Digital crafting is big for children right now, thanks to the massive success of Minecraft. So it’s no surprise to find other games exploring the idea, even if they’re in different genres.

One example: Playworld Superheroes, a new iPhone and iPad game from developer Livappool, which was released this month.

Aimed at 4-11 year-old children, it’s a game of two parts. The first involves crafting, as they turn cardboard boxes into their own superhero outfit and power-ups by (virtually) colouring and cutting.

The second sees them don the (now distinctly non-cardboard) clothing to fight waves of alien enemies, the Golumites, with a mixture of shooting and hand-to-hand combat.

They sit nicely together, and make for a nice reminder of the power of children’s imaginations in the real world. Actually, another nice thing about Playworld Superheroes is its potential to inspire your kids to not just play on screen, but to dig out some cardboard boxes and paint to make real costumes.

The action parts are pretty challenging: children at the lower end of the target age-range may need some parental help to blast their way through the levels, even if they have no problems with the crafting section.

Still, it’s an ambitious and interesting addition to the ranks of children’s games on iOS. We hope enough parents are happy to pay upfront – no in-app purchases here – to make it worthwhile.

Playworld Superheroes costs £2.99 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store.