Daily iPad App: Blocksworld HD lets you build and play with 3D blocks
Blocksworld HD from Linden Lab brings creative block building to the iPad and gives it a twist by letting you control the creations that you build. At its core, Blocksworld is a building app similar to Minecraft that allows you to build creations using Lego-like 3D blocks. Blocksworld is an open environment -- you can snap blocks together and build anything you can imagine. Specialized blocks make it easy to build cars, robots, planes, creatures and more. Once you create an object, you can bring it to life using actions that'll make the creation walk, jump, fly, drive or even fire weapons. It's this action scripting that sets Blocksworld apart and makes it extra enjoyable. It's great being able to build a hovercraft, and it's even better when you get to fly it around your world.
When you start building, you are given a limited number of blocks and a small number of coins. You can buy additional blocks or specialized block sets using coins, which are available via an in-app purchase. A set of 100 coins costs US$0.99, while block-hungry builders can spend up to $24.99 for a set of 6,000 coins. I started off with a $10 set of 2,000 coins that lasted for about two weeks with very heavy usage from my three kids and me. The average person will likely get more mileage out of their coin purchases than I did, but I would still plan on buying coins as part of the game. There are daily gift blocks and a free bonus block set, but these sets are small and give you just a handful of items. Hopefully, Linden Labs will make it easier to earn bonus coins within the game, so you don't always feel like you are paying to play.
Blocksworld ties into Game Center and has a social component that allows you to share your block creations and browse through a catalog of items that others have built. If you find a creation that you enjoy, you can play it and also "like" it. One of my recent favorites was a dart challenge in which you drive a car over a ramp and try to hit a bullseye while in mid-air. Game Center hosts a leaderboard that shows the builders who have earned the most "likes," while the Blocksworld app tracks both likes and views for each creation.
Blocksworld HD is for both kids and adults who have a passion for building with blocks. It's basic enough for a 7-year-old to easily pick up, while challenging enough to entertain an adult who enjoys creative building. It is available for free in the iOS App Store and is compatible with any iPad running iOS 6.0 or later.
