: Triple Town

The last week I've been playing a cute little game on Google+* called Triple Town (also available on Facebook). Unlike most of the other Facebook/Google+ games, this is an actual game that requires a bit of skill and has some sort of goal. Even though that goal is to just hold out as long as possible before you lose, and get the highest score... =P

The game is pretty simple, really. Your goal is to create the biggest town possible by connecting three or more items of different types in a 6x6 grid (-1 plot that is reserved for storage). When you start the game, it places random objects in the grid. Some grass here, a few bushes there, maybe a tree or two and a couple of houses. And also possibly a bear, a gravestone and a rock or two. 

The game gives you a random object that you have to place in the grid, usually some grass, but occasionally something better. Whatever object you get you have to put in the grid, preferably connected to something similar, and if three or more similar objects get connected, they will merge into an object of a higher level and appear in the spot where you placed the last object.

You only have a certain amount of moves available, but they increase by one every minute, up to a max of 150. You can also buy more moves, but it's rather expensive.

There are also special objects you can get, like bears and crystals. Bears wander around the grid, terrorizing the villagers. If you trap a bear, so it has nowhere to move, it will die and leave behind a gravestone. If you connect three or more gravestones, they will merge into a church. The crystals are special in that they can be used to merge anything. If you place them somewhere where they connect with two or more objects of a similar type, it will merge them to an object one level higher. However, if you place it somewhere where it can't merge anything, it will turn into a simple rock. 

An example of a game in progress.

Rocks can also be merged to create bigger rocks, but I haven't tried that yet, and don't know what will happen if you merge three larger rocks.

There's also an Imperial Bot that will destroy or kill any object you use it on.

If you get an object you don't want to use yet, you can place it in the storage plot. At the beginning of the game, the storage plot is empty, and the first object you place here will simply be stored for later. Whenever you want to store something later, though, you have to switch the item with the one already in the storage.

There's also an option to buy items, but they're limited in quantity and rather expensive. When you buy an item, the one you're already holding will be put aside until you've placed the bought items. Be careful how you spend your money, though, as there are no easy ways to get more.

The game is finished when the grid is completely filled out. The game then awards you money based on how many moves you've managed to use (the more the better) and what kind of houses you have, amongst other things. And then you have to start over again.

*Give me a shout if you want an invite to Google+.