How many .io games are there now? I have no idea, and you probably don’t either. The amount I know of at this point can’t be counted on just two hands, let’s put it that way.
There are so many of these games floating around, and as always I want to point out the ones that are probably better than most of the others out there. This time around it’s the oft-overlooked Kartwars.io, which has been on the scene since September of last year. Now that this baby is out on mobile it’s time for it to shine.
So what’s special about Kartswar.io? Well first: its awesome ’80s aesthetic, complete with scanlines!
The game has a really appealing neon ’80s look that’s hard to ignore. Graphics only go so far, though; luckily the game itself is quite fun and it keeps stats across all of your played games.
Like every real .io game out there (singleplayer with bots aren’t real .io games), Kartwars.io pits you against other players in a score competition. This time around you drive a nifty neon car and pick up power ups to shoot down other players.
The power ups are the real stars of the show here and are what makes it so fun — I mean, driving around and picking up little yellow dots is kind of fun, but picking up a forward-shooting shockwave or homing missiles is way better and is the basis for the game. No power ups? You’re not going to kill anybody.
Here are the power ups you can use:
Grants you a shield that makes you immune to damage and can destroy other players if you run into them. All-around a great pick up, even if it doesn’t have the pizzazz of other power ups.
Gives a homing missile that will roam and chase other players. If you have one of these chasing you, use your turbo boost to stay out of its range until it explodes. You can get a 3-in-1 version of this.
Gives a landmine you drop on the ground for other players to hopefully run into. Tip: Place these on top of power up icons on the ground. Also comes in 3-in-1.
Shoots a large bullet in a straight line. Not as good as the homing missile, for obvious reasons. You may also get 3-in-1s of this one too.
Places an immediate landmine that detonates over a wide area a couple seconds after it’s placed. Definitely different from the rest, but hard to use.
Makes nearby hexacoins and power ups near you come right to you. Useful pretty much all the time, but if you have to choose it’s probably better to pick another power up.
Makes you (mostly) invisible on use. This one is sort of useful but, much like the magnet, you may be better of grabbing a different power up if you have to choose.
Shoots a shockwave forward that spreads out the further it gets. This power up is absolutely decimating if used properly, which is probably why you can only get one at a time.
If you want to let a bunch of shots loose in quick succession, this is a great power up to grab. This one lets you shoot as much as you want as long as you have it, which only lasts a few seconds.
All of these make for a powerful arsenal, and each one has its uses. Along with these is the ability to turbo boost, which makes you drop hexacoins but allows you to move quickly and safely.
The overall premise of Kartwars.io is very simple, but that simplicity is its strength. With the game finally now out on iTunes and Google Play, it’s time for it to shine.
Would I bet on this one being one of the most popular .io games of 2017? Between the neon ’80s aesthetic, simple gameplay, and stat tracking I’m going to say yes. We’ll see where Kartswars.io is in another six months, but for now give it a go and see why this is my current recommended .io game.
Published: Feb 14, 2017 06:40 pm