I don't always get enthusiastic about games, but Skybound [App Store link] actually sucked me in and kept me playing for quite a long time.

The object of the game is to keep an animated ball bouncing ever higher by swiping your finger across the screen to create a layer of clouds. It seems simple, and certainly, learning the game is exceedingly simple. On the other had, doing well takes some skill, and you are swept into the progressive scoring to get your ball higher and higher into the stratosphere.

The game has three levels, Easy, Normal and Boss mode. Boss Mode is more a fighting game than the others. The animation is smooth, the sounds are appropriate, and the game play is very addicting. There are surprises and power-ups, enough things happening to keep it all interesting. For a game that sells for $US 1.99 I'd say my cost per minute of this app is very low.

The game was released in December and works on the iPhone and iPod touch, and a recent update fixed some bugs, and has improved the graphics. It's also become a bit more challenging. The developers are from Norway, and have a good web site with information and support.

Reviews from users have been quite positive, and I really don't have too much to suggest for improvements except for perhaps the ability to pause and save a game in progress. Once you get bouncing, you hate to quit, but sometimes you must.

If you want to test the game, the developers offer Skybound Lite [App Store link] which is free. I expect many people will be happy enough to get the full version after a few addictive minutes of play. It really provided me some welcome relief as I was stuck at an airport waiting for a flight.