Skipping Stone Review

Monday, July 4, 2011

Skipping Stone Review

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Skipping Stone Review

By Phillip Levin on July 4th, 2011
Our Rating:

:: SKIP CASUALLY
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

A cartoonish twist on an age-old art form.

Developer: Gamevil
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone

Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.13 out of 5 stars

The act of skipping stones across water is an art. It takes skill and practice. Gamevil’s latest iOS title, Skipping Stone, though, is a little easier.

As the game’s title implies, this is a game about skipping stones. However, this app places a cute, cartoonish twist on the age-old water-based game. The entire game’s premise is based around properly tapping the screen at the right instant. The goal is to tap the screen when the anthromorphic version of the stone is in the center of the circle above the water’s surface. The closer players are to tapping when the stone is in the circle, the more points they earn. Oppositely, if their tapping is off, they’ll tick away at their health bar. Skipping Stone keeps track of how many successful stones you skip and features an online leaderboard, so gamers can compete with one another.

When players successfully string together numerous stone skips, they’ll earn more coins. With these coins, they can purchase pre-game bonuses, such as a second life, slower falls, higher bounces and so forth. These bonuses allow gamers to reach a level that would otherwise be quite difficult. It also adds a layer of depth to what is an otherwise one-dimensional game.

Skipping Stone is a rather simplistic, even easy game to play. This is casual game at heart. I think that most people – regardless of their level of skill at video games – will be able to play and enjoy this one. Unfortunately, there’s very little depth to Skipping Stone’s formula. The very thing that makes this an attractive title for gamers of all ages and backgrounds – its simplicity – is the same thing that will likely cause gamers to stop playing: it’s a little too easy and mindless.

For gamers looking for a game they can play with little thinking – something that becomes almost autonomous over time, Skipping Stone is a perfect candidate. After all, this is a 99-cent iPhone game about skipping stones. Gamers expecting much more from it deserve to be disappointed.