Sometimes, when you're playing a game on your mobile device, you just want instant gratification -- you want to get down to killing time by playing a couple sessions of a game which doesn't require much thought, but is still stimulating to your senses. There are a handful of games which allow you to do this, but none are quite as simple as a game called Extreme Road Trip.
Out of all the games which I've reviewed lately, it's definitely the simplest of them all, but it's also one of the funniest.
About Extreme Road Trip
Extreme Road Trip is a game for mobile devices running Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.3+, and is also optimized for the iPhone 5. The aim of the game is quite simple -- you take a car in which the gas pedal is stuck, and try to last as long as possible on the landscape which you choose without crashing. There are a number of factors which influence how fast you go, and what you must do in order to not crash. It's not hard at all, and you'll get the hang of it after just one session.
Getting Started
When you first launch the game, you'll see the main menu. From here you can either start a game or look at the settings, which are primarily for controlling the sounds in the game.
When you start a session, you can choose from a number of different vehicles, although all of them except one will be locked unless you buy vehicles or try apps or post something on Facebook, depending on what the app asks you to do. Therefore, it seems that if you don't complete any of these tasks, you'll be stuck with the single vehicle that is locked, but that's not an issue if all you want is some quick fun.
After choosing your vehicle, you can choose from six different landscapes to play on, and your adventure begins!
Gameplay
Gameplay is pretty easy. When you start out, your car will go rather slowly, but it will increasingly accelerate because of the "stuck gas pedal." The terrain will also remain flat at first, but then become hilly, constantly sending your vehicle airborne. The only controls you have are the ability to tilt to the left or right by using the respective buttons on the screen. You will need to use the buttons to keep your vehicle upright while it is in the air and to perform smooth landings. Whenever you do perform a smooth landing, you get a nitro boost that will make you go faster. This is important for getting farther, as your vehicle only has a certain amount of fuel before it finally stops. Whenever it stops, it explodes as if you just crashed, ending the game. However far you've gotten by then will be the score you will get.
Installation
The game can be easily installed by searching through your respective app store for "extreme road trip." You may also follow this link for Android devices or this link for iOS devices to go directly to the app. It shouldn't take long for Android users to get it installed as it is only 13MB, but iOS might need to wait a bit as the app is 34MB for that platform. However, once the installation completes, you'll be ready to go!
Conclusion
While the game doesn't have a lot of features, it's a very fun time killer that anyone can enjoy. It takes a bit of time to get used to the sensitivity of the tilt buttons, but besides that it's an easy game to play. There is also Extreme Road Trip 2 available for download, which includes a couple of additions. It's worth taking a look at if you're interested in the original!
What simple time wasters can you recommend? Do you prefer simple or complex games? Let us know in the comments!
Want to find more great games? Check out our Best Android Games and Best iPhone Games pages!