In Upventure for Android, the game description asks you a simple question: Why did the ball fly into space? Unfortunately the game never answers this question and that’s not the only place where the game drops the ball. What’s presented as a really cool arcade game ends up being another run of the mill snoozefest.

This is a game that can be played with just one finger, and that’s a good thing. The controls are simple and the gameplay pretty much matches that. You play as a ball, or a character when you eventually unlock them, and you guide your avatar as it flies higher and higher into space, avoiding obstacles along the way. You’ll use your finger to swipe across the screen. Obstacles are static when you first begin the game, but you’ll quickly be caught off guard as they begin sliding in a just a moment’s notice.

I get bored pretty easily, and unfortunately, this game does very little to cure that. Characters cost at least 200 gems, which are painfully collected while you play through the game. Even watching video ads don’t offer much help because you’ll only receive about a quarter of what you need to unlock new characters. Gameplay doesn’t evolve much and the rest of the game drags the more you play it.

Upventure has a lot going for it in the looks department. It’s colorful, simple and peaceful. And while it gets very difficult, I never found myself urged to continue playing to get better.