Game Reviews

Accidental Spelunking

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iOS
| Accidental Spelunking
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Accidental Spelunking
|
iOS
| Accidental Spelunking

Accidental Spelunking is a game about not being able to see where you're going. You plummet down a hole, nabbing gold and trying to smash into anything.

Hit too many obstacles and you'll disappear off the top of the screen. Once you do that it's game over and you need to start all over again.

But the coins you collect as you tumble can be spent on upgrading your equipment. And you can turn into a drill for a while once you've filled up a bar.

It's not the most complex game in the world, but there's a quick restart time and some sharp hooks that mean you'll be able to sink a good chunk of your time into it.

Tumble down

You control your falling miner by tilting your phone or tablet left to right. The controls are a bit on the muddy side, but they're supposed to be. You're not arcing gracefully through an abyss - you're plunging like a ragdoll to your inevitable death.

But you can't see very much to begin with. The glow of your torch is dim and feeble, and you'll only spot an obstacle as your face ploughs into it.

The coins you manage to grab as you fall can be spent on making the beam more powerful, and making it stay brighter for longer.

Tapping on the screen when you've accrued enough energy lets you turn into a drill for a few scant seconds. This allows you to smash through any obstacles. Again, coins can be spent to make you drill farther and for longer.

Mine craft

There's a nice reward cycle to Accidental Spelunking. You build up your powers, get that much deeper into the mine, and earn more for your longer falls.

It's not complex, it's not particularly well polished, but it is a decent chunk of fun while it's got its claws in you.

They'll loosen after a while, but Accidental Spelunking is a bright, engaging arcade blast that doesn't outstay its welcome.

Accidental Spelunking

A short, sharp burst of arcade fun, Accidental Spelunking isn't the best looking game in the world, but it is an awful lot of fun
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.