Tiny Tower not so tiny, has one million daily users on iOS

@asdfkeyboardman
Basically, plus in-app microtransactions rammed down your throat. It's crap, mostly.

@asdfkeyboardman

The indie vibe is cool! But the lack of complexity makes it boring.

@db2

After logging about 5+ hours into the game, I haven't been forced into any sort of microtransaction. They are available, within the menu, but in no way does that hinder my enjoyment - I can still go about building my tower at my own pace.

As for the "lack" of complexity (mentioned by someone else in this thread), it's actually kind of refreshing. It's a game I can pick up for a couple minutes at a time, check how things are going and then leave.

The best IOS games are the ones that are simple - Jetpack Joyride, Angry Birds, Tiny Tower, Fruit Ninja, etc. They're not "easy", they do present a good challenge, however they kind be enjoyed in quick spurts.

@SpaceFox
I realized that a long time ago as well. Haven't stopped playing.

@Michelobius
Ditto, but Christmas festivities finally distracted me long enough to break the need to get my fix. I feel liberated, and totally ready for more Ninja Fishing.

@SpaceFox

I played this for pretty much 2 months straight, then decided to go outside. I still keep Tiny Tower on my first screen, as a grim reminder of those 2 months of darkness.

@Courtney

I pretty much felt the same. The OCD / Addictive side of me constantly wanted to play this game, but my brain kept telling me, "This is a waste of time."

@(Unverified) yhea i couldn't get past the tutorial without being bored out of my mind, pressed the home button and deleted that piece of shit

@Courtney

Gambling addiction? I think that's an overly negative way of looking at it, but it's not entirely false. However, this isn't something that is limited to Farmville or Tiny Tower.

Tiny Tower is a game that rewards players for persistence. But there are plenty of other examples of this in the world that we don't automatically consider forms of gambling addiction: Acheivements/Trophies are examples of this, rewarding players (in most cases) for persistence. MMO's are notorious for this. Also, most recent FPS games (and some other genres) do this as well, by offering new weapons/perks as you "level up".

Good game designers know what drives players to keep playing, which is what makes certain games so popular. Do you think COD is as popular as it is just because it's a good FPS? Nah, it's also because it's addicting - unlocking all that great stuff for killing other people with friends - that's huge fun. Tiny Tower just repackaged that addicting formula in their own way.

@Axcalibur

Maybe you haven't ever read about the science behind gambling addiction. Games like Tiny Tower and many other non-skill, casual games are actually using the human brain against itself in the same way that slot machines do, through random reward. This is different than skill based games, where the same action will earn the same reward every time (Most Achievements have defined reward criteria).

There are two random rewards in Tiny Tower (at least when I was playing it on release). Which type of person shows up in the elevator, and what you get tipped for delivering them or delivering a package/message. This is basically a simple slot machine. An automatic lever is pulled, producing a "reward/person" in the elevator. Then you the player pull the slot machine lever again when you deliver them. Maybe you get coins, or maybe you get a dollar bill.

Our brains actually have a lot of problems processing random reward. It kicks of dopamine receptors in the same way that skilled reward does, but there is no skill or pattern involved. This is what makes gambling addictive. It has the physiological reward of a skilled action in a random system.

I actually find it disgusting that these casual games are relying on gambling strategies to hook players. They should be ashamed of themselves for relying on tricks rather than designing good games. You want a negative analysis, these are potentially addictive gambling games designed to slowly siphon money away from the player and should probably be classified as a type of slot machine rather than a video game.

@Courtney

Thanks for the insight. It's an interesting concept, and one that makes you wonder if there should be regulations preventing under-age people from participating.

I will say this, I'd be pretty damn embarrassed if I had to go to a Gambler's Anonymous meeting over Tiny Tower...

But your comments have inspired me to do some more reading on the subject...

@Axcalibur

Thanks for considering what I wrote! That's refreshing. This article has a decent summary of the science:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/19/your_brain_on_gambling/?page=full

Though there are also far more in-depth pieces online as well.

@Courtney
Same here, I had a hard time deleting it but im like "It's for the best." haha