Reiner Knizia’s Robot Master, a highly addictive, number-based puzzler from Conlan Rios, was recently featured in the What’s Hot section of the app store.
Robot Master presents the player with a 5 x 5 grid upon which colorful, numbered cards must be placed. The value of the cards will be totaled in both rows and columns, and the lowest row or column total becomes your final score. This really forces the player to build values evenly, as balance is the key to racking up a high score. There are 36 possible cards, 6 each from numbers 0 through 5. Of these, you will be dealt 24 cards, with the center square already containing a card from the outset. The placement of the cards is limited to any square adjacent to a square with a card already in it. Strategic planning is of the utmost importance.
Understanding the scoring method will help you to achieve high scores. Each card counts at face value unless there are doubles or triples in any row/column. If doubles are present, the value of the doubled card is multiplied by 10. For triples, the tripled cards count as 100 points regardless of the card’s value. Often times, you will find yourself with 6 or 7 rows/columns above the 100 mark, though your other rows/columns will be valued in the teens. Be sure to build evenly!
There are 2 game modes for you to play: Solo and Versus. Solo contains both Easy and Tournament variations. In Easy mode, you are allowed to skip cards if you choose. It is sort of a practice mode. Tournament mode offers no skips but allows you to submit your high scores to the global leaderboard, provided they are good enough to make it. Currently, you’ll need to score in the 70’s to even have a chance. Versus mode allows you to play against your iDevice or against another player in a pass-and-play game. One player plays the rows, while the other plays the columns. The player who ends up with the lowest scoring line loses the match. You can play either 5 or 12 card modes. In 5 card mode, each player starts with 5 cards and picks a new card after each turn. In 12 card mode, all 12 cards are dealt to each player upfront. This has proven to be a very exciting challenge.
The game graphics have a funky vibe and the soundtrack is pretty upbeat and catchy. If you don’t care for the music, you can play songs from your own collection. Controls are strictly touch-based, as you tap the card to select (in versus mode) and tap the desired square to place the card. As the cards to be played are randomly chosen from a larger pool, the game is never quite the same twice, which increases its replayability beyond its mere addictiveness. Robot Master has quickly become one of our top go-to games, and at $0.99, you can’t afford not to own this 5-Dimple standout.
Robot Master gets our AppSmile 5-Dimple rating:
