Binary Flow Review

Offering an immensely simple concept, Binary Flow is a fun if flawed reaction based title.

It's a test of players' ability to keep an orb in the middle of a large circle for as long as possible. This is done through tilt controls with players manipulating their iOS device correctly in order to keep the small orb within the constraints of the circle. Hit one of the walls and it's game over. There are no extra lives or power-ups to attain here. It's all about the purist concept of lasting. It's possible to use points to buy new backgrounds, but these merely change the color of the scenery rather than anything game altering.

Given each playthrough is randomly determined, the difficulty level can vary quite wildly. For instance, one of the attempts I made, the circle hardly moved around, making it easy to keep on top of the situation with only subtle movements ever needed. Another session, however, the circle was quite wild and enthusiastic, ensuring it was much harder to gain a high score. Binary Flow is focused on quick sessions, so it's easy to drop back in for another go, lending itself to short bursts of gameplay during the day.

There are flaws, though. Notably, despite the App description stating that Binary Flow is optimized for the iPhone 5, I found myself stuck with a gray bar on one side of the screen. It didn't interfere with gameplay but it did restrict how much of the screen was being used during the game. Also, after an extended session that was going well, the iPhone screen automatically darkened, as it would if left unused for a while, as I was still tilting. This wasn't overly convenient and put me off my stride!

Such issues are an annoyance, particularly as Binary Flow is quite a fun game. It's simple but there's a fun, basic urge to work towards a better high score, especially amongst friends. There's an online two player mode, too, although I struggled to find anyone to play against, so I'd stick with the basic mode. The problems with Binary Flow stop me from rating it too highly, but there's the potential for fun here.