Help Me Find a Phone Game to Play while Feeding my Baby!

February 24, 2017 8:47 AM

I'm looking for a game I can play on my phone while feeding my baby because otherwise it is very, very boring. Please give me your suggestions!

I finished the last game I was playing and I need something to keep me occupied for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time while I provide sustenance to my precious little kraken.

Requirements:

-I must be able to play the game with one hand (and I need to be able to switch hands; dexterity can't be a factor so nothing that involves aiming or shooting or precision in any way)
-Nothing that requires speed or timing; I need to be able to be interrupted or start and stop whenever I feel like it (this also means that I don't want my progress on a level reset whenever I quit)
-Nothing that requires repeated purchases; free would be best but if there's something that is like two dollars or whatever I can live with that
-I have an Android so it has to be something that will work on my phone

Preferences:
-I'd prefer something with levels and a clear goal (e.g. "find all the words" or "figure out the path" or something)
-I like games that get progressively more difficult; not TOO difficult but so that I can at least feel like I'm moving forward
-I often enjoy games where I have the choice to use either thinking or effort to solve a puzzle or similar, so e.g. I could either think logically and use my ingenuity to figure out an answer or just try different things over and over again until I find something that works (when I feed her in the middle of the night I am not up for lots of deep thinking)
-I don't want fancy graphics or anything "realistic" looking
-I don't want anything that's like Bejeweled or involves finding hidden pictures or a jigsaw or anything; I really prefer puzzle games (word based or otherwise)

Games I have enjoyed in the past include Mummy Maze (I LOVED Mummy Maze! It looks like there might be a stupid dumb ugly version available for Android but if I could just get the classic PopCap version I'd be happy with that), Disco Zoo, and a really stupid game called Word Cookies. Thank you so much for your help!

posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (25 answers total)

Two Dots.
posted by sulaine at 8:51 AM on February 24, 2017 [8 favorites]

My two games for this are alphabear and two dots. Alphabear does have some timed levels, but also has untimed ones. Two Dots might edge a little close to Bejeweled for you, but there is benefit to thinking and planning a couple of moves ahead. No timed components. I also enjoyed DOOORS, which is very low stakes but provides a fun aha when you solve each puzzle.
posted by telepanda at 8:59 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]

Monument Valley was a lot of fun! I've also heard great things about 80 Days, too.
posted by a good beginning at 9:02 AM on February 24, 2017 [6 favorites]

I think Threes hits your requirements very nicely.
posted by Perplexity at 9:05 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]

Seconding both Threes and Alphabear!
posted by too bad you're not me at 9:08 AM on February 24, 2017

Thirding two dots.
posted by dismas at 9:11 AM on February 24, 2017

Two Dots and Monument Valley are my go-tos, also. Plus I subscribe to the New York Times Crossword Puzzles, which give you access to the current puzzles as well as a huge back archive of regular and mini puzzles.
posted by gateau at 9:15 AM on February 24, 2017

Monument Valley is definitely what you want!
posted by Heloise9 at 9:20 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

2048. Buttons and Scissors. Alchemy and it's variations. Pumpkins vs. Monsters. Loop.

Mostly Loop.
posted by Leon at 9:24 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nthing Threes. Checks the boxes for one-handed play, 100% built to put down and come back to, puzzle-like, and progressive difficulty because as the numbers get higher, it's harder to clear the board.

Bonus: it will never nag you for additional money, is charming and low brain-effort, and does not require having headphones or the sound on.

I estimate, no joke, that our houshold has played over 5,000 games of it in the 9 mos since we've had a kid.
posted by joyceanmachine at 9:29 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

I Love Hue is my current nursing go-to.
posted by emyd at 10:12 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Two Dots is alllllll I played while nursing!
posted by cpatterson at 10:14 AM on February 24, 2017

I have many versions of classic games on my phone...Uno, Yahtzee, Hearts, Euchre, Cribbage, etc.--that don't require timing and for the most part support one-handed use with the right phone/hand combination
posted by stevis23 at 10:32 AM on February 24, 2017

If you're mathematically inclined, Euclidea can be played one handed, loads instantly, has concrete goals and levels of increasing difficulty and allows for a certain amount of trial and error, especially if you have the guidelines on. Free first set of levels then one euro to unlock the rest.

Flow Free might also work.
posted by carolr at 10:55 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've been enjoying the puzzle game Sym-a-Pix lately.
posted by Lexica at 11:05 AM on February 24, 2017

I adore Puzzle Craft! The sequel is a little too pay-to-play for me, but I've had the first one for over a year now and love it.
posted by Tamanna at 11:26 AM on February 24, 2017

I like Blendoku, which is color gradient puzzles. As you move through the sets of puzzles it gets progressively harder.
posted by snorkmaiden at 11:38 AM on February 24, 2017

Flow Free. Flow Free. Flow Freeeeeee.

(On preview, nthing)
posted by moons in june at 11:56 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

Patchwork by digidiced (not Patchworkz!) is addictive and based on the German board game. It's really good and you can play it with as many interruptions and as slowly as you want!
posted by Omnomnom at 12:21 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

I exclusively pumped for 6 months and spent a ton of time playing this sort of game. My all-time favorites are Drop7 (on blitz mode especially) and Simon Tatham's Puzzle Collection.

Other good options are Threes, 2048 (especially the Doge2048 variant), Dungeon Raid, Puzzle Craft, Kenken, and Triple Town. Flow Free, Dots and Two Dots would be fine. Monument Valley is lovely but it would have taken too much concentration for me to play while pumping/nursing. I also enjoyed Tactics Maiden, A Dark Room, The Ensign, Tiny Tower, Waking Mars, Strategery, and Lost Cities, but I'm not sure that they're exactly what you're looking for.
posted by beandip at 1:03 PM on February 24, 2017

You want to play KAMI. It's a visually beautiful puzzle game, that is simultaneously soothing and perplexing, with steadily increasing difficulty. I install it on every device I own, and it's my default got a few minutes to fill game.
posted by glitter at 1:12 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

I played a lot of DaisyPop when my daughter was young. It fits your criteria.
posted by amanda at 5:16 PM on February 24, 2017

Blendoku, Alphabear, Triple Town (just don't play the speed levels), Monument Valley, Hocus, and Atomas.
posted by bile and syntax at 5:20 PM on February 24, 2017

Antigrams is currently breaking my brain quite gently - you have to pick letters to avoid making anything that can be rearranged into a word of four letters or more.

I think it was $0.99 but it's beautifully designed and not trying to extract any more money from me - worth it to me but ymmv.

I also get huge value from my NYT crossword subscription, especially being able to hit the right difficulty level in the archives if I've already completed the day's one but am in a serious Saturday/distracted Monday place.
posted by carbide at 5:50 AM on February 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mesh - tiles have a line or corner or intersection, you turn them to get it all into one continuous line. You set the colors, size etc. Nothing Timed. Levels don't get harder but you can change the settings to make it have more tiles.
posted by buildmyworld at 9:52 AM on March 2, 2017