Pub Fruity

Pub Fruity raises an interesting question; can you really enjoy an experience like gambling on your phone when there’s no real money involved? It’s something that’s as applicable to the wide range of poker games available, too. Surely the thrill of poker and fruit machines – if not all of it, then a large proportion of it – comes from knowing you could win or lose a fortune on the turn of a card or illuminated wheel. Maybe it’s the glamour and sparkle that’s the key; after all, a fruit machine at it’s fully-illuminated best is as spectacular sight as the Blackpool Illuminations.

Well, the Las Vegas slots its not, but Pub Fruity does serve to reproduce the old fashioned pub fruit machine to a T, flashing coloured lights and all. With spin after mindless spin you’ll soon cha’ching your way through 20 virtual quid in the blink of an eye and… have absolutely nowt to show for it. And that’s the trouble with this game; there’s little incentive to keep playing and no compensation to be had in a curry on the way home.

The objective is clear: line up all your ducks in a row and hit the jackpot, as elusive as it may be. Instead of winning cash, you’re rewarded with mini-games to play, each of varying degrees of difficulty depending on the pot that’s at stake. These are, however, both strange and laughable. They’re all about timing and hitting the right button at the right moment. There really is very little skill involved and, to be brutal, the banal black and white visuals and the pea-headed stick man do nothing to enhance the game’s quality. Despite playing solidly for 3 hours it seems impossible to win more than a virtual fiver in one shot and the promised £25 jackpot of 777 seems nothing but a myth. To top it off, the sounds are dull and uninspiring with none of the enticing, strangely satisfying chimes, chirps and beeps of the real thing.

Don’t get us wrong, fruit machines can be entertaining (as long as you’re sensible and set a limit – Pocket Gamer doesn’t endorse or promote gambling!) with the rush of winning your £1 investment back ten-fold, but this game just fails to excite – period.