Stack AR Review

With the release of iOS 11 on Apple devices comes the release of AR Kit and Augmented Reality for the masses in a number of different ways. For Stack, a mobile title about making the tallest tower you can, it means another chance to imagine how the game can be experienced thanks to this newly implemented technology.

Enter Stack AR, an update to the game of the same name (minus the AR part) where your aim is to construct the tallest tower you can by stacking moving blocks on top of each other. It’s a simple concept that is taken to new heights thanks to the twist that is added in this title. As you place blocks on top of each other, any overhang is cut off, falling to the ground, resulting in the size of the next stackable block to reflect the previous stacked block that now hovers overhead. It means that paying attention to your timing when tapping the screen to lock a block in place is key. Should you tap too soon or too late and you’ll be left with a smaller block to use next. The risk and reward that this gameplay encourages is captivating and allows a player to not only feel but actually see their progress and skill rewarded in front of them.

You build your tower, you earn points and at the end it springs up from the ground to show you how tall it was as you look on feeling proud. What makes the game all that more interesting is when AR mode is turned on and you enter a whole new perspective which is more immersive. Once you have scanned a flat location, your first block comes into view and once you begin the building process, it almost feels like magic. You not only get to see the tower forming in front of your eyes, but thanks to the technology being used, you're able to get up, and walk around your tower. Blocks falling to the ground with physic-based interaction, to the backdrop of your own room, it adds a new level of excitement and being able to view your final tower is a fantastic feeling as it stands in your own house.

Stack AR might not be the most challenging game given that the core gameplay mechanic is stacking blocks to try and set a new high score. That said though, it is in this simple interaction of tapping the screen and forming your tower that the addition of AR really helps to make it a standout title. That’s not to say that Stack AR is the shining example of how AR is a breakthrough for technology, but rather a brilliant showcase of how even the simplest of integration can add charm to a product. Furthermore, Stack AR is a solid entry point for AR gaming shows off what can be done. It is helped by the fact the game itself is a lot of fun, and can be picked up and played at any point, making it an accessible title for a mobile device.

If nothing else Stack AR and it’s non AR counterpart, Stack, are worth a visit. If not just to try out the AR technology but to play an enjoyable and solid mobile game. You won’t find many reasons to complain when the game is a free download and will likely make you smile.