Tap Two

Let me get one thing straight: Tap Two isn't a bad game.

Seriously, if every bus stop came fitted with little rectangular screens projecting a Tap Two puzzle lobby, I might even stop referring to the 473 to Stratford as the "peasant wagon".

Imagine it, legions of commuters playing this continuous matching game in real time. People might actually unplug from the tinny blare of their headphones.

Scores of space-invaders might be so engrossed they'll miss the bus altogether, allowing the rest of us to perform gleeful cartwheels down the empty aisles. It would be heavenly.

Trouble is, beyond killing time at the bus stop, Tap Two has very little to offer.

The point of Tap Two is to match as many pairs of tiles you can in just sixty seconds. You race against a lobby of other players from across the world for top spot, completing as many rounds as possible in the short time allowed.

Points are awarded for the number of matches you make and the speed in which you create them. And it's certainly compelling at first.

Rounds become progressively harder the more tiles you match. You begin with a couple of sets of numbered tiles and end up with a screen full of symbols, numbers, and colours to sort through against the clock.

Unfortunately Tap Two is also very repetitive. Within five minutes of playing (so about five rounds) you have the measure of this tile-based puzzler. And it's not an impressive evaluation.

The simplicity of Tap Two turns out to be both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The interface is clean and colourful, but it's also forgettable. Likewise the gameplay is fun at first, but the game does very little to make you actually care about winning in the end.

Personal trophies or achievements for new record matches would add an extra element of competitiveness to keep players hooked. Even an increased range of difficulties in the lobbies would challenge those brainiacs wishing to be truly stretched.

Then there's the multiplayer element. Being able to play against Facebook friends and a gaming community is a nifty touch, but the fact that this is an online-only game is also frustrating. It's perfect for those on the bus, but what about the underground? Or on planes? Or hot air balloons?

An offline version where you simply race against the clock in a "practice mode" could easily solve this, and it would certainly save on both battery life and spiralling data costs.

For those looking for a quick, low-investment matching game to while away a few minutes every day, Tap Two will most probably satisfy, especially with its non-existent price tag.

However, for those looking for a puzzler to really get their teeth into, Tap Two is more minced meat than filet mignon. If you're easily distracted by pretty colours, it will absorb you for half an hour – but it's certainly not worth missing the bus for.