Talking Ben the Dog

Talking Ben the Dog is a game for kids in which they have to interact with Ben, a dog scientist that loves being tickled, on their Android smartphone.

Spend time with a retired scientist

If you spend ten seconds with this guy in the lab, you'll know what he's about. Ben is a moody retired chemistry teacher who bears a slight resemblance to Mr. Floppy (the stuffed rabbit from Unhappily Ever After). And now you can make the most of his fleeting company on your Android device completely for free.

how to play

When you open the app, Ben will likely just ignore you. In order to play with him you have to use what some users call the newspaper trick. There's not much to it, you just have to tease him to get him to pay you some attention:

• Hit him with the newspaper.
• Tickle his feet.
• Give him something to eat or drink.
• Call him and talk to him on the phone.

There's also the very scatological method of making him burp, but that won't make him stop reading his paper. As soon as you manage to take the newspaper from him, he will even repeat everything you say with his doglike voice. You can record videos of all your interactions with him and share them with the rest of the world on your social networks.

But the coolest feature of Talking Ben the Dog takes place in the lab, which is where this guy feels at home. Tap on the flask icon and get ready to prepare all kinds of risky chemical formulas by combining the contents of the two test tubes of your choice. Each combination results in a different reaction, so you'll need to earn more test tubes (by watching videos or through daily prizes) to keep trying different concoctions. If you do, you might even see your new friend setting everything on fire.

Requirements and further information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 4.1.
• The app offers in-app purchases.