Balls in Line Lite is a Windows Phone game that is described as a remake of the classic game Color Lines that has been fine-tuned to meet today's gamers needs. I'm not exactly sure what "today's gamers needs" means but Balls in Line Lite seems to have more of a board game feel and slightly better graphics than it's predecessors .
Available for low memory devices, Balls in Line Lite has two gaming modes where you are tasked with creating lines of at least five or 2x2 squares of the same colored balls. The game takes on a bit of a casual pace with no timer to race and has its fair share of challenges. At first glance, Balls in Line Lite comes across as a good title to have handy in your Windows Phone gaming library when you are in the mood for a casual puzzle game.
Balls in Line Lite has a clean looking main menu with options to jump into game play, access your gaming options, check out the online/local scores, access the gaming instructions, view your gaming achievements. You also have links to the developer's gaming catalog, Twitter/Facebook pages and to rate the game in the Windows Phone Store.
Options cover turning on or off the sound, setting the Survival game style and creating a screen name for the online scoreboard.
The two gaming modes included with Balls in Line Lite are a Levels Mode and Survival Mode. Levels Mode is a forty-eight level gaming mode where you have to create lines or squares of your colored balls for points. Each level has a scoring goal to reach and will vary from requiring lines or squares to be created during game play.
The Survival Mode is where you play until the game board is full, with no moves available. You can set the Survival Mode style in the settings to choose between lines or squares game types. You can also choose between classic or challenge styles. The description on the challenge style is that colors are added during the game. I've played both styles several times and the difference just doesn't jump off the screen for me.
Game Play
Regardless if you play the Survival or Levels Mode, game play is consistent. You are presented with a 9x8 playing board that has a few colored balls already in place. At the bottom of the board, you have your score, level, type of grouping you need to form and the next set of colored balls to come into play.
To create your line or square, just tap on a colored ball and then tap on the spot on the game board you want it moved to. The ball must have an unobstructed path to that spot, otherwise the move will not be possible. After each move four additional balls will come into play and a colored star will highlight where on the board they will appear.
As you create your lines or squares, those balls will be removed and you'll earn points. As the board becomes more populated with balls, your moves become more limited, which calls on you to be a little more calculated with your moves.
Overall Impression
Balls in Line Lite is an enjoyable Windows Phone game to pass the time with. The game doesn't have many bells and whistles but does offer a challenging, casual puzzle game to test your skills with. I would like to see a better distinction between the classic and challenge styles but the game doesn't fall flat by these two styles being so similar.
Balls in Line Lite has yet to receive any ratings in the Windows Phone Store but we'd score it in the 3.5 to 4 Star range. The game is ad-supported and if you prefer there is an ad-free version available. If you give Balls in Line Lite a try, let us know what you think in the comments below and don't forget to visit the Store listing and rate the game.
