Late to Threes

I’m not very good at math, so it makes sense that a lot of the games I play don’t involve a lot of math-based problem solving. That changed with Threes from Sirvo, a simple, yet addicting game for iOS on the App Store.

The game works by putting identical numbers together on a 4×4 board. The base numbers are 1 and 2. Put those together to make 3. That 3 tile then has to find a matching 3 to make 6. Then that 6 tile has to find a matching 6 and so on. However, you can’t just select the identical numbers. You need to move the tiles around as rows until both numbers are next to each other, then you can slide them together to make a bigger number. The game ends when there are no more moves to make.

In a way, there’s two strategies going on at the same time. There’s the short-term strategy of just matching up the current tiles on the board, but you have also have to keep in mind of the incoming tile and how that will affect the board state, just like Tetris. At times, I found myself drawn to just keeping the current tiles together to grow bigger numbers, but I completely forgot about the incoming tiles until it was too late. I learned from past mistakes, just like Spelunky, and continued to get better scores, but when I compared my scores in the leaderboards, I found that a lot of people are really good at this game.

It’s because it’s a very addicting game. It’s the kind of game that doesn’t require a large investment of time to play, but it immediately hooks you in. The music is excellent, and the overall vibe of the game suggests a cheerful experience. Each tile has a unique voice, adding a personality to each number. In a way, it almost seems to cheer you up and remind everyone that Threes isn’t difficult, but it’s rather a fun and short game that not only puts your brain at work, but gives you a smile.

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