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.

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Pokemon Go
I have to admit I was a little bit iff y
on whether or not to recommend this
one. Th is game does require you to go
outside and head to places normally fi lled
with people. But it should be safe if social
distancing is kept in mind.

Th e summer that Pokemon GO came
out was magical. Th e streets of my college
town were littered with people running
around with phones in hand trying to
capture invisible monsters. I remember
how dozens of people would camp out on
the lawn in front of the veterans dance
hall in their foldable chairs and congre-
gate at one of the game’s hot spots.

Th ose days are gone, but the game
is still popular and has been updated
frequently. Players walk around town to
collect items, capture monsters and fi ght
other people’s monsters. It’s diffi cult to
play in rural areas, but a jam in the city.

Just make sure to stay six feet apart.

2048 An Italian teen designed this game
over a weekend as a test and it has since
gone on to become a viral hit. 2048 has
players slide numbered blocks together to
merge and combine their numbers. Only
blocks of the same number can combine,
otherwise, they just bounce into each
other. Th e goal is to rack up the highest
number possible before running out of
free space. It’s simple to learn, diffi cult
to master and a great way to kill small
amounts of time. I would say 2048 is the
simplest game on this list and defi nitely
worth a try.

Mister Smith & His Adventures
If you were a fan of early computer
games from the ’70s and ’80s, then you’re
probably familiar with the text adventure
genre. It’s like a mixture between a book
and game, where the player chooses the
actions of the protagonist on a grand
adventure. Back then, players had to type
out commands at random, but Mister
Smith is much more straightforward.

Players select from several prompts of
decisions Mister Smith can make, from
clever to dumb. Players will also answer
trivia questions to progress the story.

Whatever happens to Mister Smith is in
your hands. l
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