A ladybug (unfortunately) named Dum has been bugnapped by Max, a mean little kid whose room is a torture chamber for insects. Kind of like Sid’s room from Toy Story, except with bugs, not playthings. Now Dum must escape mazes filled with traps and tricks in this action game for iOS and Android (reviewed on iPad here).

Controlling the game is simple. Tap on the screen and Dum will go there. Keep him safe from obstacles like sharp nails, spinning buzzsaws, and rotating razor blades. Make it to the exit to complete the level. If you get hit you’ll have to start the stage over again. Scattered about every level are three baby bugs. Collect them all to increase your score, but be careful because they can be in hard to reach places. And that’s all there is to it! Only problem with this game is that it’s pretty challenging and not in a rewarding way. If an obstacle barely touches you, it’ll count as a hit and you’ll have to do the whole level again. Dum is aptly named, as the game can be pretty dumb sometimes. But at least the price is cheap.

Kid Factor:

For the most part, Free Dum is cute and cartoony. If Dum gets hit, he just jumps in the air with a crazy look on his face. Underneath the surface, though, the game is slightly disturbing. The obstacles you must run around look pretty real, and in some levels it looks like there is a blood smear on the ground sometimes. But if your kids aren’t scared of Sid’s room in Toy Story, they’ll be OK here, too. Reading skill is helpful, but not necessary, as the game is pretty easy to figure out just by playing. But it does get challenging very quickly, so younger gamers might get frustrated.

Tags: Game Reviews