Storm in a Teacup

Storm in a Teacup is a new app from the Macclesfield based company Chillingo. Developed by Cobra Mobile, the game has a simple, yet addictive structure to it. The aim of the game is to guide a teacup through 40 levels collecting sugar cubes, stars and other objects that are discovered on the journey. The main character sits in the cup and is moved either left or right dependant on which arrow on the screen is pressed. The teacup can also harness the power of the storms to give a handy boost in the air. As with any storm, it only lasts for a short while, but can be prolonged with short, sharp taps.

While playing through the Main mode, there are a number obstacles to get in the way and stop the goal being reached. These mainly come in the forms of environmental elements such as water and spikes. Enemies such as black clouds and sharks also hinder the adventure. Most can be dodged with ease, though if an enemy was to collide with the teacup, it would disintegrate and be sent to the nearest checkpoint. The difficulty in Storm in a Teacup has been built in such away that the game never gets truly frustrating and that in moments when repetitive dying is taking place, still remains fun to play.

Along with the main mode there is also a Survival mode. This isn’t available from the outset and has to be earned through playing the main mode. In Survival mode, the aim is to collect as many sugar cubes as possible in two minutes, while avoiding various obstacles such as spikes, water and enemies. This provides a nice break from the main game and brings with it an element of competition to get the highest score possible on each level.

Storm features a balanced difficulty curve which insures that the game gets harder as the levels progress in such away that is hardly noticeable until the first level is replayed after finishing the game. Storm in a Teacup whittles away those boring commutes to work with simple controls, tidy graphics and a good standard of level design. Compared to the likes of Angry Birds, there are too few levels, which hopefully will be rectified with future updates. For the price of £0.59p, Storm in a Teacup is a fun game to play and a nice addition to any iPhone/iPod/iPad. There is a lite version available but there are less levels to play and is heavily ad supported.