I admit, I almost skipped over Evy: Magic Spheres, chocking it up to another marble popper with the same old monotonous action that would have me snoozing in about 30 minutes or so.

I couldn't have been more thrilled to be proven so completely wrong.

First off, this marble popper has a story... and a really intriguing one at that. You play as little Evy, a 10-year old orphan who wandered into a glowing green wardrobe and found herself, C.S. Lewis style, in an enchanted forest, where she meets up with the first of many nefarious villains - Brogus the wolf.

Yes, that's right. His name is Brogus... if that's not bad ass, I don't know what is. Paired with his truly horrifying visage, we've got a villain that could actually haunt my dreams tonight.

Brogus is later joined by Sebastian the rabbit, who, no joke, looks like Frank from Donnie Darko... a character that is truly epic and sends shivers down my spine just thinking about him.... really what's not scary about a 6-foot tall bunny with a mouth full of teeth?

The artwork immediately drew me in, and I was spellbound as it masterfully snared me in its trap, drawing me deeper into this dark and delicious cast of characters. Honestly, I was shocked at how superior the graphics were, and the time spent on creating these dark fantasies. It was like a story out of the Grimm Brother's fairy tales... not something I expected from a "simple" marble popper.

But let's get into that a little, because if you're looking for fast and furious marble-popping action, you're going to be extremely disappointed.

Evy: Magic Spheres is a turn-based strategy game that requires careful consideration and planning before every move.

It's more like a game of chess than a marble popper. Using a dueling system, you'll take turns shooting marbles at the board. Each marble color represents a different action... for example, red marbles will attack, green will heal, blue will defend, and purple will provide you with a bonus attack.

As you progress through areas, your villains get smarter with their strategies. Brogus, the first villain, is labeled as "dumb." Sebastian is labeled as "cowardly," the next one is "dodgy," and so on and so forth. Take advantage of Brutus' stupidity to create a working strategy for yourself. And remember, while it might seem counterintuitive for a marble popper game, patience is key in Evy: Magic Spheres.

As far as music and sounds go, again, I was surprised at the thought and careful selection that went into Evy: Magic Spheres. The music was relaxing, enchanting, and then properly ramped up in intensity during the dueling sections.

The sounds during gameplay weren't anything special, but care was taken in ensuring the story parts of the game featured sounds that enhanced the storybook experience, helping you along as you continued to follow Evy through the game.

Overall, I was shocked at how well-rounded, unique, and basically awesome Evy: Magic Spheres was. It was an unexpected surprise that trapped me in its highly addictive spell for a few unplanned hours to say the least. If you can get over the non-traditional concept of a marble popper, and you're looking for something that's challenging and extremely unique, give Evy: Magic Spheres a go.