In this mobile version of Puzzle Fighter a lot of the base action feels the same, but it's hard to tell if you ever deserve your wins or losses. Did you win that match because you outplayed your opponent, or did you simply have better cards than them? The free-to-play model obscures the answer to this question so much that Puzzle Fighter never really feels satisfying, at least not in the way it used to. Instead, the main draw is the appeal of unlocking things, rather than developing your puzzle-matching skills.

Expand your web of resources in this streamlined and simplified real-time strategy game.

Simulacra 2 struggles to get you invested in its shallow, clumsy narrative.

It's tough not to be cynical when confronted by such an uninspired freemium town building sim such as this. It hardly uses the movie license well.

I can see and appreciate the things Endling is going for, but it mostly only makes troublesome and weak attempts to reach them. Outside of the marketing, it never really feels like a game where you are the last fox on the planet. You don't actually get a good window into the horrors of human destruction. Yes, you play as a fox and you see cut down trees, but the message isn't sold to you within the game itself or through the things it asks you to do, which is pretty disappointing.

Their whole existence as a band made up of digital characters seems like the perfect makeup for a great video game, but instead the developer went with a safe clone of another game. It almost feels like they didn't try.

Scoop's arcade action relies too much on random luck than quick skills.

BladeSmith's sharp ideas are dulled by borderline incomprehensible presentation.

Ivy the Kiwi? is a clear indicator if there ever was one: there is a big difference between games on phones and tablets, and games made for them. The price tag may be lower, but take our word for it: try the free trial first, and consider going 'retro' if you're intrigued.

The spot-the-difference game works well enough, but for a couple of qualms. The first is that occasionally the precision of the touch controls is a bit off, particularly with the smaller, subtler differences. That's annoying because you get penalized. Secondly, forcing me have to complete five puzzles in a row before I can move on to the next five, and then making it that I have to replay all five puzzles if I run out of time is a little too penalizing.

Running was Forrest Gump's forte, so obviously an Endless Runner 20 years later makes sense, right?

Fun for five minutes isn't enough for Epic of Kings.

This location-based Pokémon game does the bare minimum in the Pokémon and game departments, but somehow creates some appeal nonetheless.

This attempted hail mary ends up feeling like more of a personal foul.

Hills of Glory 3D is the most aggravating kind of game: one with good ideas but sloppy execution.

Even real tornadoes last longer than Tornado Time.

This space opera is a fun exploration to partake in, but then the actual combat starts.

Take on opponents in this one-on-one, turn-based street hoops game.

Mech battles should be very cool and epic, Mech Battle Arena is unfortunately neither.

This text-based adventure has an intriguing story, but everything else about it holds it back.

Glass Lighthouse is a puzzle game with some niggling irritants.

Create some truly awe-inspiring hairy artwork in Debonair Facial Hair — just don't expect to have that much fun in the process.

There's not a lot of entertainment to be had from iSlack. It's a very simplistic game, and its lasting appeal is minimal.

The Deer God looks fantastic, but it falls drastically short.

Deadman's Cross fuses a zombie-driven FPS with card-based battle gameplay. It's just a shame that some of this play is automated and needs a persistent internet connection.

Evilibrium is yet another sad example of how free-to-play games can be extremely cynical experiences.

For the patient, or the diehard fans, it may be worth playing the waiting game. However, if this is somebody's first foray into the Minecraft universe, I'd advise tacking an extra Jackson on and just picking up the PC version instead.

FFFFF2P makes an amusing statement, but the game itself isn't a whole lot of fun to play thanks to repetition and control issues.

From a gameplay standpoint, Sisyphos isn't that interesting. However when taken as a statement, it says a lot.

It's a well done game that surely appeals to an audience out there. For me it just wasn't a standout.

Road Not Taken is chock full of cool and clever puzzle ideas that make playing it feel overly complicated and needlessly cruel. Even if you were up for the challenge though, there are some significant technical issues that keep the game from being enjoyable. It's a shame, really.

Maximus Discus is a reasonable homage to one of the most iconic films of the 20th century. Its ice-hockey like battles are good if not spectacular, but may be worth a look just for that bodacious 80s soundtrack.

Shin Megami Tensei for iOS is a version of the 1992 original localized for the US and ported to the iPhone, no more, no less.

Glob is a cute little critter, but his game is just too frustrating to keep company with for any significant amount of time.

Submerged is a pretty disappointing game. It creates a wonderful sense of mystery and atmosphere, and squanders it at every turn. The controls aren't great, the story alternates between being predictable and inscrutable, and the gameplay is almost completely comprised of mundane, Assassin's Creed-style climbing. While beautiful, Submerged is just not what it appears to be on the surface.

Strictly for those who find the idea of driving a bus exhilarating, Bus Simulator 3D lacks fun factor in the areas where it matters most.

Being the zombie rather than the human survivor makes a nice change but Rise of the Zombie! lacks compelling reasons to keep playing.

Part Kung-Fu epic, part rhythm-based fighting game and part self-promotion, Way of the Dogg is a fan-only affair, if that.

The goal is to collect ingredients that fall from the sky to build tall burgers and complete orders and goals, but High Burger fails to separate itself from others like it in the App Store.

This physics-based game has too many things that drag it down.

Yet another movie tie-in game that misses the boat.

This multiplayer trivia game based on the Garfield comic strip might be amusing for a minute, but hyper-aggressive monetization makes playing any longer a tedious affair.

This one-touch arcade game uses random elements and unlocks to try to keep things interesting, but ultimately feels like a lonely, empty desert.

What we’re left with is a game that looks pretty awesome, but doesn’t live up to its visual style. PlunderNauts may be enjoyable enough to pick up and play a few rounds of from time to time, but the way it seems to fight players who want to play and enjoy it make it a largely frustrating experience.

Excalibur's promise as a free-to-play action RPG is evident, and it's use of IAPs are also surprisingly non-invasive. Unfortunately, it offers little of value over other action RPGs.

Subdivision Infinity looks great in screenshots, but its presentation of space is very one-dimensional. The game revolves completely around repetitive missions to upgrade ships, which leaves a lot to be desired. For the same price (or less) than Subdivision Infinity, you can get a much better space game experience on mobile.

Right now, Armed and Gorgeous is hard to recommend. It's not just the character's wardrobe that's skimpy as the game itself is lacking depth and length for the current asking price.

This match-three puzzle game suffers from a poorly realized free-to-play structure and a lack of Pokemon spirit.

RPGolf is comprised of two mediocre sets of mechanics that feel hastily stuck together. The RPG mechanics here are dead simple and the golfing offers no challenge. If there was something here to make these two game types intersect in interesting ways, RPGolf could skate by on being a novel experience. Regrettably, this is not the case, making for a game that just feels pretty bland and disjointed.

That's some of the problem with Shards of Time. It's a little too easy, even for a Hidden Object game. It's also too predictable and safe, offering precious little that hasn't been done before. At its current introductory price, it's decent enough value for fans of the genre but anything higher and it's a tough one to recommend. It's a little too average for comfort.

Show off those moves in the first motion-capture dancing game for iOS. Just don't expect to have that much fun while doing so.

The Counting Dead eats away at your brain along with your time.

Test vocabulary in this dungeon-crawler by playing Boggle to cast spells.

Requiring too much waiting around for all but the very patient, Animal Voyage starts well but quickly turns into a bit of a slog.

Beyond the technical issues, Unearthed is a playable game, but that is hardly a compliment. For those that are curious, feel free to check it out. The first 20 minutes or so are absolutely free.

The only truly puzzling thing about Puzzling Rush is why the developers didn't do more with this fantasy themed 'match-3' game. It's not really much of a rush either, truth be told.

Ultra Drift is fine in concept, but the execution runs head-first into the wall. And so will you. Over and over again.

Want to play a jacked-up version of Jetpack Joyride? Pick up Gravity Jack!

There's a nice original idea within this Endless Runner, but elsewhere it's a little too basic to recommend.

This game needs a check-up of its own.

SuperRope's sketchy game mechanic and pay wall to further unlocks turned me off from this game. On a platform full of other quality endless ascension games, there just isn't the time to mess with this one.

The controls in Pocket Minions are terrible. It is way too easy to accidentally tap something, and it feels like half the time what I meant to tap was something besides what I did. It's just so busy, there's no room for the minions to breathe, and all the interface elements are just extremely cluttered. This is as true on the iPad as it is on the iPhone.

Static Quest is fleeting fun for a few minutes, but is unable to sustain players for much longer than that.

Don't Kill the Squirrel is a good idea. The game behind the idea, though, really isn't up to scratch and is hard to recommend.

Rhythm game fans would do much better to stick with Rock Band and the Tap Tap series, as Guitar Hero is just a flashy bundle of mediocrity.

I could easily overlook Wicket – The Beginning's control issues if it weren't for the fact that the gameplay serves zero purpose. There's no progression of any kind, save watching the numbers next to the gold coin, sword and shield go up. It's a shame, really. I think this game could be pretty cool if any of it actually lead to something.

I AM MT: Card Battle is not really a card game, but more like a middling dungeon crawler with a card aesthetic.

Angels in the Sky is a technically impressive, but rigid and creatively soulless shooting gallery.

In its present incarnation it's difficult to recommend, but at 99 cents it won't break even the piggy bank if you're curious, and you could certainly do far worse.

A little too close to Temple Run for comfort, XRun Space might have the mechanics right but it lacks its own personality.

War is hell, sure, but it doesn't have to be this brutal. Warfare Nations' art style can't stop the relentless grind.

Not even the deeply ingrained nostalgia over one of the world’s earliest “Survival Horror” games is enough to make this port worthwhile.

Definitely one to avoid.

This runner does a good job of channeling the crazy charm of Katamari Damacy, but it’s also overloaded with ads and other annoyances.

For a short time, PickCrafter will have you under its strange spell. Thankfully, it doesn't last and you can get back to doing more productive things in life, like watching paint dry.

My Little Hero looks great, the controls work well and keep it simple, and there is a wonderful storyline. But for serious platform gamers it's a tediously long journey for small reward.

A cumbersome strategy game, Stronghold 3: The Campaigns has a few too many issues to recommend it.

Players that enjoy simplistic one-touch puzzle platformers may get some mileage out of ROTO, but how much mileage is hard to say.

Hasta La Meurte looks good, but suffers from serious technical difficulties.

To win a seat on mankind's first trip to Mars, a handful of steam engineers compete in a contest of market savvy. But first someone needs to fish the wrenches out of this tabletop adaptation's gears.

Dungeon Defenders just reeks of an idea that wasn't fully thought through. It is as if someone got the idea to make a hack 'n slash and tower defense hybrid, but never considered if it would actually work.

Iron Dragon II - Revenge suffers from poor controls and mind-boggling repetition. Best to let the bad guys run amok.

Cross-genre pollination is always a worthwhile experiment, but the results here are mixed.

This is one for those who are huge fans of the franchise more than anything else.

A rough ride that has trouble keeping its wheels on the track.

As much as we would love to say Trial Xtreme 3 is the rebirth of the genre, it proves to be the exact opposite. Absurd spikes in difficulty don't do much to help matters along the way either. Downloader beware, this is not the Trials you should be looking for.

This gamebook looks like a cool graphic novel, but it's painfully lacking in substance.

Even if Batuhan's debut iOS game isn't the most ambitious, it does a serviceable job as a fun, simple, and for the most part challenging physics-based puzzle game. And he's introduced me to the idea of a melon truck, and that in and of itself is invaluable.

Tug of Words is a competitive multiplayer word game that combines elements of Scrabble and Boggle.

This FMV game presumes you’ll want to play it exhaustively to uncover its secrets but doesn’t really give you reasons to want to do that.

This puzzle game mixes the gameplay of games like Threes! with roguelike elements.

Puzzle Family VS strips out nearly all the components that made the first game in the series great, leaving only a cutesy shell with very little soul.

Smash Spin Rage sure lives up to its title: the over-reliance on IAP caused me to smash, spin, and rage!

This puzzle game has a cute premise that it doesn't quite execute on.

Melodrive translates songs into haphazard tracks in an intense but flawed rhythmic racer.

We ain't afraid of no ghosts! Too bad the Ghostbusters brand is merely haunting another classic table.

The game has several different environments including the suburbs, downtown, and a college campus. Still the variety doesn't add much to the game. Flying around and pooping gets old quick and the gameplay just isn't very engaging enough. Players are probably better off just flapping right by this one.

Offering fairly drab tower defense gaming, Dead Defence is something we've seen before, too often.