Big Bass Bonanza is the quiet time-killer I keep going back to

I did not expect to write much about Big Bass Bonanza. I installed it half as a joke because the title made someone in the office laugh. Then I ended up playing it on the tram for three days straight, so here we are.

The appeal is hard to explain until you're holding it. Everything is bright and bouncy — the fish, the little reels of sea creatures, the fisherman who seems permanently delighted. You tap to set things going and watch the scene play out, and there's a rhythm to it that's genuinely soothing. It asks nothing of your brain, which some evenings is exactly what I want.

Controls could not be simpler. One tap, that's basically the whole thing, which makes it perfect for one-handed play while you're standing somewhere. The sound design does a lot of heavy lifting too; the splashes and the jaunty music give it real character.

My advice: don't come to Big Bass Bonanza looking for depth. Come to it the way you'd pick up a fidget toy — something light and pleasant for the gaps in your day. On those terms it's a small delight, and I've deleted plenty of flashier games while this one stayed on my phone.