Carrom Live!: Fun but cumbersome

Carrom is a simple board game, something that makes it a perfect mount for smartphones. Need a time out? Why not knock a few carrom chips and have some fun?

Carrom Live!,  therefore, is a good opportunity for Octro to take another classic game to the multiplayer level. On Carrom Live!, a free-to-download app on the App Store and Google Play Store, you can invite your friends from Facebook or let the game find an online opponent for you. 

The game lets you choose between two modes — ‘Freestyle’ and ‘Black and White'. There are plenty of achievements and levels to unlock. 

This app seems a good replacement for mindless runner games. 

The interface is simple yet attractive. Multiple camera angles mean you can view your shots in full detail and have that much more ease in planning the next one. 

However, Carrom Live!  fails the test when it comes to controls. With a separate panel for shot power, the game requires you to set your shot power separately after you have set the shot angle. This is a great disadvantage for anyone who has played other offerings on ‘pocket-the-ball’ segment of smartphone games, such as Miniclip’s 8 Ball Pool . Moving your hand to and fro on the panel can upset your shot angle, making you go through the process all over.

Overall, Carrom Live!  is a simple and fun game but only for the first few plays. Its controls are too cumbersome to let you have a long lasting loyalty to the game.