I first learned about Pinfall by accident at the Apple App Store, which is odd because it’s made by a friend to this site, and of mine, named Simon Windmill. I wish he’d told me about it sooner because it’s come to dominate the lives of the gamerfamily.  Here’s why: It’s awesome.

Pinfall, like almost all terrific games, is simple. Atop a denim background pins fall to the bottom of the screen. Peace signs, flowers, pandas, etc., must then be swiped in multiples of at least three, for points and to make room on the increasingly crowded screen. Multipliers also fall and bombs will help scatter the pile into new and hopefully more convenient patterns. Swiping more than 3 results in a satisfying “ooh” and “aah” from the unseen crowd and an especially long chain gives you a round of applause. Make enough pins disappear and you begin again, only a little faster. The pace is intense but the game eases you in, which makes it ideal for kids as young as 5.

The 70’s retro look includes inventive tunes that are either brand new or public domain, whichever, they are fun to listen to and add to the zen experience of playing the game. This is the sort of game I instantly like and I knew my wife would like it, what suprised me was how much my 8-year old digs it.  I went to a doctor’s visit, leaving him in the waiting room with my iPad and he found it by himself and played for at least 20 minutes. For a kid with a typically short attention  span, this is an impressive endorsement.

Sure, a friend of mine made the game (he made the similarly brilliant Asteroids/Breakout mashup Breakeroids) but this endorsement is totally deserved.  Don’t believe me? Spend a buck or two and find out yourself. I recommend you do that anyway. Simple, addictive, effective games like this need our attention and Pinfall definitely deserves it.  Now, can I get him to add a GamerDad pin? Hmmmm….

Groovy!

Tags: Game Reviews