Sticker Factory Review

Sticker Factory is a fun and interesting game for iPad that is sure to be a big hit with grade schoolers through adults.

This app, as the name may suggest, takes place in a factory that produces stickers. Here, gameplay focuses on a quickly moving conveyer belt. The object is simple; match the separate outline given with its corresponding sticker from the conveyer, being aware that the outlines move as well and will quickly be out of reach of the player as another silhouette becomes available to match. Individual games for up to six players can be saved independently, especially nice because most will not finish each of the eleven levels in one sitting.

Although easy to understand, this game becomes difficult to master as not only the stickers and outlines move quickly out of sight, but many of the stickers are mirrored images of each other or contain minor details that make them unique, so finding matches can be tricky.

Eleven levels are included, each with its own quirky theme. There is a lot of whimsy through these pages: the stickers are each bright, colorful, creative and interesting, and include such topics as robots, sea creatures, sports, or summer time. Soundtracks are also included, as nicely varied as the stickers themselves, while maintaining an upbeat and energizing style that I have come to expect from these levels as I play. My personal favorites include the monsters and 80’s theme - something that most adults my age will smile at.

I do wish, however, that the developers at Worry Free Labs would include a “relax” mode of some sort in a future update, as I began having problems beginning on level 5 that increased with the difficulty that upper levels bring. I enjoy the level of difficulty in terms of making matches, but the speed, combined with the amount of stickers one must weed through made this game less fun for me as this app progressed thru earlier boards, as I enjoy a challenge but do not like being rushed.

I would love a setting that would slow the conveyers belts in order to best enjoy these great-looking stickers and excellent use of music. To be honest, the only way I was able to finish this game was with the liberal use of the pause button to give myself a moment with no movement in order to make these matches, and even then I found moments demanding. This use if the pause button is something clearly not intended by the developer as this also dims the board, but it would be nice to add pausing as part of the game as well, something that would benefit easily-frustrated children and adults.

Although I found this game quite challenging, I think it is a great choice for grade school and up, and I would not be at all surprised if kids this age do much better at this game than I, as is the case in many speed-based games that I come across.

This game, although disguised as a “just for fun” game, is also quite educational as one must focus, have patience and use one's best concentration skills to succeed at this game, as well as making note of the small details that make these stickers stand out from each other. Often when looking at a new sticker outline, I did not know exactly what I was looking at or what I was looking for in term of correct matches, and quickly assessing everything in order to drag and drop the correct sticker into its outline definitely got me thinking and using my fine motor skills.

I really appreciate all the work that went into the stylings of this app. The stickers are great fun, and I really enjoy the music included. These elements made me want to continue to each level to see and hear what they had come up with next, playing longer than I needed to for the sake of review purposes. I am sure kids will enjoy this application as well.

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