PapiJump for iOS

PapiJump does a number of things right, but unfortunately does so in a way that often mimics other games in the niche. The result is a game that, while fun, is mostly derivative, and not nearly as good as its predecessors, which are also low cost or free. While higher-level content is engaging and unique, the time investment required to reach it is enough that many people will be turned off before they get there.

The basic concept of PapiJump should be familiar for anyone who has played Doodle Jump or Glow Jump (among others). Your character will automatically jump and you must tilt your phone from side to side to direct them to the platforms above. While in other games there are enemies, obstacles, and power ups right away, in PapiJump, there are only platforms and those platforms rarely move. The controls are effective and the game moves at a brisk pace, but you'll need to reach certain high scores before you unlock higher-level content that will allow you to face enemies or change directions and play style. Those higher levels are more fun than the initial game, which is a nice touch, but the barrier to getting there is time consuming and the payoff not quite enough to warrant a large time investment.

PapiJump is not a bad game. It works well and does some unique things toward the higher levels to stand out in the genre, but the initial game is so much like the games on which it is based and there are no initial options or game modes to warrant a different style of play, making it a game we cannot recommend for jump-genre fans.