorial, about screen, and settings. Panel Panic!'s settings covers muting the sound.

To play Panel Panic! you can move the squares horizontally by either swapping them with the adjacent square or just dropping off a column down to the adjacent column. Squares are moved about to create the combos of three or more of the same color. You can create multiple combos for bonus points.

At the end of the Endless, Time Trial and Puzzle Modes your score will be submitted to an online leaderboard.

All in all, Panel Panic! is an entertaining game that is well suited for short periods or longer marathon gaming sessions. Endless, Time Trial and Puzzle modes each have three difficulty levels so if the game gets too easy, you can always play at a higher level.

There are two versions of Panel Panic! available in the Windows Phone Store. There is Panel Panic! Free which is ad-supported and Panel Panic! which is ad-free and runs $.99. If you're looking for a fun puzzle game for your Windows Phone Panel Panic! is worth checking out.

George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.