AppUnwrapper

2014 was a great year for iOS. Sure it was also the year of Flappy Bird clones, but happily there’s enough room on the App Store for unique, stand-out games along with all the fluff. I haven’t necessarily reviewed every game on this list (I’m only one person!), but I have spent quite a bit of time with all of them. These are games that brought me such sheer delight when I played them, that I couldn’t help but talk about them. I’m only covering adventure games and puzzle games, since those make up most of what I play. This doesn’t mean there weren’t other great games this year, but I wanted to narrow it down to a short list. So, without further ado, I present…

AppUnwrapper’s Favorite iPhone Adventure, Point-and-Clicks, and Puzzle Games of 2014:

Monument Valley by ustwo:

Simply put, Monument Valley is magical. Your job is to guide a little girl named Ida through a world filled with impossible Escher-esque architecture, manipulating the structures so that she can overcome obstacles. This game has the ability to wow children and adults alike, and is something everyone should experience. After all, who can resist Totem, the yellow one-eyed totem pole who comes to Ida’s rescue on several occasions? The game was sadly a bit short to begin with, but the addition of ten new levels in Forgotten Shores and, possibly my favorite, Ida’s (Red) Dream, the game grew into an amazing experience not to be missed.

You can read my review for the first eight levels here, my Forgotten Shores review here, and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/Monument” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

God of Light by Playmous:

God of Light may not be the best name for a game, but that really doesn’t matter when the game is this beautiful, relaxing, and polished. I’m a big fan of light-reflecting puzzles, and this is a game completely made up of reflecting puzzles, in a gorgeous package with chill music by UNKLE.
When this first came out, I said that if it had unlimited levels, I would probably play nothing else ever again. That still holds true to some degree, but there are too many great games out there to play just one. With the addition of new content, the game now has 125 levels spanning five worlds, so there’s a good amount to keep you busy.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/GodofLight” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Oquonie by David Mondou-Labbe:

I find Oquonie hard to describe. I was drawn in by the quirky artwork done by Rekka Bell, not really knowing what I was signing up for. You’re basically dumped into this black-and-white world filled with odd creatures (you’re one of them). There are no instructions, or any words at all, so you just have to wander about and figure things out for yourself. Some may be turned off by this, but I just couldn’t stop playing until I uncovered every last secret in the game. And it was so worth it.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/Oquonie” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Bertram Fiddle by Rumpus Animation:

The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle only came out recently, but I was following news about it for quite some time. I’m a big fan of cheeky, lighthearted games that poke fun at themselves, and Bertram Fiddle is exactly that. Characters have names like Lord Arthwipe and Count Fulchmuckle. Need I say more?

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/Bertram” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

FRAMED by Loveshack:

FRAMED is another game I had been eagerly awaiting. It’s made up of animated noir comic strips in which changing the order of panels changes the outcome of the animation. It involves mostly outsmarting cops and bonking them on their heads. While the game didn’t live up to my expectations a hundred percent, it’s still such a unique and innovative idea, and quite polished as well. My only real complaint about the game is that there isn’t more of it.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/FRAMED” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Escape the Hellevator! By Fezziwig

Escape the Hellevator! has you taking the role of a criminal being forced to live through his memories of his most heinous crimes. Each room is a different floor on the Hellevator, as he plummets down to Hell. I loved the dark humor and Easter eggs scattered about the game. It’s also very polished, split up into 6 3D rooms that you stand in the middle of and just swipe around to see all sides. The puzzles are pretty clever and, like in the Room, you can rotate each object in your inventory to examine it and look for clues.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/Hellevator” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Adventure Beyond Time by Aircamp Games:

This is Aircamp Games’ second adventure game, and they really outdid themselves this time. While they stick mostly to the formula for first-person point-and-click games, they did a top-notch job with it. The artwork is gorgeously detailed and there is just so much to explore. The developer boasts over 150 environments and over 100 items to be found and used. While I didn’t count, that number sounds perfectly believable. None of the puzzles are too obtuse, and as long as you have a good eye, everything you need is given to you. The music and sound effects are spot-on, too. It’s a nice, relaxing world to explore at your own pace.

I haven’t had a chance to write a full review yet, but you can download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/BeyondTime” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Go to Gold by Timur Nigmetzianov:

I only found out about this one a few days ago, and I was expecting it to be an easy game. It’s not. I’m pretty sure that if I don’t cheat, this game will last me a lifetime. It’s like Sokoban, where you have to push objects around to board to specific locations. There’s no fluff to ease you into it and stroke your ego. There are sixty-four solid levels that will all force you to really use your brain. The game is easy on the eyes and very polished. You can also tell that the developer had the players in mind when designing it, as all levels are unlocked right away, with no IAP in sight. If you’re tired of working on one level for hours or days, just find another one that you feel more confident about. There’s also an undo button that seems to go back as far as you want, which makes the game so relaxing, despite its challenging and sometimes frustrating puzzles. You can watch as I fumble through the first few levels in this video.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/GotoGold” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

Cabin Escape: Alice’s Story by Glitch Games:

This is a very short but polished room escape game set in the world of Forever Lost. It was mostly meant as a thank you gift for Glitch Games’ fans, to tide them over until the third episode of Forever Lost is released. It’s completely free, and includes the handy Glitch Camera found in all their games. It also has at least one good pun, as it wouldn’t be worthy of the Glitch Games name if it didn’t.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/Cabin” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

The Room Two by Fireproof Games:

While I enjoyed the puzzles of the first game better, it would be insane not to include the Room Two on this list. Even if it didn’t feel as magical as the first, it was still thoroughly enjoyable to play, and is a must-have for any puzzle fans. I know I’m looking forward to the third installment in 2015.

I haven’t written a full review for The Room Two, but you can download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/TheRoom2″ text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

The Silent Age: Episode 2 by House On Fire:

On it’s own, the second episode of the Silent Age doesn’t stand out as much as the entire game as a whole. But the time-traveling mechanic alone makes the game worth playing for any adventure game fans. It’s just a pure delight.

You can read my full review here and download the game here.[DKB url=”https://www.appunwrapper.com/SilentAge” text=”Download” title=”” type=”” style=”” color=”green” width=”” opennewwindow=”” nofollow=””]

And there you have it! My favorite adventure, point-and-click and puzzle games of the year. Feel free to chime in in the comments section with your favorites!