“Bounce” is the new app from Ketchapp, the company responsible for the mobile sensation 2048, a game that hit the mobile market by storm. Although Bounce, and other projects by Ketchapp, including “The Tower” and “Amazing Thief,” have not achieved the wide scale popularity or success of 2048, many of these new apps deserve praise for their original mechanics and ideas. Bounce is Ketchapp’s newest effort, featuring a game style similar to that of “Doodle Jump,” a much earlier popular iOS game. In Bounce, players touch either side of the screen to move a teal ball from side to side. The player must land on platforms to continue moving upwards while dodging pink objects and collecting various power-ups. Unlike Doodle Jump, where the player scores for simply moving upwards and bouncing to the next platform, the player scores points in Bounce by crossing specific lines, colored light blue like the player controlled ball, and running horizontally across certain parts of the climb. Every line the player crosses gives the player one point. Bounce has a very unique aesthetic that draws on several different designs from other games by Ketchapp, and other well known apps such as Monument Valley and Duet. The style is vibrant and colorful, with the platforms, obstacles, and power-ups all look very distinctive from the ball that the player plays as. Bounce is a free mobile app, but offers some microtransactions, or options to buy in game items. Chief among these microtransactions is the ability to remove the ads, which is very useful, since an annoying ad is always shown at the bottom of the screen. Many people consider this the main downfall of the app, as the player will constantly hit the banner, which will lead the player to an App Store page. This constantly interrupts the game. Overall, Bounce is a fantastic spiritual successor to Doodle Jump, revitalising the mechanics and revolutionizing its small genre. Despite the placement of the ad banner, the app plays fantastically. The game’s overall visual design is brilliant, with vibrant and clear colors giving the game a unique look and heavily adds to the amazing gameplay features that makes this game such a great hit.

⅘ Broken iPhone Screens