Dots took the mobile gaming app world by storm when it first debuted in 2013. Now, its creator Betaworks has introduced a sequel: TwoDots. The new game is a bit more complicated and follows a more traditional mobile game structure, complete with 85 different levels, a limited number of lives, and a slightly more complex storyline.
The original Dots game was wildly popular in 2013, with its simple and beautiful flat UI design of brightly colored dots. The game’s only objective was to connect dots of the same color using right angles and straight lines. The higher your score, the greater your glory. After a time, the simplicity of the game can be a bit wearing. Even so, Dots still gets played more than 500 million times each month.
With its sequel TwoDots, Betaworks has essentially solved this problem. TwoDots has 85 different levels so far, each with an ascending level of difficulty. Each level has a different design and adds more complications. The rules for eliminating dots are the same as before: You can only connect dots of the same color, diagonal lines are a no go, and the more dots you connect, the better. The difference is that you only get a certain number of moves to eliminate a very specific number of each color dot.
Every level gets more difficult, so you have to be a pretty savvy dot connector to make it past the first five levels or so. When you fail a level, the app offers you a few more free moves. If you don’t complete the task using those extra swipes, TwoDots will ask you if you want to buy more for $0.99. If you say no, you lose the level and a life. Once all your lives are gone, you have to pay more to get them back or wait 20 whole minutes before you get one back.
It can be very difficult to wait 20 minutes, especially when you were in the middle of a hot streak or just a few levels away from defeating the entire game. TwoDots knows this about mobile gamers, which is why it will probably make a decent chunk of money out of these in-app purchases. Luckily, the app itself is free, so if you’ve got willpower, you can simply enjoy TwoDots without spending a dime.
TwoDots is available now on the iOS App store and Betaworks says it plans to bring the app to Android users soon.
