Big Bass Drop

Big Bass Drop looked simple in the store screenshots, and in a way it is — you tap to release your line, then tap again at the right moment to hook whatever swims past. But there's a surprising amount of timing underneath. The fish move in patterns, and once you start recognising the rhythm of a level, the whole thing clicks into a nice arcade flow.

Controls are one-thumb throughout, which makes it a great pick for a crowded bus. Each catch adds to a little collection screen, and I found myself replaying levels just to complete the set of weird aquatic things you can pull up. It runs completely offline and never once asked me to sign in.

The pacing does slow in the middle chapters where the difficulty barely moves, but the later stages introduce moving obstacles that shake things up. For a small arcade game it's polished, loads instantly, and doesn't hammer the battery.

What we liked

• Instant one-thumb controls
• Fully playable in airplane mode
• Satisfying collection screen to fill out