Yahtzee Meets Matching Games With Droptzee, But You Have To Play Alone If You Want To Play For Free
Droptzee (Free) by Five Lakes Studio, LLC is a universal game that is not entirely unlike Yahtzee. In fact, it is nearly identical to the classic dice game when it comes to scoring. The difference is in how you pick the numbers.
The name, Droptzee, even winks at Hasbro’s game of statistics and chance. Players pick from a set of dice to created four of a kind, a full house, straights and other familiar combinations. Instead of a “Yahtzee” players can receive a Droptzee if they get five of the same number in their hand. More than one Droptzee earns 100 additional points for each one.
There are 31 dice on the board. In order put anything in their hand, players must pick from dice that are connected. For example, pick the first die and any dice surrounding it can be selected next. After the second die is selected, any dice surrounding the newly picked one become available.
When five dice have been selected, they are removed from the board and five new ones drop down. This game is a combination between Yatzhee, a matching game and solitaire.
This game is free, but the extras will cost. Players can play by themselves, against no one, not even a computer generated player, for free. To play against one or more opponents, it will cost $1.99. The default avatar is a cute teddy bear, but for $1.99, players can unlock additional avatars, including the ability to take a picture of oneself.
People complain about games that offer in-app purchases, saying that developers are just looking for a way to make money off of us. Most of the time, I see in-app purchases as a savvy business move. They draw players in by showing them a bit of what they can do. Then, offer them more for a price. It is great for consumers to see whether they want to pay, and great for developers to have the ability to increase revenue.
However, Droptzee’s in-app purchase seems more like a trick. Why would anyone want to play this game by themself? The only way to play with someone else is by paying for it. Why not just make the app $0.99 and make it multiplayer? Speaking of $0.99, this game is not a two dollar game, even with multiplayer options.
The free version of this game is fun if you are sitting at the DMV with nothing to do. It is a simple dice game that doesn’t require much effort. It is like solitaire in that way. I recommend downloading it just for that reason. However, the fact that it costs $1.99 just to play with another person gives it a lower rating than if it were a paid app to begin with.
