Pop the Lock is a simple game that is available for both Windows Phone and PC that challenges you to crack open a padlock. While simple in design and appearance, the puzzle game will test your skills at timing and reflex.
While Pop the Lock isn't a complicated game to pick up and play, it can drive you nuts with its level of challenge. It didn't take much time with the Windows Phone version to realize Pop the Lock is a fun time waster of a game.
Describing Pop the Lock as an uncomplicated game may be an understatement. The game lacks a proper menu and instead greets you with the gaming display with a menu button in the upper corner to access the game's settings.
Settings share the game's minimal approach with options to mute the sound and dial back the level where you will start gameplay. To begin gameplay, just tap the screen. Just be warned, Pop the Lock doesn't waste time and jumps right into the action.
The objective to Pop the Lock is to crack open the padlock that is displayed center screen by completing its combination. A red bar will rotate around the lock and when it passes over a yellow dot, you tap the screen to solve the combination (left-click on laptop or desktop). Much like you would spin the dial on a lock and stop it on a number to solve the combination.
Pop the Lock starts out easy with the first level of gameplay only requiring one yellow dot to hit with the red bar. As you advance through the gaming levels, additional yellow dots will be added to the lock's combination that you will need to hit with the red bar. For example, level nine will have nine dots to hit that will require you to tap on the screen nine times as passes over the yellow dot.
While the concept with Pop the Lock sounds easy, the challenge that comes into play is that your red mark is in constant motion. It will spin counter-clockwise along the lock's dial, and when you tap to stop the mark on a yellow dot, it will immediately turn clockwise towards the next mark.
The pace of play picks up as you advance through the game and Pop the Lock will keep you on your toes. There will be times when the next mark is a good distance around the lock dial and times when the mark is a lot closer. Your skills at timing and reaction are put to the test nicely.
Miss one mark and you fail that level of gameplay. You will find yourself tapping too soon for fear of missing the yellow dot or tapping too late as the yellow dot will seem as if it snuck up on you. If you fail a level, Pop the Lock will restart the game at your current level of play. You can always dial back to a lower level from the game's settings to give yourself a break or challenge a friend to see how many locks they can crack before missing the mark.
Overall, Pop the Lock is a fun and challenging game to pass the time with. It's not going to be a gaming title you sit down with for marathon gaming sessions, but for shorter bits of time, it does nicely. I liked the minimalistic approach the game offers, but couldn't help but think the game needs a little more depth. Maybe offer a variety of lock shapes to crack?
While Pop the Lock is available for both Windows 10 Mobile and PC, the game does play out a little better from your Windows Phone, mainly for the mobility. Pop the Lock does support landscape orientation from the phone, which gives you a little more elbow room.
Download Pop the Lock for Windows 10 Mobile and PC
