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iOS Gaming August 2015 | Last chance to play your favorites before iOS9 breaks them

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Each month, the iOS GAF community hosts a thread for new game releases, rumors and discussion that define the fast-moving world of iOS gaming.

The OP will contain recommended games that released during the previous month. All the games listed will have been highlighted by the GAF community in one way or another. This way you can keep tabs on the best games and at the same time curate an excellent resource to look back on to find games you may have missed.

If you're a developer who wishes to have your game featured, please talk about your game in the thread and if the GAF community at large likes the game then your wish just might be granted. Please note that there's a difference between posting about a game you made and just advertising your game with no further interaction with the community, this thread is not for the latter and such advertising behavior is frowned upon.

Directory
1) Introduction & Recommended Games
2) Recommended Games continued
3) Upcoming Releases, Past Threads & Other Links


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Site | Trailer | App Store
Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion is a turn-based strategy game, set on the edge of Imperial space, where your Space Marines will take on the Tyranids in a series of tactical engagements. From war ravaged cities, to the insides of Tyranid bio-ships, the missions will see your Kill Team rise in strength and skill as you face ever greater threats and peril.
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I love the game and found it freaking awesome, every chapter better than the previous one with last one being absolutely amazing imho and possibly one of the best scifi/Alien thing I ever played.
Spent the night in terror with my iPad between hands
I have played through the prologue and half way through the first chapter. It's good. A really polished turn based game in the 40K universe. My only real problem is that they don't really surface the level ups of your squad members. You have to look at each one individually to see if they progressed.
Oh god, this kills my 5s battery but I really love it. I couldn't really get into WHQ for some reason but I love the more ranged-focused stuff like Hunters 2, still one of my favorite iOS games ever.

Played through the Prologue and it's gorgeous and exactly what I wanted so far. Is there anything like the light/mid/heavy armor balance in Hunters, or does everyone get 4 action points?
Having a lot of fun with this game, my marines have reached the first level of chapter 7 (I believe). Enjoyable map, the massive amount of open space in the middle just lets my devastator marine lay waste to everything coming at him, very enjoyable.

I like a lot about this game, but if I had to pick a favourite thing I do love the level of detail put in individual power armours. It would have been very easy to just make all the character recolours of each other but instead most of the marines have unique helmets and shoulders and are adorned with various trinkets of their chapters. Very nice touch.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Prune is a love letter to trees. A game about the beauty and joy of cultivation.
With a swipe of a finger, grow and shape your tree into the sunlight while avoiding the dangers of a hostile world. Bring life to a forgotten landscape, and uncover a story hidden deep beneath the soil.

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Picked up Prune. Seems like it might be on short side, but it's well worth the $4 for the art style and polish. The levels do get more challenging, but don't expect SpaceChem or LYNE. More about the experience than mind-bending puzzles
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Nvm, learned that Prune is longer than I had guessed (5 Chapters, around 50 levels) and it continues to introduces fun and interesting new mechanics

And totally worth restating how lovely the game looks. The menu has you spinning the planet, as the stars streak by and the ground erodes and reshapes with the passage of time. It's just gorgeous.
Am 10 levels through Prune right now, it's like if meditation and a Japanese painting had an offspring that was cultured into a game. Playing it reminds me of the same zen feeling I had while playing monument valley. Beautiful game.
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After finishing it I can definitely say that it left an impression on me and had me thinking about the game's theme. Peter at PG might have oversold it a little bit but he wasn't wrong in giving it a perfect score. I might come back the game just for the amazing music
Yes, I agree. It's really well done in that there's no one way to succeed. Very enjoyable. Only minor annoyance is the challenge could ramp up more evenly. There was one level in the first world even that took me probably a dozen tries then the next level was simple and done in about 10 seconds.

Overall though, it's a nice experience. Haven't had the time to get too far but am anxious to see how it plays out. I get the theme, but that PG review has me curious at how it gets to be as emotional as they made it out to be.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
In This War Of Mine you do not play as an elite soldier, rather a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with lack of food, medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers. The game provides an experience of war seen from an entirely new angle.
The pace of This War of Mine is imposed by the day and night cycle. During the day snipers outside stop you from leaving your refuge, so you need to focus on maintaining your hideout: crafting, trading and taking care of your survivors. At night, take one of your civilians on a mission to scavenge through a set of unique locations for items that will help you stay alive.

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This War of Mine is one of those games like FTL and Papers Please that feels like it was destined for mobile. Controls flawlessly. I can't recommend it enough
Been playing this on my iPad nonstop, really powerful game.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. Wilson must learn to exploit his environment and its inhabitants if he ever hopes to escape and find his way back home.
Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. Play your way as you unravel the mysteries of this strange land.

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Don't Starve controls wonderfully. Smooth simple touch interface. Another one to add to the list of excellent PC-to-mobile ports

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Site | Trailer | App Store
The peaceful sky village of Levantia is in danger! The dastardly Dr. N. Forchin and his accomplice, Vapor, have stolen the Emerix - a powerful amulet and all hope may be lost!
Fly into a beautiful action adventure and save a whimsical world full of flight and fantasy. Master the wind to fly, freefall, dash and bash your way across beautiful 3D rendered sky-islands, jungles, seas and deserts.

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Been playing more of Heroki and it is absolutely fantastic. Big levels with lots of exploration and hidden passages. The controls work great with a sort of drag to fly motion that feels natural and fluid. The game world is just vibrant and even the "home" area has things to do and subquests. Lots of innovative surprises along the way.

This feels like something Nintendo could have done (and not the one that sounds like they'll be aiming more for a free to "start" model on mobile). It has that level of polish and charm.
It oozes with charm and polish close to what you could expect from Nintendo.
The Hub has great character and has some sidequests to help the citizens out. Here is where you'll find the bulk of the charm. The levels, imho, are somewhat flat and uninspiring. There are attempts to create variety but I feel like I'm still going through the motions of a game of this type.

A commendable technical effort by the team but, personally, I wold have rather played this using standard controls, zoomed the camera out a bit helping me focus on what is on screen than worry about what isn't. I think the last bit was the biggest factor for me.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
You are a solar craft. The sun is your death timer. Hurtle towards the sunset at breakneck speed in a futile race against time. Delay the inevitable by catching energy boosts which reverse the setting sun - if only for a moment.
Race The Sun is inspired by arcade games of the past with a focus on highscores, short game sessions, and pure fun mingled with a nerve-wracking tension. The rules are simple: don't crash, stay in the light, and don't slow down!

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Continuing the trend of excellent PC ports on IOS, Race The Sun plays perfectly on mobile
This game is fantastic. It is also fantastic on iOS. Buy it.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
In Alphabear, you spell words by selecting letters on a grid. When you use letters that are next to each other, bears appear! The more letters you use in an area, the bigger the bear gets, and the more points you earn. Perform well enough, and you might just a win a bear of your own to keep forever.
Bears that you win can be used as powerups in future games! They increase the points you earn for using certain letters or spelling certain words, extend your timer, increase or decrease the frequency with which letters appear, and more!

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Oh man, this is good.

They have a Crossy Roads system where you can win a new character on each level, and I believe a chance at the "Rare" tier of characters if you score high enough. The characters actually give you bonuses based on word length, and use of certain letters.

Give this one a spin if you like puzzle word games.
This game is so good.
 
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Site | Trailer | App Store
Flame kick werewolves, perform thrilling acrobatic stunts, and run a trillion dollar mining company in Riverman Media’s combat-action masterpiece!

From the creators of the award-winning “Pizza Vs. Skeletons” comes The Executive: a fast-paced, cinematic, martial arts action game designed from the ground up for iPhone and iPad. You are the CEO of a company that has been infiltrated by werewolves, and it’s your job to save your employees, and eventually the entire city, from their dastardly schemes.

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Guys, you need to check out The Executive! What a crazy mix between Street Fighter, Zelda 2 and Elite Beat Agents (!)! It's from the creators of Pizza vs. Skeletons...
Yep, just played a few levels. Great stuff. Also has a bit of a One Finger Death punch feel to it, but much more to it. Great presentation. Bizarre, wild and fun.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Divide By Sheep is a math puzzler about the Grim Reaper's devious plan to make some sheepy friends. Grim can only befriend the dead, so he decided to unleash a great flood and drag the sheep under. Now stranded on small islands and sinking fast, the sheep need you to help them reach safety.
It plays similar to classic counting games with dark humor where you need to cross a road or river, and can't have specific combinations of sheep, wolves, etc on the same raft. Here though the results are intentionally filled with gore and blood (unless you turn it off in the settings). It's a funny, dark math puzzle game.

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Impressions coming soon

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Adventures of Pip revitalizes the classic side-scrolling action platform genre. Pip -- the ultimate digital underdog – is a lowly single pixel in a 32-bit world who proves that you can’t judge a hero by the fidelity of his shaders. During the game, Pip gains the ability to evolve and grow by absorbing pixels from his fallen foes. Those same pixels can then be used to blast through environment puzzles and enemies, devolving Pip back to a single pixel. Players will explore five stylized worlds and experience up to 10 hours of epic adventure saving Pip’s village from the evil Queen DeRezzia.
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Ah, decided to grab Pip because I don't have enough of a backlog (NOT). Pretty fun but the controls could use some work. The jump and transform buttons in particular are too close together even on an iPad Mini 2. Game also freezes on the loading screen due to an issue with Game Center. You have to log out of GC if you want to play it in its current state.

I like it, but definately would recommend Heroki over it if you were to pick one. Just more enjoyable, original and polished all around in comparison. Hopefully there will be fixes for Pip.
so I can not recommend Adventures of Pip, I just played a copy of the steam version, and it is ok, but not worth £10 and very samey, plus on IOS I can imagine the controls being a big negative as there is a lot of tight jumps required with pin point accuracy...

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Site | Trailer | App Store
The Long Siege is a real-time match-three puzzle game with RPG elements set inside an extraordinary atmosphere of music and visuals. The core mechanic centers on matching items in your own tower through a mixture of belt-type scrolling and single taps to command your army. It’s a fun-to-play strategic thinking challenge requiring you to plan ahead to summon the right units, level up, upgrade your defences and complete the quests to unlock special items.
Commence an onslaught against unique enemies, including formidable leaders, and take their towers down one-by-one as you travel towards the dark side of the world!

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The Long Siege is absolutely brilliant.

That's all.
I picked up The Long Siege. I was a little hesitant about the game because of the real-time element combined with the sliding match mechanics, but it's pretty fun.

To me it has more in common with castle defense games than the typical RPG match three. Instead of waiting for mana, gold or energy to call up various fighters, it's making matches that brings them to battle. There is some leveling up and other things that make it more than just a casual game.

But it's the time pressure and having to react very quickly that set it apart....much more so than even 1000000 and You Must Build a Boat. When things get hectic, there are also cannons on the board that you can use to defend yourself.

I still struggle more with the sliding row mechanics, but it is nicely done and challenging.
A different kind of match-3 game. A belt type of similar to You Must Build a Boat but slower paced. It all happens on a semi-real time.

You have to match below to spawn your units that march towards the enemy base to destroy it, but along the way you will have to battle foes, counter spells, gather currency, defend, use a cannon to hammer down the enemy and finally, crush it. Every level is divided intro three sub-levels with a cool scenery change.

It has a great premium unlocking system as you play along. Similar to Knightmare Tower. Is brilliant. Love it.

After playing The Long Siege for a bit I really enjoy the game. As a fan of twitch games I like the games speed, it kind of reminds me of Piyo Blocks 2, a game I love due to that frantic pace it can reach. In The Long Siege you do have to keep moving tiles to stay alive. The upgrades seem decent, and there is consistent progression.

I wouldn't recommend the game though due to excessive battery use. I have an iPhone 6 and a little over an hour of play took my battery from 92% to the mid 40's. I check usage to make sure, and The Long Siege was listed at over 40% battery usage. Until that's fixed it isn't getting played, I've already uninstalled it. Wonder if I can get a refund...

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Site | Trailer | App Store
To-Fu Fury is a fast-paced, action-packed take on the puzzle-platform genre. Solve crafty physics puzzles and triumph in frenetic melee battles. Stick to wooden surfaces, slide down slippery jade, and use metal to ricochet towards your goal… but beware the deadly traps and devious Hoshi bandits! Legend tells of a small, squishy hero, whose gelatinous powers can overcome any obstacle and vanquish any foe. But who is this fabled champion? And why does he look like a small cube of soy product in a red headband?

Meet To-Fu, the wobbly cuboid warrior whose fighting skills and lightning speed make him the unlikely hero of a quest to defend the world from the evil Hoshi clan. On his journey, he’ll encounter fierce enemies and elaborate challenges, take on towering bosses, and navigate white-knuckle obstacle courses! The successor to To-Fu and To-Fu 2, the Runner Up Apple Game of the Year 2011, To-Fu Fury adds new visuals and new dimensions to game play.

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More of a puzzle game than the fast paced platforming / combat of that game. Your more concerned with limiting your moves and figuring out the best way to get through each level (although faster times do award better scores). And it is vastly better than the earlier To Fu games.

The 2.5D graphics, level design and level of polish are up to the same standards as the other Amazon Game Studios output. Also seems to have a lot of content for the meager $1.99 asking price.
Another game from AmazonGameStudios, this time they bring back and old iOS classic from HotGen, To-Fu, but this time better than ever. The already solid gameplay presented on earlier games is improved in this one with the inclusion of walking on walls, flinging, combat, boss battles, playing with the environment and more that adds new layers of gameplay and makes it more fun that it ever was. And it was fun before.

Reminds me of one of the best iOS games ever: The Last Rocket. It has over 100 levels, plenty to keep me entertained for a while, It has IAP but the dev says the game is like a premium experience and can be completed without it... why that does sounds familiar to me? I dont like that challenge mode has to be unlocked with currency...

Amazon is producing some great quality games that focus on gameplay and they are bringing them to iOS. Awesome news and awesome game.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Hero Fighter is a fighting beat 'em up game created and developed by Marti Wong, the creator of Little Fighter, for nearly 7 years.

There are 22 hero characters with tonnes of powerful moves.

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Today I discovered the sequel to a game I used to love is on iOS.

Hero Fighter X is a sequel to Little Fighters 2, a freeware PC game that was fairly popular back in 99.

It's a brawler/beat n up with a fairly deep fighting system, responsive controls and over 20 fighters to play with very different movesets. Don't be fooled by the simplistic artsyle, the game is a very competent brawler. There's a lot of content and a good variety of modes, like 1x1, 2x2 or stages with plenty of mobs and bosses for you to defeat while you unlock and level up characters. Tons of fun.

The only problem is that it can get a little hard to keep up with the fast action if you are not used to virtual controls.
This is excellent. Really enjoying it

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Drive ahead in gladiator arenas with off-road cars, garbage trucks and F1 racing cars. Each vehicle has its own strengths and weaknesses. The game features two different game modes: duel or single-player mode. Learn to master different tracks and vehicles in daily racing missions.

Customize your battles or choose random mode for surprising arenas and duels. Can you beat a monster truck with a go-kart? Hiding won’t help! Sudden death mode introduces sawblades, rain of fire and floods of water. The only way to survive is by attacking!

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If anyone's looking for a fun local-MP game, I just learned about Drive Ahead

It's essentially Wrestle Jump with cars and way more variety. Really fun
 
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A friend of mine has a blog and does weekly roundups of iOS releases. http://pixelatedparadise.wordpress.com/

The Guides - August 17th
Lara Croft GO - August 27th
Calvino Noir - August 27th
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville - August 27th
Whispering Willows - August 28th
Dice Mage
More releases to be added soon

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iOS Gaming July 2015 | Apple bans the revolution
iOS Gaming June 2015 | The future is now
iOS Gaming May 2015 | May the Watch be with you
iOS Gaming April 2015 | April sales bring May backlogs
iOS Gaming March 2015 | Beware the IAPs of March
iOS Gaming February 2015 | Under New Management
iOS Gaming December 2014/January 2015

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Visit the January 2014 thread for links to December 2013 through November 2012 threads!

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This website keeps track of all the controller enabled games. It gets updated regularly.
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iCade Hardware / Games reviews said:

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### The Game Center user list is here: quote to see ###
iOS Membership said:
Rules
  • Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you want to be added or taken off the list, following this text formatting: GAF Name = Game Center Name / iOS Device(s)
  • When adding someone, add From GAF to the friend request and your NeoGAF name as to easily tell who's who.
  • Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you are already on the list but want to update your profile with more info like iOS devices(s) owned, or to just change your existing GC profile.
  • We are on the list and, if you are too, it's OK to add us even if we're not best buddies; don't be shy: we enjoy having more GAFers challenging us on the friends leaderboards.
  • Don't just wait for others to add you first you should at least add some of the profiles posted above yours if you want to get the ball rolling... It's really up to you. Ideally the last member of the list will be the one to add the profiles above his, and so on and on with each new member. Or maybe just add whoever you like, that's also an option.
  • Remember: Your real name will be visible to your GC friends.
  • You can add everyone on the list at once; click the second sheet on the iOS Membership list and read the instructions, works on iOS and Macs
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### The form to enter yourself to the list is here: quote to see ###

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How do I back up my game saves for games that do not support iCloud save games?
iFunBox no longer works on most games post iOS 8.3
Use a file manager program such as i-FunBox (PC/Mac) - It's free and requires no jailbreak. i-FunBox has many different features, but to back up save games you would just want to do the following:
  • Click the iFunBox Classic tab
  • Connect your iOS device, via WiFi or USB, it should then appear in the Connected Devices list on the left side of the UI.
  • Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to back up save games for.
  • Select the Documents and Library folders and copy them one at a time to your PC/Mac - this will copy the folders and all their contents. They contains your save files and settings for the game. Some games only use Documents, some use both.
To restore a backed up save game do the reverse.
  • Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to restore save games for.
  • Select the Documents and/or Library folders and choose to copy from PC/Mac.
  • Navigate to where you saved the backed up Documents and/or Library folders on your PC/Mac, open them and select all the files within it and open them. This will copy the folder contents back onto your iOS device.
  • Restart/fully close the game itself and your saves should be back!
Check that the file structure of the game is retained, e.g. GameName > Documents > files after you're done (no Documents folder within the Documents folder!), otherwise the game will not recognize your restored saves!
How do I hide my Real Name on Game Center?
Your real first and last name (taken from your Apple ID) will be shown to your GC friends. If you value that information and want GAF's leaderboards to show your GAF nickname instead, here's how you do it:
  • Go to http://appleid.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID details via "Manage your Apple ID".
  • In the "Name, ID and Email Addresses" section, click Edit on the Your Name field at the top.
  • Change you First and Last name (you must enter both) to whatever you like (e.g. First Name: Tunesmith, Last Name: GAF)
Done, now that's who you're going to be listed as on your friend's Game Center leaderboards. This will affect Game Center *and* your Apple ID. If it's the same account you use for App Store/iTunes, you will still be able to use it for iTunes/App Store's purchases (you can still buy whatever you want like you could before) *BUT* in the receipt it'll show your nickname or whatever you chose as First Name and Last Name when you changed those fields. The first time you will use the modified account on App Store/iTunes, you will be asked to verify the account by re-entering the 3 digits code of the credit card's CCV security code (if you make your purchases using a credit card).
Should I buy this new high-priced game or wait for a sale?
Maybe! Just be aware that iOS games have a tendency to go on sale frequently and unpredictably, even recent games can be a dollar rather than premium $4-5. Spend your pack of gum money wisely. As a recommendation, set up a RSS feed for the price changes on http://appshopper.com/which will then notify you of any price fluctuations for old and new games alike.
I just got an iPhone/iPad. What are the best games?
In addition to checking out the past month's iOS Gaming threads, visit Why iOS Rocks / iOS Hidden Gems. You're welcome and your wallet will hurt.
For gaming, should I get the iPad Mini 2, or iPad Air?
Both have their pros and cons. The Mini 2 is cheaper and smaller but there is a slight difference between the Air's A7 chip and the mini's A7: the mini's is around 100MHz slower -- 1.3GHz compared to the Air's 1.4GHz. Other than that they're both identical in spec. It's very much a coin toss between if you want a 9.7" or a 7.9" screen.
I'm a new iOS user, what non-gaming apps should I get ASAP?
This thread would be a great place to start. Asking here wouldn't hurt either!

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Genuine thanks to our iOS Gaming community for keeping these monthly threads alive!
Special thanks to Mario for the thread title and to Tunesmith for his fantastic thread format and month after month of hard work in maintaining these threads
 

Matt Frost

Member
Dont forget that Nitrome game with FEZ vibes... looks fantastic :)

I wanted to share so impressions for some of my favorite games on iOS:

Boson X
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My favorite behind the back endless runner, Boson X is the perfect game for quick sessions or longer ones. 3 different characters, 3 different areas with 6 different levels each. Imagine a 3D version of Super Hexagon with perfect controls -they even adapt if you press incorrectly-. Boson X is definitely a sight to behold as the path forms right in front of you. Like a reverse Bastion. And it all work for science, what else do you need? The perfect arcade endless runner with no gimmicks, just unadulterated raw awesome gameplay that is quite addictive. Will never leave my iPhone. Highly recommended.

Sunburn!
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This one if from last year. You are stranded in space with no hope to survive, so before you run out of oxygen and have a horrible death, you must navigate a space maze of obstacles, collect your crew and head into the sun, which seems to be an instant death and better than running out of oxygen so it seems xD. Is a fun premise that works very well. Controls are up to the task, being like Boson X. 60 levels filled with lots of fun to be had on this physics space platformer arcade. Also looks gorgeous with its pretty pixels. One of my favorite games. An indie letter of love to videogames. Highly recommended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbIkopUs9is

Divide By Sheep
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Slice sheep in half to solve this puzzler that mixes math with lasers and other things. Looks deceptively cute but underneath that lies a great puzzle game, for me one of the very best one on the AppStore. Levels have multiple solutions. Gameplay mechanics are fresh and interesting with sublte details, with new gameplay elements thrown at you at a good pace. Graphics are outstanding, extremely charming and has a bit of gore (with an option to disable it). Divide By Sheep = best math puzzler on iOS for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEgWtGMJsys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM7_luA0u-k

BADLAND
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The best auto runner (or auto-flapper?) on iOS set in a Limbo palette with Super Meat Boy-like mazes that plays with physics and a lot of different and varied power-ups. Seriously, what are you waiting to play this game? One of the AppStore premium games hits and best games overall.

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And iOS9 doesnt let me play Prune, Race the Sun, To-Fu Fury, Impossible Road and Quadropus Rampage anymore :(
 
Amazing OT as always More_Badass.

Really hope we can get some release dates for Warbits and Crashlands this month. Those are my two most anticipated titles for the rest of the year.
 

Benedict

Member
Started playing Badlands a couple of days ago and don't understand what's so great about it.Looks and sounds fine but it's not that fun to play.
 
Started playing Badlands a couple of days ago and don't understand what's so great about it.Looks and sounds fine but it's not that fun to play.
IMO, best one-button game on IOS, The variety of the mechanics the devs wring from the simple gameplay is amazing, from physics puzzles and crazy laser grids to all the different power ups.
 

Emarv

Member
Somehow missed Alphabet last month. Wow, adorable. Good OP.

Lots of good stuff I'm looking forward to this month.
 

dock

Member
Lying in bed. Apparently my playing Persona 4 on Vita was keeping my girlfriend awake. The button tapping sounds are too much.

So I just bought Heroki! Here's to touchscreen gaming.
(Edit: Ooof, maybe not! These Heroki controls are not comfortable when lying down)

If I was to play just one Five Nights at Freddy's, which should I play?
 

PittaGAF

Member
Calvino Noir and Spider alone gives August a pretty nice headstart

Damn.
Deathwatch basically froze my wallet...I still have Transistor and This War of mine in the backlog.
Highly interested in Calvino Noir and Spider too.
And I'm told Galactic Keep is really near now.

This year is GLO.....is FANTASTIC.
 

Matt Frost

Member
BLACK The Fall, a funded kickstarter project and interesting game coming in november for iOS...

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Black The Fall is a sharp, modern action game set in a post-communist industrial world. As an amnesiac named Black, you will explore, solve puzzles, and decide how to deal with the strange, hungry things that live in this haunting place. Our intention for Black The Fall is to craft a one-of-a-kind sidescrolling action game that mixes combat with stealth and puzzle elements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=78&v=muQoflGr0cw
 

awp69

Member
Sadly, only on the forth chapter and think I need to grind at Deathwatch. Gotten smoked twice on the bridge level where you have to wait got it to open (act II?) twice even after redoing one level to get back some XP.

Guess I just suck. But just seemed like big spike there with SO many enemies.

Still love it. :)
 

belleannah

Neo Member
Does anyone know anything about the Cultures games on iPad made by Runesoft?
Cultures Northland came out last year on iPad but had horrible controls. I just noticed they released Cultures 8th Wonder of the World last month and was wondering if the controls were any better. Don't really want to spend $5.99 to find out the controls are horrible like the first one. I don't see any reviews or anything.
 
I've been playing Trials Frontier recently and I have been surprised how the developers have made it difficult to just play the game.

When playing, each selection in the game is tied to an inventory item, want to race? Use the gas can, which needs to be refilled every two minutes. Can't race due to lack of gas cans, come back in half an hour or pay. What about upgrades, each bike upgrade takes time, and the higher the upgrade, the longer it takes (from five minutes to eight hours). This can be remedied by spending diamonds, which can be bought.

I understand the free to play genre has potential for profit, yet this game goes out of the way to consistently restrict non paying gamers from playing a game and reminding the user of all the ways they can pay.

I raised a flag when I started getting pop up ads inside of the game world. I'm done, but I love the game mechanic. Any tips on games that have similar mechanic?
 

PittaGAF

Member
Sadly, only on the forth chapter and think I need to grind at Deathwatch. Gotten smoked twice on the bridge level where you have to wait got it to open (act II?) twice even after redoing one level to get back some XP.

Guess I just suck. But just seemed like big spike there with SO many enemies.

Still love it. :)

NO! Do not grind!!!
Ironically that level is considered one of the best for grinding :p (best are 4-1 and 2-2)

I think the real first spike is 4-1...but if one reads TA they already spoiled everything so it's a walk in the park now...people were able to do it first time.
Personally I lost 2 days there the first time, I was teared apart in no time.

But when you finally crack it, it's fantastic :)

Anyway...just food for new strategies:

Exit cautiously from the first starting room.
Be sure to have at least one high accuracy marine in overwatch.
Turn corners only if you have AP remaining (or skills, but it's pretty early)...if not, do not hurry.
It's not a race, you are an armored marine in a outpost infested by aliens.
You shouldn't have big problems till you reach the console operating the bridge.
Go there with your strongest marine, possibly with enough APs to go back (unlikely at normal...but I'm remembering out of my memory).
BE SURE to leave someone, possibly a devastator with high range on overwatch for the 'console' bank....aliens will go to kill your 'console' marine.
Leave all the others to cover the opposite part...1 marine with high range overwatching the OTHER bank wouldn't hurt.
Wait for the bridge to fully open (3 turns I think).
THEN hell will come to you.
Try to cross the bridge as fast as you can never forgetting overwatching both side (use your longest range marines.
I found easier to dash in that narrow passage along the river instead of entering the big space ahead.
WATCH OUT because the passage is guarded.
I do not remember if that's the case on normal, but there is a nasty tyrant guard that shoot nasty things from the banks you just left. Watch out for it to try to outrange him fast.
When you are at the end of the passage, try to enter the room with max APs and use a tight formation, concentrating your firepower to the pyros.
After that, it's easy...just walk towards the extraction points.

:D
 
I've been playing Trials Frontier recently and I have been surprised how the developers have made it difficult to just play the game.

When playing, each selection in the game is tied to an inventory item, want to race? Use the gas can, which needs to be refilled every two minutes. Can't race due to lack of gas cans, come back in half an hour or pay. What about upgrades, each bike upgrade takes time, and the higher the upgrade, the longer it takes (from five minutes to eight hours). This can be remedied by spending diamonds, which can be bought.

I understand the free to play genre has potential for profit, yet this game goes out of the way to consistently restrict non paying gamers from playing a game and reminding the user of all the ways they can pay.

I raised a flag when I started getting pop up ads inside of the game world. I'm done, but I love the game mechanic. Any tips on games that have similar mechanic?
2D bike acrobatics, ramps, loops, and all that? Bike Baron, Trials Xtreme series, and Draw Rider Plus
 

awp69

Member
NO! Do not grind!!!
Ironically that level is considered one of the best for grinding :p (best are 4-1 and 2-2)

I think the real first spike is 4-1...but if one reads TA they already spoiled everything so it's a walk in the park now...people were able to do it first time.
Personally I lost 2 days there the first time, I was teared apart in no time.

But when you finally crack it, it's fantastic :)

Anyway...just food for new strategies:

Exit cautiously from the first starting room.
Be sure to have at least one high accuracy marine in overwatch.
Turn corners only if you have AP remaining (or skills, but it's pretty early)...if not, do not hurry.
It's not a race, you are an armored marine in a outpost infested by aliens.
You shouldn't have big problems till you reach the console operating the bridge.
Go there with your strongest marine, possibly with enough APs to go back (unlikely at normal...but I'm remembering out of my memory).
BE SURE to leave someone, possibly a devastator with high range on overwatch for the 'console' bank....aliens will go to kill your 'console' marine.
Leave all the others to cover the opposite part...1 marine with high range overwatching the OTHER bank wouldn't hurt.
Wait for the bridge to fully open (3 turns I think).
THEN hell will come to you.
Try to cross the bridge as fast as you can never forgetting overwatching both side (use your longest range marines.
I found easier to dash in that narrow passage along the river instead of entering the big space ahead.
WATCH OUT because the passage is guarded.
I do not remember if that's the case on normal, but there is a nasty tyrant guard that shoot nasty things from the banks you just left. Watch out for it to try to outrange him fast.
When you are at the end of the passage, try to enter the room with max APs and use a tight formation, concentrating your firepower to the pyros.
After that, it's easy...just walk towards the extraction points.

:D

Thanks Pitta! I'll give it another shot tonight.

Kind of funny that I don't remember 4-1 being that hard (and I really haven't been reading the TA thread) but maybe that's because 4-2 has really spelled trouble for me.

Wish me luck as I honor my chapter once again through my own personal pit of hell on the bridge level.

Edit: Finally got past it! But with just two survivors escaping by a hair. Seemed to start out strong but then all hell broke lose, especially with their firebreathers. I hate those motherf**kers. Damn that level kicks my ass.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
I understand the free to play genre has potential for profit, yet this game goes out of the way to consistently restrict non paying gamers from playing a game and reminding the user of all the ways they can pay.

It seems counter intuitive, but energy systems typically tend to actually make players play more overall and engage with the game for longer.

Haven't played Trials Frontier myself though.
 

awp69

Member
It seems counter intuitive, but energy systems typically tend to actually make players play more overall and engage with the game for longer.

Haven't played Trials Frontier myself though.

Or in the case of people that hate them, drives those people to never play them again.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Or in the case of people that hate them, drives those people to never play them again.

That happens too for sure. But overall, it's typically a "net positive" in terms of growing and retaining an audience.

As a gamer, they usually don't bother me as I don't usually have the time to play for anything more than short bursts anyway. I typically just wait it out. Though I stopped playing Candy Crush Saga because of the lives system once the difficulty and randomness reached a point where I felt like lives were being consumed "unfairly".
 

PittaGAF

Member
Thanks Pitta! I'll give it another shot tonight.

Kind of funny that I don't remember 4-1 being that hard (and I really haven't been reading the TA thread) but maybe that's because 4-2 has really spelled trouble for me.

Wish me luck as I honor my chapter once again through my own personal pit of hell on the bridge level.

Edit: Finally got past it! But with just two survivors escaping by a hair. Seemed to start out strong but then all hell broke lose, especially with their firebreathers. I hate those motherf**kers. Damn that level kicks my ass.

See? :)
So glad you made it!!!

There is a advantage in losing everything when dying.
You can happily try all sort of mad and new strategies afterwards...because you have nothing else to lose :p

Enjoy the rest!!!
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Interestingly it says "Sidhe" here. Any reasons for not using the PikPok name/brand here Mario?

Apple annoyingly changed things without telling us and others. All devs are getting their name changed to their legal name over time, and the elongated version is what we originally registered on the App Store with.

To "fix" it, we need to change our name to "PikPok Limited" which we are in the cumbersome process of doing.


The game's been out for a while in Soft-launch it seems but I haven't seen it before.

We've been keeping it on the down low. The TouchArcade forums only just discovered it this morning too.
 

killercow

Member
Apple annoyingly changed things without telling us and others. All devs are getting their name changed to their legal name over time, and the elongated version is what we originally registered on the App Store with.

To "fix" it, we need to change our name to "PikPok Limited" which we are in the cumbersome process of doing.

Oh that does sound like something Apple would do..

Well I don't mind seeing Sidhe since it reminds me of the amazingly perfect "Shatter" (I've said it again but I'd love an iPad port *wink* *wink*)

But yeah I understand it wouldn't make sense considering you're quite known under this brand on iOS.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Oh that does sound like something Apple would do..

Well I don't mind seeing Sidhe since it reminds me of the amazingly perfect "Shatter" (I've said it again but I'd love an iPad port *wink* *wink*)

But yeah I understand it wouldn't make sense considering you're quite known under this brand on iOS.

We are once again looking at Shatter for iPad. Seeing if we can partner with a third party dev on it. The graphics code is proving problematic though :/
 

killercow

Member
We are once again looking at Shatter for iPad. Seeing if we can partner with a third party dev on it. The graphics code is proving problematic though :/

Have you tried Lucid Games? Their port of Geometry Wars 3 was the real deal with Metal and MFi controller support. I think it did quite well to.

I'd really really love to see it and would buy it again (I own the game on PS3, PC and the Vinyl with the OST from Module. On that note please don't compress the audio!).
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Have you tried Lucid Games? Their port of Geometry Wars 3 was the real deal with Metal support and MFi controller.

I'd really really love to see it and would buy it again (I own the game on PS, PC and the Vinyl with the OST from Module. On that note please don't compress the audio!).

Haven't tried them specifically. But will look them up.
 

Matt Frost

Member
I tried Shapist, is a good game... but... I prefer going through all those bricks in Blockwick 2 more. Feels more rewarding. And is overall a better package, with triple the levels and the charm and polish.

New Pikpok/Sidhe game in Soft-Launch( Australia): "Breakneck"

Breakneck is a freemium Race the Sun on steroids version. I like the graphics and the speed sensation, is nice. The vehicle look awesome too. Dont like that is pay-to-win. Will probably download it again when is out worldwide to see how it ends up.

AppSpy posted a preview of this one
 

awp69

Member
Also played Breakneck, but the F2P system is a real downer for it. I have yet to have an option for "watch a video" to continue (maybe it doesn't work outside of Australia?). And the dual currencies are rough.

But in particular, the buy with premium currency or watch a video will really throw off the leaderboards. Also, the framerate on my Mini 2 is a bit sluggish.

Ashame because I like the setting, Wipeout style feel and boost system. If it went premium, there would be a lot to love.

As it stands, Race the Sun at $4.99 is a bargain for a similar, more polished experience without the F2P annoyances.

It's still in soft-launch though. And we have seen games switch from F2P to premium when finally releasing so who knows.

See? :)
So glad you made it!!!

There is a advantage in losing everything when dying.
You can happily try all sort of mad and new strategies afterwards...because you have nothing else to lose :p

Enjoy the rest!!!

Lol. Yeah, that is one "benefit" of defeat. Thanks again for the tips.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
It's still in soft-launch though. And we have seen games switch from F2P to premium when finally releasing so who knows.

Well, I know :) It won't change between now and hardlaunch, sorry :/

Our general business model is F2P based. Premium titles are not very commercially viable or sustainable on mobile, and Apple featuring is mandatory to even give you a fighting chance which you can't really bank on.

In terms of the game itself, there are another two updates in the works before hardlaunch, so there is still a bit to go in and improve. The first update is already in submission.
 

Matt Frost

Member
Completely addicted to Sorcery! at the moment. Cant wait to finish it to start the second, then the 3rd and hoping the 4th part releases this year :D

Also, good news as well as the sequel to Hero Emblems is on its way! Now I need to grind more to be able to buy more emblems and defeat the orc xD
 

awp69

Member
Ouch, Submerged (From Uppercut Games creators of Epoch 1 and 2) is getting some brutal reviews on console:

http://www.destructoid.com/review-submerged-297002.phtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I'm curious to see how it's going to fare on iOS.

Yikes. Can't see it faring any better on iOS. Sounds like a game that's pretty to look at but not fun to play.

Also hear The Dear God is releasing next month. Played the Android beta via Humble Bundle and it was pretty interesting and unique. Will be curious to see the final product.
 
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