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TapBoom! game literally keeps you tapping and booming
TapBoom is a rare game in that the title pretty much explains the entire story. You have a square and you have a line. The line moves quickly toward the square and then past it. When the line is at all touching the square, tap the screen. If you're too early or too late, you lose. Otherwise, tapping while both are touching causes the square to rapidly explode into a series of blue squares in celebration. Tap. Boom. That's seriously the whole game. It's free for iPhone and iPad and requires iOS 8.0 or later. The design of TapBoom stays as bare bones as possible. It's a black background with white text and shapes. The end. The only shred of color present in the app reveals itself if you're successful at tapping the screen with perfect timing - the "boom" part of TapBoom. Don't even try to predict the app and build up skill using muscle memory. The first three levels are a natural progression from a slow-moving line to fast-moving. After that, the speed of the line and the placement of the square completely varies. Level six could have the line moving at lightning speed while seven brings it to a slow crawl, which is a huge throw-off. When you tap at the wrong time, the game is over. There's no turning back, sorry. TapBoom keeps track of your score and your high score. If you tap anywhere on the "Game Over!" screen, your very last move fades in. This allows you to stare directly at your mistake indefinitely, which is what I always love to do during my spare time. There's no real multiplayer mode in TapBoom either, at least outside of the Game Center integration with achievements and challenges for other friends. What's incredible is that out of all the players, the all-time high score according to Game Center is only 34. That's how difficult this game is. The simplicity of TapBoom is fantastic for luring you in though. If you download it, chances are you might be addicted for a while. It's not so difficult that it's frustrating. Rather, the pace of the game is so fast that it's easy to get lost in the cycle of replaying it just to keep trying for a new high score. The gameplay and design both remind me a bit of Circle, in which the object is to keep tapping so the circle never touches the line it surrounds. It saw moderate success in the App Store, so if you enjoyed that title you might benefit from giving TapBoom a try. The difference is TapBoom's rounds come in short bursts and aren't continuous. Overall, the game has a significant amount of the right ingredients to be solid, addictive, but not overly frustrating or difficult. It has no in-app purchases either and only a small banner ad at the bottom that stays out of the way. TapBoom is a completely free title available universally for iOS in the App Store.
P.A.C.O. is why you should never help bandits escape prison
P.A.C.O., an acronym meaning "prison action climbing obstacles," is yet another game that falls into the genre of ridiculously simple to play yet ridiculously challenging and addictive. The one-armed bandits are trying to escape from prison switching from ladder to ladder and you're helping them out. When the timing is right, you have to tap the screen so the bandit makes the jump from one ladder to the other. Tap too soon and he misses and falls, but tap too late and the security guard catches him. Timing is key. P.A.C.O. is free with in-app purchases for iPhone and iPad and requires no earlier than iOS 7.1. The app description boasts that the title is "the hardest game you've ever played." I'm not sure if that's objectively true, but I don't doubt that many players agree it's pretty difficult. A quick scroll through the ratings and reviews in the App Store support that theory. P.A.C.O.'s controls don't expand any further than a single tap on the display. The bandits move on their own up the ladders pretty quickly, but your tap is what switches them between the two ladders, or more like pieces of ladders. There are four different characters: Paco, Peco, Chico and Rico. You're randomly assigned one as your own player every time you play or replay. Right below the currently active bandit is the security guard chasing him, whom you have no control over. The tutorial does a pretty poor job of explaining anything about the game other than to tap at the perfect time to avoid losing. For the first few rounds I thought I was controlling both the bandit and the guard. The ladders also have green lines toward the top of them and I had no idea what those meant. It turns out they're guides for when to switch ladders. It's best to tap when the bandit's entire body is above the green line, but this doesn't always guarantee success. P.A.C.O.'s design is very retro and it's clear the game overall got some of its inspiration from the notorious Flappy Bird. P.A.C.O. is the more challenging of the two. Timing matters in Flappy Bird too, but this makes Flappy Bird look amateurish in terms of difficulty. Somewhere in the world someone must hold that sweet formula for making a successful game that's easy to play, hard to win, yet captures everyone's love and affection. If it's just a little too hard or even a little too easy, it loses its magic. Unfortunately, P.A.C.O. seems to err a tad too much on the side of being difficult. It's fun to keep trying, but after making so little progress, it becomes downright frustrating. P.A.C.O. also integrates with Game Center for achievements and leaderboards, plus includes one in-app purchase for US$0.99 that gets rid of the admirably modest ads. The game needs to get a tad easier so it reaches that sweet spot of euphoric gameplay and desperately needs to improve upon the tutorial for beginners. It's rough around the edges, but I look forward to that update, if or when it ever arrives. At any rate, P.A.C.O. is free in the App Store for iOS.
Flappy Bird faces imminent extinction
Flappy Bird went from obscurity to chart-topping success overnight, but that's all coming to an end. After over 50 million downloads, developer Dong Nguyen said on Twitter that he's going to take the incredibly tough game down tomorrow... and probably not for the reasons you'd expect. It's not because of any legal pressure. It's not because he sold for some hefty sum. It's not even because he's tired of making games. Nguyen said Flappy Bird will cease to be simply because he just "cannot take this anymore". What exactly he means by that is unclear, but going off an earlier tweet it looks like Nguyen has grown weary of all the attention he's been getting lately. Who could blame him for shunning the spotlight? He created the app in just a few days in 2013 and it languished before exploding in popularity a few weeks back.
Daily iPhone App: Ridiculous Fishing is ridiculously good
Vlambeer's Ridiculous Fishing is finally out on the App Store today, after a long and rough development cycle that included a well-publicized battle against a clone. But in my humble opinion, the guys at Vlambeer should never have worried. No clone could ever match up to the design talent, brilliant wit and just plain love that's been put into this game. Ridiculous Fishing lives up to its foolish title and then some. You play as a fisherman. To begin, tap to toss a hook into the water. The game then runs in three phases. First, as your hook descends, tilt the iPhone back and forth to guide it past as many fish as you can, as deep under the surface as possible. As you reel it back in, you switch tactics. Tilt to grab as many fish as possible, trying to avoid the jellyfish if you can. Finally, the game gets really silly when your hook reaches the surface. The fish fly up into the air, and you've got to take them out of the sky with whatever firearms you have lying around. Each fish you kill earns money for line and equipment upgrades and finding new species can unlock new areas with new fish to hook and deeper waters to plumb. It's a very addictive gameplay cycle, and it's all backed up with some brilliant art, great sound effects and very catchy music. I've been playing the game for about a week now, and have found it hard to put down. Ridiculous Fishing has seen a little drama even before release, but the team never needed to worry, in my opinion. This is a great game that is among the best we've seen on the iPhone, ever. It's well worth the purchase at US$2.99, though I'll bet we'll see Ridiculous Fishing (and with any luck, more of Vlambeer) around the App Store for a long time to come.
Daily iPhone App: Beastie Bay is Kairosoft's addictive take on Pokemon
There are a few words in gaming that, whenever I hear or read them, just make the hair on the back of my neck stand up in anticipation. "Blizzard." "Civilization." "Puzzle Quest." And I would say that it's time to add "Kairosoft" to that list, because the Tokyo-based developer's mobile games are some of the most addictive titles I've ever played. I've lost hours and hours to great games like Game Dev Story and Grand Prix Story, and I've been scared to even play Dungeon Village for fear of what the Kairosoft formula of perfectly paced and rewarding strategy gameplay combined with a fantasy RPG setting might do to my already busy life. Now, the company has released a new game called Beastie Bay, which takes Kairosoft's extremely addictive earn / upgrade / "earn more" cycle and pairs it with another addictive gaming theme: Collecting and upgrading beasts, a la Pokemon. Like all of Kairosoft's other titles, this game uses their older mobile engine, so the graphics and menus aren't all that impressive. But also like all of Kairosoft's other titles, the gameplay is just so spot on. As you build facilities for your pets and helpers, take them out to battle, find new pets and then build more facilities for those pets and new helpers, you too will likely get caught up in the mania of "just one more turn" that these games tend to bring on. The beast-collecting twist is a definite lift from Nintendo's powerhouse franchise, but it's done in a very Kairosoft way, designed so that you're always winning and growing rather than simply grinding away in the tall grass. The other difference here from Kairosoft's past titles is that this game is definitely free-to-play. It features ads prominently (though they can be removed with a one-time US$4.99 purchase), and there are in-app purchases for in-game currency. But I think that change will allow even more people to see what Kairosoft can do on mobile, so I think the switch to F2P will be a good thing for the company. Kairosoft's games are already extremely addictive, and I can't really recommend Beastie Bay highly enough. Someday, if the company finally embraces iOS as a native platform, they'll more or less be unstoppable.
Daily iPhone App: Jumping Finn Turbo provides an addictive cycle with the Adventure Time crew
Cartoon Network has been putting out some really impressive iOS apps lately under its Adult Swim brand, including the really great Monsters Ate My Condo. Jumping Finn Turbo is a new game outside of the Adult Swim banner. It's not quite as good as those offerings, but it is pretty addictive anyway. The title is based on the popular Adventure Time cartoon by Pen Ward, though instead of following the show's storyline, it's a "jumping" arcade game, where Jake has to kick Finn as high, far and fast across the show's setting as he possibly can. The best part isn't necessarily the kicking mechanic, which is actually kind of boring. You basically just wait for Finn to try and hit something and hopefully go farther than before. It's the game's deep and surprisingly satisfying upgrade mechanic that's the most intriguing. Kicking Finn earns you stars, which you can use to upgrade Jake's kicking power or put more items and power-ups into the world. That core cycle is actually really satisfying, and it means that Jumping Finn Turbo will probably have you saying, "well, just one more kick," more often than not. You can see the game in action in the video below, or you can buy it for US$1.99. The price is a little high for a simple game like this. It's well worth it if you're an Adventure Time fan, but odds are that there are plenty of cheaper and free games that you haven't checked out yet, so you probably wouldn't regret waiting for a sale on this one. But, if you like the game's idea and would get a kick out of seeing your favorite Adventure Time characters mashed up like this, definitely grab Jumping Finn Turbo.
Daily iPhone App: Drag Racer World roars out of the gate
Drag Racer World is an iPhone title that sits in a weird place: It's a racing game, but then again it's not. This one's all about drag racing, which isn't so much about steering and speed as much as it is just about hitting the next gear when you need to, and the exact specs of your car. In other words, this is more of a role-playing game than a racing game, where you level up a car rather than a sword-wielding hero. It's really fun, even if you're not a gearhead. As usual, XMG has created a colorful and well-designed game, and the mechanics are simple enough (you just start out shifting gears at the right time and hitting nitro when you need it) that it's very pick up and play. As you progress, however, things get more complex, letting you buy more cars, tweaking them until they're perfect with lots of different parts, and racing up through a career mode. The game is very much a freemium title, and that may turn some people off -- you need to buy everything in there with in-game currency, and if you're not patient, you may occasionally find yourself frustrated by a lack of credits. But there's plenty to earn between the standard campaign, the daily challenges, and even races against friends. Drag Racer World is a really well-done title that offers a nicely social, very addictive, and genuinely different take on what a racing game can be.
Minesweeper, Sudoku now available for Windows Phone users, procrastinators
Got a Windows Phone 7 and an addictive personality? Well then today's your lucky day, as the Xbox Live versions of both Minesweeper and Sudoku have now landed in the US Marketplace. With these new additions, users can now sweep for virtual landmines in either Classic or Speed mode, or put their logic skills to the test by playing Sudoku in Lightning mode -- all while racking up achievements and powerups. Both are available for free and either will do a great job of destroying your productivity. Hit up the source links to download them for yourself and let the magic unfurl.
Jace Hall tackles media coverage of WoW addiction
Jace Hall is well-known for his comedy videos, but apparently he can also be a pretty serious dude when he wants to be. In a recent blog entry, the internet funnyman talks about a recent piece on "internet addiction" by CNN personality Campbell Brown. Addiction is a tough topic, and WoW is an easy sell as a scapegoat. Like any activity you love, if you feel passionately about it, you should fight for its proper representation. Jace certainly is. His stance on addiction: "It is my opinion that human beings are capable of creating destructive relationships and associations with almost anything. Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain is a fundamental trait of the human condition. This trait can occasionally direct people toward the use of escapism. Sometimes this can be a necessary mode of survival and very healthy – other times is can lead to counterproductive personal and social behavior. What that means is that, YES, someone can get so involved in watching movies, or reading books, or tweaking their myspace page, or surfing, or playing games, or swimming or drinking, or using drugs, or having sex, or ANYTHING THAT THEY FIND USEFUL TO ESCAPE WITH, that they actually begin to ignore other important aspects of their lives and it becomes a real problem." Hall laments that news organizations and personalities seem eager to paint activities they're unfamiliar with or don't understand, like WoW, as unique and dangerous forces in addiction then countless other activities. Among those with addictive personalities or social difficulties, any activity can become addictive, and this particular report, he says, is pure fear-mongering "based ultimately on conjecture." My personal opinion on these matters is that it's difficult to pin "WoW addiction" on any particular source, and that usually, like Jace says in his article, there are circumstances that extend far outside of the game that can cause these problems.
TUAW's Daily App: Dizzypad
I wrote about NimbleBit's Dizzypad when it first came out, and since then it's become one of my favorite pick-up-and-play iPhone games -- super polished, simple but addictive gameplay, and enough collectibles and score tracking to keep it interesting every time you hop in. And even better, it's going free today, so if you haven't taken the leap yet, jump on over and pick it up as today's Daily App. NimbleBit also sent word that they're almost done with an iPad version, which will also be free, with some new frog skins, and of course shinier graphics. There are even some new game modes, each available for US$1.99, including a same-screen multiplayer game mode which has two frogs hopping after each other in a winner-eat-loser battle. Very awesome. Dizzypad is a great game, and since it's free, you have no reason not to pick it up from the App Store right now.
Plants vs. Zombies coming to iPhone on February 15th
Yes, PopCap is at it again -- this time, their crazy addictive (just like all of their games) take on the tower defense genre, Plants vs. Zombies, is headed off to the iPhone. They just tweeted confirmation a little while ago, and released this trailer showing all of the flower vs. undead action that we enjoyed so much in the other versions of the game, squeezed into the smaller screen of the iPhone. They don't mention a price point, but I'm guessing it'll come out at $4.99, since that's what most of their releases have debuted at (though if you're patient, it'll probably drop down in price after a while). I'll tell you that yes, if you've never played it, the game is more than worth $5, but even if you don't believe me, you can go play it online for free and see what you think. PopCap is the master of dropping colorful graphics, sparkling gameplay, and constant little rewards on your plate, so PvZ on the iPhone will probably be yet another meal you won't want to stop eating.
Zen Bound adding new tree in free update
Touch Arcade has a slew of new screenshots from an upcoming free update for a game I've been coming back to more and more lately on my iPhone: Zen Bound. When I first installed it, I thought of it as more of a tech demo than a game, but as you load it up more and more, you really do start uncovering layers of competition -- "if only I twisted the statue that way I could cover more ground, or maybe if I started from that leg I could wrap around closer on that side." It's pretty addictive, and it's one of those games that starts tugging at your mind even when you're not playing it. The update probably won't help free my mind -- not only will it have a whole set of new objects to wrap up (featuring some fun retro-gaming themed pieces), but it's getting some bugfixes and some performance tweaks as well. The paint spread by the rope will be smoother, and the problem of the rope crossing through objects should be better (while that happened from time to time, it wasn't a huge complaint). Still, especially for free, it sounds like the update will only make a great game better. Zen Bound is available right now in the App Store for $4.99 (with the free update available "soon"), and there's a lite version to try out as well.
World of Warcrack now even more addictive
As if anyone really needed their World of Warcraft time to possibly be more addictive, PopCap Games has added yet another of their incredibly popular games in as an addon for World of Warcraft. That's right - not content to rest on their laurels for creating the fiendishly addictive Bejeweled addon, PopCap has now ensured that anyone stuck waiting on a raid group, on an extra-long flight, or idling pretty well anywhere in-game will be click-click-clicking their way through a PopCap Game. How did they manage this master-stroke? They added the equally crack-like addictive clicky-game Peggle in as a new addon. For those souls brave enough to take on this much addictively fun gaming in one spot, our sister site WoW Insider has an exclusive first-look at the new Peggle addon. Along with that mayhem, they also have a full gallery of images showing the craziness that is Peggle for WoW in action. Brave souls over there - we're not sure we could handle that much peril in one place. It's far too perilous. So, if you're curious, (and not afraid of the peril) why not pop over there and check it out!
German Social Affairs minister calls for higher rating on World of Warcraft
Germany is reeling from a shooting rampage committed by a 17-year-old, and as happens in many of these situations, politicians are looking for answers to why a young man would do this to his community. One of the answers they've found so far is videogames. While we don't actually know if the young man played games or not (or what he played), Germany's Minister for Social Affairs Mechthild Ross-Luttmann is calling for a few games, World of Warcraft among them, to be moved up from an age 12+ rating to an adults-only classification.The tie between the shooter and WoW is slim. But a new study over there says that 50,000 to 60,000 minors could be classified as addicted to videogames. And the combination of the two events is causing Ross-Luttman to call for stronger ratings on "addictive" games like World of Warcraft. It's also interesting to note that in the US, the game is rated T by the ESRB, which actually calls for children 13 and up to play it, one year older than the German standard.But of course there are two conclusions here. First, every parent needs to take responsibility for what their younger children do: if these kids are addicted, parents need to step in and make sure things get straightened out. As a former employee of a gaming retail store, I can tell you that ratings only go so far. The responsibility has to lie with the parents. And secondly, while Ross-Luttmann is apparently using the shooting to try and push this agenda against addiction, the young man involved in the shooting was experiencing deep depression, and had access to firearms that he probably shouldn't have had. Changing game ratings is fine, but it won't do anything to help when you've got much bigger problems to deal with first.[via GamePolitics]
Peggle Nights out for Mac, leisure time at risk
Peggle Nights is now out for Mac. The game costs $19.95 (there's a 60-min free trial available if you just want to check it out), and is as addictive as crack cocaine covered in sugar, drizzled with chocolate, and floating in original formula Coca-Cola. It should probably be illegal for PopCap to release games -- any court would convict them of the mass murder of free time around the world.Don't believe us? Patrick Klepek over at the MTV Multiplayer blog tried out the game when it showed up on his desk, and let's just say he doesn't have that job any more. Of course, that's unrelated (we think), but still -- PopCap makes some addictive videogames, and Peggle is at the top of the list. Play with caution. And don't forget that the iPhone version of the game is still due out sometime this month.
Swedes say WoW is as addictive as crack
We've heard a few horror stories from Sweden already about excessive WoW-playing there -- we've reported on a 15-year-old collapsing after not taking any breaks, and we've even heard from a teacher in that country who's targeted World of Warcraft as a challenge to her students' attention. But now one group up there is claiming it's an epidemic -- the Youth Group Foundation has released a report comparing the game itself to cocaine, and says that of all the game addiction cases they've encountered, World of Warcraft has played a part in every one.Obviously, here at WoW Insider, we're fans of the game, and it's hard to blame an inanimate object like a computer for serious problems in someone's life -- while World of Warcraft is one of the easiest ways an addictive personality can manifest itself, millions of people around the world are able to play it and maintain healthy lives and relationships.Still, if you're playing World of Warcraft (or doing anything else) so much that it's affecting your health or social life, it's time to stop and/or get help from an organization like this. We won't blame the game for causing someone to pass out (common sense says that doing anything for 15 hours straight isn't good for you) or do poorly in school, but if either of those things are happening to you, in Sweden or anywhere else, because you're playing the game, then cut it out.
WoW Insider's preview of PopCap Games' Bejeweled addon
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/WoW_Insider_previews_Popcap_s_Bejeweld_addon_for_WoW'; As anyone who's ever stayed up late for a raiding or grinding session will tell you, World of Warcraft is already an addictive game. About the only thing you could do to make it more addictive is have a game company like PopCap Games (they make some of the most popular casual games around, from Bejeweled to Bookworm to Peggle) stick one of their time-wasters in an addon. And so when PopCap came to WoW Insider earlier this week to tell us that they're planning to do just that, our minds understandably exploded.They sent us a beta version, and for the past few days, we've wasted as much time in Azeroth as in real-life. That's not exactly true -- I've been leveling up my fishing and cooking lately, and the addon has been really helpful with all of the downtime and flight time (even if I do miss catching a cast every once in a while because I'm on a big streak). After the break, read more about just how the free Bejeweled addon (to be released later this week from PopCap) will devastate all of your formerly empty downtime in Azeroth, and check out our gallery to see the beta version of Bejeweled being played on the live realms.%Gallery-32336%
What makes games addictive?
(Hint: It's not the taste!) Video game addiction is a topic that tends to occupy the attention of the mainstream media any time there's a slow news day, and even sometimes (like yesterday, for instance) when it's not. Videogames; how they're making junkies of your kids, news at 11! It's an issue that we here at Massively are quite sensitive to, and we've written about it it again and again and again.So imagine our delight when MSNBC, being the paragons of gaming wisdom that they are, took a crack at the subject, trying to to discern what combination of elven temptresses and subliminal messages will get people hooked on games, and MMOs in particular. Their answer, not surprisingly, is that MMOs offer an extremely gratifying system of toil and reward that keep players coming back for that next achievement. And when people are bereft of strong social ties in their work-a-day lives, they're susceptible to becoming addicted. Excuse us if we don't recoil in shock and surprise.
Two new Mac games: Bomberman and Peggle
Boy, it seems like everyone was waiting for me to write up my gift guide before releasing some interesting Mac games this year. First Horde of Orcs comes out, then Sonic of all things appears on the iPod, and now here's two more fun gaming experiences appearing on the Mac.First, our sister gaming blog Joystiq reports that PopCap's crack casual game Peggle has appeared for OS X, and just like most of PopCap's games, it's so addictive it should probably be regulated by pharmacologists. It's a universal binary, too, and right now it's only $10 (50% off from a sale on PopCap's site). Be prepared to disappear from your relatives for long stretches of time over the holidays, though-- anyone who can only play one round of this at a time is either not human or just in serious trouble with their spouse.And MacNN reports that Bomberman has now appeared on iTunes as well. Hudson Software has produced an official port that features an "intuitive control scheme" (that I'd be interested to see), an exclusive boss stage for the iPod, and the option to play the game's music or your own during gameplay. Wild. That game is $5 and available as a download from iTunes.It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for Mac gamers-- turns out there may be more underneath the tree than we hoped earlier in the year.
Today's game over video: The End of the World of Warcraft
One man decides to give up the World of Warcraft, for another addiction entirely, and the result is an experiment in cinematical over-the-topness. Sweeping soundtracks, fighting, Burning Crusade Collector's Editions flying through the air ... what more could you ask for?If you're going to give something up, it's probably best to do in a grand way, involving videotape, your friends, trailers for other games, and lots of slow-motion. One thing everyone is asking though, would you go mental living in that house?
