Papaya Free

Read all of my past Android app reviews at Appolicious and Yahoo! Tech -- click here.

Platform: Android

RATING:
4 out of 5

PRICE:
FREE

TASTY:
Free access to more than 14 social games via your DROID, all on one shared network. Fun!

BUMMER:
Lacks parental controls. Any concerns about allowing young children to chat, send in-network emails, text messages, etc. should be addressed before turning your young ones loose on the service.

COOL:
Play everything from Texas Hold ‘em to Reversi, while showing off your virtual fish tanks or farms, with family and friends anywhere while you’re on the go? Priceless. And it’s a free service. Nice.

REVIEW:
Fans of Papaya’s mobile games (Papaya Fish, Farm, Ranch, Pet, Blackjack, Chess, Reversi, Parking War, and more) can now tap into all of these titles – and their associated chat rooms and other social tools – under one new application: Papaya Free.

In all, the Papaya Free app ties these offerings together:

1. 14 Unique Games: Which can be played alone or with other members.

2. Avatar Builder: Create, dress, and host the digital representation of yourself in the Papaya universe.

3. Chat Rooms: Interact with other Papaya members and create your own rooms.

4. PMail: Send/receive Papaya email within the system.

5. Mini Blogger: Share your thoughts and posts for all to see.

6. Image Sharing: Share pictures with other members.

7. Instant Messaging: Allows you to use Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo IM, and AIM on your DROID simultaneously.

With many other image sharing, IM, blog, chat room, and email apps and clients to choose from, these additional tools are only useful for hardcore Papaya members who are glued to the service for hours on end.

Teens will no doubt enjoy making their own avatars, then earning points by playing games to purchase clothes and other items to bling-out their digital representations.

What’s left are the games – and they’re not bad. A series of titles (Pet, Fish, Ranch, etc.) are perfect for younger children, challenging them to create and raise their own virtual animals. They’ll earn points for caring for these digital denizens, and be able to compare their score to other Papaya users around the globe.

Card games, chess, and other board game-style offerings are well-made and fun to play. The real fun begins when you get a friend (or friends!) to grab the app, make an account, and pass you their in-game names. Interactive blackjack and Texas Hold ‘em are easy to learn, hard to master, and a ton more fun when you’re going against real humans.

All in all, Papaya is a fun, interactive social destination that’s now available via a single streamlined app that’s well worth installing.