Kindle Apps Blog

When I first saw Yahtzee available on the Kindle, I was curious as to how it would work, because it relies so much on rolling dice.  I think of Yahtzee as a past paced, quick thinking type of game.  The Kindle version puts a new spin on it to make it suitable for this particular platform.

EA has done a good job with the Kindle version.  Of course, your goal is to get 5 of a kind to get Yahtzee.  It doesn’t matter if it is 5 ones or 5 sixes, you still get 50 points.  I encourage you to read the instructions that explain all of the combinations that you can achieve to get points: 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, full house, chance, or yahtzee.

You get a “chance” when your combinations don’t fit in any of the other categories.  Choose this option, and you add 20 points to your score.

The only real complaint I have about Yahtzee is that it is slower than most Kindle games.  That is to be expected with all of the stuff it needs to have to make it work.  I think it works best on the newest Kindles.  I am impressed that EA was able to pull off such a dynamic game on the Kindle.

I give high marks for the graphics.  They’re very crisp and easy to see.  If you ever get stumped during a game and need to refresh your memory on how to do something, then just press the menu button, and the help section is one of the options.

One thing to note: pressing the back button does not take you out of your game. You have to press menu, then “go to main menu.”

The only button to know to play Yahtzee is the toggle button.  Keyboard shortcuts would be useful so this button doesn’t get overused, but it gets you through the game.  You use it to select and move from upper to lower levels.  The upper level contains the dice.  The game will tell you when to roll.  The lower level has the categories.

Jackie-the-Greyhound

“It’s the same, fun game from way-back..and with about 5 minutes looking at the help menu and another few times to adjust to the controls it is pretty easy to work with on the Kindle.

It would be nice if you could use the keyboard for more, almost everything depends on the 5 way and it can get a little off due to a slight visual lag, hence the 4 instead of 5 star review. ”

Yahtzee is one of the pricier Kindle games at five bucks.  Funny to think of that as pricey, considering how much standard video games are.  If you hit it just right, you probably can catch it on sale.  Amazon holds 99 cent game sales from time to time.

Monopoly is the most well known board game in the world.  You can play it in the original board game format, on the computer, on your smartphone and on the Kindle.

The Kindle version of Monopoly has a good set up, but can use a few tweaks here and there to make it easier to navigate and find your playing pieces.

I think the “Help” section is great, and it is very useful for getting the feel for the game on the Kindle platform.  Also, try ” Tutorial” when you first start.  It gives you direction throughout the game.

The graphics are decent.  I agree with the many reviewers who said it was difficult to distinguish between your piece and the opponent’s because they aren’t marked very well.  It took me a minute to find mine on the board.

As you know, Monopoly is a really addicting game, and can last forever if you let it.  The Kindle version is no different.  Countless reviewers remarked how addicting it is.  You can play against the Kindle, or you can Pass ‘N Play with your friends and family.

I remember, before the Kindle came out, I’d have to travel with the original board games, and there was always a good chance that we’d lose pieces along the way.  With the Kindle, and even with the smartphone versions, you no longer have to worry about losing pieces.

As with many Kindle games, this one requires heavy use of the 5-way toggle button.  Future adjustment suggestions could be to utilize the keyboard more so you don’t wear out the toggle button.

The Kindle version of Monopoly is customizable.  You can create “House Rules” to determine whether players get extra money for passing “Go” and more.  You also have three levels of game difficulty ranging from easy to hard.  Whether these levels are actually easy or hard depends on the skill levels of the players.

Scott from Detroit

“The game delivers the true Monopoly feel. Computer AI is, for the most part, rather logical. Graphics are crisp and clear. Screen draws and navigation aren’t too slow.

Some added bonuses include the ability to have multiple human and CPU players at the same time, custom house rules, and the ability to choose what game pieces the AI uses. ”

I can definitely see a great potential for improvements in Monopoly as the Kindle product gets upgraded.  Right now, the game is listed at its full price: $4.99.  Be on the look out for sales.  It has been marked as low as .99 occasionally.