What This Game Actually Is
Brain Test 2: Tricky Stories is the follow-up to Unico Studio’s viral hit Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles, and it builds on the same formula while wrapping it in a lightweight story structure. Instead of random one-off riddles, you follow characters like Tom the Cat or Emily through little narrative arcs, solving trick questions and ‘outside the box’ puzzles as you go. It’s aimed at casual players who want a quick brain teaser fix, families looking for something to pass around at gatherings, and anyone who enjoyed the original and wants more of the same style of humor. If you’re after a serious IQ trainer, this isn’t it, but as a silly, low-stakes puzzle app for downtime, it fits the bill.
The Trick-Question Format Still Works
The core appeal hasn’t changed: levels look like straightforward puzzles but usually require you to ignore conventional logic and think about what the developers actually want you to do, like dragging an object somewhere unexpected or tapping the wrong-seeming button. Reviewers describe it as genuinely addictive despite the puzzles being ‘easy in the long run,’ and many say they finished the original Brain Test and came back for more because the story twist on familiar mechanics kept them engaged. It’s simple to pick up, controls are easy, and a session can fill five minutes or fifty depending on how stubborn a level is.
Where It Falls Short of the Original
Several longtime fans are blunt that this sequel isn’t as sharp as the first game. One reviewer who finished all of the original Brain Test said the story format is fun but ‘isn’t as challenging or as creative’ and feels ‘slightly more repetitive’ compared to the original. Another complaint that shows up repeatedly: some levels don’t test logic so much as force you to guess what the developer was thinking, which feels less like clever misdirection and more like padding designed to make you rewatch an ad or reach for a hint purchase. If you’re expecting the same density of genuinely clever ‘aha’ moments as the first game, be ready for some letdown.
The Ad Situation Is a Real Problem
This is the most consistent complaint across reviews, and it’s worth taking seriously. Multiple players report one to two video ads after every single level, with skip buttons that are slow to appear and sometimes require hitting three separate skip prompts just to move on. More concerning, several reviewers flag that some of the ad content is inappropriate for the game’s family-friendly image, describing them as ‘mature,’ with one reviewer specifically calling out ‘graphic murder’ content and warning about an inappropriate ‘talkie ad.’ Given that the store listing markets this as fun for all ages and great for family gatherings, parents should know the ad content doesn’t always match that pitch. There is a paid option to remove ads, but players who don’t want to spend money are stuck with the current ad load.
Stability and Technical Hiccups
Beyond ads, there are recurring reports of the game freezing after levels, forcing a full close-and-reopen to keep playing. One reviewer pointed out the frustrating irony that when an ad doesn’t load, it’s often because the game has already frozen, meaning the fix is the same either way: force close and relaunch. It’s not a game-breaking issue for most players, but it’s a consistent enough complaint that you should expect occasional interruptions rather than perfectly smooth sessions.
Who Should Actually Download This
Brain Test 2: Tricky Stories is worth downloading if you want a free, offline-capable trivia and puzzle game to kill time in short bursts, especially if you already enjoyed the first Brain Test and don’t mind a bit less bite in the puzzle design. It’s less appealing if you’re ad-averse and unwilling to pay to remove them, sensitive to mature ad content showing up in a game marketed to all ages, or looking for a puzzle experience as consistently clever as the original. Go in expecting a fun, occasionally frustrating time-filler rather than a polished brain-training tool, and you’ll likely get what you came for.
