Some of the most successful mobile games (think Temple Run and Tiny Wings) are about simple mechanics and forward motion. This Could Hurt is another one of these games, and has the chance to appeal to all sorts of different mobile gamers.

This Could Hurt couldn’t have simpler controls. Your character, a young Oakguard apprentice taking his final test on the Path of Pain, moves forward on his own. Your job is to stop him in time, just by tapping the screen, before he collides with spikes, flames, spears, and other sorts of perilous obstacles. Sounds simple right?

With the right timing, This Could Hurt’s 40 levels start out being easy enough to finish, but if you’re going to go for the extra acorns, usable in the shop for various power ups, you’ll have to finish quickly and without losing any HP by taking any saws to the face or stepping on any spikes. And as you progress to the harder levels, you’re going to not want, but need those power ups, which include invincibility, extra health, and the power of flight, to get you through those really difficult areas. Especially since there are no waypoints- there’s no chance of making it three-quarters of the way through a level, failing, and starting again only a few obstacles back, so you’re going to want to collect those acorns and stock up on power-ups just in case.

If you don’t want to visit previously completed levels to grind out acorns, or if your little gamer is getting stuck and frustrated by the game, you can always visit the shop and purchase acorns, or unlock power-ups and levels with real-world money.

I’ve heard some complaints about the camera in this game, but I was always able to see my little dude walking around. I never had a problem with unresponsive controls, long load times, or bugs, so overall both graphically and technically, This Could Hurt is a solid game on the iPhone.

In Conclusion

There’s enough challenge in This Could Hurt to engage players who are looking for something a bit harder, but also a chance for younger or less experienced players to have some fun with it too. Once you’ve grinded out your acorns and finished all 40 levels it’s got little replay value, but whilst playing This Could Hurt provides a great experience, so my fingers are crossed for some additional levels.

This Could Hurt is available now on the App Store as a 99¢ Universal app for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.