I feel as though I say this a lot, but there are very few games that don't benefit greatly from a solid, entertaining storyline shoring up its gameplay.
Admittedly, story isn't the most important thing in a game, but we're not obliged to separate each and every title up into its individual components before deciding whether we like it or not. A good story enhances the experience, regardless of genre, control system or graphics, and there's no better proof of this than 7 Casino Nights.
The mobile platform is rife with card, gambling and casino games, and the majority of them have one fundamental flaw in their concept. No matter how well you do in the game, you're playing for virtual cash, and that's not a particularly strong motivator. 7 Casino Nights uses its storyline to address this issue, and gives you a whole new reason for desperately trying to beat the casino’s insurmountable odds.
Kate’s father has suspiciously disappeared while owing the nefarious casino boss Mr Black $5 million. This notorious gambler has therefore abducted Kate and is making her work in his casino as part of her father's debt. You take on the role of Kate's friend Ben, and her only hope of getting free from the casino is taking your $50,000 around the games and turning it into $5 million.
Essentially, the rest of the game is a casino and gambling title much like any other, only with far greater stakes than virtual money, and this makes a massive difference to the experience. You need to earn a certain amount of cash before you can buy your way into all the games, adding something of a transparent series of difficulty levels as the game progresses.
The games on offer are seven card poker, blackjack, hold game (a single-player poker game), roulette, slot machines and high low. As well as the permeating storyline, each of these individual games is of as good a quality as any we've seen on mobile – and there aren't many that offer all these card and gambling games in one package.
This subtle crossover into the adventure game genre boosts 7 Casino Nights’ appeal very significantly, making it just as attractive to players who wouldn't normally look twice at a casino game. Your money is safe on this one.
7 Casino Nights
Not only a top quality casino, card and gambling simulator, but 7 Casino Nights packs in a first-class storyline that imbues the game with the kind of motivation to win that pretend cash alone could never provide. Proof there’s room for a solid story within any game, and on any platform
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.