iOS (iPhone/iPad) Critic Reviews

There's a lot of things going on in Pocket Planes. There's simulation, there's strategy, and then there's the world that you've created and the people you might have interacted with along the way. While it's probably true that the game's mechanics will only keep your interest for so long, there's a lot of game here to like. More importantly, though, Pocket Planes is just ... fun. Game business doesn't need to inform game design, after all.

Pocket Planes addresses the main concerns I had with Tiny Tower in the long-term: that there wasn't much of a point to the game, and little goal to attain. Pocket Planes is much more involved, with concrete goals, but still keeps the principles that make NimbleBit's social titles so fun and addictive. Even haters of 'social' games need to give this a shot.

There's a lot of fun to be had in the game without spending any money, since you can find bux floating around and you'll earn some with every level.

Pocket Plane is a perfect example of a freemium game done well, an addictive time sink that sucks you into its simple routines and refuses to let go.

The game contains an intriguing blend of strategy, management and under-the-hood tinkering, and in contrast to the deceptive Tiny Tower there's much more genuine depth to the game beyond a superficial appeal to obsessiveness. Whether you felt burned out by that game or not, we highly recommend you try out NimbleBit's brand new addiction.

Nimblebit has once again dropped you in the middle of a universe that feels like it was built just for you, and filled it with a deeper, more compelling mission. If you love strategizing, organizing, building something, and watching it grow, you'll love this game. Oh, and fun. If you love fun.

Even sharing a similar formula, Pocket Planes is a much better game than the previous Tiny Tower, featuring an intuitive strategic gameplay and huge amounts of content for a free-to-play.

Pocket Planes showcases NimbleBit's deft-hand at creating miniaturized, yet still strangely addictive titles - keeping your fleet running is a more-ish exercise that will keep you entertained for days.

Pocket Planes is a free-to-play title, but the intake of both coins and cash come at a fairly consistent rate, allowing a player to progress without actually making an in-app purchase.

I may be slightly disappointed by Pocket Planes, but that feeling only set in after a solid week of compulsively checking my planes, sending them out on jobs, and amassing an in-game fortune. Though it doesn't have the depth of a full-fledged simulation, the accessible mechanics and tempting rewards make Pocket Planes worth some short-term attention.