Don't Step the White Tile is one of the newest apps in the App Store that is slowly crawling it's way to the number one spot. Spots that were previously occupied by games like Flappy Bird and Smash Hit. The goal is simple: Don't step on the white tiles! This seemingly simple game has a way of quickly becoming harder than you thought.
Created by Japanese game maker Ayumu Kinoshita, this fun but addicting game brings together the perfect elements to test your reflexes and accuracy. Although this game came out in late December for the Japanese-speaking audience, the English version released on March 15, 2014 and is available for free in the App Store and Android market.
The start up screen, at least for the iPhone version of the app that I have, can be a little bit scary at first. The title of the game is still in Japanese on this screen but on the device home screen itself it's in English. Either way, the game was made first for Japanese audiences so there are some problems that occur with some rules being lost in translation.
The game does get a little confusing while playing because there is no real clear set of instructions that guides you through the game. Although there are rules that are displayed, it's in very broken English to the point where I kind of had to guess some of the rules. The app does need to make some major improvements with the in-game language so that it can be easier to read for the new English speaking audience they are now trying to reach.
Don't Step the White Tile has three separate game modes that are all equally challenging in their own ways!
The first mode is called "Time Attack." In this mode you are responsible for getting over to the other side of the course as fast as you possibly can. This mode really helps you get into the groove of tapping the tiles.
One of the more fun modes of the game, it will keep you trying to beat your score all day long. It quickly becomes addicting trying to beat your time. Also by completing this mode you can unlock a certain number of achievements!
The next mode you can experience is called "LongRun." This mode is a little fast at first but provides a wonderful challenge from the "go your own pace" mode of Time Attack.
In this mode you are tested to see how many black tiles you can press in 11 seconds and that score is then determined by how many tiles you were able to press. Also, the more tiles you step on in this short period of time the more time that is actually added to the board giving you the opportunity to really get the big scores!
LongRun is a good mode that is varied enough from the other two and set up very nicely. The only thing that I found problematic while playing was that every time you get additional seconds added, the notification that you have more time floats across the screen in such a way that is really distracting if you're on a roll.
The third and final mode is called "StoppingJust," where your goal is to stop just before the ten second mark. Should you happen to press a tile after the ten seconds is up you lose immediately!
This mode was the most difficult at first to get the hang of because the directions were very confusing. But putting that aside once you get the idea of what to do down, you are left with another very entertaining mode that will have you trying to think of ways to improve your number of tiles!
Unlike the LongRun mode, StoppingJust has hardly any notifications that get in the way of your tile pressing streak and therefore actually make it a little easier on the eyes.
For all the confusing elements of Don't Step the White Tile, this is actually a pretty fun and simple app that will keep mobile players content and concentrated! The game proves that simplicity can go a long way and that a concept can be achieved very efficiently.
Don't Step the White Tile has been climbing up the app charts since it's fairly recent transition into an English app and with the success so far, it's only obvious that it will continue to do well throughout the coming weeks.
The app is available now for free for iPhone, Android, and Windows devices.
