The Windows Store is full of simple games that are not very complicated but fun and challenging time wasters. Tap Tap Dash is one such title that is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile.
In Tap Tap Dash you guide a cartoon character across a series of narrow pathways. Tapping the screen makes your character jump or change direction and if your timing is off by just the slightest, the game is over.
This free game has plenty of color, along with the simple interface. Tap Tap Dash challenges your skills at timing and concentration and an interesting option when you need a little help passing the time.
The primary menu for Tap Tap Dash shares the minimalist approach gameplay offers. Here you can find options to jump into gameplay, access the game's options, view the high scores and rate the game in the Windows Store. Jumping into gameplay sends you to the level map and while Tap Tap Dash has defined gaming levels, it plays out more like an endless runner game.
Your task is to guide a cartoon character down a narrow path that is full of turns and jumps. As you approach a turn or jump, a green directional pad appears. If you tap the screen as the cartoon character passes over these pads, they'll make the appropriate turn or jump. Mistime the tap by just a hair and the cartoon character falls off the path and the game is over. The goal is to guide your character to each level's finish line.
The endless runner feel comes from the seamlessness of the 100 levels; when you pass a level's finish line, you immediately begin the next level. Should you leave the game, when you return you can pick up gameplay from the last attempted level from the map.
Along with the core goal of keeping your game character alive, there is an assortment of gems scattered across the platforms. These gems add to your score and when you reach key scoring thresholds, additional characters become unlocked. There are six available characters ranging from a red bird to a pink pig. You can play as a single character or check off on multiple characters to have them randomly rotated into play.
While gameplay sounds simple, Tap Tap Dash is a surprisingly difficult game to master. The Windows 10 game does a nice job of challenging your skills at timing and concentration. There are times the pattern of taps lulls you into a false sense of security only to see a new pattern appear to catch you off guard. It is also easy to find yourself anticipating jumps or turns, only to tap out of turn.
Tap Tap Dash is a free game with ad support. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, ad support includes both pop-up ads and 30-second video ads. I did not see a way to opt out of the ads and while they are not terribly invasive, I would have liked to have seen a $0.99 in-app purchase to remove the ad support.
I'm not sure if Tap Tap Dash could hold up to a marathon gaming session, but for shorter bits of time, the Windows 10 game does nicely. Just don't play it in an area with a lot of distractions. It only takes a slight glance away from the screen to send you off to your doom.
