I lost count a long time ago how many Windows Phone apps and games I've reviewed and often scratch my head when people complain that the Windows Phone Store is lacking quality titles. For me, the Windows Phone Store is full of quality titles and the gaming aisles are no exception. There may be a few titles missing, but I just don't see the drought that some are clamoring about. Keep in mind that I view mobile gaming as something to help you pass shorter bits of time with, as opposed to console games (Xbox One, 360, etc.) that are great for wasting entire afternoons or overnight hours with.
Sure, there are exceptions but for the most part gaming from our Windows Phones helps you survive the car pool line, restaurant waits, lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles or just plain old spells of boredom. Over the years I've run across a boat load of games well suited to help you pass the time. For this week's roundup I have pulled together a small sampling of these games that I think you might enjoy. Some games will hold up to longer gaming spurts but if you need help getting past five minutes or so, I think these titles are good additions to your Windows Phone gaming library.
As with all our roundups, if we have overlooked your favorite Windows Phone title there is nothing nefarious afoot. This week's collection are games I have found to be entertaining and if I have missed your favorite time waster of a game, speak up in the comments below.
2048 Plus
For those not familiar with the game 2048, you have to combine matching numbered tiles until their sum creates a 2048 tile. You begin the game with just a few tiles populating a square grid and with each move, an additional tiles comes into play. To add to the challenge, all the tiles will move in the same direction as you slide that single tile to create a match. The game ends when your grid fills completely with tiles with no moves or combinations available.
There are a host of 2048 styled games available in the Windows Phone Store and I settled down with 2048 Plus. What attracted me to 2048 Plus was that not only did the game offer the classic version of the game (a 4x4 game board) but also a few variations of the original.
You have a 5x5 and 6x6 game board along with an X-mode and Survival game, which tosses in an additional gaming variable beyond the ultimate goal of creating a 2048 tile. The X-mode tosses in an X tile that cannot be combined with another tile but moves around as you shift the other gaming tiles to create the matches. The Survival game is one of speed where tiles are added every second and you have to create matches fast enough to avoid the game board from filling up.
Regardless of which 2048 game you choose, I found the game itself to be a fantastic time waster. I can go months without playing 2048 but when I pick the game up again, it never disappoints.
Download 2048 Plus for Windows Phone (Free)
Sparkle
10Tons is a Windows Phone developer that has an impressive gaming portfolio in the Windows Phone Store. 10Tons games are entertaining, often humorous ways to pass the time. While Tennis in the Face and TrouserHeart take a more light-hearted approach to gaming, Sparkle is more of a traditional styled arcade game.
There are currently three installments to the Sparkle game line and I'm tapping the original for this roundup to start you at the beginning of the series.
The storyline behind the game has you traveling the lands to banish the orbs of darkness with your Orb Slinger before they fall into the dark abyss. As you progress in your quest you will collect amulets to increase your powers and eventually save the land from the darkness.
Game play is simple. A procession of orbs will travel around the gaming screen, slowly working its way to the dark abyss. Your Orb Slinger will be positioned somewhere along orb's path and you shoot additional orbs into the procession to create matches of three or more of the same styled orb. When you do, the orbs are banished and disappear from the screen.
The ultimate goal of each level of play is to eliminate all the orbs in the procession. If you miss your mark and fail to create a match, the procession line grows one orb. You do have specialty orbs that will help you in your quest such as an orb that will explode several orbs or an orb that slows down the procession.
There are three gaming modes available that includes the Quest mode along with a Challenge and Survival mode. The Challenge mode has specific goals to reach while the Survival mode has an endless supply of orbs to test how long you can survive before they reach the abyss.
Graphics are outstanding, game play challenging and any of the Sparkle series of games can help break the grips of boredom and help you pass the time in entertaining fashion.
Download Sparkle for Windows Phone (Trial / $.99)
Shuffle Party
While there is a small collection of bowling games in the Windows Phone Store, a table top bowling game is likely the strongest of the bunch. Shuffle Party is an Xbox Live gaming title that is available for both your Windows Phone and Windows 8 device.
It has four gaming modes, a nice selection of table and puck customizations and games only take a few minutes to complete. You can add quality graphics, Xbox achievements and challenging game play to the mix to make Shuffle Party a fantastic gaming choice to pass the time with.
The gaming modes include:
- A traditional ten-pin bowling game
- A challenge game where you have to guide your puck through a series of puzzles, collecting coins and safely landing in a shuffleboard styled scoring zone
- A traditional shuffleboard game
- A Pass and Play game of shuffleboard
As you play Shuffle Party, your scores will convert into cash that can be used in the game's Pro Shop to buy pucks, pins, tables and table frames to give Shuffle Party a slightly customized feel.
If you only have a few minutes to spare or are looking to waste more time, Shuffle Party is a Windows Phone game well suited for either situation. A bowling game only takes a few minutes to complete or you can tackle a few of the shuffleboard challenges.
The game is available for both Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices (plays rather nicely from a tablet) and the only downside to either version is that there is no way to get rid of that pesky ad banner.
Download Shuffle Party for Windows Phone (Free)
Download Shuffle Party for Windows 8 (Free)
Trine's Hangman
If you are looking for a game of Hangman to add to your Windows Phone gaming library, look no further than Trine's Hangman. Visually appealing and mentally challenging, Trine's Hangman offers a one player online game where you play for the top point's position on the leaderboard and a two player, pass and play game.
The one player mode will update your world ranking as you complete the word puzzles along with the points needed to advance to the next position on the leaderboard. You can even generate your own braggin' rights web page to share with friends and family should the need arises.
Your gaming progress is saved so if you ever step away from Trine's Hangman, you can always return where you left off. Add custom wallpapers to give the game a personal feel and a collection of words that would make Webster's blush and Trine's Hangman is one formidable Windows Phone word game. Oh and if you ever run across a word that you are curious about the meaning of, a Wikipedia link is readily available for each word in the Trine's dictionary.
We are highlighting Trine's Hangman Pro in this roundup, which is the paid version of the game. There is also the non-Pro version that is free but ad-supported. The only difference in the two versions is the presence of the ad-banner. Word games are a great way to pass the time with and Trine's Hangman is amongst the best the Windows Phone Store has to offer.
Download Trine's Hangman Pro for Windows Phone (Trial / $2.49)
Wordament
We wrap up the central focus of this week's Windows Central roundup with another word game that had humble beginnings as an independent gaming title that would eventually get pulled into the fold of our Xbox gaming collection. Wordament is, for all practical purposes, an online game of Boggle.
You have to identify as many words as possible from a 4x4 grid of letters before the game timer expires. The challenge is that you are competing against other online players to score as many points off the words you identify. You only have ninety seconds per game and about thirty seconds in between games where your gaming stats will be revealed.
Game play is simple. You create your words by tracing your finger along the letters, connecting them to build the word. You can trace left, right, up, down and vertically. The only restriction is that you cannot go backwards with your connection.
Being an Xbox gaming title you do have Xbox Live achievements to earn and you can tag other players as "frenemies", which will single them out on your leaderboard for a little friendly competition. Plus, like Trine's Hangman, your gaming progress is saved and should you walk away from Wordament for a while, when you come back to the game you can start off where you left.
Wordament is available for Windows 8 devices and your gaming progress does synchronize between devices.
There are gobs of quality word games in the Windows Phone Store and Wordament should be on everyone's short list when looking for an entertaining, challenging time waster word game.
Download Wordament for Windows Phone (Free)
Download Wordament for Windows 8 (Free)
Honorable Mentions
Again, there is no telling how many games I've looked at over the years and to name all the great titles in one roundup would be impossible. Along with those Windows Phone gaming titles highlighted, here is a short list of additional games that I think are worth mentioning.
Asphalt 8: Airborne : Arguably the best racing game available for your Windows Phone, Asphalt 8: Airborne has fantastic graphics, responsive controls and is chocked full of challenging race courses. Available for low-memory Windows Phones and Windows 8 devices, Asphalt 8: Airborne is well suited for quick races when you only have a few minutes to pass and can hold up to longer marathon gaming sessions.
Download Asphalt 8: Airborne for Windows Phone (Free)
Download Asphalt 8: Airborne for Windows 8 (Free)
Fruit Ninja: One of the oldest games in the Windows Phone Store, Fruit Ninja is still an enjoyable title to pass the time with. You finger slash a wide assortment of fruits as they fly across the screen while avoiding the bombs that are occasionally thrown into the mix.
Download Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone (Trial / $.99)
Download Fruit Ninja for Windows 8 (Trial / $1.99)
Spider-Man Unlimited: Even though Gameloft has dropped support for the Windows Phone version of Spider-Man Unlimited, if you haven't tried the game it is still a fun way to pass the time. It is an endless runner styled game with you playing the role of your friendly neighborhood Spiderman. The game includes several of the Spiderman incarnations, along with a host of comic book villains to battle. Fortunately, the lack of support from Gameloft doesn't hurt the quality of the game but will give Spiderman Unlimited a shorter longevity.
Download Spider-Man Unlimited for Windows Phone (Free)
Angry Birds Star Wars: The Angry Birds franchise has had its fair share of success and if you are a Star Wars fan, either of the Angry Birds Star Wars games is a must have. I like the original that focuses on characters from the first three movies but the sequel that focuses on the pre-sequel movies isn't too shabby either. You battle the same group of pigs by sling-shotting a wide range of birds at them. With the Star Wars installments, the pigs are dressed up as your favorite villains from the Empire while the birds are portraying your favorite member of the Rebel Alliance.
Download Angry Birds Star Wars for Windows Phone (Free)
Download Angry Birds Star Wars for Windows 8 (Trial / $3.49)
Drag Racing: If you like racing games and are in search for a quick fix for your need for speed, take a look at Drag Racing. Races only take a few seconds to complete and all you have to do is make sure you shift gears on time. Racing is done from a side view and as your car speeds down the drag strip, you just need to shift gears smoothly to outpace your opponent. There are over fifty cars to race with upgrades and engine tuning available for each. Add a few gaming modes that include a multiplayer race and Drag Racing can be a fun Windows Phone game to pass the time with.
Download Drag Racing for Windows Phone (Free)
Despicable Me: Minion Rush: There are a boatload of endless runner games available in the Windows Phone Store. This genre includes several worthy candidates to consider as great time wasters but Despicable Me: Minion Rush gets my nod for one reason – Minions. These little yellow guys take center stage with this Windows Phone game, racing down endless paths through iconic locations from the movies that made them famous. Despicable Me includes hundreds of side missions and tons of costumes to unlock and purchase with the bananas you earn during game play. Overall it's just a fun game to pass the time with.
Download Despicable Me: Minion Rush for Windows Phone (Free)
Download Despicable Me: Minion Rush for Windows 8 (Free)
