|
Last year's minimalist megahit, Dots, challenged players to one of the simplest game mechanics ever created: connect dots. This simplicity, along with its clean design and perfectly timed short-burst play, made it a permanent fixture on millions of smartphones. Its sequel, TwoDots, utilizes the same basic gameplay but offers more variety through level-based progression and in-game obstacles. Unfortunately, it's adopted a more aggressive system of monetization that becomes its own recurring obstacle. TwoDots is most reminiscent of the "Moves" game type in Dots, whose goal was to collect as many dots as possible in a finite number of moves. You still collect dots by drawing lines between same-colored circles horizontally or vertically (never diagonally), removing and receiving all points that the line touches. In TwoDots, however, the goal is not simply to attain the highest score possible: you have objectives that must be completed in order to pass each of its 85 individual levels. |
I've never played the original Dungelot, but I understand it was quite good; a fact emphasized by . That means I can't directly compare it with the recently-released free-to-play sequel Dungelot 2, but it also insulates me from any comparative bias I might have. After all, I can't say I liked the first one better if I haven't played it, right? Dungelot 2 is a very simple twist on the Rogue-like format. Most of the familiar elements are here - randomly appearing monsters and treasure, one-click combat and perma-death - but instead of having to navigate a labyrinth of rooms and twisted corridors, the dungeon is represented by a simple grid. From the entry point of each level, you can "uncover" any adjacent room - that is, any square on the grid - by tapping on it, revealing creatures, loot, traps and other such dungeon decor. |
There was a time when a younger, more naive version of me believed that unwavering faithfulness to the source material was the key to any cross-media adaptation. Then I saw the Watchmen movie. Zack Snyder bashing aside, it was a relief to find out that Glitchsoft's Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past mobile game was based not on the current film but the classic comic book story with which it shares a name. It succeeds completely as a tribute but less so as a gameplay experience, muddling its old school platformer vibe with imprecise controls and repetitive enemies. |
Learning is fun. Honest. 2012's is one example of a very successful attempt at blending vocabulary and video games, and MAG Interactive's latest, Ruzzle Adventure, demonstrates there are still good times a-plenty to have with letters. Like its predecessor, Ruzzle Adventure primarily revolves around building words from a grid on-screen. You chain letters by swiping up, down, and diagonally - think Bookworm by PopCap (or the original Ruzzle, of course). Every letter contains a point value, with consonants generally being worth more than vowels. Each letter you utilize is added to your overall score. Letters sometimes increase in value the longer they're left on the board, so it's not uncommon for a two-letter word to bring in greater rewards than a five-letter word. |
Want to make iOS games but don't know where to start? Gamezebo Deals is here to help. As of today, our newest offer delivers up 22+ hours of training to teach you the fundamentals of making games for the iPhone and iPad. A $499 value, GZ Deals has helped bring the price down to just $59 for propspective learners such as yourself. For full details, and to get in on this offer while you can, visit . |