The “With Friends” series is appealing in many ways. It acts as a simple conduit through which a group of gamers can play bite-sized multiplayer sessions without complicated setup or hoops to jump through. It’s also an inexpensive collection of multiplayer-centric titles that you can switch between easily rather than having to fork over a ton of cash each time.  Read More →

Cats are animals of many talents. They can leap like frogs, bark like dogs, and manipulate human emotion by simply looking up at us with those big, wet black eyes. It also happens that some cats can even blow themselves up to save their offspring (not all cats—this is an important distinction). Chillingo’s Bombcats is a unique and utterly adorable physics puzzle game that introduces you to one such kindle of combustible kittens.  Read More →

The protagonists of endless running games typically charge blindly, like a bull that’s received a shock to the butt. Even though it’s the player’s job to make sure the character jumps, ducks, and slides away from danger, it can be frustrating to witness such a mindless display. “Good Lord,” you bark, “Just stop and think for a second instead of running into that meat grinder!” Is there such a thing as an endless runner hero who can stop and smell the roses, even for a heartbeat?  Read More →

Often in life, it’s the simple things that bring us the most pleasure. The game Dots is a simple thing, and I’ve found myself returning to it daily over the past week and a half. It’s a casual game that just about anyone of any age can enjoy, anywhere they happen to be. All you need is a minute of free time and an iOS device.  Read More →

From the title, you might assume that Gravity Guy 2 is about gravity, especially if you’ve played the original Gravity Guy. Instead, this sequel is about lifting floors and creating an escape route for the heroic and titular Gravity Guy. Unfortunately, the hero will never actually escape. This is an endless runner, and your best hope is to collect coins and buy power-ups to make your next run even better than your last.  Read More →

For all it has going against it, Star Trek Rivals should not be a good game. It has no single-player mode; its card packs are overpriced; it can be glitchy; its Star Trek branding is inconsequential. And yet it still manages to be a fun, engaging game. Like the space-faring heroes of the franchise it’s based on, Star Trek Rivals defies the odds and kind of succeeds.  Read More →

There are numerous games that can be played on both the iPad and smaller iDevices, but they tend to lose something in the transition. We strongly suspect that Can Knockdown 3 is one of those games.  Read More →

Daddy Was a Thief is designed for those who want to pick up a game and play it immediately. The game fills you in on the story with a quick opening sequence: In a comic book-like series of panels, you come to understand that Daddy was fired from his job. Thinking of his wife and child, he dons a mask and heads to the nearest bank.  Read More →

Lately there has been a rash of celebrity-connected party games in the App Store. Ellen Degeneres is pushing Heads Up, Zynga wants us to believe Carly Rae Jepson is a big fan of Draw Something 2, and the band OK Go is headlining Say the Same Thing. Who knew that celebrities were such experts at game design?  Read More →

It’s a good bet that prey animals angst over their low positions on the food chain, but few of them know what it’s like to be at the bottom. Like, really at the bottom. Tadpoles know, though. Man, do they know. Tasty Tadpoles is an action/puzzle game that emphasizes the daily struggle these little guys engage in simply to survive.  Read More →