On November 21, prepare to Turn N Run on Xbox Windows Phone

Windows Phone Central recently compared the popular puzzle game Cut the Rope to Spider Jack, a competing Xbox Windows Phone title. Spider Jack comes from a small developer called MaxNick and publisher Electronic Arts. Now we’re pleased to announce that MaxNick and EA have another Xbox game in store for us this Wednesday: Turn N Run. Also pleasing: it will run on both Windows Phone 7 and 8.

Head past the break for exclusive Turn N Run details, a list of the game’s Achievements, and a trailer!

Alien on the run

Turn N Run originally debuted on iOS back in September, so the Windows Phone port arrives in a fairly timely manner. MaxNick’s latest is a puzzle game (non-physics, thankfully) that involves, as you might guess, both turning and running. It stars a small insect-like alien who travels to various planets in search of the red crystals he needs to power his rocket ship. Comic book-style panels bring the simple story to life; you can catch a glimpse in the trailer.

In each of the game’s 60 levels, your goal is to grab as many crystals as possible and escape to the rocket. Crystals are used to unlock new planets and of course, Achievements.

The controls in Turn N Run are quite simple. You simply tap a block and the protagonist moves to it if he’s able to do so. However, many levels have gaps which the little guy can’t jump across. That’s where the turning comes in!

2D and 3D in one

See, the game starts out from a 2D side-view perspective. But swiping anywhere on-screen allows you to rotate the camera at will. You can peer above and below the level to get an idea of its layout, but the main use of swiping is to make new pathways open to the alien. While one 2D perspective may be filled with gaps, rotating the view 90 degrees reveals a solid path for him to take.

As the bug hero progresses to new planets, the puzzles eventually gain new features that add to their complexity. These include moving blocks and color-coded portals. Step through a portal and you’ll exit from another of the same color.

Turn N Run is a pleasant, simple puzzle game that plays unlike any other Xbox Windows Phone game. I ran through a few levels and couldn’t find a way to fail or die, which should make for a relatively painless experience. The Achievements look easy too.

Great news for price-sensitive gamers: the Windows Phone version of Turn N Run will ring up at only 99 cents when it launches on Wednesday, November 21st, just like the iOS version. Could the low price mean that MaxNick’s Spider Jack is due for a price drop as well? Stay tuned, readers!

Windows 8 too

If you’d like to try Turn N Run out before Wednesday, the non-Xbox Windows 8 version costs $4.99 and offers a free trial. It controls great with either a mouse or touch. Get it here from the Windows 8 Store.