Scare Spree

The Short

Pros
- Spooky, scary, ghosty fun
- It is, as advertised, a Spree of Scares
- Music and art are both great
- Large assortment of levels and characters to unlock and play
- Gameplay is simple to learn, tricky to master
- Getting high scores and finding all the unlocks can be addicting
- Only a buck on Android

Cons
- The engine, while admirably holding up, doesn't quite fit to the gameplay style
- Unlocks for new characters and levels can take a while. You may be stuck on the first level a while
- Touch controls take a while getting used to.
- No online leaderboards or sharing (again, an engine thing)

Thems a lotta spooks ready for scarin'. 

The Long

You know what's great? Halloween. You know what's also great? Scaring kids.

Legally, of course. Wait, where was I going with this?

Scare Spree is a recently released game on Android about (you guessed it), scaring kids on Halloween. Made on the OHRRPGCE game engine and later ported to the handheld, it combines arcade-style, points-grubbing action with the Halloweeny feel to create an addicting, if a bit rough-around-the-edges android experience.

So is it worth picking up this All Hallows Eve? For sure, but read on for exactly why.

It's not illegal if you are actually a monster. 

There isn't really a story here: scare kids. There's the story. It's the most important story ever told, because if kids deserve anything, it's having the Fear O' God put into 'em. That or a fear of a skeleton, pig, alien, witch, or guy dressed up like a bug-eyed Hamster. All those are playable characters, by the way. 

The goal of Scare Spree is a simple one: Scare as many kids as possible within the time limit, and rank up combos. Combos are essential to doing well, as that you'll get a measly and pathetic score if you don't bother to learn the combo system. 

The controls are simple: You can scare, sprint, or MEGA SCARE. MEGA SCARE can only be done after you've scared a bunch of kids in a row (again, combos) and filled up the meter, so your primary form of attack will be the standard scare fare. You can also hold down the attack button to attract kids around you, then scare them all at once for sick combos, which is pretty hilarious. The kids all scream bloody murder when they get frightened, which is a hoot.

I ain't afraid of no...tornadoes?

Unfortunately, a few minor issues arise after playing a few rounds. The first is easily overcome: the controls. While it works fine, this game was clearly designed with a keyboard or gamepad in mind, with the touch controls to move (it's limited to a grid) feel a bit clunky. These controls work for a slower game, like an RPG, but for an action based game it's a bit cumbersome. However, you'll adjust quickly to it's three button, one stick layout.

The other issue is the scaring itself, especially combos. When kids are "scared" they run off screaming but don't disappear. This often lead to me wondering which in a group of kids I'd scared and which I hadn't, with the only way to know counting the kids and the boost to my combo. While they do flail about and run faster, it can still be tricky (since they're still on-screen), and did confuse me a bit. Again, you get used to it, but the bar of entry is still a tad high. 

Who wouldn't be scared of that...thing?

Once you get it, however, the game becomes a hoot. While it does take a bit longer than it probably should to unlock more characters and stages (and the different characters are just cosmetic; they don't actually do anything different), figuring out the best way to chain combos to get high scores quickly becomes addicting. On top of that, the quirky graphics and absolutely killer soundtrack really sells the spooky scene. The title screen looks straight out of an NES-era game, and I love it. 

Keeping it simple. Ish. 

While the lack of any online leaderboards won't make Scare Spree the next Angry Birds, it's a fantastic Halloween romp that's also awesome any day of the year. Here's hoping the creator provides more updates and content (maybe more stages, or making the various characters actually different) over the next little bit to flesh the game out, and perhaps tighter controls or an easier beginning game will help newbies. But for those willing to invest the time (and $1), you're in for a spooky halloween treat.

It currently goes for a buck on the Google Store, so check it out. Four out of five stars. 

Let there be spooks.