If you’ve seen me the past week or so, I’ve been a sight for sore eyes — dark circles, a coffee inevitably in my hand and yawns escaping my mouth constantly. Sure, I’ve had a lot of homework, but there has been something else keeping me up until the wee hours of the morning.
I’ve written about phone games before, but I’ve recently had three free games come into my life that made me question what it really means to be addicted to something.
The first of these games is called QuizUp. If you love trivia, this game is for you. There are over 400 categories — there’s everything from beer logos to Nintendo Titles to quotes from the TV show Friends. You can choose to play against a random opponent or one of your friends by connecting through a variety of social media sites. The first six questions in each match are worth 20 points, and the final question is double. The quicker you answer the question, the more points you receive.
The game’s questions seem like ones from Trivial Pursuit but with an added time limit and a category you love. I think it’s fun to play against friends at categories you both enjoy. My favorites so far are Lost, Harry Potter, Orange is the New Black and General Knowledge.
The next game is called Smash Hit. It reminds me of Portal mixed with the classic carnival game in which you try to knock down bottles with a ball.
As you fly through rooms, you have to hit things in your way to break them and also hit crystals to get more balls. When you hit an obstacle, you lose 10 balls. It starts out pretty easy but eventually gets much more complex, with walls that pop up in front of you, swinging hammers and fewer and fewer crystals. The game ends when you run out of balls.
Compared to the others on the list, this has the most complex graphics and more closely mirrors a console game, but it’s still perfectly fitted for a mobile device. It requires all your attention, so don’t attempt to play it in class (I figured that out the hard way).
The final — and most addictive — is called 2048. The game starts with a grid of 16 squares. You must match numbers together that are the same and eventually get one grid square left that equals 2048. When you match two squares together, they change to one square that equals the sum of the two. To match, you swipe left, right, up or down to change the gravity of the grid. With each move you make, an additional square appears on the board and you must match it to make higher numbers.
As the numbers get higher, you have fewer squares to work with and it becomes more challenging. It’s oddly captivating once you get the hang of it. I find myself playing game after game, just hoping I will do better each time.
To me, the best kinds of games are the ones you can’t put down, and I’ve found three of them.
Sophie Kruse is a sophomore studying journalism and a writer for The Post. Are you addicted to any apps right now? Email her at sk139011@ohiou.edu.
