King Of Party Review

Party games can be pretty fun with the right bunch of friends. That's the kind of ethos that King of Party is aiming for, but it falls down on one very important part of the party game: the social interaction.

The idea behind it is that players can compete in real time versus friends and strangers in a bid to be the best at a selection of simple mini-games. It's the kind of game that's easy to dive into for five minutes while still managing to achieve something in that time. For free, three mini-games are available from the start.

There's a game in which players must remain balanced on a pole for as long as possible. This requires tilting the iOS device carefully from side to side in order to stay up. Then there's a rhythm-style game requiring players to copy an AI controlled weightlifter's movements, proving somewhat dull. More interestingly is the auto-runner skateboarding event, requiring players to slide a finger up or down in order to jump or duck under obstacles in the street. This was the game I found myself most keen to play more of, feeling more interesting than the others.

Further mini-games come from the ranked game option, and the acquisition of diamonds in order to unlock a new bunch. This requires either a ton of grinding or paying out $4.99 to skip ahead. It's quite the price given that King of Party is a little forgettable.

Each mini-game is pretty basic but that's not what makes it so forgettable; it's the lack of human interaction. While it's possible to customize one's character via the use of coins gained through normal play, there's no other flexibility to King of Party. Players can choose to compete with friends or strangers, but there's no way to chat to them or even send automated lighthearted trash talk their way. It's all a tad too sterile to maintain one's interest.

Lack of social features is to the detriment of a game that could have potentially been more interesting. While still briefly fun, King of Party doesn't quite gel as well as it sounds like it would.