When I first downloaded Tap Resort, I honestly didn’t expect much from this CMS game. After all, I’ve learned to have low (or no) expectations when it comes to free iPhone apps. Not to say there aren’t great ones out there, but they’re a bit like unicorns really.

Too Long; Didn’t Read answer: I was pleasantly surprised, download this game.

First Impressions

It might make me sound easy, but I really enjoyed the loading screen music. I like opening the app, just for the cute island-themed jingle, and it will probably get stuck in your head, like it did in mine. The graphics are colorful and well-done, with a simple user interface to boot. I found myself getting a tad addicted!

Diving In

I usually jump right into games, and it’s easy to start off buying decorations and a couple properties to populate your little island. The decorations (trees, fences, etc.) are pretty cheap, but everything else seems expensive. I ran out of coins pretty quickly, and the properties make money slowly, only topping off about once a day.

How much each property makes depends on it’s level out of three stars, earning 500 coins per star. You can upgrade a property level by spending coins, or shells for an instant upgrade. What it comes down to, is managing your coins really. And having patience.

So what happens when you run low, or out, of coins? There are three options: Buy more coins with shells (5 shells per 500 coins), sell your items/properties for half of what you paid, or wait until your property makes money. If you run out of shells, you have to earn them by installing other apps. It can be annoying (and it’s become a trend with apps it seems), but there are both free and paid apps to choose from, paid earning you more shells of course. So, it really depends on how badly you want more coins! I only wish there was another way to earn them.

It also turns out that your tourists are dirty little guys, so you have to maintain the island by cleaning up trash; they leave behind things like banana peels and soda cans. Your tourists also can get unhappy — I mean, you wouldn’t be happy with banana peels everywhere — so, you simply tap on their frowning face to buy them a drink. “Yippee!” they say, and all is well.

The more you build up the island and upgrade your properties, the more tourists come to visit, and the faster you earn coins! A plus is that you earn coins even while away, so you can come back to the game to collect earnings when convenient. There’s also an option to buy a “Resort Telegram” push notification with one shell, so you’re alerted as soon as your properties are topped off for collection. To be honest, a few coins might be a more reasonable price for something like that though.

If it doesn’t seem like much at first, just keep at it. It’s really the nature of CMS games — patience! As you build new properties and maintain the island, you level and unlock new items, and even more islands to purchase. I was surprised to find that when I hit level 5, my island grew in size! So, it seems the guys down at the Brooklyn Packet Co. really put thought into how to keep me playing Tap Resort, and from the looks of it, they’re on the ball with updates (now including World Cup country flags for your island!) and quick to respond to support tickets.

Overall, Tap Resort was a pleasant surprise. It’s well-made, cute, easy to play — oh, and free. You can download it here on iTunes.