Developer: Davide Berardi Price: $.99
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPad
One game I remember from childhood is Dots and Boxes. Yes, the one where all that is needed is a blank piece of paper and a pencil and the one who completes the most boxes wins. The good news is that it’s gone mobile via iPad in the form of Laser Walls HD.
It’s a classic game that dates back to 1889 and is known as a pencil and paper game. And while connecting dots to form boxes is simple, winning is not. Laser Walls HD is setup the same way as one would think, but goes one step further to make it more interesting by adding in bonuses like multipliers, additional time, skip turn and extra walls. These add even more strategy to gameplay.
Yes, there is strategy to this game and it involves leaving one side open until there are lots of boxes that when one side is closed several others can be too. However, watch out for the double-cross strategy where an experienced player takes all but two of a chain of boxes. This leads the unsuspecting player to think they scored two freebies, but by closing the last box another chain is made available to the first player.
Another great feature of the game is the ability to play up to four players in multiplayer mode. Each quarter of the iPad’s screen is divided up into the player’s position. Place the iPad on a table in the middle of the group or pass it around one at a time. Either way, it adds more dimension to gameplay. However, I found single player to be just as interesting. One thing I found a bit off putting was that the app seemed to crash every so often in single player mode. However, that might just be my device. Also, every time a player starts a game they have to enter their name, which becomes repetitive.
As for the look and feel of Laser Walls HD, it is a definite upgrade from paper and pencil. It has a very tech heavy design to it and looks like it could be used as an interface for some cool gadget in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. For it’s modern take on a classic, Laser Walls HD will provide a new way to experience the game, but many will be just as happy with their paper and pencil.