Game Reviews

Lumo Deliveries

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iOS
| Lumo Deliveries
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Lumo Deliveries
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iOS
| Lumo Deliveries

We've known about Lumo Deliveries for ages. I went hands-on with a super early build of it for AppSpy way way back in July of this year, after having nabbed a quick glance of it at Indie Games Collective 2014 in London.

With the full version now available globally, I'm revisiting it to see what's new, what's been changed, what's stayed the same, and to give you the final verdict on the colourful delivery game.

How does it hold up over 7 full days of scrutiny? Let's find out.

First impressions

Lumo Deliveries first asks you to choose a starting location to begin your conquest of the world's delivery routes.

Having chosen the UK, I was then asked to select a driver, pop them in a vehicle, and choose from one of the available locations.

When you're happy with your selections you send them off. Each delivery takes a specified amount of time. When it's up you can unload your packages (by tapping on the screen), return to the HQ, and be rewarded for your efforts.

How much you'll get for each journey depends on how far away you've sent your driver: close locations pay less, but they also take less time to reach.

Access to farther destinations is limited by the quality of licence your drivers possess, and the sophistication of the vehicles they're driving - clearly a gigantic blimp will go far further than a rusty sedan.

So to increase the amount you earn through play you buy more and better drivers and vehicles, gradually amassing a delivery fleet. If you want you can also purchase upgrades and improve the licences for drivers.

The gameplay here is simple then, but also highly addictive, because it's so easily consumed during advertisements on TV, or when stuck in a queue, or whenever you find you have two minutes.

It's snappy action, with a straightforward route for progression, and has a deep sense of reward.

Day 3: Large package

I've spent a good portion of my weekend playing Lumo Deliveries, and one of the reasons I'm still really enjoying it is how well it fits around my life.

That convenience is key to me wanting to jump back in so regularly. I mean, I'm playing it right now, while I write this sentence.

The game's also revealing more and more of its layers, and though it's by no means turned from a casual to a mid-core game, there are a few extra play mechanics to be aware of the further you get into Lumo Deliveries.

Your cars will break down from time to time. You can stop this from happening so often by upgrading your vehicles to make them more reliable, but eventually they'll need a fix.

At this point you're then presented with a minigame where you tap and shake the phone on command, pay a small fee, and you're on your way.

Another tiny minigame is found by watching the vehicle drive to its destination. You can see the car trundle along, and occasionally have the opportunity to catch extra currency.

Then there's the Loyalty system. Let's say Felicity Bell is one of your drivers. Eventually she'll get a bit tired of the gig, and will become a Beatnik. This means that she'll drive slower, and that's not what you want.

To cure Felicity of this dreaded disease you can either tap a set of bongos, or spin the Hypnodisc - though this latter options is apparently a more “evil” way of getting your staff motivated.

Lumo Deliveries continues to be a delight as I head into the final stretch.

Day 7: Arrived

Another few days in, and yet more depth has been revealed.

If you travel while playing you'll receive a Geo-Boost bonus. This means that any vehicles on deliveries will move twice as quickly. You could use Coffee to speed up things too, but this is a lovely little extra bonus.

I've been checking out the multiplayer, and there's the makings of some healthy competition here. Lumo Deliveries sets you a rival, and it's then a race to see who can dominate more areas of the world with their own delivery service.

It's a little busted at the moment, and way too slow to access and check your stats, but there's definitely a lot of potential.

There are a few elements that could be made faster, and I'm really hoping they are in the future. Loading the game up fresh takes just a little too long, though the payoff is clearly the superior presentation, which is excellent throughout.

The grind to the next big purchase is also a little too lengthy. I've just unlocked a flying saucer, which has given me access to much further destinations (and consequently lots more money per delivery), but unlocking it took a solid day and a half of play, and I was constantly interrupted by breakdowns.

If you're expecting a game to churn through, play constantly, and see everything quickly, you're going to be left disappointed with Lumo Deliveries, simply because it isn't designed to be played that way.

But as a game you check in on every day during the ad breaks between your favourite shows, it's a charming experience you'll invest a surprising amount of time into.

How are you getting on with the game? You can tell us and the rest of the PG community about your experiences by leaving a comment in the box below. Click here to learn about our free-to-play review policy.

Lumo Deliveries

A really smashing casual game that is accessible enough to appeal to anyone, yet engrossing enough to be worth the time
Score
Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.