Space Tap Review for iPhone: Steer Clear of the Chaos

Space Tap Review for iPhone-2

Space Tap Review for iPhone-2

[rating: 3/5]

Space Tap Review: A game of traffic control where you steer ships clear of each other while trying to land at spaceports.

This game gets right to it. There’s no tutorial, orientation, or help screen to get you going. You start right in with a planet with a spaceport right in the middle of the screen and soon ships start moving in from the edges. It is not clear at all what you are supposed to do. Drag your finger across the screen and you draw a path that a ship will follow, but follow where? It took a trip to the developer’s website to have any clue at all what was going on.

Space Tap Review for iPhone-3

Once the few facts available regarding the game were found, it became a little clearer that the main reason to “steer” the ships was to keep them from crashing into each other. They seem to find the docks themselves, although you can accelerate that by steering them that direction. Your objective is to get as many ships as possible safely into the docks before ships crash on the approach.

With the basics down, finally, the game strategy becomes more reactive. Watch the ships and anticipate when they may cross paths with another and change their course to avoid crashing. Simple enough, but it gets strenuous when there’s a screen full of ships with no clear path to safety.

The game has a bit of a simplistic feel to it, some of which comes from the uncluttered graphics. The spacey music and crash sounds also seem a bit simplistic, but set the right tone for the game. The colors are a bit muted, not the common primary color scheme, which almost gives it a bit of a retro feel.

Space Tap Review for iPhone-1

If you like line-drawing games, Space Tap {$0.99} is a decent challenge. If you’re new to them, you may be a bit lost and may want to try another from the genre first. This game could be much improved with just a few screens of introduction to get players off on the right foot.

What we like:

  • Combination of line drawing and tower defense gameplay
  • Tricks you into thinking it’s a piece of cake right before it gets crazy

What to know:

  • Needs a tutorial and a backstory
  • No explanation of the interface

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