Kingdom Builder should be a great game on iOS. The rules are simple and the play eminently suitable for transition to a touchscreen interface. But while it essentially delivers what it needs to, it's a salutary lesson on how a number of small issues which might not be deal breakers individually can rapidly snowball and make an app slip into unusable territory.

So am I just supposed to laugh when I spend ten minutes flopping a piece of bread around a house, only to lose when the bread wildly flops to the floor and goes bad? I’ve laughed at goats rocketing through the air, and comedic surgeries gone wrong …but go throw a piece of bread on the floor. Did you laugh? Probably not.

You can spend a lot of time "playing" Pilot Brothers without ever really achieving anything, including fun. I'm sadly grateful to take leave of Chief and Colleague. If we meet again, I hope it's in a much, much updated format, relevant to the current platform.

Danger Boat isn't particularly horrible per se, as it's quite playable and safe.

In a mobile environment where zero dollars is fast becoming the new 99 cents, your time is the most precious resource of all. The only currency of consequence, I'd argue, in or out of any game. And when a title like Aero Vacation asks you to pay for your own time? You deserve better.

There isn’t enough good to outweigh the bad/annoying, even for a game that doesn’t cost anything to download or play.

Dream Revenant could have been a halmark mobile gaming moment. Instead, it’s a masterclass in how to make a mess out of the best of intentions.

Worst of all, Tales of Phantasia deserves so much better. Fans mention its name in the same breath as legendary RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI for a reason. But as long as the West only has this mobile mess as a modern reference, we'll never fully comprehend that reason.

It’s an argument that could extend to many idle clickers, but usually the genre offers titles that distract you from realizing how futile things are. Merge Town! hardly does this, and it certainly doesn’t last for any great deal of time. Throw in the fact that there are just too many adverts available to you, either through your own choice or in a compulsory manner, and Merge Town! just isn’t much fun. There’s too little game in here to keep you amused for longer than a few minutes.

Overall, it would be hard to recommend the mobile version of Cosmonautica to anyone but absolute lovers of space trading games. There is great potential here, but Chasing Carrots has a lot of work to do before I’d feel comfortable giving it a proper endorsement.

Though it's pretty to look at, it's ultimately just another shallow money trap mobile gamers should steer clear of.

Castle Clout is technically fine, but it's not really all that much fun to play.

Playing Monster Mansion is as disheartening as watching someone drop a pack of raisins into your Trick-or-Treat bag. Very young monster fans might appreciate the simple gameplay and graphics, but even kids will crave something with a sharper bite before too long.

Those with greater patience might find it rewarding towards the end, but the blood-thirsty like me will find it disappointing that Barry won't splatter when dropped from great heights.

Is Wharr: The Colossus Age bad? No, but it's far from good, and it's frustrating when it should be fun.. If gamers skip this, they won't be missing anything.

It's true these old games have a limited appeal, but simply slapping them on the latest devices does them nothing but a disservice. It's a shame.

I think Paper Titans might be a bit of a misnomer here, as nothing about this game – not the characters, nor the world – is particularly epic in stature or in the fun department. While my initial impressions were that Paper Titans would be a stunningly original creation like origami, it becomes painstakingly clear after only a few minutes of playing that this is one platform adventure that has instead been through the paper shredder more than a few times.

Frontier Heroes was a great idea, but it was ultimately poorly executed. What we have here is a collection of mostly forgettable mini-games sprinkled with interesting historical facts.

Is it worth it? It mostly depends on how much you loved the TV show. There’s a certain undercurrent running when it comes to feeling affection toward these characters. The storyline does move, albeit slowly, so you can feel like you’re getting to know these women all over again. The change of perspective is welcome too, giving you some insight that you might not have felt through the show. It’s slow going though. So very slow going. You may find your patience runs thin or you simply forget to return to the delights of Wisteria Lane. The story is a tremendous slow burn, while the game itself is just too limited.

There are few game studios that can match Valve’s efforts; the team’s awesome talent is kind of what makes them Valve. It’s unlikely that POPS ever sought to really match the likes of Portal. On the other hand, if Better than Portal is supposed to be a joke, it’s not one worth laughing at. Especially not with its $0.99 price tag

While Cracking Sands looks like it has some promise, the fact is that - in our opinion, that is - it just wasn't very much fun to play. The bad outweighs the good, and the whole time, it was hard not to imagine ourselves instead playing other better examples of the genre.

While GoatZ features some new elements, it’s main element is still that the game remains largely a wonky mess of physics glitches, and the charm that came with the original game is fading very quickly.

This one’s hard to recommend to anyone, least of all Pokémon fans — unless you have a dark desire to see the cuddly critters exist miserably in a world that Should Not Be.

It finds itself solidly in the middle ground, somewhat mired in a few weird design choices and the lack of any kind of innovation. It just sort of exists. It most likely won't offend the people that decide to play it, but it won't stand out or be memorable for them either.

The redeeming qualities of the game, namely the artwork, and possibly the story, are squandered by uninspired gameplay that leaves one desiring something more.

There are a lot of reasons not to like Dark Fury, from its shoddy production values to its crummy advertising to its underwhelming automatic gameplay. But the worst thing about the game is how it takes such a promising premise -of seeing an RPG from the villainous army's perspective- and utterly wastes it.

Slashy Souls would be a fun game if it weren’t riddled with so many (honestly amateurish) bugs and design flaws.

A well-implemented game that's entertaining for about 20 or 30 minutes. After that, most players are going to figure out how to rapidly make matches without thinking too hard about the math involved.

There's a decent game buried under problem after problem, but even when you find the buried treasure, there's no guarantee it'll stick around.

For its outlandish storyline, there are a few chuckles to be found while playing The Princess Case: A Royal Scoop, but you'll unfortunately likely laugh for all of the wrong reasons. Even though the gameplay is fairly varied (all things considered), the issues here are simply too numerous to overcome.

The potential is there for something great, but basic issues like sluggish movement, forced upgrades, and lack of an interesting story backbone leave us with exactly what Brothers in Arms originally strove so hard to set itself apart from: just another mediocre WWII shooter.

Ultimately Dumb Ways To Draw is well presented but has very little to offer to anyone other than the least demanding of gamers.

I should really just repeat that word over and over again to make sure my conclusion is clear: Groove Vortex is an entirely pointless purchase, because it's a massively cut-down, excitement-ridden, barebones version of Super Hexagon.

It wisely has a low price tag but that still can’t really justify the lack of creativity on show here. Not even true die hard fans of the genre will get much out of this one.

This is Godfire: Rise of Prometheus! This! Is! Boredom!

This mission is a bust.

If you’re looking for a deep, varied, and enjoyable match-3 game, then you’re probably better off sliding right past this game on your mobile device, because the cold, robotic heart of Blitz Block Robo is devoid of any life or gaming amusement.

Aside from the lack of attention to detail, NFL Pro 2012 is more an indictment on the platform itself rather than the ability of the developers. The freemium model, however, makes the game as vanilla as it is broken.

Undecember is an ARPG that attempts to break away from the conventional norms of its genre. It does this by implementing a classless system. The campaign also keeps up by engaging you as you play through it. While this is interesting in concept, the game is dragged down many times by its soundtrack, graphics, and general aesthetic of its world. These features don’t appear to make as much of an effort. To drag it even further, the game has currencies that are locked behind a paywall, which is discouraging if you’re a casual gamer or a new player who doesn’t have a disposable amount of money.

With so many other options available out there, there’s just nothing to recommend RainbowTail to anyone. At best, it’s a partially-functional Match-3 game with some cute artwork. At worst, it’s a crashy, technical mess with no real allure. If you came for Pokemon, go play Pokemon. If you came for the match puzzles, almost anything else available would be an improvement.

Mega Man X definitely deserved a more faithful transition to iOS than what Capcom has delivered this time. If you want an excellent example of how to bring a classic game to modern platforms, check out Sonic CD, because it's exactly what should have been done here. I wouldn't call this port lazy, just a misguided attempt at upgrading a game that didn't need it.

Tales of Crestoria, for most of us, is big and confusing and probably not worth the effort. Tales of… fans will definitely get more out of it, but even then they’re going to spend a lot of time confused, befuddled, and letting the game take care of itself.

As it stands it's a one-trick pony, and just doesn't entertain. Maybe some more time in development instead of rushing to piggyback onto the Euro tournament would've been a better choice.

You’ll spend most of your time with the game frustrated at best, and annoyed at worst. And after a few hundred attempts at breaking through, with the hope that there is a great game here somewhere, you’ll realize that you’re wasting your time and head off to do something else.

With its macabre concept art and enigmatic tone, The Secret Society: Hidden Mysteries has a lot of potential to be something great. But a boring, almost nonexistent story and countless design flaws weigh down what could have been an absorbing hidden object adventure. I'd wait a few weeks to see if this game gets a much-needed title update before trying this one.

Strange Loves: Vampire Boyfriends calls itself a send-up, but doesn't present its case convincingly. In place of clever commentary on the supernatural romance genre, we get self-conscious references to romance novels and other pop culture phenomena that's simultaneously unsuitable for kids and too childish for adults.

It’s a shame that Futuridium EP is such a chore to play because it is definitely one of the coolest looking iOS games currently available. There’s a stylish aspect to the color palette and polygonal level design that is undeniable. Sadly, though, a lacking core experience means that nobody—even old-school gamers—should have to require the kind of patience it would take to truly enjoy this one. Pick it up at your own risk.

In the sea of endless runners, and in the pool of Everplay games, Miner Problem sinks.

Touchdowners is just too repetitive. There’s no new content to unlock, and 30 seconds with it shows you everything it has to offer. A child might appreciate the frantic nature a little more, but any experienced player is going to soon be frustrated by what’s going on here. Consider it an all too shallow and all too brief distraction.

Crossword Dungeon is - regrettably - not the game it pitches itself to be. It's dull and repetitive, the need to move a step between entering each letter in a word seems unnecessarily clunky, and the mistakes in the hints suggest a serious lack of polish.

Skip Zen Training. You're better off cleaning the scum off the bottom of a koi pond.

Mr. Crab is the McDonald’s toy equivalent of an iPhone game, and it didn’t come free with the Happy Meal.

But being a mediocre action-RPG is not the point of Hail to the King: Deathbat; this is a game by Avenged Sevenfold for their fans, and unless you are one, stay away from this game.

Overall, I would say give this a go, I think there is some fun to be had with this game you just need to adapt to bad controls and look up what to do. I personally would not invest in this game. Stealth horror games aren’t for everyone and I think there are many better attempts out there on mobile.

In a genre that's full of titles that have used Trials 2 as a source of inspiration to build off of, Xtreme Wheels ends up playing more like a "me too!" title than a truly unique game.

As it stands Cube Blast Match is not a broken game then, but far from a revolutionary one. If you have to play it we’d recommend looking into the mobile iteration first.

You might find some satisfaction in the collectibles you can earn, unlocking character costumes and new parts of the storyline — but I doubt it. Instead, you’ll hurry back to Futurama: Game of Drones and enjoy the great fan service there. Or, if you’re not too interested in a storyline, it’s not exactly like there’s a shortage of Match-3 puzzle games on the App Store. Family Guy- Another Freakin’ Mobile Game is just a little too eager to live up to its name.

The problem with Potty Racers 2 is that it's basically a one punchline joke. It's funny the first couple of times, but it doesn't take long before it wears itself out.

We love to see Jeff Matsuda's artwork grace our video game world, but with the game beneath that art being so subpar, Age of Monsters becomes a difficult title to recommend.

In order to be great, racing games need to be fast-paced, have solid controls, and be fun. RPM: Gymkhana hits none of these marks. It's clunky and frustrating and -worst of all- not all that enjoyable to play.

This is worth a shot if you like pouring hours upon hours into a visual novel – especially since there are multiple routes. However, you’ve really got to push yourself to get through the first few hours – don’t go into it expecting a predecessor to Danganronpa, because this game is nothing like that.

If you’re after a bold and brash 3D platformer you should definitely check out Bang-On Balls: Chronicles. Just not on the Switch.

Despite some cute graphics, Horse Life Adventures is a poor offering in a sub-genre that’s not celebrated for quality and depth in the first place. Go ahead and put this one out to pasture.

Umihara Kawase BaZooKa is a hard title to pin down. Okay, perhaps that’s too much of a cliche – as ultimately it’s an arcade game with some nonsensical flourishes.

Overall, we just can’t recommend Farm Punks though. On paper it makes little sense and in practice even less. Every aspect of it is unsatisfying, from the lifeless controls to the pointless upgrades. Save your time and play literally anything else instead.

In short, I really wanted to enjoy this game. In my opinion, the game is definitely perfect for children, as I don’t think they’d be as negatively inclined as I am in regard to the soundtrack. Though the difficulty does tend to spike at times, so I’m not too sure how a child could complete an entire run, even on the “easier level”. I adore Sanrio, and on paper, a Sanrio rhythm game that features popular characters sounds great – it’s just a shame that the music doesn’t.

Unnyhog offers a number of great ideas with Watee such as unique items and item combination. Unfortunately the execution is of low quality, and that attempt to be different has led to unnecessary and boring timing levels and poor instruction.

After playing this new mobile version of Rivals for Catan, I’m sorely tempted to grab a copy of the physical game to add to my collection.

There’s nothing wrong with strangeness, as long as it’s backed up with some solid fundamentals. But DEEEER Simulator goes for all-out weird and subsequently ends up falling flat as a game – which might be forgivable to some extent if it wasn’t for its high pricetag.

Maybe Mobile Strike will hook some people in — presumably those less interested in hands-on gaming — but for most, it’ll simply be an ideal example of the more insidious side of free-to-play gaming. Expect plenty of tapping and not much strategy or deep thought here.

Zombie Highway is the superior game and Mutant Roadkill is a rip off with just enough tweaks to the gameplay to keep it from being blatant. And these tweaks to the gameplay result in a game that's significantly less fun to play than its inspiration.

When Zynga released Mafia Wars 2 it felt significantly more modern than its predecessor. Mafia Farm, by comparison, feels ancient.

Trenches II is an incredible letdown. It's not stable, it shows a serious lack of polish, and, most important of all, it's boring. What's really bizarre is that several of these issues are major steps backwards from previous titles in the series by the same developer. As of right now, there's still a good game beneath all these issues, but it's going to take a lot of polish to uncover it.

The Show Must Go On will set you back $1 in the App Store, and there is nothing in the game that justifies the price. Cute art style aside, save your dollar for some pool at the local pub and turn off the lights on this game.

The initial fun just isn't worth the frustration when you start losing online matches because your opponents are willing to spend way more cash than you are.

Ultimately we’re not sure Romantic Distancing is even worth buying at its budget price point, unless you’re desperately after an hour of undemanding and disappointingly lightweight entertainment.

While Universal Movie Tycoon could easily function as a game--and be a rather enjoyable one at that--it refuses to just be a pleasant reminder of some of your favorite film franchises in the middle of a fun experience. Instead, it insists upon being an advertisement in game's clothing, feeling more like a game version of Netflix that makes you earn your movies before you watch them--and even then you have to buy them.

Despite a nice presentation and fluid performance on the iOS platform, there is just not enough to do here in Bird Mania, and the bare minimum of things you can do in the game are just not all that fun either. So those early birds can have this bland worm: I’d rather spend the day in my nest instead.

Attempting to blend wordplay with other genres is a risky effort, and in AbraWORDabrA it just doesn't pay off. If you're a fan of mobile wordplay, don't be drawn in by the cute characters and promise of something fresh and original. There are plenty of better options out there.

The issue with Fieldrunners Attack! is that it isn’t even a great interpretation of the usual base building strategy stuff. It’s too formulaic, and too safe to be considered a step forward in any way. Full troop control is something that other strategy games should embrace, but it’s still not enough. If you’ve played any of the many Clash of Clans clones out there, you’ve played this before. Don’t pump money or time into it. It’s not worth it.

Build Away! lacks too much excitement to be anything more than a very brief distraction.

Super Sports Blast generally feels a bit anemic despite the inclusion of three sports, and the lack of polish isn’t quite balanced out by its budget pricepoint. It’s a workmanlike collection, and although it never feels broken its lack of any real spark or magic wears you down before long.

Six-Guns manages to snatch mediocrity out of the jaws of greatness. It's by no means a terrible title, but it is remarkably shallow, unpolished, and repetitive. That's heartbreaking, honestly, because no one should ever have to use that last sentence when describing a game about cowboys fighting vampires.

DuckTales: Scrooge’s Loot is an example of what happens when a developer combines a beloved franchise with a genre that has no logical connection.

Our biggest disappointment is down to the gameplay itself, which is so bog standard and dull that we already feel like we’ve seen enough on day one. That’s the most damning indictment of all.

Zombie Gunship Survival offers some objectives to aim for, but there’s no real sense of progression. It just plods along in a bleak way that would probably be quite realistic, given the circumstances. That doesn’t make for the kind of game that’s going to lure you back at regular points. Shooting zombies might be fun for a brief time, but you’ll soon feel underpowered and overwhelmed. There are better shooters out there, and far better base building games too.

I like the ideas behind Wizard Ops Tactics, and I really like the themes they’ve incorporated into the visual style, but that’s about it. As a turn-based strategy game it just feels awkward and clunky to play. And as an online-only strategy game it fails to manage basic matchmaking effectively.

As tempting as "side-scrolling mech warrior action" sounds, it's probably best if you give iDamaged a wide berth. The gameplay isn't intuitive, the mechanics are way too frustrating, and the inability to aim behind you is maddening. Just fire up Robotech on Netflix Instant instead. Trust me, you'll have a much better time.

It looks great, but plays awful. The controls feel clunky and unresponsive, and there is virtually no precision for movement in a game that pretty much demands it. Couple this with an already difficult challenge and constantly having to restart levels, and it becomes far from recommended for anyone with high blood pressure.

Perhaps in the right hands, Stardom: The A-List would be enjoyable, but for most of the game, nothing happens. All it really consists of is moving about to different locations and tapping objects the game says players can tap.

Simply put, there's very little to recommend here. What started as a title with the promise of tactical fun slowly revealed itself to be a non-effort hoping to sneak under players' gaming radars. In that respect, I'd say it tanked pretty badly.

In theory, Chief Puzzle Officer has all of the makings of a solid, even innovative, match-three game. In reality, poor performance on both Android and iOS mean that many players will likely give up before getting a chance to really understand and appreciate what its developers were hoping to do.

But what really bugs me is that, in spite of the no reason at all inclusion of the pigs, there's nothing about this game that makes it a curling game. It's like calling a game Dog Baseball and then load up a bad version of Ticket to Ride with a baseball diamond in the background.

If you originally played Heroes of Might & Magic III back in the day we even more strongly urge you to ignore this. It bares very little resemblance to the original and feels quite insulting to fans. Skip this one and hope that a proper new mainline entry arrives on PC at some point, as Ubisoft has much better form on that platform.

With its paltry presentation and discombobulated gameplay, Last War not only fails to deliver an entertaining strategy adventure, it suggests that Gamevil may be having a bit of an identity crisis.

There's not much to Deadeye Derby, even for Happy Tree Friends fans. Even the epic gore is toned down. It's repetitive, slow, and you're better off swinging from a tree by your dislodged eyeball.

There’s just too much silliness to suffer through to dig into the parts of Archangel that are good. This is one of a wave of titles showing how pretty mobile games can look on up-to-date hardware, but the beauty is definitely only skin deep. Gameplay matters, even on phones and tablets.

If you were absolutely dying for more Tap Fish content and don't mind not being able to carry over the progress you made in the original game, then maybe you should give Tap Fish 2 a try. For everyone else, stay far away from this shallow (no pun intended) and ugly social game.