Secret of Lost Pyramid, an Uno-style card game with a Mayan storyline, has been released by Viacheslav Klimov (creator of Alien Glyphs) and is available from the app store. With its terrific graphics, great music, and exciting game play, Secret of Lost Pyramid is one Uno clone that’s worth its weight in Mayan gold.
Secret of Lost Pyramid Pros:
- Lots of style and interesting backgrounds
- Survivor-like soundtrack
- Pick-up-and-play game style
- OpenFeint global leader boards and 28 achievements
Secret of Lost Pyramid Cons:
- None as of this review
Though the story helps to flesh out the game, it seems a little unnecessary in what amounts to a simple card game. Simply put, in order to gain access to an ancient Mayan pyramid and the treasures within, the Belt of Spirits must to be obtained to allow you to traverse the thick vegetation surrounding the pyramid, open the seal, and obtain the idol. You can obtain this “belt” and turn it into a key by winning jade stones from the spirit guards by winning a series of simple card games. Each win brings you closer to completing the Campaign mode, whose successful completion will unlock Free Play mode.
Each player starts with 5-6 tiles, each with a distinct color and symbol. If you hold a tile that matches the altar tile in either color or symbol, you may play it. Otherwise, you must pick a new tile. Play continues like this until one player wins. Subsequent games occasionally add new elements, such as “skip” tiles, “wild” tiles, “draw one” and “draw two” tiles, and the “abyss” tile. The all-new abyss tile has a color but no symbol. Playing this tile requires you to play another card of the same color before your turn ends. If you must pick several cards before being able to “close” the abyss and end your turn, so be it. Each corner of the altar contains one of the four tile colors. When a wild is played, tap a corner to choose a new color. It can be a little confusing at first to remember what each of the tiles does, but after some brief exposure to the game, it becomes easier to remember. The campaign also seemed a bit short to us, as we were able to complete it in about an hour.
Graphically, the game has a lot of style and interesting backgrounds. There is plenty of Mayan inspiration evident in the look and feel of the game. You play games in three different locations, each with its own distinct look, right down to the presentation of the tiles. The soundtrack sounds like it could have come from the TV series Survivor, creating great atmosphere with its drumming and wind instruments. There is no in-game support for your music library, but starting your music before launching the game allows you to continue listening as you play. The controls are all tap-based. Simply tap the tile you want to play and it is automatically placed on the altar. Tap the tiny reserve cards to pick a new card. To pass or end your turn, tap the Skip button. There’s not much more than that.
Replay value is good, as the card game is a lot of fun as a pick-up-and-play game. Games don’t last long and usually finish up in a minute or two. Secret of Lost Pyramid utilizes OpenFeint, with global leader boards and 28 achievements to earn. An upcoming update should utilize OpenFeint 2.4, which will allow the developer to move the Achievement Earned indicator to the top of the screen. As it is, it blocks your playable cards, causing you to wait for the indicator to fade away before you can continue. For $0.99, this is a cost-effective, no-brainer alternative to Gameloft’s $5 Uno game. Worth the dollar and fun to boot, Secret of Lost Pyramid is a 5-Dimple gem.
