Facebook announced yesterday via their newsroom the upcoming addition of an Instant Games feature on Messenger that will come with some classic titles for fans to enjoy on their mobile devices.
The Instant Games platform opens with 17 iconic names like Pac-Man and Space Invaders. It will first have a limited release in 30 non-specified countries for the latest versions of Android and iOS.
With this update, Facebook looks to upgrade its on-site game choices with more dynamic and real-time options for players to engage even more than they would normally do in already established Facebook entertainment choices such as Candy Crush or Farmville.
Instant Games currently offers 17 games that will keep you playing for hours
The small roster of titles still manages to bring together a sizeable number of genres choices perfect for smartphone playing. The classic ‘Pac-Man’ tops the lists, making an unexpected comeback from the arcade world.
Shoot ’em up classics ‘Space Invaders, ‘ and ‘Galaga’ also make an appearance along with ‘EverWing’ for more action-oriented players for solo adventures and more team-based games like the Scrabble spin-off ‘Words with Friends: Frenzy’ and ‘Wordalot Express.’
Apart from these games, there are other names such as the breakout clone ‘Arkanoid,’ a card game called ‘Shuffle Cats mini,’ and puzzles such as ‘Puzzle Bobble,’ ‘Brick Pop,’ ‘The Tribez: Puzzle Finish,’ and ‘Hex.’
Play with anyone, anytime, through Facebook Messenger
Instant Games is a cross-platform addition to Facebook Messenger that works with HTML5 and is also available on Facebook News Feed and the web. Its primary goal is to get users close to better games without asking them to download new apps.
Users will now see a game controller icon located just below the message line in the Messenger app, which will allow them to access Instant Games. The titles already offer scores, leaderboards, and group conversations.
People can also discover new games, which Facebook will add as the feature’s popularity grows, through their News Feed, following friend recommendations, posts, challenges, and Pages for individual games.
Instant Games is already available for the United States, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Israel, Puerto Rico and a handful of other countries.
Instant Games’ best games, ranked
‘EverWing’ serves as a more modern iteration of the 2D alien invasion game than ‘Galaga,’ looking to attract younger players with a more animated interface, while ‘Pac-Man’ seems to be losing popularity over its floppy controls, which make it difficult to move the beloved yellow companion on a touchscreen.
The Scrabble clone ‘Words with Friends’ follows closely, offering a fun alternative for multiplayer that can get frustrating at times. The puzzle-based ‘Hex’ has received poor reviews for its slow pace but not going as low as ‘Templar 2048,’ which seems a little hard to understand.
At the bottom of the list we have ‘The Tribez’ and ‘Brick Pop,’ which can get somewhat repetitive very fast, also noting that Tribez seems to be no more than a Candy Crush clone. Top three picks include the beautiful ‘Endless Lake,’ ‘Wordalot,’ and a revamped ‘Space Invaders.’
Source: TechCrunch