A Grandparents Guide to
Smartphone Gaming
ERIC SCHUCHT | JE STAFF
Tetris Th e Cold War may have ended, but Mother Russia’s legacy
survives: Tetris — the solitaire of video games. From graphic
calculators to towering skyscraper displays, if it runs on
electricity, chances are it can play Tetris. Th is classic is literally
everywhere, so it’s no surprise to fi nd it on your phone and tablet
as well.

Th is puzzle game has you stack falling blocks to eliminate
them by completely fi lling a row and racking up points. But
watch out, because enough wrong moves could lead the stack to
reach the top — and then it’s game over. Tetris is a fairly simple
design that’s remained popular even aft er all these decades.

Forewarning: Th e Tetris theme is super-catchy, so be prepared to
fi nd yourself humming along.

Tero Vesalainen _ iStock via Getty Images Plus
Candy Crush Saga / Bejeweled Classic
A bus ride hasn’t gone by where I haven’t seen somebody
playing Candy Crush. Or maybe it was Bejeweled. I’m gonna be
12 JUNE 25, 2020
fi zkes / iStock / Getty Images Plus
I t’s day whatever in these uncertain times and you’re bored.

You planned on spending the weekend with the grandkids at
the shore house, but that’s not so possible in this COVID-19
world. So, what to do?
Maybe give video games a try? But dropping hundreds of
dollars to set up a Nintendo Switch or a Playstation 4 is a lot to
spend all at once. And set-up can be a hassle. Luckily, there are
thousands of games accessible at the tips of people’s fi ngers on a
device many already own.

So here’s a list of games to pass the time while sheltering
in place. Each is available for either a smartphone or tablet
computer on Google Play or the Apple App Store. Th e majority
of the titles on this list are free, but include ads and in-app
purchases in order to play additional levels. I’ve tried to stick to
games that are simple, accessible and fun for those who didn’t
grow up with video games. Enjoy!
honest: If you were to ask me the diff erence between Bejeweled
and Candy, I couldn’t tell you. What I can say is Bejeweled is the
forefather of all match-three puzzle games.

Get a table full of mismatched icons, put three of them
together to earn points and bam, you’ve just made one of the
most-played games on the market. Candy Crush improved upon
the formula by making those icons candy, so quite the innova-
tion. Either of these games is worth a try, at the very least to pass
some time while traveling.

Angry Birds 2
For some reason, my dad’s a huge fan of this one. Angry Birds
may be the only game on this list to get its own movie (at the time
of publication). It’s on T-shirts, toys and even a cartoon from
Finland streaming on Netfl ix and Hulu.

But what about the game? In summary, you play as a group
of various birds — who are mad at a hoard of green pigs — for
stealing their eggs. Now, with your trusty slingshot, the player
must fi re these birds-turned-projectiles at jungle gym towers
constructed by the pigs.

Aft er reading what I wrote, I can say this defi nitely has the
most out-there premise on this list, but it works. It’s fun. Th ere
are tons of levels and it’s worth a try. Hey, at the very least, my
dad approves.

Plants vs. Zombies
Batman vs. the Joker. It’s a pretty weird match up, right? Bats
and clowns have no historical pretense to be at odds with one
another, but it’s a thing now. Th at’s Plants vs Zombies. In this
game, the player uses a variety of plants — like the sunfl owers,
mushrooms and cherries — to eliminate wave aft er wave of
zombie enemies.

Why must plans and zombies fi ght? Who knows, but it sure is
fun. It’s a cute, simple tower defense game that’s one of the more
complicated games on this list, but quite rewarding to master.

THIS SUMMER
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM