“Clash of Clans” is a mobile app for iPhone and Android users. Although it’s specifically made for Apple and Android users, you can use it on many devices, not just your phone! For example, I play the game on my iPad, and my brother plays on his MacBook. It was made in 2012 and was developed and published by Finnish game developer Supercell. It is a competitive, free-to-play, multiplayer app for people across the world to play together.  Although I heard great things about this game, I had never tried playing it. So far, I’ve spent a total of two days playing it, and all I can say about it is good things. The game focuses on the small details. The game features very good, and rewarding tactics, whether you upgrade your wall or just successfully attack a base. The game ensures that you feel successful, whether they provide you with abstract animations or arcade-type beats. The game stands out with creativity. For example, when I successfully attacked “Gobbotown,” the game featured very creative animations I had never seen before. For example, you’ll see coins filling the screen, monsters turning into dust, bright lights flashing, stars filling your screen, and many more. If you would like to watch videos from The Official YouTube Channel for Clash of Clans, click here! 

When playing, you have the option to attack another player’s base or attack bases offline. For example, the game recommends that you attack the offline bases, so you can build up your army, along with your base, so you can win battles against other players online. But if you don’t feel like battling at that time when opening the app, it shows you your base, and inside your base, there will be coins and other things to collect. That’s why I feel like it’s a “tycoon-style” game. (A “tycoon” is a type of game genre that highlights the practice of saving game currency, over a period of time.) I think this because the game is very time-consuming, like a tycoon, but in a good way. The game stretches the idea that the more time you put into the game, the more powerful you will become. With tycoons, some games may be the same way in the idea of saving the game’s currency. If you would like to check out some gameplay before downloading, check out some of these videos! 

A big deal for many mobile users is the graphics level, and even though I’m not too wise on what graphics level is good or bad, I can confirm that the game has good graphics. I’ve seen people play “Clash of Clans” on other devices, and they all look the same: crisp, clear corners, and good graphics to outline the characters. But what personally impressed me the most is how the game runs very smoothly. Although I haven’t been playing for a long time, the game has not crashed or glitched once. Whether you’re just sliding your finger across the screen or in an intense battle, the game has not messed up once. I realized since this may be because of good internet, I’ve tested the game in different locations to see if it still runs smooth. For example, I’ve tested it at my house, in the car, at a grocery store, and in rural parts of town that don’t have fast-running internet. Every time, I can confirm that it runs smoothly, everywhere you go. (For anyone who doesn’t know, when a game crashes on you, it means the game shuts down or stops working, which could’ve been caused by a bad internet connection, or the game is under an update or fix. When a game lags, that means something in the system of the game has malfunctioned, causing abnormal activity in the gameplay. Which results in possible frame loss or loss of smooth running gameplay.)

Another positive thing about the game is that it’s only 379 megabytes. Although that is a big number, a game in the megabytes doesn’t take up as much storage in your device.  For example, when buying phones, most phones come with three options of storage: 64, 128, 512 gigabytes. For further information, one-thousand megabytes make up one gigabyte, so this is very good news for whoever is playing that this game does not take up much storage space on your device. Most importantly, it is completely free to play, and if you decide to get really into it, the game offers in-app purchases that are found in the store option. For example, the special offer at the moment for “Clash of Clans” is the Starter Pack for 99 cents, along with the Builder Pack for $2.99. 

Overall, I recommend this mobile game, thanks to the smooth gameplay, impressive graphics, creative characters, good color palettes, arcade music, and animations. If you need something to occupy your time or are just bored and want to battle, this game is for you! I would rate this app a nine out of ten. The only reason I don’t rate this game a ten out of ten is that I’ve only played it for a couple of days, and things could change. But overall, it’s a very well put-together game. I highly recommend you try it!