Hanoi’s Tower is personally a captivating game which stays genuine to the original game. It’s constructed in a simple manor but is sufficient for a playing experience. The game allows for high speed ring movement. It takes full advantage of the iOS touch sensitivity which the vast majority of its competitors fail at. The controls are smooth and intuitive.
Critiques:
By far the largest issue is that the app closes down extremely often. You can seldom finish a round without it doing so. I’m a well practiced player so most of my games end quickly but if you ever need time to think, the app doesn’t really allow it. Upon reopening the app your barraged with the second biggest problem: Ads
Despite the game being immensely simple in layout there are ads for literally anything you click on. If you happen to have the app crash then have to go through 2-3 ads just to restart the game only to be interrupted once more it gets irritating trying to play.
Another issue is the approachability, if someone with no prior experience with Hanoi were to attempt playing they’d have no clue what to do. The first couple rings might be easy but once you get to ~7 rings you need a really solid foundation on Hanoi theory which just isnt provided.
Some minor notes include the music being annoying. The button to deafen sfx and music are miss-programmed. The ring clinking sound could get irritating very quickly, though I like it personally.
Ideas & Solutions:
Perhaps make users have to pay a slight premium to download the app. $1.99 seems to be the golden zone where people are willing to spend it while making the most money.
Another idea could be to pay to get rid of ads, again $1.99. Monthly is a bit overboard considering the app’s current lack of features.
Instead of just the rules maybe an additional tutorial section could be placed. There might even be some potential for a entire new branch of programming for understanding and learning theory.
A cool idea that could be implemented is a puzzle feature where you are giving a random starting position and you must complete the level said position.
Another feature could be a rush mode where you compete on a leaderboard for the fastest time. It’s could have the standard Daily, Weekly, Monthly, All time format based off a players best time.
There could be a mode where you complete as many levels of rings without messing up. Along with it a mode that you have a set time and must complete as many accurate moves as possible.
Of course if the aforementioned features where actually added there would need to be a major overhaul in UI. Maybe something A LA Chess.com
There could be correctly programmed audio sliders for the sfx and music. You could also have different options for both. Different music could be cool. Maybe the rings could have a muffled fall sounds or one not as metallic.
Conclusion:
The game has a wealth of potential which unfortunately is not being utilized. With some minor changes it could become a solid game and if one went the extra mile it could genuinely be a fulfilling and even addicting experience. A decent bit of market and luck could propel the game. That notwithstanding, the game is currently barebones and leaves much to be desired. Ideal it should implement modern feature while thoroughly paying homage to the original.