Game: Castle Clash

Perhaps the most commonly regurgitated complaint from mobile gaming's critics is that there's way too much copycatting in that portion of the industry. While the haters claim the lack of originality is a bad thing, it isn't inherently so. Many of the "blatant ripoffs" we've seen on Android and iOS has been about as good—if not better—than the games that inspired them. Then there are games like Castle Clash, which obviously draw inspiration, but lack that certain oomph needed to hold its own.Similar to last month's Jungle Heat, Castle Clash is a base-building strategy game that requires players to build armies, attack enemies, research goods, gather resources, and become the most powerful player. Anyone who's played games like Clash of Clans and Jungle Heat will notice the immediate similarities. While the art style is different, the actual gameplay is pretty much identical. The game kicks off with a brief tutorial session then leaves you with a barebones base with minimal defense. From there, you need to upgrade your structures and hire troops.The single player offerings are limited, but important. There's a series of levels players can play through as they wish. Each level consists of a battle against a pre-built base, making it an excellent tool for helping new players learn how to play, as well as what does and does not work when constructing a base.  Rather than mocking players with the hodgepodge of levels in multiplayer, the level-based single player mode will quickly evolve from "a nice way to earn a few resources" to "adapt or die!"