Ketchapp is renowned for having created arguably one of the most addictive mobile games of all time, 2048. But for those of us who aren’t hugely mathematical well, we’ve all played Jenga or at least some game that involves stacking something as high as possible. The Tower is based on a similar concept, but it does it with a twist.
At its core, the goal is simple. You have a block moving sideways in both directions and your goal is to tap the screen whenever you want to place that block. You have to try and get the block to sit perfectly with both ends matching those of the block below you otherwise anything that overflows will immediately crumble and fall.
The neat thing about this is that when your block gets shorter because you tapped at the wrong time on the previous level, the blocks you then have to place will also be smaller until finally you are left with an extremely thin block which is practically impossible to place perfectly for an extended period of time.
As well as that, with every misplaced block, the following blocks’ drop velocity increases therefore making the game harder. These simple gameplay conceits create a tower of fun that hooks you the moment you fail your first game, sparking a burning desire to beat your previous high score and venture higher and higher into the skies.
Currently you can only reach level 999, at which point your Tower breaches the planet’s surface and into space. To reach it you may need the help of a couple upgrades. After gaining a certain amount of coins - which are given to you for every Perfect’ or Good placement you make - you’re presented with three icons before starting a new game: one is a headstart boost which allows you to tap a slider which will determine how far you will go up; the second is a coin doubler, which is fairly self-explanatory; the final one is an insurance boost, which provides you with a small heart-shaped cloud for when you place a block outside of the current pile of blocks.
You also can return to the previous checkpoint (marked by two flags at every 10th level) by paying coins upon failure (the cost goes up the more you use it in a single game), as well as a basic “undo” option, which you can use at any point during a game.
What is especially nice to see is such a simple idea being accompanied by such a lovely artstyle. The environment changes the higher you go up with rain, thunder and much more to discover (if you can get that high up) and the animations in the background, with clouds floating past, shooting stars and other small touches, provide a little depth to the environment in what is really just a 2D game.
The appearance of the blocks and levels of the tower themselves vary, with plants, hanging lamps and vases all appearing over time. If you place one of the alternate level blocks perfectly then small red rubies will appear on the pillars. Small details like this really do set The Tower apart from most other games of this ilk, which are so often hurled onto the app store with none of the same attention to detail. There’s even a small red bird that follows you as your tower reaches higher and higher into the sky.
So the graphics and gameplay are good, but what about the sound? The ambient noises change the higher you go up, from a peaceful breeze and the background noise of tweeting birds to high winds, rain and emptiness of space once you get high enough up in the sky. The subtle clicks and sound effects given to you when you get a perfect block or when you purchase an upgrade lead you to thinking why more developers can’t implement such simple yet effective layers of depth to the game as a whole. There’s no music, but its absence lends the proceedings a serene, almost meditative quality, even when you’re feeling the pressure.
It is certainly refreshing to see such a basic concept being turned into an addictive and welcoming game without the need for micro-transactions. Aside from the small inconspicuous iAD banner at which appears at the bottom of the screen and the occasional full-screen pop-up, there is no evidence that the game has been made purely for financial gain but mainly for the reason of entertaining players.
Overall The Tower combines an easy to comprehend mechanic with some accessible visuals for both young and old players alike, resulting in what could be the Next Big Thing for mobile gamers.
Oliver McQuitty
@oliverfrenchie
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