Gadget Reviews, Product News, Electronic Gadgets

Youda Survivor (Get it?) is a game about mankind's struggle against the elements, thirst, and wild animals--as told from your iOS device, presumably in a comfy, pirate-free setting, like your living room.
In all seriousness, Youda Survivor is a pretty lighthearted game with big appeal for anyone who's into farming/time management games. You're cast as a shipwrecked dude who washes up on a tropical island after a disaster at sea. Upon waking up, you hear of a convenient prophecy about an outsider who will supposedly save the island from disaster. The Chief isn't sure you fit the bill, however, and to prove yourself, you must do a little work around the island: digging water holes, collecting eggs, fighting pirates, calling down rain and wind from the heavens--standard stuff.
Each level in Youda Survivor requires you to meet a specific goal. For instance, you start off easy by collecting a few eggs. To do this, you dig a few water holes, which attract seagulls, which lay eggs. However, you need to perform rain-making ceremonies in order to keep the holes filled with water, or else the seagulls will fly away and you'll be left egg-less.
As the game progresses, you earn Tokens, which let you buy and upgrade the necessary machinery for meeting other, more complicated goals. An egg-boiling machine will turn your raw eggs into salmonella-free treats, which, in turn, can be turned into powdered eggs with an egg-powdering machine.
In time, Youda Survivor becomes a video game retelling of the old woman who swallowed a fly. Powder the eggs, which come from boiled eggs, which come from raw eggs, which come from seagulls, which come from water holes, which come from rain.
That's not to say the game dotes on eggs for its entirety. You'll have multiple goals to meet, and tons of challenges that will get in your way, including your own limitations. Tasks take energy, and gaining energy often means eating your own resources. You also need to stay hydrated, which means scooping from the water holes that are meant for your birds. In short, Youda Survivor is a very, very busy game. And the more quickly you complete a level's tasks, the more tokens you earn, which allows you to upgrade and keep playing. Circle of Life.
Youda Survivor is fun in that "gotta keep playing one more level" way, but a lot depends on your outlook of farming and time management games. You are essentially doing the same tasks over and over, which amounts to a lot of poking and prodding at your iPhone's screen. It's satisfying to play, at least for a while. In time, you'll come to realize you're not accomplishing anything particularly remarkable, or sailing towards a substantial end goal.
But that's okay, because Youda Survivor never tries to be something it's not. If you feel like you need to indulge in a little resource- and- time-management, tuck in for some sun, sand, surf, bird-breeding, and pirate-stomping.