Dot Spinner
[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
Release Date: January 29^th, 2015
Developers: Ketchapp
Publishers: Apple Inc.
Platforms: iOS
Genre: Puzzle, Arcade
Players: 1
Rating: 9/10

---

---

Synopsis

---

Your goal is to clear all the dots on the spinner, scoring as many points as possible. You can remove the dots by forming groups of three or more dots with the same color. Simple, right? But the whole shape moves every time you hit it! You'll have to use strategic thinking.

Now aim and shoot!

---

---

Gameplay

---

Dot Spinner is a puzzle game where the objective is to get as high a score as possible before you eventually come to the end of the game which can happen in several different ways. In the game you are presented with a 6 pointed star made up of different colored dots, you can launch one additional dot at a time onto the group. When you connect 3 or more dots of the same color they will pop, giving you points. Any other dots that they are connected to that have no other connections (they would be floating) are also popped and add to your score. This game also features realistic physics, shooting a dot right on the edge of the star will cause it to rotate quite dramatically, this can be used tactically for if you need to access an area of the star that you couldn't reach beforehand. You can also bounce the dots off the wall to bank them at different angles as another way of reaching out of reach areas. There are several ways to lose this game, one is when you stack the dots and they touch one of the edges of the screen, when they get close they will flash red warning you. Another way to lose is by building the dots up so that they touch the spot where the dots are shot from, this may seem difficult to do but the physics which spin the star round can screw you over by moving the dots in the way. Overall the gameplay in this game is very different to any other game that I've seen, but it is very easy to play and enjoyable.

---

---

Graphics

---

The graphics in this game are very easy on the eyes and attractive. The main point in this game is the color scheme, the colors include red, orange, yellow, green, pink, purple and white. Some of the colors are difficult to distinguish which is quite annoying and sometimes makes the game difficult to play. Some of the other graphical features are really useful and help you get higher scores in the game, one of these would be the red highlight on dots that are close to the edge, if you are playing the game quite fast then you may not notice these dots so the red highlight is a very useful addition. Another helpful feature would be the smaller dot that shows up next to the dot that you are currently shooting, it shows the color of the next dot so this can help you plan the moves you are going to make.

---

---

Audio

---

The audio in this game is very calm and relaxing, this suits the game well as there is nothing to rush you and you can play the game at your own pace. In the background when you are playing there is a cheerful tune, this really lightens up the mood, it sort of seems contradictory to the dull black background that that game features. The other main sound effects that you will hear are the sounds that play when you shoot a dot, this really sounds like someone literally through a ball of some sort. Another sound effect is when you pop a chain of dots, each dot will not only give the animation to indicate the change but will also produce a popping sound for every dot that was popped. The only other noticeable sound effect is the one that plays when you lose, you can tell that it signals a negative event which may not be beneficial anymore as you will have finished the game, but it still gives a clear message.

---

---

Controls

---

The controls in this game are very simple and easy to use, but there could be a change or other option added to them. The current method of controlling the shooting of the dots require you to touch the screen, move your finger to where you want to aim and let go to fire the dot. This works fine, but I feel that an additional way to control could be added in where you move your finger around to aim the dot, and then press a separate button to shoot the dot as sometimes your finger blocks dots on the screen which can be a pain if you need to be precise. You have to be smart when playing this game, making sure not to shoot the dots in certain places which could cause the star to rotate, hitting dots against the side. Being careful and accurate is the best way to get high scores in this game.

---

---

Rating

---

Gameplay - 9.5/10
Graphics - 9/10
Audio - 9/10
Controls - 8/10
Overall - 9/10