Direct Link : Number Cruncher
Publisher : PDAmill
Price : Free

Rating : 9 out of 10

I love nothing more than sitting down in a nice space with my Pocket PC and whittling away the minutes on this great game. The basic premise of the game is simple. Select from a small (5×5), medium (6×6) or large (9×9) grid. All the cells bar a few are populated with numbers from 1 to 9. You have to jump one number over another, but can only do this if the number you are jumping over is smaller than the one doing the jumping. The number you jump indicates the score you will receive. If both the jumping and jumped number are the same value, then you get the value time 2, i.e. if you jump a 9 with a 9, you will receive a score of 18. That’s basically all there is to it.

There are 3 modes of play, the one just described is the Random mode. The other two modes of play are Layout and Mission. In Layout, there are 14 different grid layouts and these are played in the same way as the Random mode. In Mission mode, you are either given the amount of points you need to score or are given an objective. You cannot continue to the next level until you have completed your objective. Before you are let loose on the mission, you first have to prove you are familiar with the gameplay, by completing a mini tutorial.

The graphics and sound in this game are very nicely done, but it’s the gameplay that really shines through. I think the biggest surprise with this game is that it’s absolutely free. All that’s required is that you register on the site. The added bonus is that you can also get discounts on other PDAmill games.

Conclusion : As a commercial game, this would definitely be a buy at the right price, but as a freebie it’s a total no brainer.