I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m addicted to Pocket Frogs by NimbleBit. Pocket Frogs seems like a really simple game but in essence, it’s quite a deep experience. I honestly can’t believe that this is a free game because of how addicting and good it is. I had downloaded Pocket Frogs a few days ago but didn’t start playing the game until yesterday. I haven’t been able to put it down since.

Pocket Frogs is actually a very simple game to play. You start off with 1 frog and must breed it with other frogs that you come across in your pond. The eggs end up in your nursery where they grow into other full sized frogs. Frog types are determined by the 2 frog species used during mating which can produce a variety of different offspring. This pretty much mimics how genetics works as your offspring are based on the recessive and dominate genes both parents possess. You don’t really need to get that deep into Pocket Frogs however. The basic rule of thumb is that breeding rare frogs will yield even rarer frogs, which in turn are worth more money. You can also manually breed frogs you own in order to create a specific type of frog you might be looking for.

All the frogs you decide to keep are kept in either the nursery or your custom habitat. Each habitat only allows you to keep 8 frogs total. As you level up, you will get the chance to purchase more habitats to keep your frogs. I currently only have 2 habitats and a nursery and am waiting to make enough money to buy another one. You can make money by selling frogs, finding presents in the pond, or leveling up. Again, I’ve been playing this non-stop since yesterday morning and I still have yet to scratch the surface of what you can do and collect in this game. There are supposedly around 10000 different frogs you can breed and I believe I’ve only cataloged about 23.

The in game graphics in Pocket Frogs are very good and look great on the iPhone 4’s Retina Display. There is no in-game soundtrack; there are only ambient sounds and the sounds of the frogs themselves. I actually like the game better without music as the background music sometimes gets quite annoying, especially on games that you have to play for a long period of time. The controls are perfect and I haven’t had 1 problem yet navigating any of the menus.

Pocket Frogs also has a great social aspect about it. You can add neighbors via the Plus+ Network or through GameCenter and trade frogs and items with friends on your list. Gifted items end up in their mailbox. You can also visit your friend’s habitats and view all the frogs they have which is a nice touch.

What’s great about Pocket Frogs is that even though it is free, there are no ads that pop up or interfere with the game. The developer instead opts to make money in the Pro Shop that is included in the game. For those gamers who are impatient, you can purchase additional stamps and potions for a price. If you play the game enough however, you really shouldn’t need to buy any of it as you can find most of it in the pond. I also love how Pocket Frogs connects to two different game networks, Plus+ and GameCenter. GameCenter was just recently added in the update last night so that was a very welcome update.

Pocket Frogs is a game that everyone should at least try out. There’s no risk in playing it as it is free and even if there was a price attached to it, I would still highly recommend this game. You can download Pocket Frogs in the App Store now for all iOS devices.

Rating: 5/5