Puzzlepops! Bu: Layton Hawkes Lately I've been considering making a list of games and developers that respect their players. It hasn't happened yet, but Puzzlepops! (along with Go to Gold) would be near the very top of the list. It might not be the most gorgeous game, but creator Layton Hawkes took all the right steps to make this puzzle game both mentally challenging and user-friendly. Although it's been out for about…
1979 Revolution By: iNK Stories iNK Stories' 1979 Revolution: Black Friday is not your usual game. It blends storytelling with gameplay to create a documentary-like experience that's both educational and entertaining. It recently made its way from PC to iOS and no, it's not referring to the Black Friday where you trample other people to get an HDTV for a hundred bucks. Black Friday refers to September 8, 1978, when the Shah…
Never Alone: Ki Edition By: E-Line Media I'd been hoping that Never Alone would make it to iOS ever since I heard it announced for PC and consoles. As an animal lover, the ability to play as an arctic fox had huge appeal. I'm also a sucker for gorgeous graphics, especially of outdoor environments. I appreciate the beauty of snowy landscapes, even if I find them a bit too harsh to live…
Tormentum - Dark Sorrow By: OhNoo Studio OoNoo Studio's Tormentum - Dark Sorrow came out on PC in 2015, but I hadn't heard of it until I saw the Kickstarter for their upcoming game, Tsioque. I was excited to learn then that they had plans to not just port Tsioque to iOS, but Tormentum as well. I knew very little about it, but the screenshots alone were enough to pique my interest.…
Telepaint By: Acid Nerve I'm not a big fan of platforming games, especially on a touch screen. They usually require a lot of precision, and despite my brain knowing what needs to be done, my fingers can't always make it happen. I can probably count on one hand the number of platformers I've completed. But I just finished every level of Acid Nerve's new iOS game, Telepaint. It's basically a puzzle platformer…
Epic of Kings By: Dead Mage Inc. I'm not sure exactly what I expected from Dead Mage Studios' iOS and Android game Epic of Kings. As someone who's invested hours and hours into all three of Chair's Infinity Blade games, I was hoping it might use some inspiration from those but offer some of its own original ideas. I wasn't a fan of Infinity Blade's in-app purchases (IAP) and ability to use…
_PRISM By: Clint Siu I'm a big fan of relaxed puzzlers, especially those made specifically for touch screens. I also prefer short, unique experiences over eighty-hour games. So Clint Siu's _PRISM for iOS -- which is advertised at being about an hour long -- was a no-brainer for me, especially given the gorgeous visuals. The game is aptly named, as you play with floating geometric shapes that break apart and open up,…
Tsuro By: Thunderbox Entertainment **Update, 2/8/2016: The review has been amended to correct a mistake about the Facebook games not syncing between multiple devices. They do sync!** Tsuro, "the game of the path," is a laid back board game that's been adapted for iOS devices by Thunderbox Entertainment. I knew next to nothing before playing it, but the simple rules pulled me in right away. They're very easy to understand, as there…