The word “doodle” gets thrown around a lot in the games section of the app store, maybe even as much as “zombie” does. While doodle games come in all shapes and sizes, most share the same qualities beyond graphics that look like a kid’s art project: simple – but addictive – gameplay and entirely agreeable prices. Doodle games have another thing in common – they often get a ridiculous amount of downloads. That means developers continue to release them, making choosing the best five doodle games of this year a tricky proposition; but one I have undergone nonetheless.
Doodle God
While the artwork in JoyBits’ Doodle God (99 cents) is much more polished than you’ll normally find in a game with you know what word in the title, it definitely has the simple gameplay thing down. In fact, I almost wouldn’t even consider it a game, even though I can’t stop playing it. In this app, you are given elements that you have to mix to create new elements. While some creations aren’t all that noteworthy, many are either hilarious or clever – sometimes both. I won’t spoil any here, but I will warn you that while the entirety of this game involves mixing different elements, it’s also incredibly addictive. The latest update has 196 elements to create, as well as a revamped and much-improved hint system. Don’t worry about replay value, either, as JoyBits has claimed they have 10 episodes (the latest update includes the first three) planned, a staggering number and great news for those of you who can’t get enough of playing God.
Doodle Army
Released this January, Doodle Army (99 cents) isn’t just one of the best doodle games you’ll find, but one of the best action games on the iPhone as. The game consists of you moving a character from left to right, all the while destroying every enemy in sight. There are two control methods for shooting, though moving your character is solely controlled by four buttons – up, down, left and right. As is typical of an action game, it gets pretty hectic quickly, with more attacks coming at you from all directions and plenty of obstacles for you to avoid. The full game has more than 40 weapons, more than 40 characters and six zones. There’s also a free lite version called Doodle Army Boot Camp that will give you a good idea of what you’re in store for, though, I can safely say, action fans will find the full version well worth 99 cents.
Doodle Bomb: Physics Puzzle With a Bang
Bottle Rockets’ Doodle Bomb: Physics Puzzle With a Bang (99 cents) is surprisingly difficult. Maybe it’s the paper background and crude drawings, but there’s a level of sophistication to the levels that is very refreshing. There are 65 levels in all, and your goal is to open doors by bombing various switches. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. You encounter guards who will shoot your bomb before it gets to its intended target and, at times, you’ll have to utilize anti-gravity switches and roll bombs on ceilings to complete the level. You control your bombs by simply tapping an area on the screen and, once it’s landed, by tilting your device to roll the bomb left or right. Download the 16-level Doodle Bomb Lite if you’re not sold, just be prepared to devote some time to this gem.
Doodle Cannon
The doodle genre’s answer to Angry Birds, the Doodle Cannon series is now two games deep with Doodle Cannon War: The Secret of the Ghost (99 cents) and the more recent Doodle Cannon 2G: The World of Chaos (99 cents). The InfiWorks games have you aim a cannon by touching an area of the screen. The longer you hold it, the more powerful your shot. You targets are ghosts, which are often behind walls or other obstructions; so, yeah, like I said, it’s pretty similar to Angry Birds or Crush the Castle, just with hand drawings. While 2G: The World of Chaos boasts a whole lot more levels – more than 200 – there seem to be some control issues, mostly dealing with the power of your shots. That seems to be the main reason it hasn’t achieved the same success as The Secret of the Ghost, which still seems like the more attractive purchase for those who are interested.
Doodle Bowling
Yes, that’s right. The genre built around crude drawings has even made its way into the sports world with GameResorts’ Doodle Bowling. This free app has you tap the ball to pick it up and set your position, with a flick sending it down the lane. You can then swipe either right or left to put spin on the ball, meaning that you don’t want to put too much into your throw or else you won’t have time to curve it. There are 14 different themes, which range from your typical doodle-on-paper alley to real lanes to bowling in space. In case you can’t stand the advertisements you can spend $1.99 on the pro version. It’s a really basic app that could stand to have a multiplayer mode, but it does keep stats and work well enough to please most users.
