Ilomilo

3 cert, Southend Interactive, Xbox Live Arcade ****

Despite a reputation for being a sedentary activity, games are frequently fast- paced and heart-quickening. Some, more rarely, are like a beautifully engineered sedative; a little pill that slows the heart rate and exercises your brain while giving it a gentle dose of serotonin. The adorable Ilomilois comfortably in that category, with cute characters and zero violence.

Once upon a time there are two friends who live on opposite sides of the park. The red friend’s name is Ilo, the blue friend’s Milo. Each morning when they wake, the park, its roads and its trees had been somehow rearranged. and Ilo and Milo became separate. What this amounts to is a game with two cartoon characters (resembling little pillows with eyes and tiny limbs) that you must reunite by solving numerous puzzles.

The 3D layout is a collection of blocks, some of which join and some of which don’t, and Ilo and Milo (you alternate control of the characters) must bridge the gaps using movable blocks, magic carpets and other machines and oddities.

This is an eminently playable and attractive game. The graphics and layout are so pretty that it looks like a lost beloved cartoon from your early childhood; all soft cube blocks and vibrant colours.

The music, which sounds like a combination of recorder, xylophone and slide whistle mixed with the odd accordion and trombone, is catchy and distinctive. And the controls are simple to master, with straightforward moving and action commands – though the real challenge lies in the brainteasers, some of which are deceptively tricky.

Another likeable quality is the pacing. You can generally play this game at your own speed, either bustling briskly or, if you prefer, gently wandering around and taking your time with the puzzles. Each small level is satisfying and, when the characters reunite and do their little dance, strangely heartwarming.

Some gamers might find this game too sugary, but I expect that most will find it a tasty treat.