Count Masters — Stickman Clash is a conventional running/racing game, offered by Freeplay Inc., available for free download and free play on both iOS and Android platforms. This light mobile game adopts a generic running game mechanism with clashing and action features. The goal of its gameplay is fairly straightforward. Players need to finish their running route in each challenge level with as many coins reward as they can possibly gather. In order to successfully complete their race, players must perform a few tasks and challenges at the same time on their run. First, they need to control their “character” and guide their running. Unlike other racing games where players control one single character or object as their avatar in the game. In Count Masters, players are controlling a group of moving unites and navigate the entire group through the course. This moving group is numbered and the size of the group is a key factor in the gameplay. Meanwhile, just like in other similar racing games, players need to avoid obstacles on their way. Those obstacles vary from level to level but most of them are moving in certain patterns and specific motions, which means players can anticipate the upcoming barriers and hazards and get ready for those. Bumping into any of those obstacles can reduce the size of the running group and ultimately weaken the combat capability of players. At the same time, players also need to get involved into face-to-face fights with the rivalry moving units that are coming from the opposite direction. Although they may choose to not engage those enemies by dodging them, oftentimes they have no other choice but to confront the fight. The winning factor is the size of your group. Players win those fights by outnumbering their enemies. However, it should be noted that winning also causes unit losses and only the surplus number of units can continue the leftover running. This numerical gaming mechanism shows the significance of gaining numbers in this game. Building up your running group as large as you can, not only helps you win the combat with your enemies, it also beefs up your strength at the end of the running course where a boss awaits. In order to maximize the group size, players can do the following things. The most obvious one is to choose the right gates on their run. Picking the gates with larger multiplier effects; or in worst case scenario, pick the ones with less number deductions. In short, players need to do basic math calculations on their way. Another way of gaining a good group size is to earn as many coins as you can at the end of each level. Coins are basically the score of each running session although you can also spend those coins on upgrades and decorations. But higher gains of coins also means a higher starting point in your next run. Therefore, it is always helpful to gain more rewards and give yourself a better starting advantage. 

Game Review

In terms of game control and play mechanism, this game at its core still resembles many other running games of the same category. It adopts a conventional, safe and popular game-making method with predictable components such as gate-picking, enemy combat and obstacles. The rewarding system and game progress are also nothing innovative on its own right. Therefore, I would say it’s a playable running game and a good time killer, but it is also very replaceable by other games alike.