If you enjoy playing cards and specifically Solitaire, then you will like Tri-Towers, as it is one of the most addicting and amusing solitaire games on the App Store.
If you have played classic Solitaire, then you will have a general idea of what TriTowers is about. This iPhone game is the classic Tri-tower/tri-peak solitaire game play which can take a second to learn if you have never played.
Features 1.5/2
Arcade Solitiare: TriTowers delivers an addictive and fast paced iPhone gaming experience. The player is presented with three “towers” of cards and a shuffled deck. The goal of the game is to choose from the three card towers a card number that is either one above or one below the shown card from the shuffled deck.
For example, if the player draws a 2 (suit matters not) from the shuffled deck, the player must choose either a 3 card or Ace from the three card towers. If a 7 card is drawn, the player must choose either a 6 card or 8 card from the three card towers.
As the cards are chosen, a timer is counting down from 99 seconds, so speed is key. The player is also rewarded for speeds and combos, which come from choosing a string of cards in order without having to touch the shuffled deck. This is difficult to accomplish, but very rewarding if done.
If the game comes to a point where no more moves are available, the round ends and a score is tallied. The game provides notifications that the player can still make a move if the player tries to shuffle the deck for a new card. I found this feature to be extremely helpful, especially if the player has never played this style of solitaire before.
Another very helpful feature is the game saves progress automatically if the player quits the app. When the app is re-opened, the player can easily resume from where they left off with a single tap.
The game includes 30 unlockable card deck skins and background skins, which are a nice incentive for those players who need one. Personally, I found the addicting and fun game play enough inventive to continue playing, but the extras are a nice perk.
For the competitive players, the game includes online in-game leaderboards where players can actually see live stats of who has the highest score. The game also includes Openfeint 2.2 integration which allows players to play online against friends or the world. Openfeint integration also includes 50 achievements that come from completing various tasks in the game.
You can check out a game play video here.
Controls & Navigation 1.5/2
The first thing I noticed with this game is the controls are extremely accurate and responsive. The cards that are used are a good size for any size of finger and the game play layout is very clean and easy to use.
Navigation of the game can be a little tricky because to qualify for any of the achievements, players do need to have an Openfeint account. Using Openfeint is also not the most cleanly laid out system.
Once players unlock various deck and background skins, they are easily accessible from the main menu and applied by simply using the provided navigation arrows.
Sounds & Visuals 1/1
The game offers good visuals with very easy to see and read cards. I like that the cards and background skins can be changed, which adds a custom element to the game. The player is also rewarded with neat graphics when something good occurs, such as completing the round or getting a combo.
To go along with these visual graphics are awesome sound jingles! Exciting little sounds are played as combos are gained and objectives completed and once the level is finished, a brief sound jingle is played that is surprisingly fun to listen to.
The game also allows players to use their own iPod music, but be sure to mute in the in-game sound.
Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is scored a 4 out of 5.
Arcade Solitaire: TriTowers is available on the iTunes App Store for $0.99.
