Kapu Fishing
© 2015 Kapu Toys
Nicely illustrated but limited in features, this playful fishing simulator lets you create your own lure, and then swipe to cast. To reel in your lure and catch fish, you tap the screen, using a Flappy Birds control mechanic. Weaknesses include the mellow looping music which doesn't match the genre and can't be turned off. Testers wanted more to explore, and the app could benefit from some surprises -- e.g., an occasional shark might help. Testers also didn't like how the fish always escape (there is no point to this) and while the app makes you think you can explore a beautiful lake, there's not much to explore and very little variety in the fishing spots. The best part is the lure building activity, that lets you customize your own bait by dragging & dropping different hooks, eyes and decorations. But you can't rearrange the items on the lure once they are placed. All in all, this is a fun, fine-motor exercise that could be better, but isn't bad. And the illustrations are beautiful.
$1.99, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 6.0 or later), Android
Teaches: timing, fine motor skills, some creativity
CTR Rating: 84%