Thing 20

Thing 20 - Games.  Games, games, games.

Of all the Things, this is the Thing I have had covered since my first Touch purchase in 2010.  I have a plethora of games between my three iDevices (some on all three, some on one or two).  A lot of my game app "purchases" (free or paid) have been driven by the children in my life.  My stepdaughter is 17, niece is almost 9, my nephew 7, and my daughter 3.  Racing apps, Dora apps, Disney apps, a water slide app...

Getting back to the apps featured on the Thing 20 page on the 23 Mobile Things website, I am heavily invested time-wise in Candy Crush.  I am stuck on Level 140 on my Touch.  I'm also stuck on Level 40 in the "Owl World" or night world.  I was introduced to Candy Crush by my stepdaughter.  I believe the text I received from her was "Don't even try Candy Crush.  You will be addicted."

I've been stuck at these levels for a while. My modus operandi with most games, is to be heavily invested, playing hours and hours and then one day I move on to something else and eventually come back and revisit the game.  Card games, puzzle games - doesn't matter.

I have never used an in-app purchase (a matter of some pride for me) and until about a month ago, I did not use the Facebook arm of Candy Crush.  I have never "done" Facebook games, but I also play Disney Hidden Quest occasionally and that game is heavily dependent on user interaction with others - boo.  I like to play alone.  I find that the Facebook arm "kills the joy" a bit.  I feel pressure to respond to others help requests even though I am not currently in a Candy Crush playing phase.  I also have another King app - Pet Rescue Saga.  Also addicting.

One thing you might not know about Candy Crush is that when you download the app on another device, you start over.  This is both a pain and a blessing.  You get to play all those easy levels again, but you can't pick up and work on that hard level if you don't have a particular device with you.  I've only used the "cheat sites" once so far.  It was a level where you needed a particular combination to win the board that I was not getting.

Something I DO like, although I just said I don't like to play with others, is to watch other people play Candy Crush.  I know this sounds weird.  This past summer I watched my 20 year old nephew play Candy Crush for the first time on an iPad at the cabin.  He didn't start at the beginning - he started on a level where someone else was stuck.  His thought process and decision making about what colors to match, how to strategize was fascinating.  He took minutes to decide on some of his moves.  Candy Crush does have some "right ways" to do things but it gives each user the flexibility to chose their own path and still succeed - most of the time.

I wanted to mention a couple other games that are loved in this group of kids/adults beyond Angry Birds, Minecraft, Temple Run, and the usual.  Disney Hidden Quests - a "search" game but does not lend itself to small children.  You have to be able to read to play properly.  Free Fall - a Frozen version of Candy Crush really.  Lots of in-app purchases but if you are patient, you don't need them (just like Candy Crush).  I really like Jewel Quest and Jewel Quest Heritage, but quite frankly the apps suck.  Their PC games are great but the apps are just a "mobile version" of the PC game and they don't work that great on a Touch.

And Sunday Lawn (Donut Games) - a lawn mowing maze app.  I KNOW it sounds dumb, but it is ridiculously addicting and fun.  The goal is to mow all the lawn without killing your lawn mower.  It's not exactly a maze, but it has maze elements.  I found this app through Free App a Day many years ago (three iTouches ago).  There is a "new" Sunday Lawn Seasons (in the spirit of Angry Birds Seasons) that has a snow blower and a grass seeder as the lawn mower.  I play it for the challenge of making three stars, my daughter (age 3) plays it because she likes it and doesn't care if the dogs, or cats, or hedgehogs eat her lawnmower.

Someday I will get past Level 140 on my Touch.  It might take until I "catch up" on my iPhone and my husband's Nook HD+, but someday...