Crayon Physics Deluxe was released on January 7, 2009 and was designed by Petri Purho. Its predecessor, Crayon Physics, was released in 2007. Crayon Physics Deluxe was an improvement of Crayon Physics, adding more levels and having a level editor with a better layout.

The graphics make it look like it was drawn by a child, with that effect being intentional, considering the title. The gameplay is simple - the player simply draws lines and shapes with the mouse to form structures. If the ball in the level is not already moved by said structures, the player can click on the ball to make it start moving. The game consists of two songs in its soundtrack. While the music is calming, one can get tired of it quickly.

When the player launches the game, it asks them to create an account. This may seem suspicious, but in reality it’s because the game has a level editor and a whole Crayon Physics Playground community where one can post levels that they’ve made. When you first start the game, the first thing you see is a black screen and then, in the center of the screen, it says, “It’s not about finding a solution, it’s about finding the awesomest one.” Other than that sentence, there is no intro or story that I was able to pick up in the game.

As the player progresses to the first levels, there are words telling the player what to do in order to help them get the hang of the controls. Each level is a puzzle for the player to complete, where they have to get the ball to the star in each level. The levels get progressively more difficult as you go through the game. Upon completing a level, the player may see a “review” of the level. This “review” is where the player sees if they completed the level using one of three solutions: Elegant, Old School, and Awesome. The player gets one star for a level for completing it for the first time, and another star if they complete it and get all three solutions. (The solutions are all different, so the player can’t get two stars on just one try.)

Upon completing the “review,” the player is escorted to the world map, which has 8 islands and a layout very similar to a Mario game. Each island needs to be unlocked after earning a certain number of stars. Moving the mouse will take the player’s screen to the other side of the island they are on. There is a ship on the end side of the island the player can click on to get a view of the world map, where they can travel to different islands from there.

The player can, when selecting a level, draw on the screen with the mouse. (The changes they make will stay, and they can’t be erased unless they press the Clear Map button in the pause menu. I've tried other ways, including right-click, but it hasn't worked.) Scrolling with the mouse scroll button will change the color of the crayon they are drawing with. (The color-changing also shows in the level, it will change the color of the objects the player draws for the puzzle.)

Overall, Crayon Physics Deluxe is a pretty fun game. It gets the player to think, approach solving the level in different ways, and is very appropriate for all ages. I recommend it to those who want a good, fun challenge that they can show their kids or siblings if they want to.