Parents' Guide to Tinker Island 2

While this adventure has a unique twist, its passive gameplay and technical issues keep this from standing out. In Tinker Island 2, players essentially include choose a response when prompted in the storyline -- and clicking on colored portions of a bar when fighting, which represents either striking an opponent or fending it off. Characters need energy to perform tasks, which can also deplete their reserves. Their energy will refill over time, through eating or waiting, although players may find it hard at points to do much until that happens. The plot, which unfolds gradually as you check out new places, occasionally features subtle humor. Characters each have four skills -- for foraging, building, fighting, and exploring. Brief bios are provided, although the characters' personalities and backgrounds don't factor into the game too much.

Because the initial gameplay instruction isn't too detailed, players may be unsure about some elements until they run into a frog who can answer basic questions about how the game works. Throughout the game, players need to drag characters into circled areas on a map of the island to investigate things, but the glitchy controls may make that much harder to do. Tapping things doesn't always work, and the delays in responding can cause issues during the battle portions. Players may also struggle with only being able to see written descriptions of what's happening. Even when they weigh in on what direction things will take by choosing a response, the resulting outcome isn't shown. Since the storyline involves a mystery, some may enjoy playing Tinker Island 2 -- as long as they're OK with taking a fairly passive role and primarily responding to questions instead of being an active player.