Title: Dungeon of the Endless
Power is emitted by the Crystal; if it's destroyed, then all hope is lost. Upon finding the level exit, you must transport the Crystal there. In this phase, the cautious room-by-room approach morphs into a desperate escort mission as you designate one person to carry the Crystal. The rest of your team must protect that defenseless hero as relentless waves of enemies endlessly spawn from every un-powered room. You never have enough power to illuminate all the rooms so pre-planning is crucial. Did you place enough modules? Which route will you take, which rooms will you power up? Which hero will guard the rear, which one will rush ahead to guard the carrier?
All of the game's varied elements mesh together at that moment. The cautious dungeon crawling to find the exit, the tower-defense aspect as you build modules for support along your route, and the squad tactics as you lead your team out of the level.
Developer: Amplitude Studios
Platforms: iPad
Price: $4.99
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Some games are laser focused on a single aspect, fine-tuning a mechanic or element to perfection. The reflex-testing evasion of Super Hexagon or the fourth wall-breaking storytelling of The Stanley Parable. And then you have games that straddle numerous genres, like the deck-building action brawler Hand of Fate or A Dark Room. Dungeon of the Endless fits firmly in the latter category: a sci-fi dungeon-crawling, tower-defense, squad-based roguelike that blends aspects of those genres to deliver a challenging and unique experience.
Dungeon of the Endless starts out bad for your team of bounty hunters, assassins, and criminals, as their prison transport vessel is destroyed by the mysterious alien force known as the Endless. And it only gets worse from there, as the escaped survivors find themselves deep underground, in the subterranean corridors of an Endless complex. Alien monstrosities lurk in the dark rooms and halls, waiting to attack your heroes in overwhelming waves. The exit is twelve floors up, past industrial tunnels, dilapidated research facilities, and organic hives.
The easiest way to describe Dungeon of the Endless is to break its gameplay down by its individual elements. Each floor is a procedurally-generated maze, and you guide your team room-by-room, searching for the level exit. You never know what awaits behind the next door. Much-needed resources, a merchant, a new hero to recruit, more ruthless enemies?
While you can't choose your heroes' actions directly, you must still use their skills intelligently to make it out alive. Some wield powerful guns but move slow, while others slice enemies down with blades and spears and run quickly. Special abilities can boost damage and speed, regenerate health, among other useful buffs.
But your team alone isn't strong enough to survive the Endless. Each room is peppered with slots where you can place various modules. These act like the towers in a tower defense game, each with different offensive, defensive, and support capabilities. However, you can only place modules in powered rooms, and that's where the true challenge emerges.
But your team alone isn't strong enough to survive the Endless. Each room is peppered with slots where you can place various modules. These act like the towers in a tower defense game, each with different offensive, defensive, and support capabilities. However, you can only place modules in powered rooms, and that's where the true challenge emerges.
All of the game's varied elements mesh together at that moment. The cautious dungeon crawling to find the exit, the tower-defense aspect as you build modules for support along your route, and the squad tactics as you lead your team out of the level.
Surviving in Dungeon of the Endless is always thrilling, tense, and challenging, and discovering the synergies between modules and heroes is equally rewarding. A varied array of modifiers adds replay value, including an endless mode, a hardcore mode, and other twists on the core gameplay. The game controls flawlessly on touchscreen, joining the likes of FTL and Paper's Please as examples of excellent PC ports.
Dungeon of the Endless is available for $4.99 on iPad.
You can also purchase the game on PC, through Steam, Humble, and Green Man Gaming.
Dungeon of the Endless is available for $4.99 on iPad.
You can also purchase the game on PC, through Steam, Humble, and Green Man Gaming.
Title: Door Kickers
Developer: KillHouse Games
Platforms: iPad
Price: $4.99
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Door Kickers was one of the first games I wrote about, all the way back in 2013. Since then the game has been finished, expanded, garnered critical acclaim, and now the tactical SWAT game has made its way to iPad. Tactical strategy is a genre that excels on touchscreen, and Door Kickers' tense top-down action is a welcome addition to anyone's mobile game library.
Door Kickers is the kind of game that's easy to learn but challenging to master. The top-down line-drawing control scheme and the concept of troopers breaching rooms likely brings to mind games like Frozen Synapse and Breach & Clear, but personally I'd say Door Kickers is the better game compared to those two. The controls here are simple - drag to set your team's paths, hold on icons to choose actions - but provide a wealth of tactical depth. Do you go in loud or infiltrate silently? Split your teams into a stealth and assault force? Disorient terrorists with a flash bang or blow them away with a breaching charge? You can stack up on doors and synchronize breaches with go codes, use your snake cam to peer into rooms, time sniper shots, flank distracted enemies, and more.
As you progress, your arsenal continues to expand. New squad classes allow you to outfit your team with riot shields, silenced weapons, and better armor and guns, while unlocking skill tree abilities like double taps makes your team more efficient. The emphasis here is on efficiency. If you don't plan well, if you forget to check your corners, if you rush blindly into a room without a plan, your team will be pay with devastating causalities and dead hostages.
The game's content is just as varied as the tactics at your disposal. Multiple themed campaigns and myriad single missions takes your troopers from dilapidated apartments and dirty garages to Cartel-owned beach houses and hotel floors, to ships, cabins, and groceries stores. A customizable scenario generator provides endless potential challenges if those missions aren't enough.
Door Kickers was an excellent game on PC, and the tactical action feels at home on iPad thanks to its simple and effective touch controls. Perhaps the best aspect is that saves work cross-platform, so it's possible to transfer your progress from PC and continue playing on the go, or vice versa.
You can purchase Door Kickers for $4.99.
Developer: KillHouse Games
Platforms: iPad
Price: $4.99
---
Door Kickers was one of the first games I wrote about, all the way back in 2013. Since then the game has been finished, expanded, garnered critical acclaim, and now the tactical SWAT game has made its way to iPad. Tactical strategy is a genre that excels on touchscreen, and Door Kickers' tense top-down action is a welcome addition to anyone's mobile game library.
Door Kickers is the kind of game that's easy to learn but challenging to master. The top-down line-drawing control scheme and the concept of troopers breaching rooms likely brings to mind games like Frozen Synapse and Breach & Clear, but personally I'd say Door Kickers is the better game compared to those two. The controls here are simple - drag to set your team's paths, hold on icons to choose actions - but provide a wealth of tactical depth. Do you go in loud or infiltrate silently? Split your teams into a stealth and assault force? Disorient terrorists with a flash bang or blow them away with a breaching charge? You can stack up on doors and synchronize breaches with go codes, use your snake cam to peer into rooms, time sniper shots, flank distracted enemies, and more.
The game's content is just as varied as the tactics at your disposal. Multiple themed campaigns and myriad single missions takes your troopers from dilapidated apartments and dirty garages to Cartel-owned beach houses and hotel floors, to ships, cabins, and groceries stores. A customizable scenario generator provides endless potential challenges if those missions aren't enough.
You can purchase Door Kickers for $4.99.
Title: Sometimes You Die
Developer: Kamibox
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
---
I only knew Kamibox due to its excellent precision arcade game Cyro, so I wasn't sure what to expect when starting Sometimes You Die. A unique puzzle platformer, I enjoyed my time with this unique game
Sometimes You Die is quite minimalist. There isn't even a menu; the game starts and you're simply playing. Right off the bat, the game stands out visually with its Limbo-esque visuals contrasted by the stark white letters highlighted in the background. While Sometimes You Die is a puzzle platformer, it's also delivering a story, one any gamer can appreciate, as it presents questions about the nature of gaming. Fans of The Stanley Parable will appreciate the philosophical musing about what defines a game. However, Sometimes You Die is also an actual game. While the game is short (I beat it in a little over an hour), the gameplay is fun, controls are responsive, and the mechanics are linked to the subtle narrative being told. The game is not actually that difficult; death is never an end but a tool to be used. Your dead selves stay behind, stuck on spikes, jammed against saw blades, to be used as stepping stones and protection from hazards throughout the game's eight chapters. Completing the game once unlocks a new ability and the challenge of completing it with as few death as possible.
If you're looking for a hardcore precision platformer or a challenging puzzler, you might be disappointed. But if you're looking for a stylish game that combines gamplay with story and has a message to tell, one that will appeal to gamers especially, I think you'll enjoy Sometimes You Die. You can purchase the game for $1.99.
Developer: Kamibox
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
---
I only knew Kamibox due to its excellent precision arcade game Cyro, so I wasn't sure what to expect when starting Sometimes You Die. A unique puzzle platformer, I enjoyed my time with this unique game
Sometimes You Die is quite minimalist. There isn't even a menu; the game starts and you're simply playing. Right off the bat, the game stands out visually with its Limbo-esque visuals contrasted by the stark white letters highlighted in the background. While Sometimes You Die is a puzzle platformer, it's also delivering a story, one any gamer can appreciate, as it presents questions about the nature of gaming. Fans of The Stanley Parable will appreciate the philosophical musing about what defines a game. However, Sometimes You Die is also an actual game. While the game is short (I beat it in a little over an hour), the gameplay is fun, controls are responsive, and the mechanics are linked to the subtle narrative being told. The game is not actually that difficult; death is never an end but a tool to be used. Your dead selves stay behind, stuck on spikes, jammed against saw blades, to be used as stepping stones and protection from hazards throughout the game's eight chapters. Completing the game once unlocks a new ability and the challenge of completing it with as few death as possible.
Title: Smash Hit
Developer: Mediocre
Platforms: IOS Universal, Android
Price: Free ($1.99 for premium version)
---
Perhaps what makes Smash Hit so fun and appealing is its simplicity. The core mechanic is tapping the screen to fling balls at glass structures. Mechanically, it's even simpler than Angry Birds. But simplicity isn't negative here, quite the opposite. Mediocre takes this straightforward gameplay and designs an stylish and surprisingly satisfying experience.
Smash Hit is most easily compared to a runner: you move forward automatically, dealing with obstacles in your path. You start with a limited number of balls and acquire more by smashing certain objects along the path; chaining hits reward you with multi-balls, allowing you to fire up to five balls at once. Rather than avoiding hazards, here you're tasked with destroying them and it's this aspect that make Smash Hit shine. One would think that such a simple task would get boring or repetitive, but Mediocre continually changes up the formula with different obstacles. Mindless firing is an easy way to fail;. The amount of balls you have doubles as your health and hitting an obstacles results in a loss of ten, so precision and timing is a must. It helps that shattering obstacles is so satisfying. Personally, the physics, sound effects, visuals, and how it's always linked to a successful hit meant the gameplay never got old for me across the game's nine levels and endless mode.
Any impressions of Smash Hit would be remiss without mentioning the visuals. While the shattering effects are great on their own, the environments are just impressive, abstract areas reminiscent of the brutalist architecture seen in NaissanceE. Smash Hit is free to download here; a $1.99 IAP unlocks stats and the ability to continue from checkpoints (rather than starting from the beginning when you fail.)
Developer: Mediocre
Platforms: IOS Universal, Android
Price: Free ($1.99 for premium version)
---
Perhaps what makes Smash Hit so fun and appealing is its simplicity. The core mechanic is tapping the screen to fling balls at glass structures. Mechanically, it's even simpler than Angry Birds. But simplicity isn't negative here, quite the opposite. Mediocre takes this straightforward gameplay and designs an stylish and surprisingly satisfying experience.
Smash Hit is most easily compared to a runner: you move forward automatically, dealing with obstacles in your path. You start with a limited number of balls and acquire more by smashing certain objects along the path; chaining hits reward you with multi-balls, allowing you to fire up to five balls at once. Rather than avoiding hazards, here you're tasked with destroying them and it's this aspect that make Smash Hit shine. One would think that such a simple task would get boring or repetitive, but Mediocre continually changes up the formula with different obstacles. Mindless firing is an easy way to fail;. The amount of balls you have doubles as your health and hitting an obstacles results in a loss of ten, so precision and timing is a must. It helps that shattering obstacles is so satisfying. Personally, the physics, sound effects, visuals, and how it's always linked to a successful hit meant the gameplay never got old for me across the game's nine levels and endless mode.
Title: oO
Developer: Rainbow Train
Platforms: IOS Universal, Android
Price: $1.99
---
If you've been reading my blog, you've probably seen that I have an affinity for precision platformers and twitchy, reflex-testing games. That thrill of success is enhanced by challenging games like those, and the recently released oO delievers that thrill with its minimal style and simple yet varied gameplay.
Similar to the IOS title Ring Run Circus, oO has you controlling a ball as it moves around the circumference of interconnected circles; tapping the screen shifts you from the interior to the exterior and vice versa. But while Ring Run Circus felt more like a platformer, oO is pure Super Hexagon/Pivvot-style challenge, as you weave between spikes. Perfect timing is needed, not just to evade hazards but to simply travel from one circle to the next at the small overlap where two overlap. oO consists of four main levels and while that may sound lacking in content, each level builds on the one before, introducing new variations of hazards, from moving spikes to spikes that shift sides to rotating levels. The levels are not short either, instead consisting of checkpoints and tracking your death count rather than time. Each level has a hard version in which the circles are fluid and amorphous, requiring more focus and attention to avoid danger; endless modes are also available for the extra challenge. 
In either the regular levels or endless, oO remains challenging and addictive throughout, especially when you gain an almost rhythmic flow and swiftly maneuver around hazards without dying. The developer also has plans for more content in the future.
You can purchase oO for $1.99
Developer: Rainbow Train
Platforms: IOS Universal, Android
Price: $1.99
---
If you've been reading my blog, you've probably seen that I have an affinity for precision platformers and twitchy, reflex-testing games. That thrill of success is enhanced by challenging games like those, and the recently released oO delievers that thrill with its minimal style and simple yet varied gameplay.
Title: First Strike
Developer: Blindflug Studios
Platforms: iPad, Android
Releasing March 12th
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First Strike will be released mid-March on iPad and Android. You can learn more on the official site.
Developer: Blindflug Studios
Platforms: iPad, Android
Releasing March 12th
---
A nuclear armageddon is no one’s dream scenario. So choose your steps carefully, it’s a small path between war and peace. FIRST STRIKE is a great strategy simulation featuring snappy gameplay and an intuitive interface that makes dropping the big one as easy as ABC. But be sure to take the right measures to guarantee your people’s safety.Put simply, First Strike is Defcon for the mobile gamer. Where Defcon lifted its inspiration from WarGame's aesthetic, First Strike's nuclear warfare is conducted on a slick 3D globe, with your tactical strikes arcing through space. It's an experience built for mobile, with a touch friendly interface allowing you to rotate and manipulate the planet with your fingers. But aside from First Strike's stylish looks, it also promises to be a challenging strategic game, offering ten minute rounds as you research new technology and plan new strategies from expanding and conquering neighboring nations to performing recon on your enemy's resources and actions. According to the developers, this time limit put the focus on observation and fast-paced tactics and means a wrong decision could easily and quickly throw off your strategies
Title: Word Mage
Developer: Lazy Arcade
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
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I've played several word games on IOS, from Bookworm to Spelltower, but none have been as intense and fast as Word Mage. Word Mage combines challenging wordplay and RPG elements better than I anticipated
Perhaps the most similar game would Spell Quest, another IOS word game with some RPG elements. But Word Mage has several elements and mechanics that make it the superior more challenging experience. The set-up is simple: your titular mage is at the top of the screen, facing off against various monsters. Chaining together letters to form words results in an attack; the longer the word, the more powerful the attack. What makes the gameplay so intense and adds a element of urgency is the timer. A bar decreases as you play, getting hit makes it reduce faster, and killing enemies restores some. When the bar is fully depleted, you fail. You really need to assess the board fast and weigh the choice of short but less damaging words over longer words that will take longer to find. It's truly a race against the clock, since the longer you take, the less time you'll have on the next wave of enemies. You need to be quick and always planning ahead, with only seconds to do so. Other elements add more complexity and challenge: you can only use words once and the board doesn't scramble, harder difficulties for each level that add more and harder enemies, leveling up, items to collect to create new powers, different powers to discover and equip.
Word Mage's passive and active abilities, such as Overcharge which makes five-letter words stop time to lightning attacks, add a strategic element not seen in other word games and the skill tree is quite varied. The charming pixel graphics, intense fast-paced wordplay, and surprisingly satisfying blend of RPG and word game makes Word Mage well worth your time. The developer will be adding more achievements and an endless practice mode in the first update and is working on an arena mode with random enemies.
You can purchase Word Mage for $0.99.
Developer: Lazy Arcade
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
---
I've played several word games on IOS, from Bookworm to Spelltower, but none have been as intense and fast as Word Mage. Word Mage combines challenging wordplay and RPG elements better than I anticipated
You can purchase Word Mage for $0.99.
Title: Toast Time
Developer: Force of Habit
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $2.99
---
Put simply, Toast Time is a game about TERRY (toast-ejecting recoil & reload system) and his fight against inter-dimensional enemies out to steal time. Yeah, it's that kind of game, but behind Toast Time's zany premise lies a worthy successor to Super Crate Box's hectic arcade action.
Toast Time takes the basic foundation that Super Crate Box popularized (random weapon pick-ups, fighting enemies in an small arena, collecting crates to unlock new weapons) and evolves the formula. The game has a simple one-touch controls scheme that's perfectly suited for mobile; you tap to shoot towards that spot and propel yourself in the opposite direction, and shoot the ground to launch upward. However simple intuitive controls don't mean the gameplay itself is simple and easy. As levels become more complex, with walls, platforms, and special items like jump pads, and enemies come in from all angles, you find that Toast Time is all about timing your shots (to build combos for high scores), controlling your movement (to get the best angles to converse your limited ammo), and adapting to whatever weapon you pick up. The weapons are diverse and satisfying to use, from dual shot toasties and slicing baguettes to rapid-fire breadcrumbs.You can also customize TERRY with items such as headbands and Bo staff, as you fight across the numerous levels and single-life Iron Man survival mode.
Toast Time will definitely appeal to fans of games like Super Crate Box and Spell Sword, and offers an experience that feels unique and challenging, with levels that change as you play, simple controls that work well and take time and skill to master, inventive weapons, and is just fast-paced and frantic. The game provides an addictive feeling of being half out of control as you bounce around the screen, half in control as you position yourself and time combo shots.
You can purchase Toast Time for $2.99.
Developer: Force of Habit
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $2.99
---
Put simply, Toast Time is a game about TERRY (toast-ejecting recoil & reload system) and his fight against inter-dimensional enemies out to steal time. Yeah, it's that kind of game, but behind Toast Time's zany premise lies a worthy successor to Super Crate Box's hectic arcade action.
Toast Time takes the basic foundation that Super Crate Box popularized (random weapon pick-ups, fighting enemies in an small arena, collecting crates to unlock new weapons) and evolves the formula. The game has a simple one-touch controls scheme that's perfectly suited for mobile; you tap to shoot towards that spot and propel yourself in the opposite direction, and shoot the ground to launch upward. However simple intuitive controls don't mean the gameplay itself is simple and easy. As levels become more complex, with walls, platforms, and special items like jump pads, and enemies come in from all angles, you find that Toast Time is all about timing your shots (to build combos for high scores), controlling your movement (to get the best angles to converse your limited ammo), and adapting to whatever weapon you pick up. The weapons are diverse and satisfying to use, from dual shot toasties and slicing baguettes to rapid-fire breadcrumbs.You can also customize TERRY with items such as headbands and Bo staff, as you fight across the numerous levels and single-life Iron Man survival mode.
You can purchase Toast Time for $2.99.
Title: 137 BC
Developer: GamerNationX
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $4.99
---
Strategy games have found a nice niche on IOS; from Autumn Dynasty to Ace Patrol, it's a thriving genre. 137 BC is the new addition, and while it is flawed in some aspects, it's excels in others, delivering an experience with great potential and promise.
Set in the titular year, 137 BC places the might of Rome under your command in an invasion and siege of Gaul. I think that historical premise was what made the game appeal to me so much, as I have a love for history and non-fiction, and directing legionnaires was just more compelling than other units seen in other games. As for the game itself, I think it's best to discuss its flaws first and the most critical flaw are the clunky controls. Dragging units onto the field, tapping where you want to go, trying to select multiple units can be imprecise and more often than not, I was moving the camera around or making units go in the wrong direction. Also I found the UI unclear, despite the How To Play messages; there was gameplay aspects and mechanics that were hard to figure out.
But for its flaws, 137 BC also does many things right. The core gameplay is strong: multi-day siege where you breach walls with ladders and smash through gates with rams, or take out archer towers with catapults and your troops close in on enemy fortresses as flaming arrows rain down above. The atmosphere is great as well, capturing the brutality of ancient warfare. The battles are bloody, with blood and crushed corpses littering the ground when a catapulted stones rolls through your legion and your decimated forces flee. You can zoom out to see your unit icons moving into position, or zoom in to see your legionnaires pushing their catapult and firing arrows.
Between its campaign and sandbox mode, 137 BC offers a wealth of content, with deep RTS gameplay. The control issues are a negative, but the developers are aware and listening to feedback. I believe the game's current polish and its potential to improve makes it an experience worth playing. You can purchase 137 BC for $4.99.
Developer: GamerNationX
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $4.99
---
Strategy games have found a nice niche on IOS; from Autumn Dynasty to Ace Patrol, it's a thriving genre. 137 BC is the new addition, and while it is flawed in some aspects, it's excels in others, delivering an experience with great potential and promise.
Set in the titular year, 137 BC places the might of Rome under your command in an invasion and siege of Gaul. I think that historical premise was what made the game appeal to me so much, as I have a love for history and non-fiction, and directing legionnaires was just more compelling than other units seen in other games. As for the game itself, I think it's best to discuss its flaws first and the most critical flaw are the clunky controls. Dragging units onto the field, tapping where you want to go, trying to select multiple units can be imprecise and more often than not, I was moving the camera around or making units go in the wrong direction. Also I found the UI unclear, despite the How To Play messages; there was gameplay aspects and mechanics that were hard to figure out.
Title: Pocket Moto X
Developer: Mark Kevern
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
---
Say "2D bike game" and more often than not, you'll lose an IOS gamer's interest pretty fast, which is probably why Pocket Moto X had gone unnoticed for six months. The genre is almost ubiquitous on the platform, but Pocket Moto stands out due to its polish and Trials-esque gameplay.
Developer: Mark Kevern
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
---
Say "2D bike game" and more often than not, you'll lose an IOS gamer's interest pretty fast, which is probably why Pocket Moto X had gone unnoticed for six months. The genre is almost ubiquitous on the platform, but Pocket Moto stands out due to its polish and Trials-esque gameplay.
What I found most appealing about Pocket Moto was its colorful art. The world is vibrant, and peppered with little touches such as how the world gets dark and shaded when you enter caves. Those details extend outside of the visuals as well, from the character bios to their different poses in the bike selection screens. It's those details that make Pocket Moto stand out from the many other bike games on IOS. The gameplay also doesn't disappoint in the gameplay; while not as fast or challenging as Bike Baron, Pocket Moto's levels require a similar finesse as you leap over gaps and maneuver your bike through tough obstacle courses. It's fun, the controls are responsive, the physics feel finely tuned.
Pocket Moto X is a fun charming hidden gem for fans of Trials-esque games. You can purchase the game for $0.99.
Title: Rocket Robo
Developer: Bad Kraken Games
Platform: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
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One of the more innovative advantages of the IOS platform is its potential for unique control schemes. Between tilt, multi-touch, swiping, virtual buttons, the platform allows for games and controls that wouldn't be possible on other systems. Rocket Robo combines tilt, swipes, and one touch controls to make a fun inventive puzzle action game.
Set in the varied confines of two worlds (with the third coming in an upcoming update), you control a small robot as he collect stars to restore a space lighthouse. The controls are simple but work perfectly: tilt to angle yourself, tap or hold to activate your thrusters, and swipe to switch between planes. Yes, Rocket Robo is clearly inspired by LittleBigPlanet, with its patchwork environments and worlds that consist of a background and foreground to move between, but it takes these aspects and forges its own identity. While there are hazards like bombs and saw blades to avoid, Rocket Robo is first and foremost focused on puzzles and exploration; numerous new mechanics are introduced throughout the levels, from level rotating to manipulate light in dark environments to movable level sections and zero gravity.
Rocket Robo isn't the most challenging game, but it's certainly polished, fun, and offers a great art style to admire and finely tuned controls. You can purchase Rocket Robo for $0.99
Developer: Bad Kraken Games
Platform: IOS Universal
Price: $0.99
---
One of the more innovative advantages of the IOS platform is its potential for unique control schemes. Between tilt, multi-touch, swiping, virtual buttons, the platform allows for games and controls that wouldn't be possible on other systems. Rocket Robo combines tilt, swipes, and one touch controls to make a fun inventive puzzle action game.
Set in the varied confines of two worlds (with the third coming in an upcoming update), you control a small robot as he collect stars to restore a space lighthouse. The controls are simple but work perfectly: tilt to angle yourself, tap or hold to activate your thrusters, and swipe to switch between planes. Yes, Rocket Robo is clearly inspired by LittleBigPlanet, with its patchwork environments and worlds that consist of a background and foreground to move between, but it takes these aspects and forges its own identity. While there are hazards like bombs and saw blades to avoid, Rocket Robo is first and foremost focused on puzzles and exploration; numerous new mechanics are introduced throughout the levels, from level rotating to manipulate light in dark environments to movable level sections and zero gravity.
Title: Rainbow
Developer: TCHOW
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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TCHOW is no stranger to making weird and inventive games, such as the time-controlling precision platformer RKTCR. Now his new game Rainbow is on IOS and it's as abstract and fun as his previous releases.
Rainbow tasks you to restore color to a dulled world. Using your finger, you maneuver a rainbow band around each level, touching different individuals to colorize them. While the levels start off easy, the difficulty and complexity soon ramps up, introducing tight mazes, different wall types, and other elements. The touch controls work well and there's even a guiding line that shows your future path similar to RKTCR, allowing you to adjust and improvise accordingly. You'll have to split up your rainbow into multiple strands, moving each through the winding levels. That task is challenging by itself, but the three optional objectives require extra planning and precise mastery, as you attempt to complete levels without lifting your finger, collecting hard to reach stars, and only splitting up your rainbow a certain amount of times.
Rainbow's minimalist style complements its difficult action-puzzle gameplay nicely and between the 30+ levels and side objectives, Rainbow offers a fun polished challenge. You can purchase the game for $1.99.
Developer: TCHOW
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
---
TCHOW is no stranger to making weird and inventive games, such as the time-controlling precision platformer RKTCR. Now his new game Rainbow is on IOS and it's as abstract and fun as his previous releases.
Rainbow tasks you to restore color to a dulled world. Using your finger, you maneuver a rainbow band around each level, touching different individuals to colorize them. While the levels start off easy, the difficulty and complexity soon ramps up, introducing tight mazes, different wall types, and other elements. The touch controls work well and there's even a guiding line that shows your future path similar to RKTCR, allowing you to adjust and improvise accordingly. You'll have to split up your rainbow into multiple strands, moving each through the winding levels. That task is challenging by itself, but the three optional objectives require extra planning and precise mastery, as you attempt to complete levels without lifting your finger, collecting hard to reach stars, and only splitting up your rainbow a certain amount of times.
Title: Shadow Blade
Developer: Dead Mage
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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IOS gamers are no strangers to platformers. It's probably one of the most prevalent genres on IOS. While games like League of Evil, Commander Pixman, and others have shown that touch controls can work, precise controls can sometimes be hit or miss. Luckily Shadow Blade easily delivers and offers some of the best platforming action I've played on IOS.
When I first saw Shadow Blade, I thought it would be more of a fast paced stealth game, akin to Mark of the Ninja. Turns out that wasn't quite accurate. Shadow Blade is a fast paced precision platformer with some light stealth mechanics. Enemies are more like obstacles in your way, easily dispatched; if you're stopping to fight them, then your timing's off. Shadow Blade is all about speed and swiftness. Across its three chapters and Hardcore levels, you'll face a gauntlet of spikes and sawblades, electric barriers and collapsing platforms, snipers and other enemies.
While I found the swipe controls lacking, the virtual buttons provide the precision and accuracy needed to evade the various hazards and enemies. Perfecting each level takes practice and sharp timing. Soon you'll be effortlessly striking down enemies without pausing, double jumping between blades, dashing through glass barriers, and the game's fluid animations and colorful visuals means the action and spraying blood doesn't get old.
Shadow Blade offers fantastic platforming fun, thanks to its stylish visuals, responsive controls, fluid gameplay, and high difficulty. You can purchase Shadow Blade for $1.99.
Developer: Dead Mage
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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IOS gamers are no strangers to platformers. It's probably one of the most prevalent genres on IOS. While games like League of Evil, Commander Pixman, and others have shown that touch controls can work, precise controls can sometimes be hit or miss. Luckily Shadow Blade easily delivers and offers some of the best platforming action I've played on IOS.
When I first saw Shadow Blade, I thought it would be more of a fast paced stealth game, akin to Mark of the Ninja. Turns out that wasn't quite accurate. Shadow Blade is a fast paced precision platformer with some light stealth mechanics. Enemies are more like obstacles in your way, easily dispatched; if you're stopping to fight them, then your timing's off. Shadow Blade is all about speed and swiftness. Across its three chapters and Hardcore levels, you'll face a gauntlet of spikes and sawblades, electric barriers and collapsing platforms, snipers and other enemies.
Title: Magnetized
Developer: Rocky Games
Platforms: IOS Universal, PC, Browser
Price: $2.99, Free
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Magnetized has had one hell of a ride to the App Store. First released as a browser game on Kongregate and Newgrounds, then as freeware through GameJolt, the game's developer also struggled to remove a clone of his game from XBIG. Now Magnetized is on IOS, and you should not miss it.
The simplest way to describe Magnetized is a mix of Slingshot Racing with twitchy puzzle action and a stylish neon aesthetic. Like that game, Magnetized utilizes a simple one-touch control scheme to great effect; your cube moves forward automatically, and you must hold and release to latch onto nodes throughout the level to swing around corners and other obstacles. But I feel like Magnetized takes that proven mechanic and improves it for the better. Rather than racing other vehicles, you're evading crushing walls, weaving between tight corridors and other hazards. There are three kinds of nodes, each with a different function.: attach to blue nodes to swing in an arc; use purple nodes like grapple hooks to pull yourself towards them; teleport between yellow nodes. Soon levels will include all three nodes and perfect timing and quick reflexes are a must if you want to finish all 80 levels as well as pick up the collectibles in each.
Magnetized may not have jaw-dropping visuals, but the gameplay shines brightly nonetheless. You can play the game online here and support the developer by purchasing the game on IOS for $2.99. If anything, the developer is motivated; he also plans to release Magnetized on Steam, Desura, Windows, and Amazon.
Developer: Rocky Games
Platforms: IOS Universal, PC, Browser
Price: $2.99, Free
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Magnetized has had one hell of a ride to the App Store. First released as a browser game on Kongregate and Newgrounds, then as freeware through GameJolt, the game's developer also struggled to remove a clone of his game from XBIG. Now Magnetized is on IOS, and you should not miss it.
The simplest way to describe Magnetized is a mix of Slingshot Racing with twitchy puzzle action and a stylish neon aesthetic. Like that game, Magnetized utilizes a simple one-touch control scheme to great effect; your cube moves forward automatically, and you must hold and release to latch onto nodes throughout the level to swing around corners and other obstacles. But I feel like Magnetized takes that proven mechanic and improves it for the better. Rather than racing other vehicles, you're evading crushing walls, weaving between tight corridors and other hazards. There are three kinds of nodes, each with a different function.: attach to blue nodes to swing in an arc; use purple nodes like grapple hooks to pull yourself towards them; teleport between yellow nodes. Soon levels will include all three nodes and perfect timing and quick reflexes are a must if you want to finish all 80 levels as well as pick up the collectibles in each.
Title: Gravity Badgers
Developer: Wales Interactive Ltd.
Platforms: IOS Universal, PC, Mac, Linux
Price: Free w/Game Unlock, $4.99 on Desura
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Time and time again, we've seen how easy it is for quality games to slip under the radar on the App Store. If I didn't regularly check SlideDB, I would have never heard of Gravity Badgers and that's a shame. It's a fun polished game that deserves more attention
You play as a member of the titular Gravity Badgers, an elite galactic force. It's a silly tongue-in-cheek story that gives the chapters and boss fights a bit more meaning beyond simple levels. But the true meat of the game is where it should be, the gameplay. Gravity Badgers plays like a mix of Angry Birds Space with a focus on single screen "platforming" seen in games like Run Roo Run and Gravity Run. Each single-screen puzzle-esque challenge consists of a wormhole exit and a variety of hazards, some beneficial some not. Pull back on a badger to indicate the direction and strength of your jetpack, release to blast off. Timing and understanding of the various obstacles are key to success. From portals to gravity fields that attract and repel to direction-changing pipes and laser gate triggers, Gravity Badgers has a satisfying amount of content and challenge and isn't afraid to mix things up with bosses and bonus levels
Gravity Badgers is a charming hidden gem, with a nice aesthetic, cute story, and a lot of levels. You can download the game for free and unlock the game (and remove a single unobstrusive ad) with an in-ap purchase. The game is also available on Desura.
Developer: Wales Interactive Ltd.
Platforms: IOS Universal, PC, Mac, Linux
Price: Free w/Game Unlock, $4.99 on Desura
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Time and time again, we've seen how easy it is for quality games to slip under the radar on the App Store. If I didn't regularly check SlideDB, I would have never heard of Gravity Badgers and that's a shame. It's a fun polished game that deserves more attention
You play as a member of the titular Gravity Badgers, an elite galactic force. It's a silly tongue-in-cheek story that gives the chapters and boss fights a bit more meaning beyond simple levels. But the true meat of the game is where it should be, the gameplay. Gravity Badgers plays like a mix of Angry Birds Space with a focus on single screen "platforming" seen in games like Run Roo Run and Gravity Run. Each single-screen puzzle-esque challenge consists of a wormhole exit and a variety of hazards, some beneficial some not. Pull back on a badger to indicate the direction and strength of your jetpack, release to blast off. Timing and understanding of the various obstacles are key to success. From portals to gravity fields that attract and repel to direction-changing pipes and laser gate triggers, Gravity Badgers has a satisfying amount of content and challenge and isn't afraid to mix things up with bosses and bonus levels
Title: Blek
Developer: Kunabi Brother
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $2.99
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Blek was recently being discussed among indie sites and forums due to some foolish action taken by Youtube to remove the game's trailer. That's all been reconciled now, but that's not what Blek should be remembered for. No, instead, it should be remembered as a fantastic puzzle game that uses touchscreen to deliver a wonderful engaging experience.
Blek is a minimalist piece of art, and easily joins the ranks of Strata as my favorite minimal puzzle games. There isn't even a menu; the game opens with your first puzzle, which also acts as a simple tutorial. The art itself is merely a collection of black and colored dots on a white surface but what truly makes Blek a joy to play is the line. There is something just visually appealing and satisfying about seeing your line move so fluidly across the screen, in a way that feels unpredictable yet is completely planned
Yes, planned. Blek is not just some minimalist experiment. It's a puzzle game and like the best in the genre, the core mechanic is simple to understand, but difficult to master. Draw a path for your line to follow, which it will repeat until it leaves the screen, touches a black circle, or a colored circle. Your goal is to collect all the colored circles in a level and the genius of Blek is the freedom you're granted to complete that task. Your solutions can be as simple or as complex as you can think of. From the simple inching line to a complex pattern that gracefully weaves between attempting-ending black spots, Blek is a rare puzzle game that presents the player with a challenging scenario and then gives you free reign to solve it how you wish.
Blek is for the player who enjoys puzzles games that don't offer to hold your hand, but instead allow you to use your own intelligence and creativity to succeed. You can purchase Blek for $2.99.
Developer: Kunabi Brother
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $2.99
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Blek was recently being discussed among indie sites and forums due to some foolish action taken by Youtube to remove the game's trailer. That's all been reconciled now, but that's not what Blek should be remembered for. No, instead, it should be remembered as a fantastic puzzle game that uses touchscreen to deliver a wonderful engaging experience.
Blek is a minimalist piece of art, and easily joins the ranks of Strata as my favorite minimal puzzle games. There isn't even a menu; the game opens with your first puzzle, which also acts as a simple tutorial. The art itself is merely a collection of black and colored dots on a white surface but what truly makes Blek a joy to play is the line. There is something just visually appealing and satisfying about seeing your line move so fluidly across the screen, in a way that feels unpredictable yet is completely planned
Title: Super Splatform
Developer: P1XL Games
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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Despite my love for precision platformers, I didn't decide to check out Super Splatform until days after its release. The retro aesthetic and trailer hadn't exactly sold me on the game, but the positive impressions and active developer on the Toucharcade forums convinced me to give the game a try. And I'm glad I did.
Gameplay wise, Super Splatform is most reminiscent of the well-received IOS game Bean's Quest. Like in that game, your little sphere bounces constantly; it's up to you to move left and right, onto platforms and over gaps. But Super Splatform's ace up its sleeve is its difficulty. This game is very much about precision. Sure you can bounce around the levels, not caring about getting medals for reaching the end in less jumps, but the real thrill comes in learning the levels, learning the limits of your jumping, and then chipping away jumps. While the early levels simply challenge you with larger gaps and distant platforms, soon you'll be switching gravity and timing jumps over bursts of wind. The game's fifty levels are divided into five themes, each with their own look and obstacles. Levels also contain a gold coin to find and a rainbow coin to collect after achieving the gold medal that's even harder to reach.
But that's not all. Super Splatform offers more than its hefty campaign. There's all a Doodle Jump-esque Infinite Mode, which tasks you with getting as high as you can. Along with that mode, you can also play the original Splatform as well, which was first released in 2002 on the Commodore 64.
You can purchase Super Splatform for $1.99.
Developer: P1XL Games
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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Despite my love for precision platformers, I didn't decide to check out Super Splatform until days after its release. The retro aesthetic and trailer hadn't exactly sold me on the game, but the positive impressions and active developer on the Toucharcade forums convinced me to give the game a try. And I'm glad I did.
Gameplay wise, Super Splatform is most reminiscent of the well-received IOS game Bean's Quest. Like in that game, your little sphere bounces constantly; it's up to you to move left and right, onto platforms and over gaps. But Super Splatform's ace up its sleeve is its difficulty. This game is very much about precision. Sure you can bounce around the levels, not caring about getting medals for reaching the end in less jumps, but the real thrill comes in learning the levels, learning the limits of your jumping, and then chipping away jumps. While the early levels simply challenge you with larger gaps and distant platforms, soon you'll be switching gravity and timing jumps over bursts of wind. The game's fifty levels are divided into five themes, each with their own look and obstacles. Levels also contain a gold coin to find and a rainbow coin to collect after achieving the gold medal that's even harder to reach.
