Slingo has been around longer than your dad’s alcohol problem. Originally created in 1995, the bingo-slot machine combo was one of the earliest games we remember playing on our ancient computers. It took on new life when it hit the iPhone, letting you touch-spin and number-match your way through its addictive levels.

The game is as much of a can’t-miss standby as Tetris or Bejeweled, and makes for wildly addictive fun in just about every form. But the fact that the game is everywhere — heck, you can play it for free on your browser by clicking here — that means any version that charges you to play had better be amazing.

The fact that the game really is everywhere is confirmed by the revelation that it lurched its way onto Android’s pathetic gaming desert late last month. The most positive things we can say about Slingo Daily Challenge is that it loads quickly, has tight touchscreen controls and acts as a decent, simplified intro to the game without overwhelming you with all the wacky permutations in the iOS versions.

Now for the downsides. You can play a more robust game of Slingo by simply loading up your Android browser and tapping “play as guest.” We wouldn’t recommend playing Slingo that way, because the browser on our Droid 2 had trouble deciding whether we were trying to move or zoom in on the screen or play the game.

Slingo Daily Challenge hits you with a new game each day, each with its own set of power-ups. For the uninitiated, the game lays out a grid of 25 numbers, then lets you spin a roulette-style wheel that gives you a slate of randomly-generated numbers. If any numbers on your spin match those on the grid, you tap them and work your way toward clearing the board.

Sometimes your spins pop up game-changers like Jokers that let you clear any number on the grid you want, or a devil that damages your score. The goal is to work your way through the board before your spins run out. Numerous power-ups come along to spice up the game.

Slingo Daily Challenge gives you a new take on the game each day, with pre-selected power-ups and a hard-to-reach goal to strive for.

Daily Challenge is fun enough, but seems like a ripoff when you take a look at iTunes and find Slingo Supreme — which offers Slingo Daily Challenge as a side mode — available for $0.99. Even the free “light” iOS version, which locks you out of Daily Challenge, gives you almost as much to play as the version that costs $1.99 on Android.

If you’re desperate to play Slingo and you’re an Android loyalist, Daily Challenge is your reluctant best bet. But we recommend holding out for a better version.

4 out of 10 guyspeed.com rating
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Slingo Daily Challenge ($1.99), available on Android platforms, was published by Slingo. We played the game for two hours on a Droid 2.

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