App of the Week: DiamondDash
Cost: Free (add ons are available)
This is a fun puzzle type game where you touch 3 or more same color jewels as quickly as you can. You have 60 seconds, and every time you touch gems of the same color they disappear and are replaced with other jewels.
If you consistently find 3 or more of a kind (and don’t press on places that don’t have at least 3 matching colors), you will eventually get “jewel bombs” (different from purchased bombs below). When you tap these shining jewels, they will take out a row and column, and quickly increase your score. Another thing to boost your score is finding big groupings of same color jewels. The score increases exponentially with each additional jewel grouped together.
I can honestly say this game is quickly addicting. It has Facebook integration as well so you can post your score and you can compare your score among friends (you do have to let it access your profile info and do all that other stuff that you have to do to let third party software on your Facebook page, much like Farmville, etc). Also, there is tournament ranking so you can see your score compared to that of your friends.
You are given 5 “hearts”, which are basically 5 times you can play. Once you are out of hearts you have to buy more or wait a few minutes for them to replenish. If you link it to Facebook you get 10 extra hearts, and some Facebook friends can even send you more hearts.
The nice thing is you can’t keep playing forever. So, as addicting as it is, you can’t waste too much time playing. Once your hearts are out, you are forced to do something else (like play another game...but it might be good to actually pay attention to a loved one or something now and then...just a thought).
Also, the more you play you get silver coins that you can eventually use to buy “bombs” and “hourglasses.” The bombs cost 300 silver coins for one game use. If you buy them, at random times through the game you can tap them and they will take out a bunch of jewels, giving you a bigger score. If you buy the hour glasses, they will come up at random times, and if you tap them, they will add a few seconds to your game play. You can even save up coins and buy both of them.
The more you play the more experience points you get, which multiplies your score, as well as eventually will unlock the bomb and the hourglass.
It’s a really fun, fast-paced game that will keep you on your toes and give your brain a bit of a workout!
