I caught up with an old friend this week, by phone. Chris is an alien of exceptional ability (recognized by, among others, the USCIS). In his nerdy but cool way, he suggested that I might like to try out a new game on my iphone: I am now addicted to Bejeweled. (Do not click this hyperlink if you already have a problem with Lexulous and Free Cell: You Have Been Warned)
The aim of Bejeweled is to move shiny gems around until you get three in a row, in which case they blow up pleasingly, and set off a domino reaction that rejigs all the other jewels in the grid. I have no evidence that this is a game of skill, and no idea what success would really look like. I have had scores as low as 830 before it says “no moves left” and scores as high as 18,000+, when I reached the heady heights of level 8. I have no idea how many levels there are, or what triggers the move from one to the next. I do know that occasionally the game tells you that you are “excellent” or “incredible” and somehow I am desperate for its acclaim. The combination of the jewels, the jiggling, and the compliments make it a very alluring experience. I played it on the train home from Wilmington, Delaware last night and was undisturbed when the conductor announced that we had stopped outside New Carrolton ‘because something is hanging from a tree’ even though the train was already 30 minutes late because the 100 degree weather had bent the tracks. I could have stayed there all night.
If blog entries suddenly tail off in July, you’ll know what has happeneda: I have lost my heart to Bejeweled.
Tagged: free cell, Lexulous
