Bowl ‘Em Down is the first iOS game from Dundee’s Lowtek Games, the studio behind the endless-jumping fun of infest-em-up, Flea and the forthcoming intestinal nightmare of Tapeworm Disco Puzzle.
At first glance it may seem a little a little… mainstream. Guide a bowling ball down an endless alley, knocking down pins, picking up power ups and trying to get as far as you can.
Thankfully, this is a LowTek Game, so the disturbing, creepy and deeply weird is not far away.
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
Have you ever wondered how a bowling ball feels? Chubby, grubby, sticky fingers to deal with. Being hurled down a lane headfirst. If you don’t crash into heavy blunt instruments, you end up in the gutter with someone swearing at you. Then sucked up into an underground tunnel, only to do it all again.
It sounds terrifying. In fact bowling balls probably spend their entire existence screaming.
This was the cheery thought which inspired Ally Low, the Dundonian David Lynch, and brains behind LowTek games.
So while the gameplay may be familiar, Ally ups the uneasy when you invariably hit an obstacle. You can pick up where you left off and continue your run, by making like a bowling ball and screaming at your phone.
Yes, you scream at your phone. Getting louder and louder each time. As long as you can increase the volume of each scream (measured by a handy on-screen meter), you can carry on torturing your bowling ball by hurling it down an infinity of perilously placed pins.
Famous Balls Of The World
If that’s not quite sufficiently humiliating, you can also customise and dress your bowling ball in a variety of costumes and skins, from famous balls of the world, to spherical fruits, planets and more.
If any videogame can be said to capture the spirit of 2020, Bowl ‘Em Down may well lift the trophy. Simple, intuitive gameplay, friendly, fun characters, and an excuse to scream at your phone on public transport without being judged. It’s not just a game, it’s a public service.
Bowl ‘Em Down is Out Now on iOS and Android.
You can (and should) follow Ally on Instagram, Twitter & Tiktok.
Pingback: BAFTA Scotland Awards 2021: Entries Open | Scottish Games Network
Pingback: OUT NOW: Flea Jump! & Tapeworm Disco Puzzle | Scottish Games NW