Blog / Junk Jack X

A long time ago I gushed over Gnomoria, a Dwarf Fortress-style game designed to be played by human beings. For whatever reason (not obtuse enough?) I haven’t played much Gnomoria, but I’ve found something similar on iOS: Junk Jack X, which is Minecraft for human beings.

Yes yes, millions of people play and enjoy Minecraft. They even added a little tutorial system that teaches you how to open your inventory and… nothing else. Nothing about crafting, smelting, the dangers you face or what to strive for. I love Minecraft like crazy, but it doesn’t do much to ease you in.

Junk Jack X is an ideal 2D version of Minecraft. No, not Terraria. That game’s gone off on a different tangent. There are no NPCs or boss fights in Junk Jack X. Just a lovely 2D world to explore with beautiful graphics, familiar sounds and a rockin’ beat.

What I love is how the game is clearly designed for touch devices. There’s no virtual d-pad, you swipe to move. Chop and mine by tapping directly on the block. There’s a built-in wiki that helps you craft the hundreds of items in the game. I’ve only started playing so I can’t tell you about the multiple planets and other advanced features.

Five bucks is a bargain.