Greaty endlessy drivingy gamey

It seems, another developer has worked out that adding “y” to the end of some words loosely connected with their game will help them get a bump in downloads – thanks Crossy Road. But for all of my cynicism, Dumpling Design’s first game, Dashy Crashy, offers bitesized, endless-gameplay that is soaked in blocky style.

Fivey laney

There is very little new about Dashy Crashy. As far back and 1985, I can remember having LCD game’s that provided the same basic gameplay: speed a long a straight road in your car, swapping lanes to avoid other cars in your path.

It is a mechanic that works brilliantly on mobile, with its reactive left and right swipes not only able to accurately control the action, but also feeling satisfying while they do.

The five lane road is a large part of this satisfaction. Its size ensures a nice wide path that provides plenty of options of where to move in order to avoid other traffic. Calling these possibilities tactics maybe overselling the twitch gameplay, but there are elements of planning that certainly come in to play during the various mid-level events.

Greaty graphicsy

Dashy Crashy’s visual presentation is what makes any kind depth possible. Other cars indicate to show they are to change lanes, though exactly when they will is uncertain. This tiny detail allows you to plan for these moves in advance. You can even get away with close calls – simulated by a cracked windscreen – which tempts some risky play.

This planning is further built on by emoji text bubbles that pop-up to highlight upcoming events. Pileups, traffic jams, even emergency vehicles that close on you from behind, are all clearly signposted, giving you time to prepare. Though, unfortunately, the randomness of how these playout can be frustrating in the otherwise calculated action.

The clear aesthetic style of Dashy Crashy doesn’t only help the gameplay, it is also great to look at. While – much like the endless action – its retro-blocky look should be very familiar, this does nothing to detract from its bold appeal and great range of car designs.

Endlessly entertainingy

It’s familiar endless driving gameplay maybe a little overdone, but Dashy Crashy’s wonderful retro presentation and tight controls make it worth a look.