This is a little off the beaten track, but over the past week I’ve found a new gaming addiction to add to my repertoire. I’m a sucker for a sim game at the best of times, but when it’s a free, 8-bit graphic airport and plane sim that’s a lot of fun, then I’m doomed.
Pocket Planes was created by NimbleBit and its premise is simple: build up a fleet of planes and successfully fly people and cargo between cities. There’s a standard levelling mechanism, with the need to accumulate coins and Bux. Coins allow you to buy new airports and upgrades, Bux are the currency that allow you to buy new planes and/or plane parts. Bux are the currency you can use real money to buy more of, and it’s likely you’ll want to do that if you’re in the game for the long haul.
That said, this game is semi-generous in allowing you to build up Bux in-game so do date I haven’t needed to spend anything to get up to 8 plains and a dozen airports – which is the result of my first day’s play.
Aside from solo play you can compete in world events with a Flight Crew you set up and if you’re playing on iOS or Mac you can compete with friends via the Game Center. There’s also full iCloud and Notification Center integration for those platforms, meaning you can play on any device and it knows where you’re up to in the game. Android users may have something similar too – post in comments if that’s the case!
For the stats geek, there’s lots of information on your fleet including the number of miles each plane has done, how much revenue its generated and the number of passengers and cargo carried.
Overall, this game is incredibly addictive but easy to have in the background if you need to get other stuff done. If I decide to spend some money buying some Bux in this game, I actually won’t begrudge it – which is unusual for me.
Overall score: 4/5 Greeblies
Go grab a copy for yourself:
Android version
Mac App Store
Have you played Pocket Planes and if so, are you still a fan?
Loading ...
Recent Comments