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15 Minutes Of Game – Benevolent Or Malevolent?


What do you do when you start to question how you look playing some of these games? Make someone else play them. Some of this weeks games are just as fun to watch other people play than they are to play yourself. My fiancé has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and that gives her more flexibility than the average person, so she was just the person i wanted to help me test games this week. To play some of these games, however, you don’t need a genetic condition or a superpower. All you need is 15 minutes of free time.

 

Stick Wars – John E. Hartzog – $.99

Stick Wars

An oldie but a goodie, Stick Wars is a throwback for me. This game has been around for years, but I always seem to come back to it. All you have to do is defend your wall from invading attackers. This becomes more fun once you realize the control you have. Pick up people and drop them from high up like an iPhone crash test video. Hold them prisoner, bomb them back to the stone age, or slam them into each other leaving stick man goop behind. Be malevolent, stick man style. 

Bridge Constructor: Portal – Headup GmbH – $4.99

Bridge Constructor Portal

I went into this game hoping it wouldn’t be a cheap money grabbing knockoff with none of the dialogue and insanity that makes a Portal game what it is. They did a good job keeping the nostalgia alive while introducing a new game play style. From the very beginning you’re ridiculed, incinerated, and mocked by GlaDOS as you construct bridges from portal to portal to get transport cars across safely. The tongue in cheek laughs that you’ve come to love return in Bridge Constructor Portal to suit your desire to be tested. 

Don’t Trip! – Noodlecake Studios Inc – free

Don’t Trip!

This is ridiculous, yet relatable if you have children. Don’t Trip! has you tip-toeing across a room stepping on bugs and avoiding legos. Oh, is that too easy? Now there’s fire trucks and tires. Then roombas with hatchets and literal lava covering the floor. Tap the screen and hold while you spin the phone to take your next step. If you take too long, the yellow, blocky life-ending mist will end the game for you. Watching Ari (my fiancé) use her entire body to walk across a room was the most fun i had this morning.

Shadowmatic – Triada Studio Games – $3.99

Shadowmatic

If you’re sick of stepping on Legos and cockroaches, then take some time to sit back with a nice puzzle game. Shadowmatic is a calming puzzler that is deceptively simple. Spin a random shape against a light casting a shadow on the wall. They don’t tell you what you’re trying to make, however the stars at the bottom of the page light up the closer you get. Graphically this game is beautiful; the use of light and the reflections/shadows are well done.

Realm Grinder – Kongregate – free

Realm Grinder

To start off, i was impressed with how balanced this game is. Realm Grinder is a fresh take on tap games. The beginning is simple and straight forward, although within a minute or two you’re asked to pick between good or evil. Faction coins are earned through tapping and once you have enough, you can align with a faction. This game actually molds to your play style so you don’t have to struggle through. The good side is more adept to active play (tapping, using power ups, etc) with the factions adding bonuses to tap percentages, mana regeneration, and more. Evil Doers may enjoy a passive play style, albeit slower going. The dark factions make assistants do the work, get more out of your top tier buildings, and load up on coins for short periods. As you go, other neutral factions and activities are unlocked to give additional breadth to the play style you can achieve. 

 

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That’s it for this week. Have fun playing these games, make it to the weekend and don’t forget to take a little time for yourself.