Big Bass Bonanza

Big Bass Bonanza is one of those games I meant to try for five minutes and ended up playing on the tram all the way home. It leans into a sunny lakeside fishing theme, with chunky cartoon visuals and a soundtrack that's more relaxing than it has any right to be. The whole thing is built around simple taps and short rounds, so it fits neatly into the little gaps in your day.

Control-wise there's almost nothing to learn — a tap to start a round, then you watch the reels of fish and tackle line up. What surprised me is how satisfying the little animations are; the big bass flopping around got a laugh out of me more than once. The pacing is quick, and the game never lectures you about how to play.

It's not a deep experience and it doesn't pretend to be. But as a low-stress game to keep your hands busy while your brain is elsewhere, it does exactly what it sets out to do, and it looks charming doing it.

What we liked

• Instant to understand, no tutorial slog
• Cheerful art and genuinely fun animations
• Rounds are short enough for a quick break