What does it mean to be The Beach Boss? A big kahuna? Well, in the game The Beach Boss it means to be the best salesperson in sandals this side of the Pacific (or Atlantic depending on your geographic location). It’s an endless runner style game, meaning your character continually moves across the screen while you steer him left and right. It’s the right amount of fun, challenge, and looks great with a tan I’m sure.

I got the chance to spend a bit of time playing it, on a borrowed iPad, and really, how can you go wrong with a beach-loving sandal-wearing guy who wants to make a bunch of cash and give up some tasty treats? The main obstacle in your way of selling these treats, be them donuts, ice cream or a myriad of other things beachgoers enjoy, is cops, dogs and love-crazy beach gals.

Getting the game downloaded, installed and running was quick and painless (I’d never used an iPad before, so maybe this is old hat to you), and I was greeted by an artistic style that captured beach fun in a great and cartoony way. The tutorial on using either onscreen arrows or dragging in directions to move the beach boss were straightforward and easy (again, total newbie in regards to the iPad here) so I got going pretty swiftly.

Although, The Beach Boss is definitely one of those “easy to learn, hard to master” type of scenarios when you really get into it. I certainly did. You start going down the beach with a cop after you. I presume he oddly enough doesn’t like donuts. Hungry beachgoers line the sand, and you run toward them and give them a donut, or ice cream, or whatever they’re looking for. So, steer over, avoid the cop, and all’s well, easy right?

Well, sure, for the first few seconds anyway. Then come the things that get in your way, such as people laying on beach towels, beach towels themselves that slow you down, rocks and fences, all of which you’ll have to use quick maneuvers to steer around or get through, or else it’s game over and you get to start from the beginning.

Along with dodging pretty much anything that isn’t someone who wants a delicious donut, you’ll have that constant antagonist of a Segway cop, a dog, or love-struck girl. I found they can be avoided with quick thinking and movement, which was a lot of fun to try to get just right, but also you can get power-ups to get away.

Love-struck girl after you? Send her some love notes. Dog looking to take a bite out of you and your wares? Throw him a tasty morsel to keep him off your back. With each run-through, trying to get farther and farther down the beach, you’ll accumulate rewards that can be cashed in for upgrades. Additionally, you can pay real money to get better upgrades faster. For example, if you feel like running around on the beach without some snazzy sandals for quick escapes isn’t helping, then go ahead and grab some from the store. Trust me, they’re snazzy, and they’ll definitely help on the speed.

Along with the power-ups to aid you in your capitalistic quest, you’ve got the ability to place a beach hut to keep your progress on the beach. That way you’ll be farther along and not have to start at the very beginning in order to rack up more sales. I thought the hut was a nice addition to a style of game in which normally, there’s never a way to get back to where you were without that sometimes woeful start from the very beginning.

As I said, the gameplay was easy to pick up and get into, but what I found superb about The Beach Boss was the look of the game and the bits of humor and the cartoony world I got to play in. There’s a beach fun atmosphere that’s illustrated very well and the art helped accent the fun without being over the top in bright or happy colors. I liked that it had a laid-back and entertaining feel but didn’t go further than needed.

I had a few moments when things got dicey and manic while I tried to dodge a towel and some smelly trash all the while trying to sell a guy a donut. Needless to say, he wasn’t too keen on buying a donut from me after I hit the trash and had flies around me. The towel didn’t help matters in keeping that cop from closing in either, but it was immensely entertaining in the thick of the whole thing.

I’m not usually a player of mobile games, really, but I wanted to avoid that towel, make that sale, and push farther along down the beach, to show ’em I was the Beach Boss. I certainly got into the fun, quirky game and spent a large amount of time trying to figure out a more perfect route, a better way to weave through the crowd but also keep my stock of treats full without getting caught by one of the many things giving chase.

I haven’t gotten the chance to wear flip flops and shorts too much lately, but The Beach Boss gave me a great feel for it and if you’ve got an iPad (or maybe you can borrow one for a while? Ya know, for “research” or something?), then I’d highly suggest checking out this game. Maybe you’ll get further along than I did then throw me some tips on how to amass a great beach fortune, maybe get a sand castle with enough wealth? That sounds righteous, dude.