Written Android App Review
What game could be more refreshing on a hot day than the Android app Cute Star? I dare say none. This game is undeniably cute, but not in a sickening pink, frilly, fluffy way like most people do cute. These cute stars are actually water droplets shaped like stars that create a fun puzzle game out of chain reactions. My Android app review will explore Cute Star, so buckle up, it’s going to be a fun ride!
Gameplay
I must admit, when I read the description for this game, I didn’t quite “get” what I was supposed to do. But after a few brief moments of playing the Android app, it became clear. Cue facepalm. So let me help you by explaining how to play the game first.
Cute Star
The object of the game is to clear the screen of all the water droplets in as few ‘clicks’ as possible. There are different sizes of water droplets, but the ones shaped like stars are ready to pop. Clicking on one of these will send out four smaller droplets (N, E, S, W) which will do one of two things:
- Add to a smaller sized droplet it runs into
- Pop a star-sized droplet, thus sending out four more droplets and thereby creating a chain reaction.
Clearly then, you want to trigger full sized droplets to pop other full sized droplets which pop other full sized droplets… you get the idea. Several times while playing I managed to clear the whole screen in just a couple clicks. But as I got into higher levels, I found I had to “set up” the chain reactions – otherwise I would waste all my clicks on one screen.
Oh, and did I mention that the entire game is based on using 100 clicks? That’s right, you have to get as far as you can in the game on just 100 clicks. The highest I got was level 24 but there were times I only got to level 17 or so.
Regardless, I found this Android app to be a surprising amount of fun for such a simple concept. And I almost felt like I was sitting by the pool with a cool wet breeze on my face. One thing is for sure – I wanted to go swimming after playing this game! I award five golden stars for gameplay.
Design
I’m not sure the developer could have done a better job making water droplets look cute in a non-girly way. I think even a guy would have fun playing this game without being ashamed of it, despite having the word ‘cute’ in the title.
The menu screen is very simple, with only three options: Start Game, How to Play, and Quit. Unfortunately, the ‘How to Play’ didn’t really help me with understanding how to play until I actually tried playing the game. My guess is that the developer does not speak English natively and thus the confusion.
They did succeed, however, in being straight forward and not adding in unnecessary bells and whistles. In fact, there isn’t even any music or sound effects, which I personally think is great. I usually just turn them off anyway as I find it annoying and disruptive to those around me. It’s refreshing to find a game that realizes sounds shouldn’t be necessary to enjoy a game. For being down-to-earth with the game design, I award five golden stars.
Value
I found this Android app to be relaxing, enjoyable, and best of all, simple. This is likely one I will keep on my phone and let my kids play while we are stuck waiting for something (e.g. our food while dining, in line at a checkout, in the car on a trip, etc.). It is simple enough for them to understand and enjoy as well as challenging enough to keep even an adult entertained. For the broad spectrum of enjoyment, I award five golden stars. Oh, and the best part? It’s free!
Android Apps Review Details: Cute Star Android app is free. This app requires Android 1.6 and up. You may download Cute Star from the Android Market.
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