Arrr, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day here at iFanzine again, thanks t' Monster Robot Studios debutin' with this engineerin' puzzle game. I be warnin' ye, don't let yer bridge pieces sink into Davy Jones' locker here!
Not only is "Pickpawcket" one of the best art history lessons you'll find on iOS, it's a really cool game too! Maybe it's not that port of "Metal Gear Solid" you've always wanted on your iDevice, but fans of stealth action and logic puzzle games are nevertheless highly encouraged to give this one some well-deserved attention.
If you've been following iFanzine for awhile you'll no doubt remember "Yslandia," brought to us by MovingPlayer and BulkyPix last October. I wasn't sure what to expect when MovingPlayer made the jump from MMORPGs to casual puzzlers, but after "Drag'On" you'll hear no complaints from me if they decide to spend some more time in their newfound niche!
One of the App Store's true hidden gems, "Alpha Swarm" lifts elements from the logic puzzle, physics puzzle, and shoot 'em up genres, blending them into a wonderfully refreshing experience. Now, if only it weren't marred by a few interface flaws!
If you sat down with me for a game design chat, I'd probably recommend two ideas be crossed right off the list of possibilities: anything too reminiscent of "Minesweeper," and zombies. However, Frogtoss Games had an extraordinary insight -- what about combining the two? It turns out that the result is kind of awesome.
Mobile Snap has set a new standard for physics puzzlers with this deep and well polished offering. How can "Gravity Lab!" not stand out when it gives you exactly four times the physics to worry about compared to the genre norm?
While we can't wait to see Alawar & friends tackle more action games after "Shake Spears!," the ultra-creepy but ultra-fun "Tomb Slider" reminds us why casual puzzle games are still the company's bread and butter.
"Across Age" and "Cavorite," stirred together? Be still, my beating heart! iFanzine recently spent some time with the PC demo for "Wyv and Keep," which will make it to iOS among the number of release platforms a jolly corpse is planning to tackle. Okay, maybe we're cheating, but we just couldn't resist getting our grubby game-previewing hands on this one after we learned about its cool teamwork premise.
"Necta Collecta" exceeds player expectations in the amount of content it packs in. However, a distinct lack of tension in its gameplay takes the experience down a notch for those who like to see brisk challenge in their puzzle games.
Okay, okay -- its whole title is actually "Hamlet or the Last Game Without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement." Phew. This logic puzzler from Alawar Entertainment first splashed into the PC gaming scene last year, and now you can grab it for a buck on your iPhone or iPod Touch! While it has scant replay value and demands a strong appreciation of the genre, it's so irreverently zany and well executed on the iOS that logic puzzle fans would do well to pick this one up if they haven't played it before.