TownCraft
For: iPad, iPhone
From: Flat Earth Games
Three and a half stars (out of five)
The extraordinary success of Minecraft, in particular, has clearly convinced all independent developers that the way to get a start in the very competitive world of mobile gaming is to focus on crafting. Or farming. Or plants and zombies.
TownCraft is a nifty new release from Australian brothers Leigh and Rohan Harris, who wanted to pay homage to some old-school classics.
''We grew up on games like Civilization, Transport Tycoon and Lightspeed,'' Rohan explained.
''These things have always held a special place in our hearts and we've been hard at work on resurrecting the core concepts which drive them to share the things we love with a new generation.''
TownCraft is, as the name suggests, a title heavy on crafting elements.
From humble beginnings in a medieval setting, your task is to explore, harvest and create, with the aim of building a town from scratch.
Crafting is the tool by which you progress your development.
Find two materials, craft them into something else. Use three items you have created to craft something else. And so on, and so on, until you have built a most powerful metropolis.
The numbers are impressive. There are 95 different objects you can place, 210 different resources, 216 different recipes, and 33 types of biome used to create each world.
There is a nice streak of humour running through the game - these are Aussie larrikins, after all.
Graphics are simple, the interface is accessible and the game progresses at a pleasing rate. I
t is not all plain sailing, though. There are plenty of times where you find yourself gritting your teeth with frustration as the trial-and-error of crafting sends you into a spin.
TownCraft is a fine example of what can be done with a simple approach and a honest desire to make the best game you can on a limited budget.
Well worth a look.
