As an 18 year old, most of society expects me to be on my phone all the time. Instead of constantly texting or social networking, however, I live up to the stereotype in a different way. Every few weeks, I’ll make a casual trip to the “Top Free” section of the App store to find my new obsession. It’s a delicate process because I have to find a game that takes just enough brain power to hold my attention, but isn’t so frustratingly difficult it will tempt me to throw my precious device across the room in anger. Here are some of the best ones currently under my thumb:
1. Best Fiends
This is similar to the Candy Crush-style in that you have to connect shapes of the same color together. This is a much more fun version though because you’re trying to defeat slugs who have taken over the world. As you make matches with different colors, the colors correspond to different monsters on your team which have separate special powers that they use on the slugs. The game is even more complex because it allows you to find new monsters and level them up so you can make choices about which powers would be best for each new level. Every 20 levels or so, side quests are unlocked that can be a nice break from the main game.
2. Word Bubbles
I’ve always loved word searches and crossword puzzles, and this is sort of a mix of both. You’re presented with a grid of varying size depending on how far you get in the game, and you must make a certain amount of words out of the letters. The catch is that they have to be the right words, so if you’re looking for 2 four letter words out of a grid with 8 letters, there could be four or more different possibilities. This game challenges you to really stretch your vocabulary while also employing the same matching/swiping motion as the previous game to make guessing more fun.
3. Sims Freeplay
While not new, I always come back to this one for the occasional updates and holiday-themed quests. The best part about this game is how customizable it is. I use it as a way to escape into a world where I can control everything and make the people work on whatever tasks I feel like. It’s also oddly satisfying when your favorite sims complete big quests and the entire structure of your town changes. Plus, the babies and toddlers are adorable.
The next time you’re stuck sitting in a waiting room or on a long bus ride, I highly recommend checking these out. Your thumbs will get a workout and the adorable but somewhat challenging gameplay is guaranteed to banish any thoughts of boredom.
