Sometimes, out of nowhere, a ludicrously compelling game can appear and completely consume your life. Even if it’s only for an afternoon, nothing else matters – you block out the outside world and tune in directly to its frequency.
PopCap’s Pig Up has just done that to me, and blindsided me in the process. Facebook games and me don’t get along, and I systematically remove friends who even dare spam up my timeline with game-related noise, but for some reason, this one seemed more appealing. Perhaps it was the punningly-daft name, or the fact it was made by the kings of the casual game, PopCap. Whatever the reason, it no longer matters. Pig Up is now all I care about.
It’s a stupid premise, and stupidly simple to play. Basically, you’re a pig who gets shot out of a cannon, and has a biggles hat and some wooden wings. Why doesn’t matter. To keep this pig flying, he needs to eat apples. Each apple gives you another flap, and you click the mouse to activate it. The idea is to get as high as possible, avoid all the killer bees (naturally) and amass as high a score as possible before you inevitably crash down to earth.
It’s beautifully designed, showing that you only need a bit of personality and a solid gameplay hook to make a great videogame, and being a Facebook offering, there’s lots of tidy social tricks, like apples with your mates’ faces on them and a leaderboard that constantly compels you to keep playing. There are even perks that unlock as you play.
So what are you waiting for? Get on Facebook and get Pig Up in your life!
VERDICT: 90
Tags: pigup
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