Box-Off Review

Box-Off probably looks familiar, as it is the electronic version of a classic game that used to be played with pencil and paper. The developers used the strategy of this classic game and modernized it for the iPhone to make it more entertaining and challenging.

The main goal is to connect the shortest path between two points to form a line and connect the dots. Connecting the dots eventually forms boxes. Once a box is created, it is highlighted with the player’s color because they have captured it. Players must capture more boxes than their opponent to win the game. While the overall objective is quite simple, players must use strategy to outmaneuver their opponent. Box-Off has thrown in a few clever twists to the classic game to make it more interesting. For instance, there are symbols thrown onto the board that change the outcome based on who captures the square. When a player captures all three Xs, their score at the time of this capture is doubled, and capturing all the arrows captures that entire row.

Additionally, there are items that can be purchased in the marketplace with Box Bucks that are earned in the game such as mines and skip turns. Players may also purchase Box Bucks through in-app purchases if they desire. The purchases are quite generous as players can get 1000 bucks for $0.99 and 3500 for $2.99. This may provide an unfair advantage for those who are willing to shell out the cash, but it doesn’t take long to earn enough bucks to purchase a handful of perks.

Box-Off offers singleplayer or mutliplayer modes. In multiplayer, players are paired with another friend or player from around the world. Since there aren’t too many players yet, it may take a little time for the game to find an opponent. Furthermore, the game presents objectives at the start of each match that awards additional points, and there are a plenty of Game Center achievements to unlock for even more replay value.

It’s clear that the iOS version of Box-Off is certainly way more fun the classic way to play. This free game packs plenty of replay value and would make a nice addition to anyone’s app collection.