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Computer Times
July 2012
Editors' Choice Facebook Game
Bingo Blitz
Review
by Angie Kibiloski
Bingo Blitz, from
Buffalo Studios, is a Facebook game that has taken up many hours of
my time. At first glance, it may seem like a simple game of Bingo, but there’s
so much more fun to be had when you actually start playing. The game has
garnered close to 3 million players, connecting to new users every day, and
continues to make updates to keep the game fresh for regular visitors. Daub
numbers, win collection items, make friends in chat, and compete in daily
tournaments for cool rewards. With exciting features like power-ups and
treasure chests to unlock, you’ll never want to stop daubing.
There are many different Bingo
rooms to choose from, most of which are themed after cities form around the
globe, like New York, London, and Sydney. You’ll gain access to more cities as
you increase your level. Of course, each higher ranking city charges an
increasing amount of Bingo credits for each card you wish to buy, up to 4 cards
per game, but you’ll also win higher reward amounts too. You are awarded a set
number of credits each day when you log in, and can also win them my calling
Bingos, leveling up, or on a winning pay line in the daily slot spin. Once
you’ve bought your cards, off you go daubing numbers as they’re called, by a
voice accented to match the city you’re playing in. For each 3 numbers you
match, you’ll earn the chance to use one of your power-ups. You can win these
or purchase them with in-game coins in the store. There’s a variety of useful
power-ups like a free daub on each card, extra coin or treasure chest spaces on
each card, or double experience points. Once you use a power-up, you’ll have to
wait a short cooling down period before new daubs will start counting towards
the next power-up. If you daub a number with a treasure chest behind it, you’ll
get a chance to open it at the end of the game, as long as you have enough keys
in stock to fit each chest you’ve collected. You can win keys or buy them in
the store next to the power-ups. Chests might contain credits, coins, keys,
experience points, or very rarely, a collection item. This is a fast paced
game, so keep your eyes open for a Bingo, because there’s a limited number of
Bingos that can be called in each game. This limit is based on how many people
are in a room at that time. Fortunately, you’ll see a countdown of how many
Bingos are left to be called, so you can hurry up and hit Bingo if you were
keeping a card open for a chance at more coins or chests. You’ll also get bonus
rewards if you’re one of the first 3 people to call a Bingo, so you might want
to watch out for that.
Collection items are the big
prizes of Bingo Blitz. Each city has a total of 12 collection items themed for
that city. Most of them must be won by calling a Bingo on a card with a shadow
of that item on it. These shadow cards won’t come up in every game you play,
but frequently enough to keep you engaged. The exact shadow you get is random,
and I have never had more than one shadow card in the same round. Some
collection items can be bought for coins in the store, and others must be
requested from other players. Complete a collection set for bonus rewards like
extra daily credits. There are rooms you can play in other than the regular
cities as well, each with its own collection set. Each day you can play 5 free
rounds of the Daily Tournament. You’ll still spend your own keys and power-ups,
but it won’t cost you credits. If you rank in the tournament, get ready to reap
some rewards, and even a few special collection items if you rank high enough.
Be sure to come back the next day to collect the coins you earned in your 5
rounds or you’ll lose them. Play in the Pets Blitz Slots room for coins and a
special collection set. Once you level up high enough, you’ll unlock the
Blackout room, which of course has you making a Bingo pattern of every single
number on the card. Sometimes, for holidays or the start of a new season, a
special limited time room will open, and you can try to complete your collection
for extra special rewards before the room closes again.
All of the cool features in
this game add up to make this a really fun way to spend some gaming time on
Facebook. You can even make it social, and invite your friends to be on
your Bingo team to collect bonus credits and work together to complete team
goals. You can chat with the other players in your room too, if you want to
trade collection items or just congratulate the winners. I love trying to make
a Bingo on the shadow cards by using all the power-up tricks, and it is very
exciting when I’m rewarded for my efforts with a new collection item. Check the
game out for yourself, and see why I, and millions of other fans worldwide, am
so addicted to Bingo Blitz.
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