Don't Fall in the Hole Review

Don't Fall in the Hole is a funny new game from Oooweeooo Interactive. This iPad-only game seeks to turn your tablet into a rip-roaring good time to be had for you and up to three of your friends or family members. Does it succeed in its quest? Or should this board game-like endeavor be called a bored game instead?

The task is simple: don't fall in the hole! At the start screen, you can tap the little characters in the corners in order to join the game. Once all players have joined up, you can hit the "play" button and the frenzy can start. And what flavor frenzy is this? Well, the object of the game is to get all of the other players to fall through the floor via holes that can be created with explosions. Sounds simple enough, right? It is, until you add in a bunch of power-ups and different stages with varying features.

Don't Fall in the Hole is a turn-based game, meaning that you really can't do anything unless it's your turn. But if it is your turn, attacking is as simple as pulling back on your little dude (the same way you would pull a slingshot if this were Angry Birds), angle your shot and then let go to fire. Your shot will bounce around the field, possibly destroying objects or picking up items. Tapping on the screen while your shot is in flight will cause it to explode, which will more than likely take out a part of the floor and open it up for someone to go flying.

Now, the avatars you control in the game are on little disc-shaped tanks that, for some reason, hate friction. Just think of them like the pucks in a game of table hockey. If you manage to cause an explosion near an opponent, it could cause them to go sliding in one direction or the other. Your aim is to get them sliding towards a whole in the ground, which will earn you a point. The first player to get two points wins the game.

Again, this all sounds very simple. And in truth, it is. The thing that makes the game interesting is the revolving door of stages and power-ups that become available during the course of a match. Planes will often fly overhead and drop little crates. Hitting these crates with your shots will release items for you to use on your turn. These items include everything from bowling balls that push enemies, propellers that send you flying in a certain direction and magnets that cause you to go careening towards another player. Using these items wisely can help result in a quick win.

The stages, on the other hand, are the coolest part of the game. Each stage has unique features that help make winning a lot more interesting. For example, there is a volcano stage with four big platforms that shift. Each platform is surrounded by crystals that can be damaged, providing a small amount of protection at the start of the match. But these platforms also move on every turn, so there's no knowing who will end up where. And then there's the threat of the random earthquake lurking around every turn, which could cause someone who was doing well to fall into the hole. Womp womp.

In short, Don't Fall in the Hole is a fun game to play with your friends. The only things that keep it from reaching the upper echelons of the App Store are the agonizing wait times between turns and the fact that it costs $2.99, which is a moderately premium price. Because as fun as Don't Fall in the Hole is, you'll likely only end up playing it with your friends for one or two days after you get it.

But still, if it seems like the type of game you'd like to play over and over again with your buds, or even as an ice-breaking tool to use on strangers at a cafe, Don't Fall in the Hole could be right up your alley.

7.5 out of 10 arcade sushi rating