There are a handfull of games on my iPhone that grab my attention and don’t let go. Mafia Wars, Angry Birds, Words with Friends are all in that category (although I pulled myself away from Mafia Wars and won’t go back for fear of addiction). Another game has joined the fold — Cut the Rope. Chillingo took the level structure of their previous hit Angry Birds, added a bit more puzzle with ropes and obstacles, and won’t let me go.

The gameplay is amazingly simple but highly addicting. Some little monstrosity has come to your house and lives in a weird box and only eats candy. Your job is to feed him by navigating obstacles in the box, using tools to your advantage and collecting stars. The candy is attached to a number of ropes that you can cut by swiping your finger across the screen (multiple ropes can be cut with multiple fingers if needed). Crazy air puffers and floating air bubbles will help you collect more stars and get to your goal while navigating obstacles and making sure you get the candy into your little guy’s mouth without falling out of the box (or floating away in some cases).

I’m halfway through the second box and cannot stop playing. The pacing is absolutely perfect for the iPhone — easy to play in small doses but also works great if you want to sit down and power through multiple levels. Chillingo stepped up to the plate and hit another homerun with Cut the Rope. If you haven’t bought this yet, you need to get it right now. It’s only $0.99, but it’s the best $0.99 you’ll spend this week.