Rough Roads iOS Game Review

Rough Roads is a simple game for iOS devices that takes the concept of the classic Frogger video game and flips it. Instead of crossing the street while avoiding obstacles, you are driving down the street. The idea is to keep all the luggage on top of your vehicle while collecting stars and badges.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Game play is very easy. There are two touch areas on the screen. On side steers you left and the other steers right. Your Volkswagen Van stays at the bottom of the screen and can only move horizontally. The outlines for the touch controls disappear once the game starts, which can a problem when your thumbs drift out of the areas and no longer control movement.

You don’t have control over speed or braking. Once the game begins, your only task is to move back and forth avoiding other vehicles, people, and objects in your path. If you hit an object, one of your 5 suitcases will fall off the top of your van. Lose all 5 and the game is over.

The only objects you don’t want to avoid are the yellow stars, which give you points. You can also collect running man badges (not pictured), which will transport you to one of 6 cities or countries.

These badges also earn you points that can unlock fun facts about the cities.

The fun facts are supposed to get you interested in the various cities so that you’ll purchase Rough Guides for those cities at $2.99 a pop.

Rough Roads isn’t the most exciting or dynamic game in the App store, but it’s easy to play, has fun graphics and an enjoyable soundtrack. That said, it does get a bit boring after a very short time since there isn’t much strategy or a real end goal other than collecting points and learning fun facts. I think this game would be perfectly fine as a free app, but I wouldn’t spend my own 99 cents to purchase it…