Game: Bowmasters by Playgendary Ltd

Genre: Action, artillery

Platforms: iOS, Android

Back when I was first exploring the Internet, I used to spend a lot of time on Flash game sites. That’s where I discovered NotDoppler’s Gibbets, a fun game with a dark twist — you shoot arrows to free people hanging on ropes. I think the concept grew from there, with many other studios innovating on it. Bowmasters by Playgendary Ltd took that concept and gave it a Worms-like treatment.

In this artillery game, the player and the opponent are set on opposite sides of the map. You drag your finger to set the angle and power of the arrows you shoot. The last one standing wins.

Winning matches and finishing objectives earns you gold and gems, which you can then use to unlockcharacters.

Dealing damage depends on where you hit, what arrow you use, and how hard you shoot. Physics isa prevalent feature, so landing these shots and watch-ing opponents tumble can feel fun. The game also features flashy finishes, stripped right off of Mortal Kombat’s book. Once you beat your opponent, you can land a final shot that tears them apart in a gore-tastic yet comical fashion.

Being a versus game, you can choose from over 60 characters. You’d recognise most of them from comic books, movies and pop culture. Some come from Playgendary’s own games too; a form of clever cross-promotion. They’re worth unlocking for their special arrow types that affect gameplay.

However, the game is shady on the monetisation front. It constantly pushes you to unlock them through ads, wheel spins or subscriptions rather than in-game currency. Mystery boxes in a match can only be unlocked if you watch an ad. Leaving the game on idle prompts ads to play automatically.

And each time you finish a match, you have to scroll back to the character you selected last time on the roster screen. There’s no reason for that to happen from a UX standpoint. Unless it’s an attempt to convince players to make a purchase, given some characters are locked behind a premium paywall.

Cutting the Internet on your smartphone can put the ads to rest, and you can still enjoy the game. However, you can’t unlock any-thing that does not cost in-game currency.

The game offers other modes too, including Local Multiplayer, if you have a friend to play with in person. Though if you ever find the game tedious, Bird Mode offers a brief change of pace, wherein you shoot down birds flying past you, like in Duck Hunt.

VERDICT: The obnoxious push for in-game purchases is a huge turn-off, but Bowmasters is a fun game that offers the occasional physics-based delight for Worms-like lovers. I’d give it a seven out of 10.