One Minute Gaming #42 - Where's My Head

This week, I've been playing a game called Where's My Head? It's a physics based puzzle game where you have to return a skull to the skeleton's body by cutting ropes and allowing the skull to fall in the right place.

It's not too difficult at first, just a swipe to cut here and a swipe to cut there but once you get a bit higher, there are ghosts which carry the skull upwards, spiked walls you have to avoid, bellows to blow the swinging skull around and coins to collect as well.



I'm really bad at these types of games but I did manage to get to level 12 before choosing to skip a level! There is a real money shop where you can buy helpful items but I'm pretty sure you don't really need them unless you're as bad as I am at physics stuff!

Overall, I'd give this game a 5 out of 10 - it's not a bad game, just not my taste and possibly gets too hard too quickly for novices.

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict

So until next time, have fun!

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or my new Kindle book on Amazon!
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One Minute Gaming #40 - Mini Warriors

This week, I've been playing a game called Mini Warriors which you may have heard Cold talking about. Well, I finally caved in and gave it a try & I'm sad to say he was right & I'm hooked!

You control a number of different army squads, from cavalry & mages to pikemen and infantry and you have to beat your opponent in short skirmishes. You start with 120 energy and you get one free refill each day. It does rebuild over time - I think it's one energy every five minutes so I use mine up before I sleep then it's full again in the morning.

Each squad has different strengths so before each battle, you can change the deployment of your troops. Each time you win a battle, you gain xp, gold and sometimes you get armor or materials. You can strengthen your units with the armor and the materials are used to upgrade special abilities or squad size.

Once each day, you can visit the tavern to recruit new squad leaders. There are 4 grades so I only recruit the blue or purple guys although I've been playing for a couple of weeks now & I only have 2 purple squad leaders!

It's a great little game and even though you can buy crystals with real money, you really don't need to at all. The free energy lasts a while and to be honest, it's not a game you would play for hours at a time. I think they have it fairly well balanced.

I'd give Mini Warriors a 9 out of 10 and I'll be keeping this one installed for sure.

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #33 - Bandits

This week, I've been trying to work out how to play a game called Bandits. It's a variation on the match three theme where you have heroes who take power ups from the matches you make to attack your enemies. Each level consists of 3-5 rounds with the final round having a boss enemy who is much stronger than the previous rounds.

There are only 3 colors to match but there are also hearts for healing, plus signs for boosting the color dots and special dots which fill up your heroes special ability. It's not a simple match three though - once you start a move, you can drag that single piece all over the board to move other dots to make multiple matches but beware, you are on a timer for each move.

The graphics and music are ok but I'm struggling to work out which hero does what! My red hero only seems to attack minions which is annoying as he's my strongest hero!

Overall it's not a bad game at all, I do find it a little frustrating though so I'd give it a 6 out of 10. If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #24 - A Dark Room

Not exactly the most enticing screenshot!

This week, I tried an old fashioned text adventure game called A Dark Room. I've only played one text adventure in the past - Forest of Doom on a Commodore 64 so I thought I'd have a look at this one for you.

The reviews were mixed - those who said they loved it remembered text adventures from the past, those who said they hated it just didn't understand it's simplicity - I'd guess they were youngsters, too used to flashy graphics and loud music of more modern games.

I have to say, I'm not sure which camp I fall in - love it or hate it - as a text adventure it actually seems really slow to me. The game designers have added in resources to collect which I don't remember from the old games and so far, I haven't found anyone to fight. I have started to build a village and gained some gatherers though.

The reviews suggested that the story takes a while to unfold so I'm going to keep going a while longer yet but unless it picks up pretty soon, I think this will be a limited time game on my ipad. It may well appeal to some of you but I'm really undecided about A Dark Room so I'm going to give it a 5 out of 10, mainly for it's slowness so far!

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time - have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #23 - Puzzix

This week I have another puzzle game for you called Puzzix - it's a little bit like Tetris but with nicer music, graphics and probably more polish. I used to love Tetris and was my family champion so I had to try this game out. It's available on the Apple iStore and on Amazon for Android users too which is a nice change. So many games I review are iPhone/iPad only as I don't have an Android phone with enough space to play games to review them!

The basic idea is the same as Tetris in that you have falling shapes that you need to fit together to clear them, but Puzzix only requires you to match 3 or 4 together to clear them. The shapes are a lot more complicated though so it evens out the difficulty level.

Each level is timed to 2 minutes and they get progressively harder. You start off with just 1 column of falling shapes but that increases as you go up the levels. I've got to level 20 and now I have 5 columns of falling shapes and more starter shapes already in place to clear.

The music is calming and so far, the game hasn't got faster but with the difficult shapes, I'm not sure it needs much more speed.

I like it although I'm not sure how long I'll keep playing. With the calmer music and gentler feel, it doesn't get the adrenaline flowing like Tetris used to so I'm going to give it a 7 out of 10.

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #22 - Toilet Time

This week, I found a silly game called Toilet Time which was one of the titles suggested for this segment so of course, I had to review this game for you! It's also available on Android so no-one gets left out! You can get the Android version of Toilet Time via Amazon and like the ipad version, it's free too.

It really is a silly 5 minute game but it is quite catchy too. If you've ever played Dumb Ways To Die, you'll have a good idea of this game. If you haven't played Dumb Ways to Die - Toilet Time is just a series of very quick puzzles - probably 15 seconds each and you have four toilet rolls for lives!

There's a maze, a wash your hands, a squish the bug and a sort the queue into male & female puzzle to name just a few but it is definitely schoolboy toilet humour throughout.

There's a challenge to beat a certain score & if you do, you get a golden key - that reveals a historic toilet display in the toilet museum with a witty description - so far I've found a Pee-ramid, and Eco-loo and a Chinese loo with a saying from Con-poo-cius!

Overall it's a pretty sad game but it does have a little humour. I'd give it a 4 out of 10 and probably flush it pretty quickly!

If you have a game you'd like me to try out, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or perhaps leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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Check out my latest project
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One Minute Gaming #21 - Asphalt 8

This week, I stepped way out of my usual game types to try a Car Racing game. I picked Asphalt 8 as it had the best reviews out of the top few racing games & I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised!

The graphics are brilliant and the music is changeable - you can choose between Bass, Electronic & Rock so there should be something for everyone to get your blood pumping as you race.

There's loads of different tracks, race styles, achievements, cars, upgrades etc - way too many to describe here but although I've only done a few races, I'm really enjoying it. I even won my 2nd race!!!

Some of the reviews were a bit negative about the pay to win shop & yes, that is going to be a factor if you want to play competitively but as a free app, it is a great game and you can not only race your friends, you can race their ghost cars too so even if you can't play at exactly the same time, you can still beat their butts!

I'd give this an 8 out of 10 and I have a feeling I might be playing this one for a while too!

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on twitter @NevAHAddict or you can leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #20 - Fates Forever

Fates Forever

This week I've been trying out a new MOBA for the iPad called Fates Forever and I have to say on first impressions, I'm pretty impressed! I've been playing League of Legends this year and this Fates Forever feels very very similar.

The graphics are a bit cutesy  but as it's based on animals as the heroes and set in a woodland environment, I guess cute is not really a surprise! I do like the music & voice acting too.

I've played through the tutorials and I have to say, I think they are some of the best tutorials I've come across - a total MOBA newbie could easily pick up the basics and enjoy playing straight off.

There's the usual gear shop within the game which uses gold earned in a match - that will be familiar to MOBA players but there's also a way to earn Ore by playing. Jade is the Real Money option and you can buy it to use instead of Ore to unlock characters to play.

But there's no need to pay to unlock characters - each week has different free ones and earning Ore works just as well for most purchases even if it takes a little longer!

If you're looking for a portable MOBA to get your fix between League of Legends or Smite fixes, this could well be an option for you - I love it and give it a 9 out of 10. I haven't actually played it very much but with a long journey coming up, I'm pretty sure this game will help pass a lot of time in the air!

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

so until next time - have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #19 - PewPew!

PewPew!

This week I've found a new version of an old favorite arcade game - it's called PewPew and is an updated version of Asteroids and yes, it does have pewpew sound effects too!

The graphics are simple line elements and the basic controls are direction on the left thumb and shooting direction with the right but that really messes with my brain! In the old arcade game, you could only shoot forward of your ship so you had a direction button and a fire button - I remember hours of spinning in one place and only moving when I really had to!

There are 4 other variations of the basic game you can play - Pandemonium, Dodge This, Assault & Chromatic Conflict - all great fun but Chromatic Conflict is my favorite - you can only kill enemies the same color as your ship & you have to get to colored bases or 'pulsars' to change your own color!

I've only just started playing it but I think this could be a great game for those 5-10 minute gaps, especially if you want an adrenaline boost. I'd give this an 8 out of 10.

"Edited to add - it's 2 weeks later and I'm still playing it a lot! I feel like a big kid again!"

I found it on the iPad App Store but PewPew is also available on Android - Yay! That's good news for me as I have an Android phone too!

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on twitter @Nevahaddict or you can leave a comment below.

so until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #18 - Megapolis

Megapolis

This week, I've been playing Megapolis - a city building, resource management game very much like the old Sim City game I had on my Amiga 1200 years ago!

You start off with some basic buildings and resources available and lots of coins to spend but don't get too carried away! The other currency in game is the megabuck - you do earn some of these each time you level but you can also buy them with real money and as so many game developers do these days, it's the megabucks needed to buy the really cool stuff.

It took me a while to even scroll around the map out of curiosity - I'm so used to the limited play space on some games but this map is huge! The roads to the airport, baseball stadium and loads of other buildings are already in place so there is some structure already laid out for you but I don't think that will restrict your creativity too much!

With over 500 different building in the Infrastructure category and 200 in the residential buildings category, there's definitely stuff here for everyone! If you liked Sim City, I'm guessing this game might just fill a gap on your phone or ipad and even better, Megapolis is available for Android too!

I'm going to give this game a 9 out of 10 - it's already sucked me in!

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

Until next time - have fun!

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Check out my latest project
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One Minute Gaming #17 - Dwarven Den

This week, I've been playing a game called Dwarven Den. It's a puzzle adventure game, set in a lost buried city. You are a dwarf, destined to dig out the treasures and rescue lost citizens.

You start with 3 lives and a set amount of energy and tech points but you use at least 1 energy to dig each block out. You navigate the maze of buried tunnels and sometimes you find extra energy (red) or tech (blue) nodes.

level start

The tech nodes let you use lights to expand the dark areas or place bombs & traps to blow up the spiders or mummies that are trying to stop you.

There are treasure chests to find and gold blocks to dig up too. You can also forge better items by combining two of the same - they increase your visibility, slow monsters or increase your gold & tech rewards.

level finish map

Each level has a specific challenge - dig all the gold (like these screenshots) or to find a missing person perhaps. Luckily there's no timer on the levels so you can take your time to work things out and there are loads of levels to play through. If you need some extra gold to buy an upgrade, you can go back and do some easier levels very quickly.

I'm really enjoying it and for someone who likes puzzles, it's a pretty good game. It's one of my favorites so far & I give it a 9 out of 10.

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #16 - Disco Zoo

This week I downloaded a game called Disco Zoo - it has four and a half stars on the app store so I wanted to have a look. The graphics are really basic - kinda cutesy pixellated style and the play mode is also very basic.

The idea is to jump in your helicopter and go out to capture wild animals to stock your zoo. Capturing them is a battleships style event - you have a grid of boxes, 10 attempts and a hint as to how many boxes each animal needs. Click on a box and if it reveals an animal, you then click around that square to find the other segments.

You quickly run out of attempts but they have thought of that - just watch a free video ad to get 5 more free attempts. The ads really are short though so they aren't too annoying!

After you capture an animal, the builders back at the zoo will build an enclosure for it. Meanwhile the visitors are leaving tips and earning you gold.

The Disco part is the stupidest part though - for the low price of 1 note you can start a disco - all the animals jump around, there's a disco ball & the streetlamps flash and you earn double the amount of coins!

It's a silly, very basic game but if you have toddlers, it might keep them amused for a few minutes at a time. Overall I'd give it a 3 out of 10 - nothing to keep me playing and definitely not going to pay for more coins or notes either!

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

Until next time, have fun!

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Check out my latest project
Gifts for Gamers and Geeks

One Minute Gaming #15 - Swamp Attack

Swamp Attack

Hello & welcome - This week I've been playing a game called Swamp Attack - suggested to me by Cold. It's an endless shooter type game with waves of swamp critters coming at you & your shotgun.

You're sitting on your porch in your rocking chair in the middle of a swamp, with the radio on and all these alligators, rats and mosquitoes are coming at you. You have a shotgun which you need to reload periodically so you can't just keep firing like crazy. Some of the critters shoot back and there are random UFO's too which drop dynamite, molotov cocktails, fridges and other helpful items.

drop a fridge to freeze them

Your aim is to collect coins to add power ups like new weapons, ammunition or defenses which you will need as you progress through the levels.

There are 3 episodes with each one having 18 levels that get progressively harder & harder but the improved weaponry really helps as you level.

It's a fun, quirky game with cartoon style graphics and some okay music although you can change the radio station! Overall I'd give Swamp Attack an 8 out of 10.

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on Twitter @Nevahaddict or leave a comment below.


Until next time then, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #14 - Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2

This week, I've been playing Temple Run 2 - it's an endless runner type game with an Indiana Jones feel. You are Guy Dangerous, a rough & ready looking fellow and you start off running along the top of a broad wall with a huge gorilla chasing you. You swipe up to jump, down to slide on your back and left or right to turn quickly.

So far, I've fallen off edges, drowned, been eaten by the gorilla so many times I've lost count, splatted on a wooden mangle type thing and caught in a flame thrower trap to name just a few of my precarious endings. I also have a tendency to jump when I should duck which doesn't help!

As always with these free games, you can use real money to buy gems which allow you to purchase power-ups - but so far, I haven't been tempted. There are objectives & challenges to complete which help you level up and reward you with extra coins or even gems.

The graphics are pretty good & I have to say, I love the humor on the scoreboard each time you die. It just drips sarcasm but makes me smile almost every time!

I'd give Temple Run an 8 out of 10 - just fast enough game play to be challenging but not impossible, good graphics and some humor too. Not bad at all!

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on Twitter @Nevahaddict or perhaps, leave a comment below :)

So until next time - have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #13 - Dextris

This week, I've been playing Dextris - it's billed as a difficult game and it is!

You've probably heard how a deceptively simple looking game like Flappy Bird drove everyone crazy for a while and I think you'll get some of the same frustrating but addictive gameplay reactions with Dextris.

You control 2 small blocks - all you have to do is dodge the spikes, left, right, middle or split the 2 blocks but after playing for an hour, my high score is only 18!

Yup - it's a twitch game and I obviously can't twitch fast enough to succeed at this one.  It will probably be one of those games I play for 5 minutes here & there when I need an adrenaline boost or a giggle but I'm so bad at it, I have to laugh!

I'd give it maybe a 5 out of 10 - simple controls but very fast gameplay make it too frustrating for me to really get into it.

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on Twitter @ NevAHAddict or leave a comment below. So until next time, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #12 - Aerox

Aerox

This week I've been playing a game called Aerox - it's a simple idea but it's not so simple to play!

You control a ball using the tilt abilities of your iPad with an onscreen touch spot for a brake and one for camera angle. Each level consists of an obstacle course magically suspended above an ocean and all you have to do is not fall off the edge! Much easier said than done!

So far, I've come across bridges, boxes to nudge, bounce traps and have just graduated to angled floors but as long as I take my time, I can do most of them fairly easily even if I am slow! There is a timer on each level so I'm definitely not winning any speed prizes or hitting any leaderboards!

The graphics are clean and crisp, the music is gentle and fairly soothing and not too repetitive.

The options screen lets you adjust the camera tilt sensitivity so if you are having lots of problems - maybe try adjusting that - I did and I think it helped.

When I caught myself swearing and tipping the iPad at sharp angles to stop the ball falling off the edge, I realised that this game has me hooked!

Overall, Aerox has a polished feel and smooth gameplay. I like it but it is only an occasional game for me so I'll give it a 7 out of 10.

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on twitter @Nevahaddict or you can leave a comment below..

Until next time then, have fun!

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One Minute Gaming #11 - Lazors

Lazors

This week I've been taxing my brain with a puzzle game called Lazors. At the basic levels, you have a laser, some blocks and a target - all you have to do is position the blocks to bounce the laser around and hit the target.

Once you get the hang of that though, the game designers have added in multiple different types of blocks like non reflective ones which just block the laser, glass ones which split the laser into 2 beams or wormhole blocks which cuts the beam and lets it re-emerge elsewhere on the board!

There are loads of puzzles in the game at varying levels of difficulty. Sometimes if I play on a difficult level, I can solve the puzzle almost instantly but other times it can take 5 minutes or more! It does get frustrating playing an easy or medium level and struggling to solve it though but I guess our brains all work in different ways - I know mine does!

This is a great game to fill those 5 minute gaps in your schedule - until you get stuck of course & then that 5 minutes will expand until you finally get that laser to hit the target!

For being annoyingly compulsive, I'd give this game a 7.5 out of 10 but I will be keeping it installed until I clear all the levels!

If you have a game you'd like me to try out, you can contact me on Twitter @Nevahaddict or leave a comment below.

So until next time - have fun!

Download Lazors for Android for free too!

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One Minute Gaming #10 - Diner Match

This week I've been playing a game called Diner Match, created by an old acquaintance from my photography days. It's a fairly basic, easy to understand game but don't be fooled by the simplicity.

All you have to do is deliver the food to the correct plates and pick up tips as they arrive. The food arrives across the middle of the screen and there is one plate in each corner - simply flick the fresh food to the correct plate.

Sounds so easy, doesn't it?

Well, the first 30 seconds or so are easy but it gets faster and faster until your hand just cannot keep up with your brain! You also get a bonus for delivering 3 of the same in a row but make the most of the slower levels for that - once it gets faster, you won't have time to worry about bonuses!

You do get 3 lives - you lose one for each incorrect delivery or if you don't manage to deliver an item. They disappear fast once you lose your rhythm though!

Yes, it is a pretty basic game but like so many other basic games, it gets you with the adrenaline rush - I'm trying to keep up and so focused that when I lose a game, I sometimes find myself out of breath. It seems I hold my breath whilst concentrating that hard!

Anyway, for simple and addictive gameplay, I give Diner Match an 8 out of 10.

My top score is about 300 at the moment - see if you can beat me!

If you have a game you'd like to suggest, you can contact me on Twitter @NevAHAddict or leave a comment below.

Until next time, have fun!

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Check out my latest project
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One Minute Gaming 09 - Smash Hit

Smash Hit

Hello and welcome back. This week I've been playing a game called Smash Hit, an endless runner type game with a difference. In Smash Hit, you are firing balls at glass pyramids to collect extra balls which you need to smash through glass obstacles.

The graphics are great and the sound effects of breaking glass are fantastic - if you like the sound of breaking glass of course! The background music is a pretty soothing counterpoint to all the damage you are causing and it just feels like a smooth run through a beautiful glass landscape with chaos erupting as you pass!

It has very simple controls, just tap to aim and fire the balls - but you'll soon find out about gravity effects and firing too soon. Some of the later stages move faster of course but there are slower ones too - the challenge of breaking the glass obstacles just gets harder instead of faster!

I love this game - the look of it, the sound effects, great music and the simple but clever gameplay make it a winner for me so I'd give it a 9 out of 10.

If you'd like to suggest a game, you can contact me on Twitter @Nev AH Addict or you can leave a comment below.

So until next time, have fun!

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Check out my latest project
Gifts for Gamers and Geeks

Army of Darkness #8

Army of Darkness

This week I've been playing Army of Darkness - Defence, starring a knight called Ash, whose job it is to protect the Necronomicon from hordes of invading skeletons. As with most Tower Defence type games, you can upgrade weapons and defences and the hordes get bigger and faster as you progress thru the levels.

Cold found this one and I know he kinda got addicted to it whilst I was there and managed to finish it - I'm not quite that addicted although I am enjoying it. I'm also not that good at these types of games! I love the animations and the boomstick & chainsaw upgrades are fun. The sound effects aren't too annoying so for once I have actually left the sound on - very unusual for me.

I'm about halfway through the levels and I will keep going until I beat the end boss but I don't know how quickly I will get there - it's not a 'must play' game for me, more of a 'got 5 minutes to kill' kinda game. So I'd give it a 7 out of 10 but if you like strategy & tower defence games, it's definitely worth a try.

If you have a game you'd like me to try, you can contact me on twitter @Nev AH Addict or leave a comment below.

Until next time, have fun :)

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