Drawdle

Summary

In my many years as a faithful Android user, I haven't come across a great deal of games that could keep me occupied for over two hours. Games that can really grab my attention span have one thing in common: they don't boast amazing killer graphics, but have a good and simple idea custom-tailored to touchscreen phones.

Drawdle fits into this category and meets all of the criteria. Find out how to squeeze the most fun out of this game in today's test.

The basic idea behind this game is simple: through an unfortunate set of events, several animals, fruits and other objects have lost their color, leaving them in a bare carcass. You have to give the objects back their color by directing colored balloons into their path. The object in question then takes on the color of the popped balloon.

There are geometric shapes at are your disposal with which you can determine the trajectory of the balloon. There are many barriers and obstacles along the way to prevent you from giving objects their much-needed color. Sometimes you'll have to get around a sharp corner or push through a rubber band.

A level is usually made up of one or two rectangular sketch pads where you can make your own doodle. You can just sketch a shape with your finger and then launch it in the direction of the balloon. It's like a chain-reaction where you draw the shape, the shape hits the balloon and then the balloon colors the object.

In addition to your doodles, you'll also find:

• Pre-made objects that can also be put into motion.
• Pre-drawn figures that cannot be hit, but can still move.
• At least one colored balloon per level with a colorless object.
• Flaps that rotate when touched
• Rubber bands stretched between two thumbtacks.

The bigger the drawing, the more inertia it has. That means that depending on how big the object is, it will have a different effect on the movement of the other figure or balloon. So that's the whole physics aspect of the game.

Try to make the balloons hit the objects as precisely as possible, to get the most color and points out of it. If you barely manage to color your object, you'll only get one star at the end of it. Half-way colored earns you two stars and dazzling life-like colors will get you all three. As usual, it only takes one star to move on to the next level.

Bottom Line:

Drawdle is an extremely pleasant way to pass your free time, while keeping your brain cells active and alert. I recommend this game to people that are looking to have fun without putting too much stress on their intellectual capabilities. The only major problem is the background music that sounds like a fifth-grade playing the triangle. Thankfully, the sound can be turned off in the options before you even get started

Drawdle's design looks like the pages of my notebook from math classes in middle school, and I mean that in a good way. The background is composed of line paper filled with rotating geometric shapes. All of the shapes and graphic elements in the game look like they were drawn by hand with pen and pencil. That creates a generally pleasant atmosphere that is both authentic and nice to look at.

The same thing goes for the controls that are really top notch. You can zoom in on the action by double-tapping the screen while you're playing. While you prepare your doodles for action, you can see the trajectory and strength of any projectile with a neat little visualization.

 Drawdle performed exceptionally well during our tests and weathered hours upon hours of continuous playtime. Smooth animations and no long loading times.

Drawdle is available for $0.99 from the Android Market. There is also a free lite version available for you to try.