October's Hot Korean Games

Though Anipang is still hanging on to its rank as the number one smartphone game in Korea, a few more games may be close to toppling its reign. Not surprisingly, they are also made to interact with Kakao, and many of them use a similar system to Anipang, where you need "hearts" in order to play:

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Candypang (Android)

The goal in this high-calorie, dentist's worst nightmare is to tap combinations where there are three or more pieces of "candy" or blocks. The more combinations you get, the higher your score goes. Additionally, little circular icons act like the "bombs" that are seen in Anipang, exploding more of the icons. I guess if you're the ultimate Anipang master and need a sweet new challenge, Canypang is an option.

The Giraffe I Drew (iPhone, Android)

This game can be seen as the Korean version of "Draw Something", which rocked smartphones over the summer. The main difference here is that you can share your drawing with anyone in your Kakao Talk list in addition to playing games one-on-one. It also gives you a "hint" for hard words with ideas on how to draw the item. An enormous color palette that includes a fun "rainbow" color and less traditional drawing tools like a highlighter, can lead to some highly creative results. There's even a gallery of "popular drawings" where you can guess pictures drawn by other users. One thing I noticed about this app though is that it doesn't run very well. I received many error notices. The graphics are cute though!

Puzzle Zoo Zoo (Android)

Puzzle Zoo Zoo is a split-themed, me-too, xeno-zoological variation on Anipang. Tap an animal icon and it gets sucked up into a UFO. Then tap it over to the same icon in a different row to make combinations. Once you've created a combination, the row will disappear. The objective is to delete as many rows and icons as possible. The more combinations you can get, the higher your score goes. There's also that ranking system to keep the good old competition going strong.

Dragon Flight (iPhone, Android)

For the anti-pangs out there, this game bears no resemblance to Korea's new national obsession. Move your dragon left to right on the screen as you travel through mystical lands. On your journey, direct the fire from your dragon's mouth to burn up coins and jewels while avoiding fire bombs. As you advance levels and accumulate more coins, you can buy extra goodies like a dragon sidekick to help you in your Dragon Flight.

Have you tried any of these games? Which is your favorite? Let us know!

About the author by Donna Choi

Born and raised in the States, I came to Seoul in 2009 and have loved living and working in such a high-tech and connected city ever since. I enjoy collecting unique, cute gadgets/items (I have a bread-scented smartphone case!) and traveling around Korea. My personal mission while living in Korea: Try every type of Korean food known to exist.

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