It’s hard for me to say anything too bad about the game, nor anything that’s especially effusive in praise. Syder Arcade just exists as it is, a retro-styled shoot ’em up that wants to let players destroy waves of enemies, unleash special abilities, and just have some mindless fun for a little while. That’s perfectly fine! It’s not a game of the year candidate, but it’s something those who download it and check it out will enjoy.

All in all, Stratosphere: Multiplayer Defense probably isn’t for serious gamers. I feel like it may have more of an appeal for casual gamers and children alike, but that doesn’t make it a bad game by any means. It’s still a great way to compete against friends, and I’m looking forward to what the developers have in store for future updates. It’s off to an awesome start.

Even though this game may suffer from being overly simplistic, it still deserves a try. Senkai Puzzle is an intriguing app that brings with it a different take on the popular cube-rotating game we all know and love from our childhood. Give it a shot.

Ultimately, though, Claustrophobic‘s gameplay is a little on the shallow side. There’s the prospect of new updates at a later date but, for now, it doesn’t quite have the longevity of other Endless Running games. The addition of challenges could have helped this significantly, so hopefully that will be one such update. For now, though, Claustrophobic is an interesting idea but one that lacks that “just one more go” factor.

Multiplayer and pinball have never gone hand-in-hand, but after playing PinWar it’s hard to wonder why it hasn’t happened sooner. Factoring in an insane amount of missions and stage structures to boot, and this is an experience worth pulling the plunger on. Just try not to be too competitive when crushing the opposition. Sometimes sore losers and fragile electronics don’t exactly mix.

It’s a fun ride, but one that isn’t quite as gripping as it should be. Tin Man Games has done a fine job of converting the book to the iOS format, but it’s just not the greatest of Fighting Fantasy titles. Still, nostalgic fans will enjoy it sufficiently for the asking price. Others can feel their interest piqued ready for further installments.

Ku: Shroud of the Morrigan isn’t a perfect iOS adventure game, but it’s definitely a good one.

Frog Orbs has some interesting elements to it, but only those looking for new takes on Missile Command should really check this one out.

Aside from the few minor issues Steampunk Racing 3D is absolutely a fun racing game. There are plenty of apps in this genre, but this one is particularly intriguing and worth checking out.

This game is more obfuscating than it is complex, and while its disparate elements made me want to like it, playing it did a lot to dissuade me in an immediate fashion.

Bloody Epic is one surpisingly fun runner. It’s got plenty of unlockables (even without counting the “special” IAP gear), an unexpected amount of strategy to employ, and buckets o’ gore. Not even buckets, more like swimming pools or something. All in all it’s a great use of $1 and a great way to kill time. Also orcs and undead.

There’s clearly fun to be had with Checkpoint Madness, but at times, it feels more stressful than enjoyable.

Wordchemy is a good choice for a free word game. It’s unpolished but its core is just fun and unique enough to keep that from completely bringing it down. It’s not alchemy but it can still be a little bit magic.

Minor miscalculations aside, Megamassive is an impressive physics-only puzzle game. It’s incredibly easy to learn and fun to experiment with even if it can be a tad too unforgiving.

Though it may be hard to believe, Beeline may have found the perfect way to distill the Ghostbusters experience into iOS game form. The fact that it is completely free and fun to boot makes it an even heartier download recommendation. So, who you gonna call? It should definitely be these guys.

The best aspects of Ski Jump Pro are the customization that players can make to characters, the sheer amount of content in the game, and the straightforward controls. The simple gameplay does get repetitive like so many other casual games, but it is nonetheless fun.

Given such a high level of difficulty, Puzzle Retreat should last many players quite a while, providing they don’t mind that the sole competition involved is with themselves.

Hamster Chase is a smart, delightful little game. Only those with hearts of stone will be able to resist its charms.

The Villain can be a good bit of innocent fun although it isn’t exactly the most polished iOS game out there. The objectives are a little scattered and the interface is somewhat clunky, but conjuring up a small army of adorable skeletons to do the dirty work is always a good time.

Deep Flare: Lander is every bit as simple and oddly fun as its inspiration from the 70s, but it’s also every bit as “classic.” There’s absolutely nothing new here, aside from some rather bothersome ads. Nostalgic Lander pilots will most likely enjoy it despite the occasional thumb slip but I’m not entirely sure younger, more contemporary-minded App Store shoppers will find it all that special.

I really like that Wordbox isn’t just about spelling as many words as possible. The different task each quest has makes it more about finding the right words, instead of just any words. At the end of the day, it’s still a word game, but there’s more to it than just spelling words.

BladeZ is campy fun. Which also translates to it not being the most polished experience, but for an amusing laugh with a high sense of difficulty and challenge, as schmups tend to promise, it delivers in droves.

In an age where far too many physics puzzle games try to stump the audience into submission, Tito’s Shell proves that variety can be just as fun. Though the title may not be overly long, the process of perfecting each level could end of being a tremendous time suck. Never has venturing into the deep dark unknown sounded like so much fun.

Table Top Racing offers hectic combat racing for a very reasonable price.

It’s remarkably different from the direction the rest of the App Store has taken, and it’s worthy for the way it and its creator have stood tall in making it. But beyond that the game is perfect for pick up and play, and has plenty of satisfying fast-paced action and insanity to be definitely worth checking out.

It’s not a concept that automatically endears anyone but Sortee does it all well. It’s a simple yet enjoyable casual focused game, but one that will trick one’s brain more than expected. A fine combination for the grand price of nothing.

Descent: The Adventure has some potential but it's far too rough at the moment. Too rough and not very fun, sadly. There's always a chance it could see a few improvements along the way but until then it's probably best to keep a safe distance.

Little Inferno won't take long to reach its inevitable conclusion provided players burn all the things at a steady pace. However it's the puzzle-like combos and the funny, sometimes freaky, reactions objects have to fire that should keep them coming back even after unlocking the final catalog.