We here at Couch Bandits love every type of gaming—including mobile gaming, which often gets a lot of flak from the gaming community. But console and PC gaming can require a lot of investment and time commitment. If you just have 15 minutes, you need something quick and easy, like one click of an app into a game you can play immediately, without any fuss.

Mobile gaming has earned its own place in the market—and a spot in my daily life. As someone who doesn’t own a car and lives in a city, I spend a lot of time commuting on public transportation. While the Nintendo Switch has come in very handy for passing the time, I don’t always get a seat during rush hour, so instead, I turn to my phone. It’s easy to hang on with one hand and swipe with the other to play a simple but fun game.

Solbot: Energy Rush fits that description perfectly. It’s become my go-to on the train or couch when I need a quick but satisfying challenge.

What Is Solbot: Energy Rush?

This was the same question on my mind when Freakout Games reached out to Couch Bandits about Solbot: Energy Rush. (Full disclosure: We were not compensated to talk about or review the game—they simply asked us to take a look and see if we’d write about it. After playing, it seemed like just the type of mobile indie game we’d love to spread the word about!).

In concept, the game is simple: You control a flying robot to collect energy orbs in space. What’s not to like about that idea? But that’s what Freakout Games has done best—they’ve taken a simple concept and executed on the fun factor.

The controls are surprisingly precise. There’s not much lag when flying from one side of the screen to the other, so you need to time your movements perfectly. I won’t lie: It’s incredibly satisfying to lunge from side to side in outer space, collecting each orb with precision.

As the levels grew more complex, however, I found my hubris getting in the way of my success. I kept trying to thread the needle whenever possible to show off my skills (to no one but myself…), but the game punished me for weaving in and out of obstacles and not being patient. This really amped up the challenge and level of fun.

What Makes the Game Fun?

Speaking of complexity, Solbot: Energy Rush does a good job of teaching you how to play. The learning curve is almost nonexistent; once you pick up the game, you should be able to champion the first four levels before facing any real challenge.

But from there, things start to get intense. And to keep the gameplay interesting, you’ll get the opportunity to earn power-ups along the way, the first of which is a magnet that can draw in orbs for you. I won’t spoil any of the other power-ups, but they each add a bit of flair to the game, and you’ll always feel an itch to gain the next power-up and learn all about its abilities.

Remember what I said about the best mobile games being short and sweet? Solbot: Energy Rush has 50 levels, so it’s no Candy Crush with hundreds upon hundreds of levels, but it makes for a fun way to pass the time. The later levels will really put your skills to the test, too, for those that like a challenge, but it never feels unfairly difficult. You can polish your skills in a flash and focus on the pure fun of the experience.

One last aspect I appreciate is that Freakout Games is a strong advocate for social awareness, and in that vein, they’ve created a fact sheet in the game, where they share helpful info about energy sustainability (hence, “Energy Rush”!). It’s a small way of doing their part—and it’s something I’d like to see other games do more often.

At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a casual mobile game, I recommend checking out Solbot: Energy Rush. The game was just accepted into the Indie Prize Showcase at Casual Connect Asia 2018, too! We’re more than happy to spread the word for this little indie title.

You can download Solbot: Energy Rush for free on the iOS and Android app stores. You can learn more about Freakout Games by following them on social media: