Mobile games are always an interesting prospect to review, being, as they are, a bit of a mixed bunch. Do you look at them in the context of ‘full’ traditional games, or as small mini-games; a fleeting amusement with less stringent depth requirements?

The answer is, as with many things, dependant on context. Some, like Xcom or Baldur’s Gate are traditional game experiences, streamlined for the mobile platform, offering similar depth to their ‘full’ counterparts. Others are little more than brief attention sponges, such as bubble poppers and the like.

Today’s subject, Tanuki Forest, stands somewhere in between the two; fairly basic on face value but possessing a hidden depth that will keep players engaged beyond the expected limits.

Occupying the same sort of territory as luminaries such Angry Birds and Flappy Bird (what is it with bloody birds and IOS?), Tanuki Forest is a game that shouldn’t be as addictive as it is, but somehow it is.

Save animals, collect stuff: old-school fun.

The premise is that the player takes the role of a mysterious forest creature who is trying to protect his fellow inhabitants from dark forces that have infected their forest, which take the form of darkened, spikey vines and small spirit monsters. To do this, they guide the character as he flies from left to right through the forest; helping him gather forest creatures to save, collect in-game currency, called Kami, while avoiding the aforementioned spikey obstacles.

Mechanically the game plays like a hybrid of Flappy Bird’s endurance-based high-score chase and the Temple-Run style endless survival challenge, with the added spice of power-ups (in the form of animal helpers). Navigation is on a one-touch setup, something the studio behind the game, Mighty Mill Games, are keen to emphasise. The game is designed to be quickly accessible and easy to get to grips with; something it achieves masterfully. To make the eponymous Tanuki move higher as he travels, you tap the screen, making him jump a short way before beginning to sink down again. The more you tap, the higher he goes. This mechanic, while initially very simple, takes on greater technicality as the game processes and the horizontal movement increases, requiring greater and more refined timing to progress.

Variety is added by the addition of power-ups, in the form of animal helpers. These effectively give the player a shield, allowing for survival from one touch of an obstacle, at the cost of the loss of the creature’s assistance. There are a variety of these creatures, each with a slightly different style and a different control method. For example, one is a Marlin fish, which speeds you up dramatically, but the control method is reversed, with the character rising to the top of the screen and a tap dropping him down. While this does add some variety, it is a bit frustrating at first as shifting control method mid-flow is all too often fatal in the game and its implementation feels a touch hit and miss.

Fly through the game to rescue your collected animals

The visuals are excellent, with the seemingly hand-drawn graphics a real pleasure on the eye. This is a game that has real production value and it stands out, particularly for an indie studio. The style choice gels well with the theme Mighty Mill Games have gone for and it makes the game a pleasure to immerse yourself in. Its honestly one of the prettiest games I’ve come across on mobile devices and the retina display in particular really makes the most of the sumptuous colours and characters. Indeed, the bright colours and cutesy characters will also make the game very appealing to children.

Another massive positive is the lack of advertising and peddling of micro-transactions. Yes, there is the option to buy extra Kami, which is used to purchase unlocks and powers, but it’s hidden away in the ‘Shinto Shop’ area of the game, not constantly flashed in your face. In addition, you don’t get a huge advert for other games pop up between rounds like other free-to-play titles, which is hugely welcome. For adult players is a welcome escape from constant annoyances and for parents letting their kids play there’s peace of mind regarding accidental clicks and purchases. This was a conscious decision from the game’s developers and for that every single person who reads this should download it right now. Go on, do it now. I’ll wait…

…

Done it? Good.

All in all, Tanuki Forest is a superb mobile game. While it’s not going to win any awards for extensive or varied gameplay, it should be recognised for its peerless design, its astonishing addictiveness and its overall bloody charm.

The game was put together with obvious care and enjoyment by a set of people who plainly enjoyed what they were doing; something that bleeds through into an accomplished end product. There are few games these days that feel like a real labour of love, but Tanuki Forest is one of them and for that alone it jumps to the top of my recommendations for free IOS games.

Get out there and Tanuki the plunge… (Get it?…. oh shut up…)

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