Parents' Guide to Dungeon Faster

Combining elements of a card game and a board game, this app can seem a little overwhelming at first but isn't hard to play. Kids' main objective in Dungeon Faster is to find a key and the exit it opens. Both are under squares they'll click on to reveal the items hidden beneath. Some squares contain magic runes, which power the four cards kids are given at the start of the round. They may also find coins, which can be used to put cards into play, and other items, such as a shield, which will help them battle guards once they've found the doorway and key and want to leave. Most of the strategy comes into play during the face-offs with various monsters who are preventing you from exiting. Kids can choose a card from their deck to make moves such as putting their opponent to sleep for three turns. Kids and the monster will take turns trying to harm each other until someone runs out of energy and loses.

The game has a fairly clever -- and fun -- format. But the instructions are a little hazy -- they don't clearly explain every element, such as what the gold teeth are used for, but kids should be able to figure out what to do as they play. The game features some nice touches. A different sound rings out for each item you find on the board, and while battles aren't overly detailed, monsters bleed when you strike them with a sword and occasionally groan. There are a few other less-than-ideal design elements. For instance, instead of just clicking on a card to find out what it can be used for, you have to go through multiple steps to get a description, which slows down the process. Kids don't get a lot of guidance past the tutorial, so if they get stuck at some point, they may not be sure how to advance in the game. They won't get locked out quickly if they lose a few times, though, so they can keep trying -- and while the learning process might feel a little slow at first, kids won't feel pressured to shell out money at that point to keep playing Dungeon Faster.