Cut the Rope 2

Cut the Rope 2 sticks to the same rope-cutting principle, but adds characters that bring new variables into the physics puzzle — a frog that launches the candy into the air, or a squirrel-like creature that grabs it and carries it elsewhere, so the player can no longer rely just on gravity and bubbles but also has to account for the helpers' behavior along the way. Om Nom also leaves his box from the first game behind, and the levels move through more open environments — forests, sewers, and other varied locations.

ZeptoLab made the sequel in response to the first game becoming one of the iconic titles of the early App Store era, trying to expand the proven recipe without fundamentally changing it — the core gesture stays exactly the same, only a layer of complexity is added in the form of new tools, characters, and a longer campaign spanning more worlds. The visual style is more colorful and animated than in the first game, matching the overall trend of mobile games toward more elaborate visual presentation at the time.

The game kept its accessibility for brand-new players, but experienced fans of the first game will find enough new puzzles and mechanics in it to make following the series worthwhile. Cut the Rope 2 thus works more as a careful expansion of a proven concept than as a revolution in gameplay, and that's exactly what you'd expect from a sequel to a beloved casual game.

Why play it: Suitable for fans of the first game who want more equally addictive puzzles with new characters and settings, not a fundamental shift in the gameplay itself.