By CELINE NGUYEN
Staff Writer

Tsum Tsum is a cute and challenging app, named after the word tsumu, which means “to stack” in Japanese. Powered by Line, a popular social network that provides Japan an alternative texting service that has since spread to the U.S. and Disney, Tsum Tsum has quickly gained attention with younger audiences in America. At first glance, the app’s typical match-3 gameplay seems unoriginal, but coupled with famous Disney characters and randomly falling stuffed animals, rounds become harder and more adorable.
Lillian Nguyen (Soph.) says, “Tsum Tsum is a really interesting game. The animations are super cute, and the challenge to achieve the highest score possible keep you coming back for more. The gameplay looks really simple, but it’s actually pretty complex and keeps you thinking and anticipating future moves.” Instead of the structured drop down of other connect type games, like Tetris or Candy Crush, Tsum Tsum’s characters fall at random to fill spaces left by cleared Tsums.  Seeing as the game is technically geared towards children, Line’s hints tend to make rounds a bit easier than needed by highlighting potential chains.  This, however, does not detract from the addicting and incredibly fast gameplay.
The various ‘Tsums’—from Mickey, to Pooh, to Chip and Dale, each have their own powers.  App users can equip these Tsums, and each have their own special powers to aid in achieving the highest combo possible. For example, the ‘Pooh’ Tsum can stop the game’s timer for a short time, and Olaf can clear a diagonal row of characters. Players can unlock new characters by earning coins through game play, and part of the fun is the collection of each of the Tsums.
Tsum Tsum runs on a stamina system that is actually very fair, and every 15 minutes all 5 plays are replenished- no matter how many have been used. Friends can also send each other hearts to speed up the process. Tsum Tsum is a freemium game, available for both Android and iOS platforms; hearts and coins can be paid for with out-of-game money.
Disney’s Tsum Tsum is an engaging and interesting experience for people of all ages.