Gamer reviews for 2048

2048

(This Review is for the Ketchapp Version of the game)

While there is no way to predict when this is likely to happen, every so often a game will come along that was created by a programmer who just had an idea that they thought would translate well in to the app gaming universe, and what you end up with is a game whose popularity spreads faster by word-of-mouth than it could any other way.

If you are old enough to remember Tetris, then you know what we are talking about. Tetris just sort of popped up seemingly out of nowhere, and before you could realize you were addicted to it, it not only appeared on PC and handheld game platforms, but exploded into bars and nightclubs as a coin-op version!

We're not sure that 2048 can make the transition that far, but what we can say is that the math-based puzzle game of sliding tiles, which was created by a 19-year-old web developer from Italy named Gabriele Cirulli, does have the same sort of addictive draw...

Actually you will notice that at the top of this review we actually specify the version of the game we are reviewing, right? The reason for that is that as a concept this game (and game style) caught on so quickly that literally hundreds of coders sat down and created their OWN version of it!

That is cool - because it provides a lot of different play options (most of them free) - that offer gamers a lot of different “takes” on this game concept, but the Ketchapp version that we reviewed is, at least according to the daughter-unit - the closest thing to the original that you can get and still be playing on iOS.

The reason for that is simple: the coder was trying to duplicate - as close as possible - the web-version of the game. Call it an homage to Cirulli if you like (that is certainly appropriate since the game really is that good).

That being so, please understand that the review and our take on it only applies to that version of the game, which you can easily find on the iOS marketplace by adding the “by Ketchapp” to your search.

The mechanics of the game are simple enough -- it starts with a few number tiles that you can slide around on the play field, the idea being to connect the same number in order to create a new number tile that equals the total of the two you connected. So 2 + 2 = 4, 4 + 4 = 8 and so on, with the ultimate goal being to create a single chip that totals 2048!

That is a LOT harder to do than you might think, because the play field adds new tiles with each connection - and while that is not a big deal when you are clearing multiple tiles with a single move, it gets harder and harder if you make mistakes like isolating your larger number tiles.

The reason for that is really simple - like the Australian scouts game Rabbits and Dingos, the more Dingos (larger number tiles) you have in the field, the fewer rabbits (smaller number tiles) you can spawn.

So just like with R&D you can eventually end up with a field full of hungry dogs with nothing to eat... Err, we mean a field full of large numbers you are pushing around that get trapped by the smaller tiles but also prevent the smaller tiles from hooking up!

That being the case the player needs to develop a sense of situational awareness and know what direction that they will send the tiles in so that they can retain control over the board by not allowing the large numbers to spread out thus trapping the small numbers.

Once that minor strategic point is understood, it then becomes several games and strategies in one game as you work to join smaller tiles while at the same time prevent too many larger tiles from entering the playing field by joining them as efficiently and quickly as you can.

2048 by Ketchapp is a free-to-play game that is supported by advertising - though to be fair the ads that you will be subjected to are for the most part not really intrusive - and they do have to make money somehow, right?

In terms of ads then you can expect to see a game ad when the game first loads as a pop-up, and then on the very bottom of the screen there is a small banner ad, so all in all, not too invasive.

This being a simple playing-field type game, the graphics are also simple but more than adequate. While the sounds and sound-FX are not really all that clever, they are perfect for the game play experience.

The price being free, well, the price is more than right, and thanks to the addictive nature of the game and the fact that it is easily consumed in bite-sized chunks, it has a longer than usual longevity. That being said, all things considered and the relative difficulty being what it is, 2048 ended up scoring a very solid 4 out of 5 Stars rating!