One More Line is a Windows Phone game that isn't very complicated to play but can be a booger of a game to master. There is an addictive pull to the game as well that can be slightly painful at times.
The concept is simple. You have a space ship that is flying up the screen, drawing a colorful line behind it. The mission is to guide this gaming piece up the screen and avoid the various obstacles along the way. Steering your ship is where the challenge comes into play. You have to latch onto an obstacle, spin around and release in a manner to shift your game piece's path where it won't hit anything.
One More Line will test your skills at timing, patience and luck. The game is available for low-memory Windows Phones, as well as Windows 8 devices. There may not be much to One More Line, but it is a fun gaming title to pass the time with.
Running down the layout of One More Line offers you access to the game's settings and help option from the main menu. To launch game play, just tap the "One More Line" title.
Settings are minimal with the options to mute the sound, view more games from the developer and disable themes available. The help option sends you to a Youtube channel where you can watch a "how to" video for the game.
Again, the goal of One More Line is to guide your ship up the screen as far as possible. The game ends when you either crash into an obstacle or smash into the sides of the game screen.
When you first launch game play, a brief tutorial window will appear on the screen to outline the game's mechanics. To attach or grapple your ship to the nearest obstacle, tap and hold the screen. Your game piece will start to spin around that obstacle and when you are ready to detach from the obstacle and continue your trek up the screen, release your hold on the screen.
Your spin can reach beyond the sides of the gaming screen, but you do run the risk of slamming into one of the obstacles as your ship turns about. You can send your ship backwards by latching on to an object that you have already passed. The pace of the game does increase as you progress, which only adds to the challenge of One More Line.
Timing is key with One More Line. You will have to time your hold just right to avoid spinning into a nearby object. You also have to release your hold at the right time to avoid these dangers or send your ship head first into the sides of the gaming screen.
Scoring is based on how far your space ship travels. When you crash (and you will crash) the game will rewind your game play (a mini-review of sorts) and display your current score, your best score, your cumulative points and the number of deaths experienced. I couldn't find this listed anywhere in the game but in the Windows Phone Store description for One More Line, the scoring summary breaks down as follows.
- Under 10: You're not trying
- 11-19: You can get that without even touching the screen
- 20-25: My mum can get that score
- 25-49: OK you're on the way
- 50-99: Respect!
- 100-199: Fist bump. You're good
- 200+: Whoa, nice work!
- 400+ Best in the world!!!
Don't be shocked if your score stays below 25 for a while (and I don't think my Mum could do much better).
As far as stability is concerned, I did have one occasion where One More Line would not load. I would get to the splash screen for the developer's credit and the game would crash. It took a soft reset of the Lumia 830 to get the game up and running. Since that hiccup, the game loaded and ran smoothly.
Overall Impression
One More Line is a fun, challenging, addictive gaming title. The mechanics are simple, the graphics nicely drawn up and the space disco soundtrack grows on you.
The game is available for Windows 8 and while a fun game for tablets, I think it plays out better from the smaller screen of our Windows Phone. It is an excellent option to consider when you have a few minutes to pass, making the Windows Phone version a little more convenient as well.
If you are in the market for a fun time waster of a game, I don't think you can go wrong with One More Line.