Are you a huge fan of mobile games like me? Years ago they were perfect for commuting, waiting in queues or winding down from late nights after work. I could rely on my mobile for some quick, detached fun with loads of whirling shiny lights that were easy to forget about any other moment of the day. Mobile games have evolved remarkably since then, even more so in the last two years with every genre now available loaded with story, combat and design details perfect for the biggest or smallest of screens which is incredibly exciting. Decor and building games have been my staple mobile games to play but recently there isn’t a genre I’m not enjoying. To top it off in 2019, Korean based gaming union Krafton has come along with a new social networking MMO called Mini Life Social Avatar World and this is how I found the first ten levels.
Why just the first ten levels?
Mobile games are an interesting set of thought processes that often finds most gamers on edge wondering if it will either need you to take out a second mortgage to keep up with it or if it will suck the life out of you taking all your time just to complete simple objectives so you can get that new hat or pair of shoes for your in-game character. Those are the two details we need to learn about ASAP to know if this game can reel us in – the rest is bonus pixel candy.
Signing into Mini Life Social Avatar World (MLSAW) is super easy I didn’t even need to use facebook which I only have for mobile game sign-ups and as always I raced to the character creation screen to enjoy the MLSAW aesthetic that is like the Sims 4 and Maple Story 2 had a baby. Avatars are realistic looking but with an almost chibi size head, what makes MLSAW stand out is the color choices for skin and hair. MLSAW design aesthetic in hair, clothing is also a fun mix of modern and classic. You really are in the running to be the best of everything you choose from the very beginning.
Then there is Aiden, he’s your neighbor, director, friendly spirit avatar pointing everything out one step ahead, well trying to. For me, he doesn’t go fast enough especially when I am decorating my mansion and landscaping my gardens. This is where I get a little dubious, as I am a keen decorator and architect in games so I will turn every stone ASAP to customize or create my world.
The name of the game in MLSAW is to decorate, plant and make friends so they can come to your home, or you go to theirs and help money grow on trees. Socializing is super-easy, you don’t need to gather an army to boost your game as you get lists of suggestions and can easily follow other players who follow in turn. Back to the dubious parts – It is so easy to just click and forget currencies in mobile games. In the decorating part changing the color of items costs gems which is the rarest currency. In my MMORPG groomed mind this went under the radar until I had no gems available which was very shortly after I started playing 15 minutes prior (like I said I love decor and building!) Socializing is also something different to what I thought it would be like thanks again to over a decade of playing MMORPG’s – you “high-five” your way through achievements that are varied, helping you gain XP but don’t actually “talk” to anyone. I had over 80 friends by level 8 which seemed cool but feels anti-social more than social since you don’t really correspond with anyone. Otherwise, as a mobile game, I look forward to improvements being made to the camera in build mode – it zooms in close and stays there while trying to pick where to put items or color them, which makes coordinating and placing items very difficult.
What I enjoyed most was reaching level 10 when you get your Roadside shop to sell items in, starting off with one space then earning more to add the clothes or decor items you no longer wish to keep. That reels me in, who doesn’t want to know what dominates the MLSAW market? I am also MOST curious about what I can achieve with my mansion and gardens. Will my golden-haired hip-hop vibe avatar rise to the social-networking top? We will see because I plan on finding out which concludes that Krafton has indeed crafted a game not only suitable for mobile but also MMORPG players like myself who enjoy designing their own worlds. The Augmented Reality function is also a classy touch I look forward to creating some glamorous and mischievous shots with. On the flip-side I would rather not find out the hard way that I spent gems on something without realizing, though once discovered it’s easy to be more mindful of your own choices. It’s also the design choices that make me look forward to clicking into this game above others – I really enjoy the modern city vibes mixed with timeless classics Mini Life Social Avatar World has been built around.
Now I’m off to visit other player gardens to marvel at their creativity and water tree’s while I plot how to make Aiden hurry his little-self up so I can achieve selling ALL the things to the friends I have made or have yet to make, that I may never know. This is how a social-networking centered game makes you think! Are you ready for it?
