Tattoo Ink

Considering opting to have a tattoo burned into your skin is the kind of decision that stays with you for life, it's perhaps a little bizarre that the majority of tattoo-based games aim to turn the act of getting one into something of a race.

Though I might be screaming in pain at the time, the last thing I'd want any tattooist to be doing is checking his watch as he forced his needle into my skin.

While Tattoo Ink certainly incorporates such haste into the bulk of its play – this isn't a game likely to dominate large periods of your time, but instead one you can pick up and tackle in bite-sized chunks – success comes from finding the balance between pace and patience.

Much like Tattoo Mania on iPhone, play here focuses on pulling off a series of tattoos on clients one by one without causing your subjects too much pain. Applying the tat' is basically split into three sections, the most delicate of which is the art of drawing the outline that defines the design that matches the customer's taste.

It's actually a simpler process than it might first appear, your only action being to press the '5' key to push the needle around the outline. The longer you hold the key down, the faster the needle moves.

However, such pace also causes pain and often results in the needle swaying off course. The idea is to keep it motoring around at a steady speed so you keep on track, while being mindful not to run out of time.

Around each tattoo are blue sections that, when passed over, aid your concentration by filling your 'zen bar'. When topped up, you're able to zoom around the tattoo without skirting off course or causing any pain, the whole process a question of evening out a desire to get the job done with not putting the customer through too much pain.

The rest of the game – colouring in your work, and wiping it clean – is a case of pressing directional keys in quick time, with stars flashing up on either side of the screen to prompt you. Again, however, when it comes to painting in your palette, going too fast actually causes your subject anguish, meaning holding back so you don't tip them over the edge is a priority.

In truth, there's not much more to it than that, and after an initial run, you've pretty much seen all you're going to see. As such, it's hard to imagine Tattoo Ink captivating all too many for all too long.

However, the game's simplicity gives it the edge over many of its rivals (including on iPhone) and it's hard to be too harsh on a title that's this playable from the word go.