Skwirmy Free is a Windows Phone game that is reminiscent of the old Snake games but with a survival twist. You play the role of a worm that goes around eating up the neighborhood, seeing how large you can grow and avoid being eaten by the other bugs.
The more Skwirmy eats, the longer he becomes. This makes maneuvering skwirmy around the game screen a little more challenging and makes skwirmy a larger target for the other bugs to attack. The game has nice graphics, a decent challenge but lacks that intangible that keeps you drawn into the game.
Available for 512MB devices, Skwirmy is a decent game but I don't think it's strong enough to be your go-to Windows Phone gaming title.
Skwirmy's Layout
Skwirmy's main menu has your typical options to jump into game play, access the game's settings, visit the online leaderboard, view the help section and rate the game in the Windows Phone Store.
Settings are fairly basic with options to adjust the sound and music levels and set how you hold your Windows Phone (flat or tilted). This angle is important because Skwirmy uses your Windows Phone tilt sensors to steer Skwirmy around the playing field.
Game Play - Eat or be eaten
The game screen is not very complicated. Your score and length are displayed in the upper corners of the screen with an ad-banner resting in between the two. Skwirmy pops out of a hole in the ground and using the tilt sensors, you squirm him around the screen gobbling up everything in sight.
The more Skwirmy eats, the longer his body becomes. The longer his body becomes, the easier a target he becomes to the ants, centipedes and other insects scurrying around the screen. Skwirmy can survive a few bites from the other insects but as you would guess, if his body is completely consumed the game ends.
Overall Impression
Skwirmy isn't a terrible game. The graphics are nicely drawn-up, the game play challenging and it is not a bad gaming title to pass the time with.
The problem I found is that there is nothing to keep you pulled into the game. While there is the goal of staying alive and growing Skwirmy as long as possible, the game needs more. Something to set it apart from all the other snake-like games.
Maybe different gaming environments or levels of play where you have to achieve a set points score or length. Even bonus items would help give Skwirmy more pull such as a helmet that would give Skwirmy temporary invincibility or a grenade that would stun all the insects making them easier to gobble up.
While Skwirmy could use a little more meat on the bones, as is, the game isn't a total wash. It is a nice title to have in your gaming library for those times you need a break from your go-to games. It is a free, ad-supported title (you can get rid of the ads via IAP) so it won't set you back but the time it takes to install to try.
- Skwirmy - Windows Phone 8 and 7.x - Free - Store Link
