To partially explain why it has taken 6 months for any new posts, see pictures above. First, there was Christmas and New Year, which started with an amazing holiday in Scotland, but ended with a hardcore flu that took forever to fully get over. Then there was the freezing cold of January and February, which made anything beyond being totally engulfed in duvets and clothes, when not at work, impossible. Besides that, it was just a weird time with a lot of stresses and not much energy – you know how it goes. My creativity was limited to making the occasional playlist and writing the occasional drunken poem. Writing posts for The Wasteland dropped off my priority list for a while, I have to admit.
Not that I didn’t take in a lot of media, as usual. And I do promise to catch up – one day… There have been a lot of great movies, TV shows, music, and other stuff worth mentioning in the last 6 months. I’ll probably do a mix of stuff from a while back and the best of the last wee while. Watch this space.
One thing that was a constant, however, was using phone games as an easy distraction / time killer / stress reliever. And the above games were my mainstays in that regard. There isn’t a lot of in-depth analysis necessary for any of them. They were simply there to serve the purpose of not overthinking when on some downtime. And for that function, they all come highly recommended.
Playrix published the match3 puzzle game Gadenscapes in 2016, adding the slightly better designed sequel, Homescapes in 2017. They are concerned with almost never-ending quests to redesign and refurbish a house and grounds belonging to balding butler Austin and his pet cat (who you may name yourself). To do so, you must solve various colourful match-up puzzles, in much the same style as Candy Crush, etc. There is almost no brain power needed whatsoever, which, although part of the appeal, can also need to a soul crushing ennui if played too long in a sitting. Naturally, it is addictive and gives a nice sense of world-building achievement as your environment gets tidier and prettier, as you wish. It is all fairly linear and repetitive, but somehow, it has enough nice touches to keep you coming back. Failure to complete tougher levels over time is resolved nicely by rewards and boosts that seem to know that you are getting bored of not progressing. I like them both for their colour and simplicity, whilst also having a whimsical sense of humour that is entirely inoffensive. The fact that there can never be an end is not a problem. 100% completion is not the goal. Small doses of it can avert anxiety bouts and keep you semi-sane. For me, that is enough reason to go back, again and again.
8 Ball Pool by Miniclip is slightly more competitive. You can be fooled by playing this a lot (which I do) that you are getting better at a sport. You only ever play head to head against real players, so skill levels, cue selection, stakes and game modes are all part of advancing your level – which can be painstaking, but a well earned acheivemnet feels so good! As does beating a real friend or someone cocky with a much higher level. I have been playing this excellently designed game since its inception in 2011, although I think I have had to rebuild my profile 4 or 5 times in those 12 years. The variation of gameplay choices, colourful tables and cues, and various rewards of trophies and ring collections, are all part of the appeal, but really it is the simplicity and smoothness of the gameplay design that make it a winner. It has always felt, for the whole 12 years, that the dynamic of the balls rattling around the tables was as real as (and sometimes more reliable than) the real world and any real pool table. When I get on a win streak, it feels pretty powerful. Alternately, I feel quite dejected when I lose too much. The stats are always counted, so you can see where you are, which I like a lot. I know that I played 2500 games or so and won 56% of them. That appeals to the geeky side of me immensely. Currently, I am at level 86. I don’t think in any incarnation of my profile I got beyond 100. So I am still aiming for it – fast and loose! The only downside is a lot of side pop-ups and pressure to spend real money on add-ons. There should be a definite opt-out button for that kind of thing.
My final obsession also goes back almost a decade. I have been playing Hearthstone on and off since its release in 2014. Having been a WoW (World of Warcraft) player before that (circa 2008) it was an easy leap to become addicted to this multiplayer card game from Blizzard, that utilises all the characters and myths of the larger parent game. Addictive in its own right, it appeals to collectors and builders, who get hyped over a new card or a new way to combine a powerful card with another one. The elements of gameplay that involve tactics and patience make this a game that all can enjoy, but few can master. It does take some serious investment of time and knowledge to experiment with combos that work and one’s that don’t, to build a perfect pack that can challenge the tougher online players out there. Fortunately, you are only ever pitted against a “worthy opponent” who is more or less at your level as you climb a carefully constructed skill ladder. Rarely do you get pitted against someone who blows you away in 5 moves (although that does happen), more likely you are in a battle that could go either way, depending on the luck of the draw, for anything between 2 and 15 minutes per opponent. The cerebral aspect of Hearthstone makes this my favourite phone game when I have a bit more mental energy. In fact, it is usually the last stop before actually doing something worthwhile with my time 😉
Not sure how helpful it is to rate phone games, as you either like them or you don’t. But, for what it’s worth:
Gardenscapes: 6.5
Homescapes: 7
8 Ball Pool: 8.5
Hearthstone: 9
The Wasteland 