Some iOS games attempt to replicate the console experience, shoehorning ill-fitting control schemes on to a platform not suited to them. Others try to find interesting and innovative uses for the various input methods available to them. And then there’s the games that are content with offering one-touch control, keeping things simple.
ZONR, from Klick Tock, is an example of a mobile game which is happy to let one finger do all the work; far from being a criticism, this streamlining makes it accessible to everyone who picks it up.
Gameplay is simplicity itself - with just 90 seconds on the clock and no way to extend your time, ZONR is essentially a race to see how many points you can accrue before the clock hits zero. Presented with a square divided up into different-colored sections, all you have to do is tap the shape with the largest surface area. That square then disappears, replaced by a larger square with more, smaller shapes. Tap the right area several times in the row, in a fast enough time, and you’ll start to accrue a multiplier. Tap the wrong area and it disappears from the board, forcing you to try again - at the cost of both time and your potential score.
That’s all there is to it - there are no additional modes to unlock, no upgrades to be found, and while there are a number of background skins on offer - made available after meeting certain challenges (score 500,000 points, accrue a x10 multiplier, etc.), ZONR is very much a case of what you see, is what you get. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is; but don’t mistake that simplicity for a lack of challenge.
That simplicity extends to the game’s presentation, with bold use of color, a minimal amount of screen clutter and no snazzy effects. The palette used changes depending on the background skin you’ve chosen, which can increase the difficulty The default skin makes use of bold pastel hues, making the largest shapes easy to identify; but switch to the Negative skin, with its use of stark monochromatic shades, and it can become much more difficult. They’re not quite simply cosmetic then, but they certainly don’t change the gameplay in any particularly meaningful way. They’re there simply to be unlocked and switched between for no other reason than to give you something a bit more challenging to tackle, or to provide a little visual variety.
It’s a shame that this choice doesn’t extend to the soundtrack, however. ZONR only provides one tune to listen to, precisely the length of the 90 seconds you have in each stage. Composed by Disasterpeace it’s certainly pleasant to listen to - and evokes the composer’s work on Polytron’s FEZ - but play the game for long enough and it becomes overly-familiar. If Klick Tock’s budget had been able to extend to a few more tracks, it would have been welcome. Another option could have been to allow players to use their own music and compete for the highest score on any given track, Audiosurf-style - though it’s difficult to gauge whether or not the simplicity of the gameplay would be able to accommodate such an approach.
Outside of the main gameplay, there are leaderboards and a number of achievements to unlock, but Klick Tock relies perhaps a little too heavily on Game Center’s built-in support options.
Despite these setbacks however, ZONR remains interesting enough to warrant a few playthroughs, and can become addictive in the short-term. Essentially a test of how well your observational skills cope under pressure, ZONR can often feel more stressful than it actually is; but the pressure is entirely of your own making. The lack of additional music tracks or additional gameplay modes hurts its long-term appeal, but then it’s not designed to be something that will keep you up until the early hours. This is bite-sized gameplay, designed to be digested in miniature chunks - examining it in that light means that it’s hard to be too difficult on the game. It’s also free (with a couple of optional paid-for skins) - which has to count for something.
If you’re just looking for something simple to pass the time, it’s worth a look; but don’t be surprised if you find yourself uninstalling it a couple of days later once the novelty has worn off.
Dale Morgan
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