If you haven’t heard of Where’s My Water? (regardless of whether you’re a smartphone owner or not) or don’t know what the game is about, or don’t even know that it’s a game, now would be a good time to come out of that rock you’ve been living under!
The Introduction
Where’s My Water? has got to be one of the most popular and entertaining smartphone games, on all platforms… of all time! I can tell you that it has been developed by Disney, is extremely popular and has a huge fan-base (probably second only to the Angry Birds and Cut The Rope franchises). It has also been the recipient of many ‘Game of the Year’ awards, and has received some very rave reviews over the years.
And it’s not hard to see why. The game oozes brilliance, and with over 200 levels to play for, could potentially have you hooked for hours, or at least until your phone’s battery dies out. I know because that’s precisely what’s happened with me a couple of time!
Where’s My Water? is all about Swampy, who is the game’s central character. Swampy is someone who loves taking a nice, long shower. Which brings us to…
The Concept and Gameplay
The premise of the game is simple. A group of alligators have conspired against Swampy and have damaged his plumbing, depriving him of water and hence, his showers. We, the players, are responsible for ensuring that water gets to Swampy once again.
Water is usually present somewhere on the level, away from Swampy of course, and the player is supposed to use their phone’s touch screen to carve a way for the water to pass through the dirt (using simply your finger), so that it can get to Swampy and he can continue with his shower.
However it’s anything but as straightforward as that. Where’s My Water? places different hurdles in the way of the player. For instance you might need to route the water through many different pipes or siphon it, in order to get it to Swampy, or have the water interact with motors and machines to clear blockages and open up paths. Then you have rocks, acid, poison, bombs and algae to contend with.
Once enough water gets to through to Swampy, the level is cleared.
The algae, acid and poison work in a way that is similar to the rock-paper-scissors concept in some ways, and all three add a really interesting dimension to the game, especially as the game progresses. For instance algae absorbs water and grows, poison contaminates water and acid burns everything in its path. The only thing common between all 3 is that if either gets to Swampy before (or even after the water) does, the level must be replayed. As you progress, you’ll also have bombs or mines to deal with.
Three Rubber Ducks are also present on each level in Where’s My Water?, which can absorb water and can be collected for bonus points.
Overall, the game, with its intricate levels and many strategically-placed obstacles and hurdles to deal with, can be pretty challenging, and can keep you immersed for hours on end!
The Stories
Where’s My Water? version 1.4 includes two stories, Swampy’s and Cranky’s. Cranky is the alligator responsible for messing with Swampy’s water, however his story is completely different from Swampy’s, opposite in fact. In Cranky’s story, you have to use the purple-colored poison to clear algae off Cranky’s plate so he can eat his food. Works in the same way as Swampy’s story, and is equally interesting, if not more!
The Game
Both stories in Where’s My Water? are extremely entertaining, are presented in a humorous manner and I give it a full 5 stars for presentation. The graphics on a retina display are top-notch. The fluid physics are extremely realistic as well. And to top it all off, the game even comes with an excellent soundtrack and effects!
I should also mention the in-game character here. Even though you don’t interact with either one of them a lot, both Swampy and Cranky shine throughout the game, are funny and entertaining with their actions, and the developers have done well to give a personality to both of them!
Should You Purchase It?
Absolutely, a hundred-percent yes! For 99c, it’s probably one of the best things you’ll ever buy! And the best part is that you’ll be entitled to free updates to Swampy’s story!
But beware, since this game has some serious potential to have anyone and everyone hooked for hours. You have been warned!
It’s truly a fantastic game for people of all ages. A great way to kill some time! Just keep an eye on those battery levels.