Who doesn’t remember Jenga? Endless towers of little wooden blocks that stretched to the ceiling as you carefully stacked them with a steady hand….only to watch them fall at the most inopportune moment. It’s a great game! And today I am very happy to announce that it is now a great Android app. Yep, that’s right! Jenga is now and Android app! But is the digital version as wonderfully quirky as the original? Let’s explore my Android app review and find out!
Jenga
Gameplay
The first thing to know about the Jenga Android App is that it was created with the help of the original inventor of the game. What does this mean to you? That the makers of this Android app are doing everything they can to stay true to the original.
This is a good thing!
The digital version works much like the wooden one in that you use your finger to tap or slide the Jenga blocks out of the tower and move them to the top. As you move your chosen block, the blocks around it are effected in some way….either good….or bad. The idea being to go slowly and move carefully as you build your tower towards the sky. Blocks in the Android version of the game can be either colored or wooden depending on your preference and I think that you will find the physics to be very realistic. i.e…the blocks on the game will react in much the same way that they would in the real world.
Fun Factor
So is it fun? It is…….but I want more. Let me explain. The Jenga Android app is designed to work in one of two ways. You can either play as a single player, going for height as you pit yourself against both the world and your own best score.
~or~
Jenga
You can put the game in Play-n-Pass mode. This mode allows you to add up to four players and then pass the Android device between you as you play. That’s okay, but again, I want more! Why? Because this mode requires that all 4 players be physically present to take part in the game. With the technology they have at their disposal, why can this game not be set up like Words with Friends (or several other popular Android apps) and allow players to connect remotely? When it’s your turn, your Android device could signal you to move you block, then, if you are successful, the game is sent to the next player. To me this would add a whole new level of interest to the Jenga Android app and make it much more exciting to play.
As it stands now the game is fun. But, after I had played through a time or two the novelty had worn off and I was bored.
Value
Is Jenga worth the money? To me…..no. In the world of Android apps, and especially Android games, $2.99 is a pretty steep price tag. If the makers of Jenga want to give their users their money’s worth, then they need to add more depth to the game. It needs to have more than just the Jenga name. It needs to be the game that we know and love brought to us in a fully functional, technologically sound format that allows us to use our Android devices to their fullest. If they can do that, then they might just have a winner.
Android Apps Review Details: The Jenga Android app costs $2.99. This app requires Android 2.3.3 and up. You may download Jenga from the Android Market.
