If you're in search of a fun time waster game for your Windows Phone, give 250K Games - Timberman a try. The game is incredibly simple to pick up but, as is often said, a challenge to master.
The mechanics are simple and the gaming concept easy. The challenge comes with the game's pace, which can easily overwhelm you and send your lumberjack to his grave. Timberman is available for low-memory devices and while there is one navigational bug, the game is a great addition to the Windows Phone gaming library.
There's not much there, but that's not a bad thing
The main menu for 250K Games - Timberman is brief. You have an option to view the online and local leaderboards, play the game and mute the sounds. Through an update that was pushed out yesterday, the main menu also includes two game choices, the forest and hell, along with two character choices, the lumberjack and Death (reminds me of Grimm on the cartoon series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy).
To unlock the Death you'll need to score 270 cumulative points or chop 800,000 blocks. You can always skip all this and pony up a $1.99 in-app purchase.
There isn't a help section but it doesn't take long to pick things up. You play the role of a lumberjack who is tasked with chopping down the tallest tree on the planet. The challenge is to avoid the limbs and avoid the timer (displayed at the top of the game screen) running out.
Two controls are at the bottom of the screen labeled "tap" that you tap to have your lumberjack chop on the left or right side of the tree. When you make your first chop, the timer begins to count down and as you chop, the time is added.
The goal is to see how far you can chop without getting hit with a limb or the timer running out. The higher you chop, the faster the time depletes and the more closer the limbs are grouped.
In playing Timberman, I found that all too often the pace of the game would spell my demise all too often. I'd be chopping away at a fast clip and a limb would sneak up and flatten my lumberjack. Timberman is definitely a game that will test your eye hand coordination and patience.
Our advice is to get hooked on the game with the forest mode. It's challenging enough to keep you interest in the game and when you feel like torturing yourself, give hell a try. Just don't be shocked if it takes you a while to score over a dozen or so points (timer moves faster).
Overall Impression
There's not much to complain about with 250K Games - Timberman. I wouldn't mind seeing a tutorial but the game is so simple, you will get the hang of things quickly.
The only glitch that I could find is in replaying the game after setting a high score. If your lumberjack is flattened without a high score being set you will have the option to replay the game or visit the leaderboards from the score summary screen. If you set a high score the only option is to visit the leaderboard where you can then return to game play.
I'm not sure if this is a glitch or by design but it makes jumping back into the game a little cumbersome. It's not a deal breaker but there needs to be a re-play option throughout the game on the score summary screens.
Otherwise, Timberman is a simple game full of challenge and a great time killer of a game.
- 250K Games - Timberman - Windows Phone 8 - Free - Store Link
