If the New York Times is to be believed, more than 2.5 million people play MyTown, the app that turns your hometown into a hyperlocal game. With such a large following, those die-hard fans should be pleased with the new 4.1 additions to the app.
The premise of MyTown has stayed the same — check in to locations, earn MyTown money, and buy buildings representing places you frequently visit, and collect the rent to expand your town. If you’ve never played MyTown, think Monopoly, especially when it comes to upgrading your properties, which then bring in more rent money. The new update has added 10 additional levels, two building upgrades and a bunch of new items everywhere. Push notifications will tell you when you need to do something, such as collect the rent so you can start earning more. I like that you can start playing MyTown right away, but full features require you to sign up for an account.
Developer Booyah has also streamlined the interface to make it more user-friendly, but there still doesn’t seem to be a checks and balance system for cheaters. I checked in to nearby Wrigley Field about 15 times in a row, and successfully earned points and moved up levels without stepping foot in the ballpark. MyTown can become addictive quickly, and the ability to play without creating an account is a draw, but I’d guess its long-term appeal is similar to that fake Tamagotchi I let die in seventh-grade. It’s fun at first, but without constant upkeep, your town will languish.
