We love ice cream. We’ve dreamt of a game where you can scoop and scoop and scoop ice cream, with a whole rainbow of flavors and toppings to choose from. And at first we were disappointed with Anna’s Ice Cream, when all you could do at the start was serve one flavor (vanilla) and one topping (cherry) on a new system that we didn’t warm up to immediately. But we’re glad we stuck with it, because the more you play it, the yummier it gets.

In the first few minutes, you’ll discover the main thing that sets Anna’s Ice Cream apart from its competition. Gone is the “give menu, make food, deliver food” cliche that you see in other click management games; instead, say hello to the concept of the “conveyor belt”. Here, when a customer makes their order, you line up a cup on a moving conveyor belt. The cup then makes its way across your screen from left to right, and you need to pile on the correct scoops and toppings before it reaches the end, where a monkey (your waiters here are, literally, monkeys) is waiting. If the monkey sees a “wrong” order (e.g. an unfinished cone that doesn’t match any customer), he throws it away. In other words, hurry up, before it’s too late.

This can get awkward if you’re not used to it, as you have to keep an eye on the conveyor belt’s speed in order to keep track of your orders. Sometimes Anna blocks your view of the belt, too, which can cost you some orders if you’re not paying attention. But in the later levels, once you get more flavors and purchase more toppings, making the right combination while the conveyor belt chugs along can get pretty challenging. Take note: you will only enjoy this game once you upgrade your stuff, and since going to the upgrade shop is completely optional, don’t forget to do this! Otherwise, you will be stuck with a simple and boring game.

Other parts of the game are okay but not really innovative. The art and sound could use some more work, and the create-a-flavor minigames are really just number games: guess a number between 1 and 10, with 5 tries or less, and you have a new flavor. It’s not hard. In fact, this entire game is good for kids (who love ice cream more than adults, anyway!).

So if you’re looking for a fun casual game that stays casual, check this one out. It might take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you might find yourself whiling away the time with this one. And once you get to the later levels, you’re going to be looking for sprinkles on your desserts, too.

(P.S. After writing this review, I played with the game a little bit more, and then it crashed - just when I was experimenting by right-clicking to clear the action queue. Crashing is a big no-no in any game, so we’re sad it happened here. -Ed.)

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