With iPhone games getting increasingly more complex by the week, relaxing with 10 Pin Shuffle provides a refreshing burst of simplicity. As Digital Smoke replicate the local bar atmosphere on the excellently suited screen of the iPhone, this challenging title arrives receiving plaudits from the majority of users who’ve decided to give it a go already, and with good reason. Easy to pick up and play and tough to overcome, 10 Pin Shuffle strikes a successful balance of visual sheen, playability, and pure fun.

10 Pin Shuffle’s most attractive asset is no doubt the chance to challenge friends via the same Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. Multiplayer action is still a novelty for most iPhone gamers, as many developers opt against competitive action in fear that it won’t work or, quite simply, that nobody would bother playing it. Luckily, Digital Smoke has included a douse of multiplayer topping to complete a remarkably smooth product. With one player hosting the game and another joining, it won’t be long until you’re sliding your weights down the board in a bid to out score your real-world opponent.

Once into the multiplayer action, 10 Pin Shuffle performs adequately. Connections can be interrupted during play, but more often than not, proceedings will continue after a few seconds. As the aim of shuffleboard is to slide your weights as close to the end of the board as possible without it flying off the edge, strategy comes into play more than you might expect. Pitching your first weight into the closest scoring zone may block players off, but it will also leave a huge gap for them to take advantage off if they have the skill. Aiming for the highest and most difficult scoring zone holds great risk of overshooting and finishing the turn with little defence, which once again will give your adversary greater space to aim at. It’s a remarkable game of cat and mouse that sees you bashing, placing, and indeed yelling your way to victory. If you’ve ever experienced the premise in real life, you’ll understand how the margin between success and defeat is minimal.

Unfortunately, although the multiplayer is great fun when it works properly, 10 Pin Shuffle is prone to lagging. Usually only for one player at a time, slowdown appears when you’re watching your opponent take a shot. Although not game breaking by any means, it’s slightly frustrating to see your peer’s weight stutter down the board. It becomes wildly unclear as to where the shot will end up, providing an unintentional sense of mystery that needs to be ironed out.

If you can’t muster the friendships to establish a bout of multiplayer shuffleboard, then there’s a testing single player mode to work through. Pitting you against quirkily named opponents such as “Shuffle 07″ and “The Hammer” after beating the first couple of wannabes, you’ll soon be facing some extremely challenging match-ups. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got your first weight into the highest scoring zone, they’ll soon knock it out. If you’re going to survive, you’ll need the accuracy to both attack your opponent’s weights and to get yours in the appropriate areas. A thrashing isn’t unusual, but one thing’s for sure, it’ll keep you coming back in order to defeat the scarily talented computed players.

For players who aren’t familiar with the simple rules of shuffleboard, and are looking for a more explosive challenge, there’s a ten pin-bowling mode thrown in as well. The pins stand on the shuffleboard surface, meaning instead of aiming for the most efficient scoring zones, players need to launch their weights down the smooth wood in order to knock as many pins over as possible. Once again this can be played alone and with a friend, meaning there’s a fair bit of variation to get used to. In shuffleboard you’ll need inch perfect precision to gain the upper hand, whereas in bowling, power and direction is the key to success.  If you’re accomplished at one of these modes, don’t be surprised if you’re rubbish at the other, as their differences are subtle enough to supply conflicting results.

As a product that comes in under £3, 10 Pin Shuffle is exceptionally presented. Many iPhone products decide against including sleek graphics, smooth animation, and a stylishly clean menu system, all of which are aesthetically pleasing on the eye. There’s just an air of coolness about the entire product that culminates when you’re treated to alternative camera view replays after you’ve hit a great shot. There’s no need for the title to load, it’ll move straight through the replay and into the next shot without breaking sweat. It’s confident design, and something programmers Michelle Abraham and Peter Wiseman should be lavishly praised for.

Although remarkably simple, there’s something about 10 Pin Shuffle that makes it worthy of recommending. It’s an example of a title that doesn’t need originality to be commended, as it provides dip-in-and-out gameplay that’ll suit those who are looking for competition on the run (as it allows you to continue from where you left off). Granted, the AI is mockingly accurate with every shot and the multiplayer doesn’t quite work smoothly as of yet, but you could do a lot worse for a measly sum. If you’re looking for a challenge and aren’t afraid of getting a stern whooping, then give this one a go. Alternatively, pick it up and dish out a hiding of your own to unsuspecting friends.

Grade: B-