Trace was developed by Kevin Calderone and is rated 4+ on the iTunes App Store.

The other day I was riding the shuttle bus to the airport with a couple of my Ultimate teammates. One of them was playing with his iPod Touch and I noticed he was playing a simply-drawn platforming game that looked like fun. When he told me it was a free app, I immediately downloaded it so I could try it on the plane. The game is called Trace, and it’s a definite Value Play.

This is a casual platforming game where you control a little red stick figure and try to get it from one point on the screen to a little pulsing sun that moves you to the next level. Simple left-right-jump controls are all you need, but they alone aren’t usually enough to get you there. You also have the ability to draw in more platforms on the screen to help you in your task. All the while you’re trying to avoid certain floating obstacles that will “kill” you and send you back to the beginning of the level.

I played quite a few levels on the flight home, and this game is great fun. The drawing of your own platforms adds a puzzle element to the whole thing, and your progress in each level is timed, thus the obsessive-compulsive amongst you will love going back to try and shave your times down. Controls are easy to figure out, allowing you to jump into the game pretty quickly, while presenting enough challenge and levels to keep you coming back. Even the background music is nice.

Oh, and it’s free. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch with the 3.0 software, what are you waiting for? If you like platformers and want something you can jump in and out of, this is worth the space on your iPhone/Touch. Cause that’s all it’s going to cost you.