The iOS gaming thread

[MotiVater]

Anyone else tried Gameloft's new Dota clone? Heroes of Order & Chaos is free and so obviously pushes you towards IAP but I can't tell if it's irritating yet as I've only done the tutorial and couldn't get into a game because either the servers were bust or my net connection was being flaky.

Surprisingly, I'm quite enjoying this. Plays pretty well on iPad.

Total LoL clone, no real need for IAP just like the real thing.

[MK-1601]

We put out a new game this week, Guide The Light.

It's a puzzler with the old lasers-and-mirrors mechanic (Reflexions, Prism, et al). It's nice to have a game that's just a load of hard puzzles for 69p once in a while. (There is one IAP in it, which basically just lets you view the solutions.)

...

I'm still playing Happy Street, although the grinding is getting a bit silly now. I want to give the developers cash, but it feels like cheating at the game

Apart from that I've just been playing Curiosity (that got boring quick, but the update next week is supposedly adding 'surprises'), and a bit of Doodle Ducks (yet another endless runner, but with a nice art style and a risk/reward mechanic).

[Gotters]

Grabbed guide the light and its really nice, very slick mirrors puzzler with nice controls and feels challenging quite quickly. Cant go worng for 69p if u like this kind of thing.

[Davros sock drawer]

Ooh, looks like Deflektor. I'm in.

[Cosmic_Guru]

That was my impression 1st time too. You need to use sources outside of the game store to find the best games. Just search for best of iOS games list and choose from there. There's a lot of quality mixed in with tons of crap.

I've been monitoring this thread for a while, making a note of interesting things to follow up. Do apps get deleted if they don't sell anything over a certain period? Maybe they do sell a few, given that prices seem generally low (it's a whole new mind set for me this really, moving away from the £40 game or the 1200 point add on).

A surreal time last night simultaneously watching the Walking Deads on FX and working through episode one - I made a few unintentional decisions / mistakes from not sufficiently hammering the touch screen, but decided to live with the consequences - that bit at the beginning trying to get the shotgun loaded was a nightmare though and I hope there are not too many more sections like that.

Avernum escape from the pit looks interesting but requires very fine control since some of the buttons are absolutely tiny - the text is crystal clear though which is a good thing since there is a lot of it. Time to retrieve the DS pointer.

[Davros sock drawer]

Erm...you can't use a DS pointer on an iPad or iPhone screen...

[Fletch]

You can buy iPhone pointers though.

[bradigor]

We put out a new game this week, Guide The Light.

It's a puzzler with the old lasers-and-mirrors mechanic (Reflexions, Prism, et al). It's nice to have a game that's just a load of hard puzzles for 69p once in a while. (There is one IAP in it, which basically just lets you view the solutions.)

...

I'm still playing Happy Street, although the grinding is getting a bit silly now. I want to give the developers cash, but it feels like cheating at the game

Apart from that I've just been playing Curiosity (that got boring quick, but the update next week is supposedly adding 'surprises'), and a bit of Doodle Ducks (yet another endless runner, but with a nice art style and a risk/reward mechanic).

A Prism - Light The Way, game on iOS... Thank you muchly.

[toythatkills]

A Prism - Light The Way, game on iOS... Thank you muchly.

Prism is on iOS!

[p1nseeker]

Bridge Constructor has been reduced in the Thanksgiving sale, the controls are ever so slightly fiddly to start with, but if you're a fan of that sort of physics based building game it's well worth 69p. Guaranteed it will have you googling bridge types for ideas.

Just to let you all know this is Starbucks' free app at the moment.

[Mr Do 71]

Just to let you all know this is Starbucks' free app at the moment.

If anyone can grab me a code pls, I live in the countryside away from the cities. Thanks!

[toythatkills]

Couple of free recommendations. First is Rhythm Rocket.

It's a music game, kinda, and uses your iPod library. It doesn't generate levels based on the beats or anything, just the tempo of the music. You have to veer left and right (tilt or touch controls are present, and the touch controls are amazing) to avoid the big asteroids. If you hit the asteroids the penalties are MASSIVE, you lose a crapton of points and some health, as well as any multiplier you might have. You earn points, though, by getting really close to the asteroids as you fly past. It's basically risk:reward in its purest form and is actually totally ace.

Next is BattleLand: Warrior vs Monster, which is probably free for a couple of days more. Also available in HD (also free).

It's pretty much a loot-whore game but without the constant mashing of buttons to fight stuff. Instead, battles are turn-based and you have no direct control, so you have to send your guy in with a customised set of skills that can keep the battle going in your favour. There's TONS going on, though. There's a massive single player campaign with board-game-esque dungeons, there's side quests to do, there's loot to find, you can customise and upgrade the loot, there's an arena to fight other players, there's a tower with super-hard content (I think, I haven't got that far), you can hire other team members, and you don't have to connect it to Facebook or anything shit like that. It has some currency stuff going on, but that really doesn't seem necessary as far as I can tell so far, I haven't actually had any need to spend anything. Not just because I chose not to, I genuinely haven't needed to. Definitely worth a look.

[Davros sock drawer]

You can buy iPhone pointers though.

I know. Just saving him the hassle of digging out his DS one.

[Mr Do 71]

Huebrix is currently free, for those wanting a puzzler.

Fans of Piczle Lines will love this.

[Graham S]

Thanks to "Retro Blitz" I have just cleared a screen of Vic-20 Blitz! Don't think I've done that before, seen the little plane land and take off. If I have, it would have been 30 years ago.

[Harmunt]

Pair panic is nigh-on unplayable on an iPad3. The entire game displays in portrait but the game is clearly optimised for landscape play. The entire playing field is permanently squashed! Please make my 69p worth it!!

[Rev]

Taking this months edge recommendation: "girls like robots" is **really** good.

Nice characterisation, and a puzzle game that isn't afraid to completely upend its own rule set every four or five levels or so, while still holding onto the theme. And only 3000 entries on the leaderboard :-(

Everybody in the whole universe should probably buy this, I think. It's a very clever logic puzzle, with a very Doublefine silly story fastening it all together. I know £1.99 is expensive* but if the idea appeals at all you'll love it. Edge does words:

http://www.edge-online.com/review/girls-like-robots-review/

It's ace.

*Lol. But, y'know.

[MK-1601]

Prism is on iOS!

Yep, and I worked on that too

Although interestingly, Guide The Light's design was arrived at completely independently of Prism. (The developer wasn't aware of its existence before I pointed out the similarity.)

Prism had moveable lights and filters (and you could move blocks through each other), but the playing area was very small (a result of its pre-iPhone heritage) and there weren't that many types of puzzles the level designers could build. Guide The Light is a lot more varied (and supports modern iOS devices of course - I think Prism predated Retina display).

[bradigor]

I will be getting Guide The Light, I forgot Prism was on iOS too, I already have it. Although I preferred the DS version for some reason.

[Davros sock drawer]

I'm totally addicted to Hill Climb Racer now. Great fun once you unlock the Monster Truck and upgrade it a few times. The levels have some nice twists too (the ceiling of the Cave level has caused many a broken neck for my driver!)

Free!

[Fletch]

Wait til you get the monster truck on the moon, serious air!

[Davros sock drawer]

Doing that right now, wheeee!

[Fletch]

That's when the coins really start flying in, it's a shame there is no GC support as it would be a really competitive experience otherwise.

[ZOK]

Everybody in the whole universe should probably buy this, I think. It's a very clever logic puzzle, with a very Doublefine silly story fastening it all together. I know £1.99 is expensive* but if the idea appeals at all you'll love it. Edge does words:

http://www.edge-onli...-robots-review/

It's ace.

*Lol. But, y'know.

This is very nice indeed.

The situation with the undo button is annoying, as Edge mention, but if it was changed to a tile flick system, I guess you would also turn the game into a trial and error tile swiping exercise, which isn't really what it's about. DAT MUSIC

[merman]

Enjoying Little Bird with its tilt controls and sneaky levels...

[Massive Invisible Dog]

I was really enjoying Hill Climb until it became a horrible grind. Not being able to progress any further in any levels until you've upgraded far enough and having to play them over and over to the same sticking point is not fun.

[Davros sock drawer]

I wouldn't call it a "horrible" grind, but there is some truth in what you say.

[Cosmic_Guru]

Erm...you can't use a DS pointer on an iPad or iPhone screen...

Yep, discovered this for myself - seems not all pressure is the same. Actually its not too bad accessing very small level up buttons and hidden switches in dungeons when you realise that a soft touch is all that is required, not a little pointy jab. Very impressed with Avernum: Escape from the pit so far - it seems to be nicely balanced both in difficulty and economy and the display is absolutely gorgeous and brilliantly implemented for the pad with all the detail you could possibly want. Having managed to deal with the cat people, the lizard boss is just caning me when he starts to summon slimes.

[Rev]

This is very nice indeed.

The situation with the undo button is annoying, as Edge mention, but if it was changed to a tile flick system, I guess you would also turn the game into a trial and error tile swiping exercise, which isn't really what it's about. DAT MUSIC

DEM CUTSCENES.

The controls are a bit odd, but they work fine once you've worked out they're not quite as you expect. It is totally though.

[Pistol]

Yep, discovered this for myself - seems not all pressure is the same.

The iPhone doesn't use pressure at all, that's why. You'll notice there's no "give" in the screen, it's pure unresisting glass. Uses capacitance to detect touch instead.