iPhone Game of the Month, July 2010: Helsing's Fire

July has been an outstanding month for games, with heavy hitters like Gameloft's Hero of Sparta 2 and Let's Golf! 2, plus surprise hits like Chopper 2 and Plunderland. But our top spot goes to one of the brightest games on the App Store: Helsing's Fire.

In Helsing's Fire, a 99-cent puzzle game from Ratloop and Clickgamer, you play as the legendary Professor Van Helsing from Bran Stoker's Dracula. Along with his trusted companion Ruffton, Helsing has created a series of potions which, when combined with the awesome light of righteousness, will destroy Dracula's minions.

The trick is finding the right position on the screen to place your torches. You must bathe the monsters in light, but only deploy potions that match their color. You must also avoid destroying humans, and keep your torch moving to dodge the darkness the creatures throw at you.

Helsing's Fire is a beautiful and creative example of the iPhone's gaming potential. It contains a simple concept, but adds layers of complexity from level to level. Wrapping it all up is an interesting story, likable characters, stylish graphics, and great music.

Our runner-up is Xenome Episode 1 from Nine Pound Studios. Xenome is a massive open-world RPG that plays like an offline World of Warcraft. You play as The Scientist, who is awakened in a wasteland future and must discover why he was frozen in the past is a wanted man in the future. If you like exploration, character customization, and are addicted to the "ding" of leveling up, you need to try Xenome.

Congratulations to Ratloop and Nine Pound Studios for making such incredible games. These two winners and all of the other games we mentioned here are worth buying, so go get 'em!