What is the basis for most of the sciences out there? Numbers, digits, maths. They’re also vital to the programming of video games. In addition to imagination and good business sense, the studios that develop the best games are backed by various tech geniuses.
That isn’t to say that such abilities can only be found in corporations. On the contrary, the digital age has given the reins of video game design to anyone who wants them. Whether for PC or mobile, building HTML5 Web games needs little more than a budget, plan, and decent software and tech.
On the topic of planning, numbers have played an important, if not leading, role in many games over the years, both digital and physical. The combination of maths and entertainment is a technology in itself, manmade activities that provide mental exercise and fun. The attraction of numbers lies in their versatility and effects.
Business of Numbers
If you compare board games, like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, and backgammon, the importance of dice becomes clear. The numbers they roll determine your progress through each game. The reason they even exist is for the sake of fair play, letting chance and not the players decide how many squares to move, for example.
In fact, dice and their vital job make them a commodity, one that inspired businesses like Tinderbox Entertainment to produce their Dice Empire: Series One collection on Kickstarter. $29k has been pledged, at the time of writing, by people who love the idea of owning unique sets of dice. They feature numbers in the form of tentacles, blood drops, lunar cycles and more. The creativity that went into this project shows what fascinating things maths can lead to when integrated with modern gaming ideas.
And there is no piece of modern entertainment technology more powerful now than mobile gaming. It’s a firm rival to traditional video game platforms. Math-based titles for PC and console exist, of course, such as Point, Legend of Numbers and Murder by Numbers. But the simplicity of their design suits mobile devices so well that gamers often prefer to turn to their smartphone for this kind of entertainment. Their portability and typically free-to-play status are other factors that make mobile games so popular.
So what number games are available to Android and iOS users?
Puzzles & Challenges
The first mobile category to explore is Sudoku-style puzzle games, popular entertainment to pass the time. But why not make things more interesting? Kakuro Free: Number Crosswords on Google Play presents players with double the difficulty. It combines Sudoku with crossword puzzles in 14,000 games of increasing size and complexity. If you have a talent for maths or want to get some quality practice, this is what the app was made for. It comes with an elegant Asian design and user-friendly interface that just lets you focus on solving the puzzles.
Mobile games with multiplayer and live capabilities can be a fun challenge, as well as social. Think of how much harder Scrabble is when played against an actual person. Their brain and mere presence push yours to greater victories or frustrations. Furthermore, online blackjack on your smartphone, for example, provides similar stimulation. The game’s live version has you face real dealers hitting you with actual cards up to that critical 21. It’s an example of how live streaming technology immerses mobile gamers, for example, into a numerical game of luck and smarts.
Fans of Sim City have a great option too in the form of Concrete Jungle on either mobile operating system. Tom’s Guide praises the maths and strategy features mixed into this city-building simulation game. You’re given a map and a deck of over 230 cards. Each one represents something you can build, but also the effects it will have on the surrounding blocks. The numerical factor is in managing the economy and positioning of the different buildings and zones. And as the city grows, so do all its challenges. Apart from maths, this casual but highly rewarding title practices planning and problem-solving skills.
Good games are products of logic and fun. Numbers are definitely a part of the designing and manufacturing process of these marketable forms of entertainment. But numerical patterns and proper maths are also popular features within physical and video games. For now, however, mobile platforms are the best and most convenient places to enjoy such mentally enriching titles.
