Dots for iOS Review – A Game about Connecting

Dots is a simple, relaxing, casual game from Betaworks One. It’s not a very difficult game to play at all and it only has one goal, connect dots for points. It’s not a very hard game, though there is a bit of strategy you can use in order to get higher scores. The basic premise is to match same colored dots by connecting them with lines. Once you’ve connected a string of them, they will disappear from the play area and new dots will drop from the top. I’d say it’s a bit similar to something like Bejeweled, to a certain extent, so gamers who liked playing that may like playing Dots.

What makes Dots attractive really is the way it is presented. It has a super clean, minimal user interface using shades of white a grey with splashes of color here and there. That is mainly the thing that will catch you attention first.

The second will be the gameplay. Like I stated above, it’s super easy to play. You have 1 minute to try and clear as many dots as you can from the board by connecting same colored dots up with each other. You can either connect them horizontally or vertically. You can not connect dots diagonally. The more dots you connect together, the higher score will be for that set of connections. There are also power ups you can apply to each round, but you’ll have to trade a lot of “dots” to get them. Dots you collect as you play. Basically the total number of dots you get in each round gets added to the total amount of dots you can spend. The three power ups include Time Stop, Shrinkers, and Expanders. Time Stop stops the clock for 5 seconds, Shrinkers make a dot disappear from the board, and Expanders make all colors of a dot you choose disappear.

Overall, Dots is a pretty good casual game and time waster. Those who like simplicity will love the game though in my opinion, it’s a bit too simple of a game for my tastes. It is however a really good looking game and it does go to show that sometimes, simplicity is the best option when it comes to designing games.

App Store Link: Dots
Version: 1.5.2
Developer: Betaworks One
Price: Free
In-App Purchases: Yes
Compatible Devices: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.