Catchy – Are you rich enough to play it?
Here is something you don’t see every day. A game that actually requires you to throw your Android device in the air to rack up points and win the match. How? It uses the build in accelerometer to calculate and award you with points that can be shared for everyone to see. Catchy is also “DANGEROUSLY FUN”, well at least according to the developers from “Orbit Games” it is.
Each and every time you fire up Catchy, the game greets you with a TOS-like wall of text explaining the magic inside and how can your device tell if you are cheating or not. Well, the truth is it can’t, so it’s up to you (and your friends) to set the base rules and decide whether you want to cheat or not. The text also contains a lengthy paragraph that makes you agree not to sue the developers if you break your phone/tablet while playing. Fair enough, let’s see what’s inside.
The Single player mode contains 3 different mini games that can played for free, offering various difficulty levels and objectives. The first one (called “Highest”) is also the simplest one, but offers 2 different play modes. The first one will make you throw your device as high as you possibly can (and catch it on the way down) in order to collect points and post them on the global leaderboard. The second sub-game is pretty much the same, except now you have to hold your device high into the air and drop it. The time it takes before it hits the ground (or your hand) also translates into points awarded. The “Highest” game mode is the only mode where you can enable your device’s camera, capture all the exciting footage and question your decisions later while re-watching the clips on your PC.
The second game mode, “Sum” is pretty much self-explanatory. The game presents a sum number and every throw will add certain number of points. The goal is to match the given number using as less throws as possible. The faster you are, more points you will earn, but if you cross the threshold and earn more points than necessary, get ready to be penalized.
Moving on further, the next game mode “Formula” is a bit more complicated. Depending on the difficulty you choose, the game will require you to solve an equation by throwing the height equal to the answer. Addition and subtraction equations are not that hard to solve, but up the difficulty level and formulas requiring you to subtract and multiply big numbers start popping out. Throw the perfect answer for full points, the further off your answer is, less points you get. Simple as that.
The multiplayer mode has only one mini game, “Tossing”, that can be played free of charge. Up until now, you were solely responsible for your device’s well being, but that’s about to change. Do you trust your friends or family members? Are you sure? Is your friendship strong enough to survive a broken high-end device? Then throw your phone to them and hope for the best. Losers will be automatically selected upon receiving the device and their fate determinated by the settings you defined before starting the game. You can either make them drink, challenge them to a truth or dare game or eliminate players one by one and be the last man standing.
Those are the 4 mini-games included in the free version of “Catchy” and can be played as long as you want to, or at least as long as your device stays in one piece. If you want more (and who doesn’t), there are 2 additional mini-games that can be purchased for $0.69 each. The first one is single-player game that requires you to keep your device into the air as long as possible and the second one is multiplayer variation of “Hot Potato”. Your Android device is the bomb, pass it away quickly and watch it explode in someone else’s hands.
Catchy has no ads and the 2 additional game modes are entirely optional. The only reason why you may want to reconsider giving it a try is the destructive gameplay nature that can seriously damage your phone or tablet if you start playing on, let’s say, hardwood floor. If you feel tempted to try the game anyway, you can always play couple of rounds on top of your bed or lay down some cushions to absorb the damage. If you happen to have some older backup Android phone that you decided to keep just in case, this can be the perfect opportunity to “let it go out in style“. Catchy has relatively low system requirements (accelerometer is a must) and will even run on devices with Android 2.2 or later. Just for the heck of it, the developer also included achievement (no Google’s game services support), Facebook share button and detailed statistics for nearly everything you do inside.
P.S: Thick silicone cases that are supposed to protect your phone are not designed to protect your screen if it lands face down. Have Fun.
Dejan B.
[tab:Download]
[tab:Screenshots]
# WARNING
Catchy contains a variety of games where throwing the device is the main purpose. By using this application the user agrees that the producer shall not be held to any liability with respect to any claim by the user or a third party arising from the use of Catchy, nor shall the producer be liable for any special indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of Catchy.
This application assumes that the user catches the device at the same height as it was thrown. Measurements shown within this application are merely inaccurate guidelines for entertainment purposes. Do not use for precision measuring.
[tab:END]