Our Rating: A

Release Date: September 13, 2016

Cost: Free

Gaming on the iPhone is almost as old as the iPhone itself, and nothing new to any iPhone owner. However, with the release of Apple’s new iOS 10 update, an innovation in mobile gaming was born: the update allows people to play games through iMessage instead of a separate app. The update has paved the way for a new kind of gaming platform to gain prominence and popularity amongst iPhone users. Game Pigeon is one of such new apps that has taken iPhone users by storm. In the brief months since it has been released, Game Pigeon has become one of the most popular ways to play games on the go. Available only on iMessage, Game Pigeon uses iMessages to send a game to another person. This creates an ongoing game through text that is played whenever the opponent responds. Game Pigeon isn’t the game that is played, but rather the provides for several mini-games that can be chosen from, all based off of classic board games.

8-ball

Of all the mini games Game Pigeon offers, 8-ball is definitely everyone’s “favorite”. The game is a small rendition of a pool game, except it provides tools such as a line to guide your cue as well as the ball’s predicted path, that facilitates the otherwise difficult game. The time it takes to complete an entire game depends on the level of skill of the people playing it; for some an 8-ball game can last 5 messages, but for others 30. Although with practice, becoming a champion at 8-ball is not an unattainable goal, and overall 8-ball proves to be fun no matter how many close shots you may have missed.

“The best thing about 8-ball is that I can just pull it up and play with whoever I want without needing an actual pool table, or being good at pool in general. The worst part is my phone is at 10 percent by the end of third block,” senior Gaby Vega said.

Checkers

Checkers, another one of the several games offered, is modeled after the classic board game of the same name, and played almost exactly like it. For people who have never played checkers before and do not know what to expect of it, it is recommended that you do not start a checkers game. If you’re looking for a quick game it is advised to avoid checkers. On the other hand, for those who love checkers, the Game Pigeon version is sure to satisfy, and offers a great way to play against other checkers fans.

Sea Battle

Sea Battle is based off of the classic board game: Battleship. This game is an excellent version of Battleship and allows the user to choose how big or small they want the grid to be. While sea battle is thoroughly entertaining, it also takes a while to finish. Playing Sea Battle is best when both parties have a lot of time to dedicate to the game.

Anagrams

Anagrams is a fast, quick-paced word game that requires players to make as many words as possible in under one minute, using 6 random letters. Anagrams takes 2 messages total to be played and is one of the quickest games to play with a friend. Although it may be fast, that doesn’t make it easy. Anagrams can be stressful and frustrating if the letters given are terrible. However, Anagrams also helps build vocabulary because the game itslef may require you to form words that were unkown beforehand.

“I like anagrams a lot because it helps with vocabulary and it’s a fun challenge,” sophomore Brianna Curran said.

Word Hunt

Word Hunt is a game similar to Anagrams in regards to having to form words using random letters, except it has a grid containing all the letters and one must string the letters together to form words. However, in order to string the words together the two letters must be touching one another. Word hunt is also a fast, quick-paced game, and is perfect for when Anagrams has gotten tiresome. It can still be stressful because there is a time constraint, but an overall it is a good game.

Game Pigeon has changed the way people communicate through iMessage, and has introduced a variety of mini games for friends to challenge each other and share a healthy amount of friendly rivalry.