Thursday 12 December 2013

All Words Up Saga - 2.5 Stars


What is it?
This is a join letters together, to make words  with the goal to get a high score and pass the level. There are a variety of levels and challenges in this game for example, to score as many points in a limited number of moves or within a certain time frame.  If you like word searches then this game could be for you. 

You create words by joining them with a line, unlike conventional word searches, you can cross the line and zig zag across the letters, very like Boggle. 

As you win levels, you win more tokens. As you lose levels you lose one of your five hearts, which you have to wait to be refreshed. As with most of these games there are in app purchases, to buy your way out of difficult levels. 

The graphics are limited on the app, but they work, which is good. 

I played a few levels of this game, but need to be in a wordy mood to play it again. The app isn't bad, in fact it does what it says on the tin. I compared this app to Freeze It, which I felt was more exciting because of the competitive elements, however if you don't like competition this might be better for you. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 4
This app is very easy to use and comes with clear and short instructions, which is all that you need. I didn't spell very many long words so I am not sure if it recognises UK and USA spellings.
Price - 3
This was free, but there are in app purchases ranging from £0.69 - £2.99. I took another look at the App Store before publishing the review, and it indicates that this app may not be free for long. 

Adverts - 5
I didn't experience any adverts in this app, always appreciated.

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
I will be keeping this app for now as I want to see how far I can get but I will need to be in the mood to play it. 

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/all-words-up-saga/id757682832

The Twerking Game - 1 Star


What is it?
This is an app where you basically get to control a cartoon of, I assume, Miley Cyrus, twerking. I must say that the character looks like a blow up doll! The premise of the app is to tap the screen to make the characters bum move to get the highest score of all the users of the app. 

When you tap the screen, if you carry on past the timer it automatically takes you back to retry then game, slightly annoying! 

The score board failed each time I used the app so finding out who twerks the most, and basically the premise of the game, doesn't work.

The graphics on this app are very limited. I saw the funny side of it, but think the developer has too much time and/or money on their hands to have released this one. What did I like about this app.... no adverts and it is a bit of fun, but its already gone from my phone! 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3 
If you can tap then you can use this app. If you are too eager a tapper you will find that the game never ends! The score board didn't work and I received error messages. 
Price - 5
This was free, with no in app purchases. 

Adverts - 5
This had no adverts. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete
Already gone. This app is a bit of fun but after one go I was bored. If you like Miley Cyrus and twerking you might find this more satisfying.  

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-twerking-game/id747480893?mt=8

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Unravel Lite - 3 Stars

What is it?
This a logic game where you need to uncross a series of joined lines to win the level. At first this game is a little tricky to grasp but after a few levels it becomes logical, though not that easy.

There are a series of circles with lines connecting it to a further two circles. You move the circles around the screens to release the lines.  This game makes you think, but at the same time some of my wins were more by fluke than design.

The app is quite basic in design, but to be honest, it is all the app needs, and it is refreshing not to have bright colours splashed across the screen. 

This is the lite version of the games, but you can upgrade to the full version. The lite version is limited to 21 levels which is a good taster to see if you want to upgrade. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use 3 
This is a really easy game to use, but to master really makes you think, and I am not there yet. It can be a little tricky to reset the game when you make a mess of it. The instructions are limited so you need to do trial and error to win.
Price - 4
This is a review of the lite version, so it was free with an option to upgrade to the full version. 

Adverts - 5
There were no adverts in this app, which is great for a lite version of an app. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
I will be keeping this app until I have mastered the 21 levels. If you like logic games then this is worth a try. If you are not keen on logic games especially those that are deigned for a more adult audience then this may not be for you. 

Where to find it:

Xmas Crush - 2 Stars


What is it?
This game is like Bejewled with Christmas symbols, not too dissimilar to the Christmas Sweeper, but thankfully has volume control. 

The idea of the game is to swap pictures around to make a chain of three or more to score points and get special functions. 


This game is ok, but when you run out of moves it doesn't tell you, it just encourages you to use boosters, that are not that easy to understand. There are in app purchases t, but I didn't take advantage of these as my free ones didn't help me at all!

I played for a few levels but lost momentum. If you like Bejeweled and fancy a festive twist then check it out. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use 3 
This is easy to use as it is the same functionality as Bejeweled. The additional functions that you can trade tokens for are not that easy to understand and I ended up wasting mine and not winning the level.  
Price - 3
This is a free app, but it does have in app purchases. 

Adverts - 2
There are full screen adverts and some appeared during game play which I don't like. There are also banner adverts throughout the game which can be distracting. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete 
I quickly lost momentum with this app and quickly ended up back on Disco Bees and Jelly Splash when I had a few minutes to spare.  Its a nice game for Christmas if you like Bejeweled, it just wasn't for me. 

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/christmas-crush-match-3-addictive/id757157553?mt=8

Sunday 8 December 2013

Cookie Clickers - 1 Star



What is it?
This is a game where you basically repeatably tap a giant cookie, for what reason I still do not know. 

I went back and read up on this, and basically you are clicking to collect more cookies than other players  to get on a leader board. 

This app didn't interest me as I like games that get you to think or are a bit of fun. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use 3 
This is easy to use in the sense that all you do is tap, but what you do with the credits isn't easily explained within the app. 

Price - 3
This is free, I wouldn'y pay for a tapping app. 

Adverts 3
There are banner adverts in this app, but they do not interfere with the game. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete
This app bored me and as a result I will not be keeping it. Maybe the premise was lost on me, but if you like games were you just tap, tap, tap and then tap some more then this is for you.

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id703439482?mt=8&affId=2049622

Christmas Sweeper - 1.5 Stars


What is it?
This is a bejeweled type game with a Christmas twist, as the jewels are now familiar Festive symbols. Like Bejeweled the idea of the game is to swap tiles to make a chain of three or more to score points or win challenges. 

The game has a variety of levels which you must complete in order to continue through the game. 

The game is simple to grasp as it is a like for like copy of Bejeweled, but with very annoying sound effects!

The sound alone made me dislike this app, I had a headache after just five minutes.  I tend to have my phone on silent when I play games so not to disturb others, but this is not an option on this game!

The game took over my phones volume control, I couldn't find a way to fully switch off the sound effects. There is a volume icon, that does nothing! When you are in the game, there is a music icon that turns off the invasive music, but the noises associated with successful moves remains. This ruined the game for me. 

Another thing that I didn't like, and haven't experienced in many apps, is mid game play full screen adverts, a big no for me. 

I like Bejeweled, and will be sticking with it. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use -
As this is Bejeweled with different icons this is easy to play. 

Price - 3
This is free, I certainly wouldn't pay for it. 

Adverts - 2
There weren't many adverts but they do present themselves during game play, which I see as a ploy to trick you into the app store. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete
I love Bejeweled and will be sticking to it, as after five minutes of game play I had a headache. If you don't mind apps with lots of noise that you can't control and like Bejeweled , then this might be worth a try, but if like me the noise is a deal breaker, then I wouldn't bother. 

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id766588578?mt=8&affId=2049622

What's Playing? - 3.5 Stars


What is it?
This is a guessing game, based on a series of three pictures that make up a short animation to show what it means.  For each picture, of which there are 500, you are given the number of letters in the answer and a selection of letters to choose from. When you get the answer correct you are given a selection of gifts to choose from which give you different stars as rewards. 

Stars are like credits, the more you have the more clues in the form of removing letters from the selection or revealing a correct one you have. These stars came in helpful to me as sometimes the answer doesn't immediately come to you.  Obviously, you can buy more stars through in app purchases, but I didn't test this no matter how frustrated I got! 

Some of the words are difficult to guess, I have been playing on and off for two days and have only got to level 44! Some on the guesses aren't in my opinion suitable for young children and I was shocked that one answer was suicide!

I do like this game as its different to Icomania, and more captivating than Need Boy. If you have played Icomania, the format and premise of the game will come naturally. The game is well designed, uses nice colours, and  you can tell effort has gone into making it. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use -
If you have used Icomania then the format of this game is easy to pick up. The clues are not always easy and it can take a few seconds to confirm that you got the right answer. 
Price - 4
This is a free app with in app purchases. The bundles of stars come in different price ranges but I didn't sample these. I do like that you don't have to buy additional stars to unlock worlds, you just need to figure out the correct answer.

Adverts - 3
There are constant banner adverts in this app, but thankfully they do not interrupt game play. I didn't experience full screen adverts, which is refreshing!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
I am going to keep this app for now, I will be asking my friends for help with some of the clues as when you get stuck and have run out of stars it gets frustrating. Its a nice change to logos and movies!

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id704984180?mt=8&affId=2049622 

Freeze It - 4 Stars

What is it?
Freeze It is a time challenge word game that you play against friends or random opponent with the aim to win.

When you enter the game there is a brief tutorial that runs through the categories and how to create words. The real fun and challenge comes when you start playing against other users. 

There are six initial categories: animal, colour, fruit/vegetable, country/capital, movie and brand. You are presented with each one in turn with a selection of letters, the aim to spell a  word that matches the category. Like scrabble there are double letters and word score available if you use a letter with the marking.   There are extra points available if you complete all of the categories before the timer ends and freeze your score. 

A nice touch to this game is that when you freeze your score you smash the ice by tapping it.  It is the best of three rounds to win the overall game. If you keep playing and get better times or beat certain word scores you unlock more categories and achievements. 

There are a couple of drawbacks to the game, firstly there is no space button which for some countries and films causes a greater challenge. Also, it uses American spelling, so UK users may find this a little frustrating at first.  

I liked this game its easy to use and has a competitive edge which I like! If you don't like word games or spelling this may not be for you, but if you do its worth a try. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 4 
This game comes with instructions that aren't too complicated or long winded. The game is really easy to play, but it could benefit from a space bar to enter some answers, but the absence of it just makes you think more!


Price - 5
The app is free to download, and doesn't charge you to play against people. There are cheats that you can buy, which I didn't test, and I haven't needed them so far. 

Adverts - 5
There are no adverts in this app which is excellent for a free app!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
I liked this app as I do like my word games, especially with a competitive edge. There are areas for improvement such as additional categories and a space bar for those answers that have multiply words i.e. green bean, United Kingdom. I will be keeping this app and have already asked my Scrabble friends to download.  

Where to find it:

Thursday 5 December 2013

Tic Tactics - 2 Stars

What is it?
This is a game of naughts and crosses or tic-tac-toe that is played across nine different boards in one, with the aim to win the big board. I had to go through the tutorial several times to get how the game worked. 

I won't lie, at first I didn't get this game. The tutorial only explains part of the game and the only way to practice is to play against online player, which costs credits. You are given a series of credits when you start the game and I believe you can earn them by winning challenges  and by returning to the app each day, but you can buy additional. 

When going through the tutorial it explains that you can only place your O or X on raised areas, which was fine and made sense. Then tutorial goes on to explain that when you have placed your piece you can select one of the nine boards to make your challenger play by the position of where you lay your go, this took me a few attempts to get the hang of as the demo rushes over this. 

I think the tutorial needs more work and the app would benefit from practice levels so the user can get to grips with the game. 

I was looking forward to this game as lets face it tic-tac-toe is a classic, but I didn't take to this game. It can take up to two days for your competitor to take their go and then it loses momentum and as you can't practice I found myself not going into the app.  

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3 
I didn't find this game easy to use and the tutorial/instructions sounded logical but you need to practice to get to grips with it and are reliant on others to do this. 


Price - 3
This free to download but there are in app purchases for additional credits. I didn't test this functionality as I still have remaining credits. 

Adverts - 5
There were no adverts in this game, which is a good point. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete
This game is not for me. Even when I understood the instructions it didn't make me want to keep playing, which is a shame.  It looked a good game, and based on there being online users it has obviously has a fan base. 

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tic-tactics/id672538299?mt=8

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Dino Rocks - 3 Stars (just)


What is it?
Dino Rocks is a level game with various worlds that you move a dinosaur around a series of puzzles.  The dinosaur is placed at one end of the board and you navigate it around the screen by sliding your finger in the direction you want it to travel, eventually leading it to a cave. The first few boards don't have any holes or special functions so are pretty straight forward. 

As you progress through the levels, they get more difficult and you have to plan your dinosaurs moves in advance. There are squares added to the board with arrows that can be moved, with and without, the dinosaur on them to make a path to the cave. Figuring out what these squares did was a massive game of trial and error, until you grasp the logic of it. 

There are no instructions with this app, well not that I could find, but there are walkthroughs of the levels that use your Dino Rocks. You get three Dino Rocks when you download the game, but you can buy more. The prices for these are not displayed in the app itself which I don't like, and there is bug in the app that when you click on the purchase button half the text is missing in the confirmation and password window, so you don't know how much they are. I did check in the app store and the only price displayed its £0.69 to unlock all levels, so not great.

An interesting feature of this game is that you can create your own levels. The drawback with this, again, is there are no instructions or guidance for this function. 

This is not a game for young children as it is difficult and can be fiddly.  With that said, it does make you think and it is different to your Candy Crush and other such games. I do like this game but will need to be in a calm mood to play it. 

I struggled with deciding the rating for this app, my first instinct was 2.5 due to the lack of instructions and dodgy prices, but I do like the app and it is a bit different so I bumped it up to 3 as I don't give 2.75 stars!

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use 3 
This game would benefit from some instructions. I discovered the walkthrough function through pressing buttons on the screen, but it could be more user friendly. The slide function can be a little sensitive sometimes moving it too far or too little. The special squares on the screen can be a challenge to master as you have to double click to move them, again discovered through trial and error. 

Price - 2
This is £0.69 but there is a lite version available, but I haven't used this. In a paid app like this, I would expect more instructions and credits to be given before I am asked to pay again, hence the rating.  

Adverts - 5
There are no adverts in this app, but as mentioned earlier I have not reviewed the lite version. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
This game has interested me, but I have run out of walkthroughs, so can't be sure how long my patience will last with the lack of instructions. If the game had instructions or demos on the functionality this would make it a much better and user friendly app. 

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dino-rocks/id535779172 

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Disco Bees - 3.5 Stars

What is it?

Disco Bees could be described as Candy Crush with bees instead of candy using hive shape board patterns.  For the Disco theme there is Disco music playing in the background, I chose to switch this off!

The aim of the game is to connect three or more bees of the same colour to get points and solve the puzzles by switching one bee for another, like Candy Crush.  As you progress through the levels you unlock new powerful bees that when exchanged remove even more bees from the hive.

When you start you are given five lives and each time you fail a level you lose a life. When you reach zero you can either wait 30 minutes for a new one, invite friends to play through Facebook or buy some credits. I didn't buy any credits but they are priced between £0.69 and £1.49.

As with Jelly Splash you travel through levels, again these involve you inviting friends through Facebook, and you can collect stars from the completed levels to pass through to new groups of levels.  

This app is well designed, it has bright colours and keeps its theme well.

I like this app but think like Candy Crush and Jelly Splash it will have a shelf life for me. It is good for competing with friends (I did this by text!) and it makes a change from Candy!


Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use 
This game is really easy to learn to use and it gives you instructions as you go. The first few worlds are good and challenge you but I would say as the app goes on younger children would struggle to pass the levels, so be prepared to talk them through it!

Price - 3
This is free on the Apple store to download, but if you want to buy extra lives or pass levels quicker it does cost. In comparison to Candy Crush the buying of lives is more expensive but you do get more credits for your money.

Adverts 5
I didn't notice any adverts which is always good!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep
For now I will keep using this app, as it passes five minutes here and there and ironically having to wait for new lives for 30 minutes allows me to move on to different things.

Where to find it:
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/disco-bees/id707094898?mt=8