Monopoly GO! review: look at the Monopoly guy big eyes trying to steal all your money…

Monopoly Go! is a recently released mobile game available on iOS and Android, but before you dive in, think twice. This game seems to be primarily designed as a money-making scheme, relentlessly pushing in-app purchases and utilizing slot machine mechanics to enhance its addictive nature.

Monopoly GO! a review

While it carries the Monopoly name and features a familiar game board, that’s where the resemblance ends. In Monopoly Go!, the traditional gameplay mechanics are completely altered. Instead of paying for properties, you actually earn money when you land on them. Additionally, certain actions, such as shutting down your friends’ properties or engaging in bank heists, can be executed when you land on train stations.

The game introduces time-limited themes lasting around two days, offering rewards and requiring you to collect tokens when you reach specific spots on the board. Furthermore, there’s a 24-hour friendly competition where players compete against each other to accumulate the most tokens from train stations.

Beyond its surface, Monopoly Go! is riddled with dark patterns, embodying all the sins of free-to-play games and more.

1- Energy, or dice in the case of Monopoly Go, serves as a limiting factor in gameplay. You can only play with the number of dice you have, and while you might earn more through reward or other gimmicks, once you run out, you’re left with two options: pay for more or pester your friends to join.

2- Lost aversion is at play, as friends and strangers alike can wreck your game board and pilfer your hard-earned money. Repairing the board incurs costs, and if you’re not vigilant, they can snatch away all your funds (it happened to me with a staggering 24 million). When you run out of money, the game, you guess it, entices you to purchase Monopoly money with real cash.

3- Some daily rewards are hidden or hard to reach. Accessing them involves navigating through four pages of purchase temptations. The game even moved the reward from the first page to the last, leading people like myself to mindlessly click, inadvertently ending up on the google play page, where a purchase confirmation awaits.

4- Upon loading the game, you’re bombarded with approximately 4-5 pop-ups soliciting money. Themes of the day, limited-time offers, one-time deals, board reports, and at the end yet another reminder of the theme of the day—it’s an endless barrage.

5- The game employs time-based boards event, such as an event where landing on taxes earns you money or death instead of losing funds. However, to recover those gains, you must land on free parking. Which is annoying when you keep landing everywhere else but the free parking.

6- Stickers, a seemingly pointless feature, took me a while to comprehend. Finally, after assembling a set, I received a handful of dice. Yet, they remain bothersome since opening a single pack take an eternity because of the animation—a precursor to the next point.

7- Monopoly Go! inundates you with meaningless rewards, accompanied by drawn-out animations. Each action, whether it’s a shutdown or a bank heist, prompts an animation featuring the Monopoly guy donning a hard hat and riding a train. Even if the reward is a measly 10 dice, each item receives its own animation, carefully designed to elicit that dopamine rush and keep you hooked.

If you’ve managed to endure my rambling, let me confess that I wasted a staggering 17 hours on this game this week, according to my phone’s records. The dopamine rushes, the fear of not having enough shields to protect my board until the next game—all of it compels you to keep playing. That 400-dice reward when you believed you were finished? You tell yourself, ‘Guess I must play all these dice now.’. Fortunately, I didn’t spend a dime on this game.

My final verdict, considering the heavy emphasis on microtransactions and the departure from the classic Monopoly experience, it might be best to approach Monopoly Go! with caution.

Talk hockey

Blocky Hockey


Grab your puck and skate like mad in a fresh, fun hockey runner! The most fun you can have with a puck, combining realistic physics and humorous gameplay. Hit the ice and light the lamp with body checks and fighting. This is actually the description of the game on the play store. The game is actually fun, but scoring is actually really hard with you start having multiple defense and have a bad angle. A lot of content available via in-app purchase, skin and other stuff.

Ice Rage: Hockey

It’s a great one-on-one ice hockey game – you play the red team unless you play multi-player where you can get the blue team. You have a minute and 45 seconds to outscore the blues, by moving around with the virtual stick and shooting with the shot button.
Goalkeepers are AI controlled, so you just need to control your forward player on the ice.

I actually really like the multiplayer of that game, they pair you up against someone randomly, usually of your skill, and you bang it out like champs.

Hockey Physics

A hockey game with funny physic mechanic. However, they should add more gameplay option and the cpu is too predictable.
Graphic isn’t “forte” either, but it’s funny looking enough to give it a try.

Hockey Clicker

Ok where should I begin. Its look like a game that I could code myself and put it online. However, the game is not that bad, it’s rather simplistic yet oddly addictive.
You play with a third-person view and all you do is to shoot on a goal by tapping on the display. You can to upgrade your gear, your team, etc. You earn cash in training, and by playing matches, it’s also offers a multiplayer mode.
There are a lot of other game that worth probably more your time that this one, either from this list or our previous list.

 

Hockey Games

Ok, SEO wise this game has the dumbest name ever. If you search for hockey games all the other game from the previous list will show up before this one because they are more popular. It’s like naming my game Shoot and kill stuff, I bet call of duty will come up before even if the user search for shoot and kill stuff in the play store. Maybe it worked for them, but with a stupid name like that it’s off for a bad start.

The game is pretty simple, there’s a net and you play the player that shoots on it. Has you progress obstacles and player to block you are added.  I tried to find other review of that game, but since the name is so broad I could get anything to help you.

That all for today, I’ve removed a bunch of hockey sim game to make a post only on those, hopefully I won’t take another 2 months to write it.

Now that I basically stop playing power play manager I’ve started to check what hockey game are on Android, don’t worry Apple fan boys your turn will come and anyway most of those games are on both platform. They are ordered from the most downloaded to the least.

Stickman Ice Hockey


Stickman Ice hockey was one of the best hockey game on android for awhile (at least the one with the most download), but now the ads are ridiculous, you spend as much time watching ads as you do playing. They don’t have any NHL teams, but they have the team per NHL city and the teams from 16 countries. It the only game I’ve won right off the bat, 6-5 in OT with the best team (Sweden) available against the worst team (Austria), it’s pretty easy to score and get scored, the control are ok, face-off might be hard at first, but you get it pretty quickly.

 

Ice Hockey 3D

Another game with no NHL franchise, at least we get a team logo here. My first game I got squash 5-1 with 4 goals in the 3rd period, the AI on your team is practically nonexistent, they just stare at the puck and when you drop it and follow you when you have it. In NHL I use to let my defense handle when a player enters the zone and in this game they just stare at the guy instead. They are probably telling him “Go on body, give your best shot and I won’t even try to block” and the goaler is out taking a piss because if a player draws to close he let everything in.

Controls are okay, but your options are extremely limited. You have your skating control and a button for speed boost. On offense, you have a button to shoot and a button to pass. On defense, you have a button to substitute and a button for poke-checking. That’s literally it. It’s also incredibly easy to score. Overall, this game isn’t that good, but if you like the idea of getting your player better with micro-transaction and daily bonus this might be something you like.

Matt Duchene’s Hockey Classic

If you’re looking for something with the NHLin it, this game got something, it’s Matt Duchene and the cities name from the NHL team, no player name (except Duchene), no team names&logos.

I only tried the free part of the game, the control are not bad once you get use to it. However, I didn’t like that checking is an automatic penalty when they can trip you. And poking at a goalie possessed Puck counts as roughing. You have to pay a fee to unlock the whole game (5$ at the time of this writing). Note that I read that you have to pay every time you download.

It’s free but cost 5$ for the whole game

And for some reason its want to access your files and pictures…

BIG WIN Hockey

Here we are changing the game type a bit. BIG WIN Hockey is hockey simulation where you get player by drafting them from a deck of card which might include power up (skill boost) and “Big impact card” (in game power up). You can get NHL player buy buying special pack. The game has been around for awhile (2012 I think) but its seem it’s still going strong.

I normally like hockey simulation game (like Powerplay manager and senior hockey league) but this one is filled with ads and you get match up against team twice your rating from the start. I’ve played a bit in the past, but drop because of the ads and grinding required if you don’t want to pay. I started a new team to remember the game a bit and only first game was against a team with my rating, all other I was against had almost twice my rating and level 5 or more, I started with a rating of 38 and all other team where 68, 73, 73, 78 and the last 48….

Really not friendly when you start, they should be more generous to entice people to play.

 

Puppet Ice Hockey: Pond Head


This game was not what I expected. You play 1 vs 1 in a 2d side view with power up and power down which make the game hilarious when you power down the other player with a rocket and he start flying. Super easy to score the AI seem a little dumb at time, but can be challenging to.

With its funny theme, easy controls. Everyone who like hockey should give this game a try.

 

MVP Hockey

It’s more of a non stop shootout game than an actual hockey game. Each period, a player shot the puck at the goaler or you play the goaler. You can buy power up to increase your chance of scoring. You can only play country team, there no NHL team or player.

From what I’ve played, controlling the goaler is pretty annoying, sometime you obviously block and they scored anyway. When you shoot and don’t use the “power shot” you basically never score. Always the same thing, its get boring pretty quickly.

 

Hockey Showdown

You play either has a goaler glove to block the puck or the stick (and I think you control the puck too) when you’re on offences. That’s it. There the NHL teams cities, but not the real teams. There are different modes of playing and you can upgrade you stick and glove for better accuracy. This game is a complete glitch fest, says you scored when you missed and vice versa. It doesn’t shoot the puck when you swipe 85% of the time. Graphics are nice and better than some of the other games on this list, but I would recommend passing on this one.

Hockey Stars

The only thing related to hockey in this game is there’s a puck and there’s a goal and the background look like ice, swap the puck for a ball and you got football star. Yet the game is actually fun to play and it’s only multiplayer. Ads don’t bother you every 2 seconds and game are pretty quick.

 

 

My dear readers, you all know my love for the rogue like space game FTL. I have to tell you, I’ve fallen in love with a other roguelike game. This time is a fantasy game free on Android and on PC called Pixel Dungeon.

Pixel Dungeon is a traditional roguelike game with pixel-art graphics and a simple interface. This game make me think of a very similar game (almost a clone of) Hack, slash, loot. Hack, slash, loot is a roguelike game like Pixel dungeon, however instead of just one dungeon you have a selection of adventure you can chose from, completing quest and dying will help you unlock characters (10 vs the 4 of pixel dungeon). Hack slash loot was released on steam and now it’s a paid app on the play store. 

The game is easy to play but very hard to win, it’s so random that it’s basically take more luck that skill. However the experience is enjoyable.

You can get a more in-dept review at indieretronews.com.

Who doesn’t love pirates, they roam the sea in search of adventures and treasures, they fight ship and steal merchants every thing you need for a good game. We are going to look a what cool pirates games are out there in the mobile market

Age of Booty Tactics (iOs)

If you played Age of Booty on steam you will be very happy to know there a new version on iOs. Age of Booty: Tactics is free to play and only playable in two separate options of turn-based multiplayer: you can either go the traditional asynchronous way and submit a turn and want for your opponent to make their move, or you can play with a local friend on a shared device using a pass-and-play interface. Victory will earns you a pile of booty which you can use to upgrade your fleet and buy upgrades.

Play it it’s free: Age of Booty: Tactics – Certain Affinity

Official site: http://www.ageofbooty.com/

Related: Multiplayer piratical RTS Age of Booty Tactics

Bouncy Pirates (iOs)

Bouncy Pirates is an adorable arcade game where you need to juggle pirates from there ship to a island to help them steal treasure from a chest.

They’re launched from your ship by shooting them with the cannon You then tap the barrels floating in the sea at the right time to jump them around up to to the island where the treasure lies. Once they reach the treasure chest you need to bounce them back to your ship until the treasure is empty.

pretty easy game at the beginning with one pirate but its get harder the more pirates jump off you ship. Give it a try it’s free 🙂

Play it it’s free : Bouncy Pirates – Nathan Malville

Related: Bouncy Pirate

Final Fantasy VI

For those who don’t know one of my favorite game of all time Final Fantasy VI is out on android and iOs. It come out with “improved” graphic and hopefully with the extra goodies of the gameboy advance version (Dragon Den’s, new espers, etc) 

I’m big fan of this game, I’ve even recently finished the gameboy advance version. I find that the game might be a big expensive at 15.99$ for a mobile game, but If you think about it the original game was around 60$.

Related News:

Final Fantasy VI (pocketGamer)

Oh No square what have you done to Final Fantasy VI (kotaku)

Final Fantasy VI Bug (pocketGamer)

Dragon Sky: Final Fantasy meet Clash of Titan

It seems that Square Enix is going to be inspired by Supercell’s Clash of Clans with its upcoming RTS Dragon Sky.
from the few images we got it seems that their mixing the artwork familiar Final Fantasy-loving crowd with the base-raiding gameplay of CoC, Dragon Sky has a lot going on.
It’s even have Final Fantasy XI composer Naoshi Mizuta attached to the project.

A large portion of Dragon Sky will focus on multiplayer battles and cooperative raid boss instances, but there is also a single-player campaign that doles out the story behind the events of the world.

Related news: Dragon Sky (pocketgamer)

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is on sale for iOS and Android

If you’re a fan of the series and balked at the asking price, you can grab the game on iOS and Android right now for a cut-down price to celebrate the imminent release of Final Fantasy VI on iOS.

You can pick Final Fantasy IV: The After Years up right now for £7.49 / $10.99 from the App Store and the Google Play Store.

For those late in the news Star Wars Tiny Death Star was released, you can check out the trailer below.


 

The Emperor asked you, Vader, to build shop and restaurant in the death star to entertain your troop and make money to pay for the main purpose of the death star, bring terror and death through all the galaxy.

 

You play has Vader the mastermind building the new death star and you must find the delicate balance of building commerce to finance your little project and spending your money of imperial floor to investigate the rebel secret and build your ultimate weapon.

 

Star wars Tiny Death might seem like a clone of tiny tower set in the star wars universe. Sure there is similarities specially the gameplay that haven’t changed much between the two games but I’ve found some difference and I’ve decided to put a list of them.

Top 10 majors difference between Tiny death star and Tiny tower that wills make you want to play both

  1. Imperial floor, Mission from Vader with imperial floors (this remove the creative floor from tiny tower)
  2. Emperor mission instead of the mission on tiny tower
  3. Special character can visit you and you can collect them
  4. Special scene: When a special character visit you it may trigger a scene if he visit the right floor
  5. Elevator upgrades multiply your tips, which make it worthwhile to upgrade them compare to the one in the original tiny tower game.
  6. Some characters like to keep secret where they are going
  7. You have to search for rebel and special character in your star instead of searching for bitzen
  8. Its way harder to get extra free bux than in Tiny Tower
  9. You play has freaking Vader
  10. You have hundreds even thousands of Star Wars reference

Honorable mention

  • Some char won’t tell you where they are going only until you move them
  • New VIPs

 

Quick Impression on Bubblis

I recently had the chance to review bubblis new word game recently.
You can check the press release here.

01

At first I had trouble getting how to play Bubblis but with the help of the tutorial I’ve manage to understand the basic of the game. 

Once you understand that you just need to make the word on the right on the line the word is, the game become much easier and fun.

Here how it work : the letter slowly falling in a bubble one by one from the clouds. You to tape where they are going to try to make the word on the right side on the same line, if you don’t taps were the letter goes it might go randomly any were and if there no more space between the letter to fall and the cloud you’re done (like Tetris).
Note when you manage to get your word, all rows under this word are cleared giving you space to dispose of useless letters.

This picture might give you a good idea how it work :

05

On third line (x3) the player must make the word Robe but since there no letter on the third line the word stay on the right. On the second line the word was jew and since our friend managed to put the letter j and e he only need the letter w to clear the first and second. On the last line, the word that needed to be played is top and he almost got it too only the p missing.

Note that if you mange to get the word from the first line only the first line is clear. Like in the case of our friend, if he manage to get top only the first line is cleared and the letter j and e will fall on the first row instead of the second one.

You can download either the regular version or the HD version of Bubblis. Give Bubblis some love.

If you want to see more of the game before buying it, you can look a this promo video:

Update : For those who asked the link to download hit here they are :

iTunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bubblis/id510585983?mt=8
price: $1.99
Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ongamecreative.Bubblis
price: $2.00

Disclaimer: I won’t receive any money if you buy or download the game, I’m not associated with on creative media.