Nov 21, 2013

Now I understand gambling addiction

While I've been stuck at home, recovering from an illness, I've been compulsively playing two iPhone game apps by Storm8/TeamLava:  "Candy Blast Mania" and "Bubble Mania."  They are, respectively, a match-3 game and a bubble shooter game.  I love the adorable animations (and I'm an animator), which is part of it.  The evil gummy bear is so cute when he gets mad!

So I'm trying to figure out why I'm addicted, especially since I'm on the higher levels (around 120), which require a ridiculous amount of luck on top of skill.  Normally, I HATE luck factor games.  And these are frustrating as hell.  I'll play for 15 minutes and come within 1 point of beating the level, and then I'll get the wrong-colored bubble or something, and have to start all over.  It's idiotic.  And yet I keep playing. 

Maybe this is why some gamblers keep returning to play slot machines.  I've never understood that addition.  I wouldn't waste money on this stuff.  In fact, both of these game apps keep urging me to buy power-ups in order to beat the level, which I refuse to do.  I know that's how they earn a profit, but that's a level of addiction I haven't sunk to, thankfully. 

But it's weird how I get a little rush of pride when I finally beat a level, after 20 tries.  I love seeing the evil gummy bear keel over, with his cute little dying voice.  Sometimes he wears waffle armor, or cotton candy on his head!  So adorable.  And those baby raccoon-cats in Bubble Mania are so cute, even when they're crying.  It feels so satisfying to pop a whole series of bubbles at once. 

Yeah.  I need to get out of the house more.  I can't wait until this @#&%$! ear infection goes away.