Move the Walls - 3.5 Stars

What is it?

Move the Walls is an endless play game to make your character to move as far as possible through the middle of the screen by swiping walls out of the way that are in it's path. The game is simple to play once you get the direction of swipe correct. The further you travel the quicker the game gets that took my eyes a little while to adjust too, but that could be more to do with the the frown of concentration i displayed throughout playing the game. 

Throughout the game there are gold coins that can be collected by swiping them into your path, rather than the walls that are moved out of the way. I have no clue what the coins are used for!

I was in a very rare and strange place with this game as I was instantly quite good, for me, at playing it! After a few plays I explored the game further and there are various different backgrounds and themes available to play on such as in space and on a river with logs. It was a nice touch to the game that gave me options. Strangely I was better on other themes than the original. 

The GameCentre is enabled on the game but as a collective, there aren't leader boards for the different themes available.

The game ends when you hit a wall, which is easily done. Whatever you do if you miss a coin don't re-swipe it as 9 times out of 10 you will move the next wall in the wrong direction and end the game. At the end of the game you are given the option to continue, if you watch an ad. The adverts vary in length the from 14 - 24 seconds from what I have observed they get longer each time. 

The icon used for the game does do the content justice as it is very simple, dull colours and really doesn't jump off the screen or scream play me. This game is not made with the retro pixel look and it was a welcomed change. Bright colours and smooth lines are used and it was inviting to play. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

The premise of the game is a simple play, but it does take a while to get used to what direction to swipe to move the walls. If you miss a coin be careful as any swipe on the screen will move the next wall and then bang your dead!

Price - 5

This is a free game, but you can pay to remove the adverts.

Adverts - 3

There are adverts in the game but they are not too intrusive. As mentioned above you can extend your play by watching an advert that did come in handy.

Keep, jury is out or delete - Jury is out

Overall Score - 3.5 
I gave this a 3.5 as the game is nice to play but I know it won't hold my interest for very long. If you like endless play and are good at swiping then this could be for you. 

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/hu/app/move-the-walls/id989656030?mt=8

Threes! Free - 3 Stars

What is it?

This a continuous number game with the aim to avoid filling up the board of 12 and to get the highest score. The game is firstly played by creating the number three by sliding tiles with one and two together, once you have the number three you then match it with another number three to make six. From six the game moves to 12, 24, 48 and so on. Basically if you have played 2048, its the same method of play with the twist of using 3's instead of 2's. Another difference is that when you slide the screen the numbers only move one at a time across or up, rather than all across to the corresponding wall.

The presentation of the game is very colourful and clean and it looks an inviting game to play. The developers have put effort into the design and execution of the game and it looks very professional. There are sound effects in the game, which I turned off as I don't like to play with the sound, but they consisted of dings and dongs. The game was featured by Apple over the weekend, hence why I downloaded it. As with all featured apps, I am not sure why it was but it was free so I had a look. Upon further investigation I also discovered that it won Apple Design of the year 2014, its good but not that good in my opinion.

When I started the game I found it a lot slower than 2048 and I wasn't immediately eager to continue playing. After some sleep I gave it another go and started to enjoy the game. The title of the game should have given me a clue though, this is a free version, and once your turns the replay option get down to zero you can't play anymore. If you watch an ad then you get a free go or you have to download the free version. However, when I tried to watch the ad to play again there wasn't one available and I was refused a play. Furthermore, when I attempted to re-watch the tutorial for the review of the app, it directed me back to the watch an ad screen, so I couldn't even see that.

I get that developers need to make money so running out of free turns doesn't bother me too much in principle, but the game is already monetised through full screen and some timed apps. Due to this I will not be downloading the paid version of the app.

The game is on the GameCentre, which as you know, is something I like on gaming apps so that I can check my progress and give me a competitive reason to continue to play.

To write this review I have looked back on my experience of playing the app and realised that the only reason I continued playing it was the purpose of the blog, I was bored waiting to go out and that I had run out of lives on Pyramid and Farm Hero Saga. I may be feeling a little resentful at not being able to play anymore but I don't feel it is a great loss to my phone if I delete it once the review is published.

In conclusion if you liked 2048 then you may very well like this, but personally I prefer 2048 and won't be keeping this app.

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3

If you have played 2048 then the game is easy to play as it is very like the iconic game. The game comes with a nice tutorial, but once you have run out of turns you can't revisit it. If you can swipe, calculate the number three and make pairs then you can play this game. 

Price - 3

The app is free but with massive constraints. You are limited to the number of times you are allowed to play the game, forced to watch adverts to get a free go and if there aren't any available then game over. The full version is £2.99! No way would I pay that for this app!

Adverts - 2
Adverts are full screen every three plays of the game. Some of the screen invasions are timed and the cross changes per ad to kill it, so be careful not to end up in the App Store. If you want to play the game further you must watch full adverts to get a free go.

Overall Rating - 3

I started to like this app but it was very short lived. I have scored the game 3 stars, and that is mainly for its design, but I was thinking 2.5 stars. It reminded me of 2048 and the app reignited my passion for that game if nothing else. I was really put off by being forced to watch ads or purchase the game. This might sound defeatist and slightly childish, but that is my mood with this one. Sorry but its being deleted.

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Where to find it: https://itunes.apple.com/app/threes!-free/id976851174?mt=8

aa - 4.5 Stars

What is it?

Aa is a game of skill and timing. During game play you are presented with a large circle in the centre of the screen with the level number in the middle. At the bottom of the screen are smaller circles that you tap to release. The aim is land the dot on the central circle (attached by a line) without hitting another dot, which happens because the circle rotates so that it looks like a big Ferris wheel. Sounds easy right? Wrong! The levels start easy and then get more complex and introduce different challenges. The speed increases and decreases between and then within levels. A timer is added to some that makes you panic and make silly mistakes. The direction of the rotation changes and this can also happen in levels. The worst thing I have experienced are the dots that expand and contract because you think you’ve landed it brilliantly and then boom, it expands into another dot. Another killer is the timed appearance of additional dots by the game, and if one appears where you have already landed a dot you lose.

The game design in extremely basic and simple, using off white background and black circles. I am currently on level 181 and have stopped playing in a child-like tantrum as I have now been stuck for about three hours. This game is highly addictive and I really like it.

The main annoyance with the game is the adverts. They appear every five times you play as full screen invasions. I did discover that video adverts are displayed if you are on wifi and not 4G, hence I have switched my wifi off. You can pay for the adverts to be removed but I have resisted this so far. 

The game is on the GameCentre and some users have exceeded 700 levels, which is a little depressing  but when I start to play I struggled to get past 50, but the more you play the better you get.

I like this game and I can’t see me deleting it any time soon. As there are levels to the game it grasps my interest more than the tap t play games. The developer has released  a lot of games each with two letter names. I have also downloaded ‘ff’ where you have to land the circles on the rotating lines, but it hasn’t captured my attention as much as ‘aa’. 

If you like tap skill games and have a lot of patience I recommend this.

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

The game is pretty basic to play, tap to release the dot. The game does require skill and patience and is addictively frustrating!

Price - 5

The app is free. You can pay to remove the adverts but I haven't done this...yet!

Adverts - 1
The adverts are very annoying and as mentioned in the review if you are on wifi they get extremely frustrating. Don't be surprised when you download that you get to watch lots of videos and full screen invasions. 

Overall Rating - 4.5

I like this game and I can’t see me deleting it any time soon. As there are levels to the game it grasps my interest more than the tap t play games. The developer has released  a lot of games each with two letter names. I have also downloaded ‘ff’ where you have to land the circles on the rotating lines, but it hasn’t captured my attention as much as ‘aa’. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/aa/id905852173?mt=8 

Trivia from Mad Men - Free Edition - 1 Star

What is it?

Simply put, this game is a quiz to test your knowledge on Mad Men, the brilliant 60’s based drama about ad men in the 60s/70s. You begin the game by pressing the ‘play’ option, and then you are plunged straight into answering questions. You start on Level 1, and you level up based on your success with the questions posed. You are given the question with a choice of four possible answers below it. Get the question right and you are awarded with points in the form of dollars, get the question wrong and you lose points. The annoying part of the points feature is that you don’t actually know your score until you complete all of the questions. If you have detail OCD, you will hate the frequent spelling mistakes and the wrong surnames or forenames. Some of the questions repeat which is disappointing as, over the seven series’ of the show, there are plenty of questions that could be created!

There are a set number of questions and there hasn’t been an update to increase the questions.

Arguably the most frustrating thing about this game is the ads. The game is incessant with them, for instance when you press ‘Play’ to begin the game, the first thing that comes up is an ad, which did make me feel VERY frustrated. Whatever you do don’t get a question wrong as you get a series of screen invading adverts and pop ups, with the highest number I counted being five in a row. 

If you haven’t watched Mad Men then do not download, you won’t get a single question right and the in app features alone will annoy you! If you hate adverts, then also avoid this app

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3

The game is pretty basic to play, tap the answer that you think is right. What makes the game difficult is the inaccuracies in the questions and the adverts that you have to dodge to actual play it.

Price - 5

The app is free. 

Adverts - 1
Adverts are terrible, undoubtedly some of the worst I have seen within an app and completely destroys what could be an excellent app for Mad Men fans.

Overall Rating - 1

This app is literally about to be deleted as I publish the review, and I can’t wait to press that button. I have completed the game and felt no sense of achievement in doing so. The developers had a great topic and concept but ruined with sloppiness and awful adverts. Such a shame!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Where to find it: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/trivia-from-mad-men-free-edition/id670849980?mt=8

Skwirl Please - 1.5 Stars

What is it?

Impossible and frustrating! This game involves navigating a squirrel on a bike under falling tree trunks dropping from the top of the screen at various speeds. The squirrel automatically starts travelling but you can speed it forward by tapping and holding the right of the screen and reverse it by tapping and holding the left side of the screen. The screen moves with the game so can push you into the falling tree trunks and you must be ninja style quick to get under some of the logs. 

The graphics are very bright, not pixilated, but very basic. The main character is a moving picture and is not animated to cycle the bike the developer has chosen to place it on. When the character is crushed by a falling tree truck it simply turns grey and you can reattempt the game. 

This game is very difficult and quickly lost my attention. My partner, who loves to beat me at any game, was a bit better but also got very frustrated and refused to play it again. This is the type of game that could, if taken too seriously, result in a broken iPhone in fit of frustration.

There is an impossible level which I didn't even attempt based on the fact the normal ones were beyond my capabilities. 

This game is one of those games that you must have ninja reactions to play, which sadly I do not possess! I didn't take to the game but I wish the developers luck and hopefully some quick reaction players will enjoy it!

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 2

The instructions are provided in the opening screen and in theory are easy to use. The actual ease of play isn't great, the obstacles move far too quickly and don't give the user enough time to adapt to the game play before they introduce seemingly impossible sequences. Maybe I am just too slow but I didn't find this an easy game to take to. 

Price - 5

The app is free.

Adverts - 4
There are header adverts in the app, which aren't invasive and don't interrupt game play. I didn't experience full screen or video ads but they could be hidden away after a certain number of obstacles which I was never going to achieve.

Overall Rating - 1.5

I did not like this app, it was immediately too difficult to play and after several attempts I just wanted it off my phone. The developer should consider making the first few obstacles easier for the user to get familiar with and how the game is played. Looking at the GameCentre scores, I wasn't the only person struggling to get past a couple before giving up!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

This is a delete for me, its already been removed from my phone upon publishing the review!

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skwirl-please/id962048531?mt=8

The Kitten - 4 Stars

What is it?

The Kitten is a platform game with a cute kitten as the main character. The aim of the game is to get as far as you can without killing the kitten. The kitten bounds across the screen under your control by power of the tap. As the kitten runs, there are items to collect to increase your score whilst avoiding road obstacles, swooping birds of prey and gaps in the road. There are special features that can be collected that slow down and speed up play making you concentrate more on keeping the kitten alive. One special feature makes the kitten roll into a ball and zoom through game play, which is challenging as its easier to fall through the road gaps.

Like an old school arcade game you are given three lives that allow you two collisions, but don't worry there are tokens to top this up as you play. In addition, when you are on fast mode you don't lose lives but will die if you fall through any gaps. 

Something the app doesn't tell you, and I learnt in a panic to avoid a gap, is that you can double tap the cat to make it jump higher, which is great to avoid silly falls!

I instantly liked this app, and not just because I like cats! This is a well designed and animated game, and you can tell the developers have spent time on creating and producing it. The game is a refreshing change from the current pixel games flooding the market.

One frustration with this game is that it isn't on the GameCentre so I can't see how well I am doing against other users. There is a High Score section but mine doesn't work and just stays on the loading screen which is a shame. 

I have let a few people have a go on this app while I was reviewing it, and it was an instant hit with the younger player. Interestingly they asked if they could change the appearance of the cat, as you are given a black cat as the sole character. I couldn't find this feature but maybe something to consider for the next version ;)

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

This is a simple tap game and very easy to play. I think this app is good for kids too, it's playful theme and easy functionality makes it very appealing!

Price - 5

This is a free app with no in app purchases. 

Adverts - 3.5
I had to go back into the app to check for adverts as I didn't remember any! There are header and footer adverts in the screen but they aren't invasive. Unfortunately in doing this I came across an advert that has a swear word in it, which is such a shame :( I am tweeting this to the developers as this could really put parents off allowing children to the use the app. This does, however, go to show that letting ads on your app isn't only frustrating to the user but can also tarnish a developers hard work!

Overall Rating - 4

I really like this app, it is a fun quick game to play and is good for all ages, especially if you like platform games. As the high score function doesn't work and considering the issue with the advert, I, with regret, have dropped this rating to a 4. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-kitten/id907630296 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.gameever.thekitten&hl

Twitter: @GameEverStudio

 

Ruzzle - 4 stars

What is it?

Ruzzle is a timed words game that is like the classic and well known Boggle that you play with friends or random opponents. When you start the game there are 16 letters presented on a grid and you simply join them by swiping across letter combinations to make words. You must connect the letters directly with those around it so it makes it a bit more difficult. Like Scrabble there are double and triple letter scores to take advantage of. You are against the clock with two minutes to collect as many words as possible which initially seems a long time but as soon as you are stuck its goes so quickly!

When you complete a round you are presented with your score and stats. The app even tells you how many words you found out of the number availablem, and in some cases there are over 200! Lets just say I didn't get near the maximum word score! The great thing about this is that you can review all of the uncommon words to get some ideas for next rounds. Some swear words are accepted and in a frantic panic, random swipes of the screen in the last few seconds actually scored me some points with a fluky word!

The more you play the quicker you advance through the levels, which unlocks more features of the app, i.e. competing in tournaments. 

There are in app purchases including the removing of ads and adding wallpapers and profile pictures, but I haven't been tempted to get any of these yet. 

As you are playing other users of the app, there can be long gaps between rounds, and I wasn't asked if I wanted to receive notifications to remind me to play so lost a few games by not responding quickly enough.

This is a well functioning app that hasn't crashed during game play. The collection of words is very smooth and the sound effects aren't invasive. When you get a correct word you receive an encouraging ping, but when the clock is running out, countdown music is played... which never fails to make me panic!!!

Being a little bit picky, the screen flows of the app could be more logical and involve less taps. When you complete a game you tap to get your stats which is fine but then two more taps are required, including a back button to go and play new opponents.  The game can also be a little slow in finding new people to play and my phone has locked twice while waiting.

When you first start the app you are asked to register with Facebook, Twitter or create a username. You can look at the leaderboards, which show the top scores and a separate tab displays your friends' scores. The game isn't on the GameCentre but this missing feature isn't an issue with the charts option. If you want to play me, which will undoubtedly increase the number of games you win, my username is GEMMAGEM03.

Overall I like this app as it appeals to both my logical and competitive side. The two minutes a game also makes this a quick time filler and doesn't invade much of my spare time. If you like Boggle and Scrabble then I recommend this one. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 4

This game is very easy to use and includes some clear and helpful tutorial pages on your first play.  The game is a little slow in pairing you with random opponents but if you don't mind registering on Facebook or Twitter you can play your actual friends and hound them to take their turn.

Price - 4

This is a free game with in app purchases, one of which is to remove the adverts, but in all honesty I hardly noticed them!

Adverts - 3.5
There are header adverts in this game but they do not interrupt game play. I have not encountered full screen or video adverts in the game and fingers crossed they aren't added. You can pay to remove the adverts but I wouldn't bother unless they add more and become invasive.

Overall Rating - 4

I like this game and I find myself intermittently opening it to check on my open games and start a new match. I am going to research a bit further into notifications so I am not losing games by my ignorance of it being my turn and running out of time.  

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ruzzle/id504265646?mt=8 
Twitter: @MAGinteractive

Color Sorter - The Addicting Colour Sorting Game - 1 Star

What is it?

This is a game where you move coloured dots that appear in the middle of the screen into the same colour block located in the header or footer of the screen. Sounds simple right? Wrong! The dots in the middle of the screen grow, then shrink and if they disappear you lose. If you drag a dot over another dot, place the dot into the wrong colour or are a little slow you lose.  The more dots you get to its paired box the higher the score. 

Now if you have read my reviews before you will think this game is right up my street, and conceptually I would have to agree, but the reality is I didn't take to this game, actually I don't like it. 

You die for no reason in this game. I am convinced that the dots would change colour on the way to being delivered to the right location and you would need to be Speedy Gonzales on speed to get a high score. 

The icon for the game doesn't look that appealing either as you can see from this review. The main play screen is mainly white then has the six colours you play with on the header and footer with those colour circles intermittently appearing. One bug I did notice is that the blue box and circle don't match which can throw you off your game. 

Furthermore, although you can look in the GameCentre, everyones scores are on 0. So even though I have achieved an 8 on this game, GameCentre says 0, so the incentive to beat other people is non-existent. 

This wasn't for me and is far too fast to hold your interest when you first start to play. I don't know who I would recommend this game to, but definitely not to my friends!

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 1 

Conceptually this game appears easy but it really isn't. The drag function, the only way to play the game, isn't easy to use and didn't work easily to me. 


Price - 5

This app was free.

Adverts - 5
I didn't encounter any ads during my review. 

Overall Rating - 1

This game isn't for me. I didn't like it and no matter how much I tried to I just couldn't change my initial opinion. I am deleting this game. I don't hate this game, unlike Daddy Long Legs as it didn't anger me, but it was just meh and didn't make me want to play again. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/TR/app/id937335869

1010! - 4.5 Stars

What is it?

1010 is a Tetris type game but instead of positioning falling blocks to make lines to score points, you drag and drop them into place on to the board, which is a 10x10 square hence the name. The blocks are given to you in sets of three and once all of them have been placed on the board the next set is given to you. To score points you make complete lines , horizontally or vertically, and they are removed from the board to give you space to place further shapes.  The game is lost by you not being able to place the shapes you have. 

The game is simple in it appearance with a white or black background, that can be changed in the settings. The shapes are nice colours that look good against the background. These are it's main elements, and that's all thats needed.

Unlike Tetris, the game doesn't increase in speed and pressurise you into place the blocks flying down the screen. This game gives you time to think and apply logic to make your score as high as possible. I liked this element of the game as I used to find myself holding my breathe in Tetris when it got fast or near that old 100,000 score, I am surprised I never passed out!

As a massive Tetris fan, this was right up my street and I became highly addicted to it. The addiction was made worse by my partner also having the App and me seeing his score on the GameCentre. I am currently winning that battle with a score just over 5000, but that is nowhere near the top scores, made by gamers that I am convinced have created a hack or programme that increases their score!

There are full screen ads in the game that appear every three-four plays which at first was frustrating as my initial games didn't last very long, but as I improved I noticed them less until the video ads started... yuck. 

If, like me, you like logic games and still remember and love Tetris, then I highly recommend this app to you. When I originally downloaded it, I found it through a Twitter search but noticed today that its in the top 200 games in the App Store. So well done to the developers of this game, it's well deserved. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5 

This is a case of drag and drop onto a grid, so it is pretty simple to play, but needs concentration and perseverance to master (I hope to master this!). Sometimes you feel like the game is stitching you up to not win, but that is infrequent and the challenge only makes me want to play more.

Price - 5

This game is free in the App Store, and I didn't notice any 'in-app purchase' options. 

Adverts - 2
There are adverts in this app in the form of full screen ads and, the worst type, video ads that you are forced to watch. I hate these type of ads, but I liked this app so reluctantly tolerated them and didn't switch the game off. 

Overall Rating - 4.5

I love this game. Its simple and familiar and, even though it is a twist on Tetris, it has its own identity. This game will remain on my phone and will continued to be played. This would have got 5 stars but the video ads really let it down. Highly recommend it for logic game players. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/1010!/id911793120?mt=8

Protect Brick - 1.5 stars

What is it?

This is a game were you move a brick around to stop it being hit by flying objects. I am saying this early in the review but this is the most annoying app for adverts that I have downloaded in a long time. The adverts are that invasive and annoying that it made me stop my review. 

This isn't a tap game which is different from a lot of the new apps to the store, in fact you move the brick by putting your finger on it and dragging it around the screen. The blocks to avoid are fired from a centralised shooting semi square and each one rebounds and moves off the walls. The longer you stay alive and the number of blocks shot and survived seem to give the score.

You can look on the game centre for achievements and high scores. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3 

There are no real instructions with the game but by messing around I figured it out on my second attempt at the game. This would have been quicker if not for the ads. 
Price - 3

This is free but with in app purchases, one of which I will expect to be to remove the ads. Where this fails is that you get so little game play vs the ads that you would not be temped to do so.

Adverts - 1
AWFUL I was honestly angered by the adverts, I hadn't even started the game and was faced with a full screen ad and then a video ad that went on for far too long. Then after each play the same process. Just too invasive and frustrating. I appreciate that people need to make money from ads, but they should be checked before go live and really think, would I keep this if i downloaded it especially when before you even try to play there are video ads?

Overall Rating - 1.5

I couldn't continue with this app, watching adverts every 20 seconds is not for me. The concept is ok but not good enough to endure the endless adverts.

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Delete, already gone.

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/protect-the-brick/id912146231?mt=8

Menu option - easy, medium, hard, crazy. Selected easy and greeted by an ad - sigh. Brief instruction, barely anything there, then a full bloody video ad for 10 seconds finished by a full screen ad... i may not be in the best mood to look at this app now. Game finishes - can't say i knew what i was doing and another 5 seconds ad.

Out Of Circle - 3.5 Stars

What is it?

Out of Circle is a tap style game with the aim to escape a rotating circles. I was contacted on Twitter to review this game so was pretty excited to get started. I think this is a love or hate  app game as it can be very frustrating. 

The game is a white circle  outline with a gap rotating around a dot, you tap the screen to release the dot but if you hit the edge you die. Once out of the first circle you move to another and so on an so forth. The style, speed and direction of the circle change between moves and the longer you stay alive the more complex it appears. 

One frustration that I did have is that you can't tap anywhere on the screen as you are restricted to a circle at the bottom of the screen. This was particularly annoying when you were into the game, missed and lost the flow. 

There are three modes to the game: Arcade, Time Trail and Chirstmas (which I assume means Christmas with an unfortunate typo!). As it is Christmas I mainly played the Chirstmas version. The screen has a few colours that it changes to between plays, with stockings hanging from the header and festive snowfall. 

The normal version is the same as the Chirstmas game but is a  full colour screen, which I feel is a little plain and would benefit from having anything on there to liven it up a bit. 

If you have played DashUp then this is very similar to it. The colours and set up are the same but the format of the game play is different through the use of circles and not sliding white bars. 

Thus far my highest score is a mere 11 but my partner has scored 13 and is forth overall in the world with the highest being a mere 16. This is a bit of an indication to how difficult the game is to master and that there are some frustrating adverts, that I must admit has made me kill the game a few times. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 4 

This is a pretty simple game to get a grasp off but it is difficult. If you have poor reaction speeds you will quickly get angry with it but it is interesting for in home challenges. The main frustration is that you can't tap anywhere on the screen to play and if you miss the tap circle you lose your flow. 


Price - 5

This is a free game with no in app purchases. 

Adverts - 2
This game is riddled with adverts. There is a constant banner at the bottom of the screen, but it doesn't interrupt game play. After three plays there are full screen ads, these start off as manageable but after about 8 plays they turn into 5 second screen invaders. After 4 of these in a row the game got switched off. As this game is difficult you don't want to break your concentration but the ads do it for you!

Overall Rating - 1

I have struggled with rating this app but I am going for 3.5 stars. The adverts are annoying and the game is a little difficult to play. The inability to tap anywhere on the nearly blank screen is also frustrating. With that said it has remained on my phone and from starting the review to now i have upped my score...but will I get the highest in the world. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

I will be keeping this for a little while longer as I enjoy the competition, but if the adverts get any more annoying it will have to go :(

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/out-of-circle/id943841480?ls=1&mt=8

Dash Up - 5 Stars

What is it?

I wasn't sure what this was but I stumbled upon it when I searched for 'Christmas Apps' on the App Store and scrolled like a lunatic to find the less popular or featured not offering.  Dash Up  can be compared to the popular follow up to Flappy Birds, Swing Copters. The aim of the game is to tap the screen, navigating a bauble to the top whilst avoiding obstacles. If you hit an obstacle you break the bauble with a shattering smash.

I have been thinking of the best way to describe what the obstacles are and I might be having a slow day but basically they are white blocks that close together like elevator doors. If you hit them whilst closed or get the bauble suck between them then game over. 

I haven't fully mastered this game yet, with my pitiful score of six (which was smashed by someone getting 25 as I typed this review), but I like this one. I found Swing Copters infuriating and I couldn't get past one, much to the delight of who I was playing against! Dash Up on the other hand isn't so brutal and is much easier to play, but do not be fooled into thinking it isn't frustrating! 

What I liked about this Christmas app is that it is festive. When you start there is a little festive jingle that plays that soon builds up into Jingle bells. The app uses bold festive full screen colours with crisp white snow falling and Christmas Trees. The bauble is red and decorated and I really liked the whole package, though I appreciate this may not be to everyones liking. Another nice touch to the game is that when you get past the white obstacles you hear a festive jingly ping.

I will be honest I am not a fan of the flappy phenomena that took the world by storm this year but I am liking this. I think the crisp, although basic graphics, and the absence of the abnormal bird with huge lips instead of a beak has done it. I am not adverse to pixilated games but it is nice to have a game that has a similar format and is modern.

From the main menu there is a 'Mode' option. There are four modes, each of different colour and the one I have been playing is 'Christmas'. I like that the app can still be played after the festive time without the Christmas features.  In the other mode you play with a white ball, and because I am in a festive mode i am going to refer to it as a snowball, but of course the music changes!

The game is on the GameCentre so you can complete ;) You can also remove Ads, if you pay but to be honest there are only banner ads at the bottom which I hardly noticed. 

I think there will be a contest in my home this week with this app which I will without doubt lose at but I will try!  

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

Can you tap? If yes then you can play. 


Price - 5

This is free, you can upgrade to get rid of the ads, but I wouldn't bother as they are not intrusive.

Adverts - 4
There are ads, but only banner ads at the bottom and they do not interfere with game play, after a while I forgot that they were there. You can upgrade the app to remove the ads, but unless they do an update to add more I wouldn't bother. 

Overall Rating - 5

It could be my festive mood or the watching of frustration on peoples faces playing this app but I really like it!! It is not often that I like this type of game, so I am very impressed!

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Keep, no doubt about it!

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dash-up!/id910959738?mt=8