7x7

Summary

Like many of my esteemed colleagues here at AndroidPIT, I too enjoy time killer games. Especially the ones that are simple but also simply genius. For me this means both a great gameplay and fun graphics. And 7x7 fits the bill. Find out why after the jump.

Tested on: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Android version: 4.2.2

Root: No

Modifications: None

I tested Flow Free a while ago, and if you remember, I had pretty much stated that it was my ideal time killer. I was drawn to 7x7 because it struck me as being quite similar.

7x7 is not even 1MB an should fit snuggly onto every smartphone. The permissions are no cause for worry.

The principle is a simple one: It's kind of a mix between Tetris and Connect Four and the goal is to build vertical, horizontal and diagonal rows of the same colour by pushing blocks around. New blocks are added after every go; a player can see which colour will be added next.

It gets tricky once most of the display is taken up with coloured blocks—that's when you really have to start using the old noggin. The blocks that are randomly added are the biggest wild card, seeing as their random positioning can completely thwart your careful plans of creating new lines.

In order for a line to disappear at least four blocks have to be lined up. Whenever you manage a line it's you're go again. If ever you don't manage, there are two jokers to utilise. The “Move Anywhere” joker enables you to move a block, well, anywhere. “Undo” simply undoes your last move. Both jokers can only be used so often, but you can win more options to use them throughout the game.

The game becomes more challenging as you play: More blocks appear from one level to the next. A certain number of rows must be made in order to reach the next level. Whenever you successfully complete a level, you will automatically move onto the next. Point are score every time you build a row or achieve a combo.

Bottom line:

7x7 is a great game and fits perfectly into my personal selection of favourites. The gameplay is straightfoward and it's challenging enough to really grab my attention for a few minutes every now and then. Thumbs up!

7x7 has a modern, clean feel to it. The design guidelines were clearly taken into account, and there's no superfluous menu button hogging space: The focus is strictly on the game.

Once the game starts you can follow a brief tutorial to check how the game is played and what the jokers are. These instructions can be accessed any time via the menu.

Controls are good and fairly self-explanatory.

The game has sadly not been adapted for colour blind users (Flow Free is a great example how colour-based games can be adapted for all users. Here's hoping that the 7x7 devs will come with similar solutions so that colour blind users can also enjoy this game.

7x7 performed nicely throughout our test runs. No lagging, stalling or crashing.

7x7 is free and available from the App Center. Yay!