Alone or with friends, in the hallways of the school or the bedroom of their home, people stare at their phones with anticipation. With five seconds on the clock, players prepare for battle, fingers at the ready. The daunting screen reads, “Every Brawler for themselves.” When the game starts, 10 players rapidly run into the battle, eventually eliminating one another. The last one standing is the sole crowned winner.
Brawl Stars, holding the place of the No. 1 action app in the Apple app store, is an addictive, exciting and fun mobile gaming app.
This game is entertaining because players can play it with their friends. After opening the app on your phone, the player can choose to play solo, duos or three-on-three players (3v3). Players can friend request others, and play together, over the phone or in person. They can also pick to be on teams with each other in a 3v3, or fight against each other in the showdown mode.
The app additionally has many different modes to try. The most popular are showdown, a final elimination game, and brawl ball, a virtual soccer tournament. The showdown begins with 10 players placed in different corners of the boxy and simple arena. The aim of the game is to shoot the other players down until they are defeated, and also stay out of the poisonous clouds that damage your health. Beware of the bushes placed throughout the arena that can hide opponents. After defeating another player a power cube, a neon green box that pops up with a golden star, repairs your health. Daunting music, along with the rapid elimination, produces an adrenaline rush.
The best aspect of this game, especially for people with short attention spans, is the short games. Unlike other video games, Brawl Stars has quick elimination and was designed to have rapid games of three minutes or less. On one hand, this makes it time efficient if players are short on time. On the other hand, short games make it easier for a rapid succession of the phrase “just one more game,” making it addictive.
Each player can unlock new games, levels and skins, called “brawlers” with battle stars and trophies, gained with in-store purchases or winning them in games by defeating players. The players are animated humans, colorful, funky and unique.
Quick rounds, friendly competition, variety and upgrades create a delicious recipe for an appealing video game. The more one plays, the better they get, and the more things they can do. It is almost impossible to put the phone down after opening Brawl Stars — whether that is a good or bad thing is up to your interpretation.
