Block Earth is one of the growing number of simple block building games developed off the success of Minecraft. Without a survival element Block Earth is solely a creative gameplay experience which is available on your iOS device with free and paid options. With a free install you’ll get the bare bones of gameplay although you’ll still have no problem creating your own customised worlds. However, paying players no doubt have a leg up in terms of usability (e.g. jetpack) and variety (extra world types and the ability to share or experience other user worlds).
Regardless of the version you opt for you’ll find fantastic high quality graphics which even includes shading and lighting for extra realism in a genre that often misses these little touches. More importantly these extras also appear to be well optimised with even lower end devices on the system requirements not producing any noticeable lag. Similarly the UI has kept the smaller mobile devices in mind with appropriate sizing and scaling to fit on even the smaller iOS screens.
Functionality aside your core experience in Block Earth is one of creation with players setting their own objectives in the sandbox world. Be it to build an amazing structure, recreate something from the real world, design a scenic experience for others in the community or ride around on one of the various game animals which includes a mighty dragon.
Alternatively if you’d rather move around the world on your own devices Block Earth has a jetpack to help exploration and more notably building by allowing you to fly around your creations. While a positive this does come at a cost where you’ll find the ability to fly a free feature in related sandbox games.
More interestingly though is the deadly rocket launcher for blowing up the landscape or your own creations which is something generally not offered on other mobile sandbox games. Block diversity also holds up nicely when compared to peers which allows players to easily build fluid stairs, windows, fences and have enough textures to create contrast in large scale builds.
Ultimately, Block Earth provides a well-polished Minecraft alternative that is a good option for those seeking a game to let their creative juices flow. The game doesn’t break any boundaries but its creative options are decent albeit put behind a paywall that not all games in this genre have.
Summary:
- Focus on a creative building mode on your iOS device.
- Good range of blocks available for various textures and styles in building your creations.
- Jetpack and rocket launcher adds a layer of fun and usability.
- Take screenshots of your creations or share the world directly with others (in-app purchase required).
- Plenty of other neat features including fences, stairs and windows for easy quick mobile building.
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Review Platform: iOS
