If you're looking for a charming little cannon-style distance game, Chop Chop Kicker delivers more than enough fun to justify the purchase – just don't expect much of a carrot on a stick when it comes to unlockables.

While the strength of the game is variety, it's also its downfall. With only one map at launch, it can get boring to play the same landscape over and over. Not to mention some people discover their favorite spots and refuse to leave. When more content comes out, the game will be that much better. But when the biggest complaint one can file is "I want more!" then the game is doing something right.

Though Steampunk Tower may seem watered-down or over-simplified compared to other TD titles, it is a deceptively complex experience brimming with lots of content and more strategy than meets the eye.

Despite the lack of direction and precise controls, we enjoyed our time on Vulture Island. Each individual level, from the gorilla-guarded jungle to the seagull-infested pier, is a charming slice of an oddly cohesive whole thanks to the shared collection of puzzles and items scattered around the world.

Party Hard is the sort of game that’s more fun when you play it in small doses – maybe one level at a time. The whole “wander around and murder pixel people” thing is an entertaining idea, and -almost cute in a way — but if you try to zip through it all at once, the levels will start to bleed together (no pun intended) and you’ll likely tire of it in short order.

It’s not that I disliked playing Get Me Outta Here. I actually think it’s a pretty satisfying pick-up-and-play action game. I like being able to decide what I may or may not what to trade-off in the name of an easier game, and when the game does what I tell it to do I’ve been able to have some enjoyable and impressive moments of action. I just really, REALLY wish the controls weren’t so moody.

PAKO Caravan isn’t high art, but it doesn’t try to be. It offers up a simple concept, does all it can with it – and looks great while doing it. You can’t ask for much more.

For the most part it's a well-made shooter with a high-quality campaign, but players might want to forego playing online until the development team irons some of the kinks out.

It's something that really gives you that feeling of a game that's been 30 years in the making.

Builder’s Journey is an impressively put together experience for the most part, but is probably only worth investing in at full price for true Lego die-hards.

Severed Steel is ultimately still well worth a look for first person shooter fans seeking something a little more experimental.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun playing Genso Manège. The mini-games and overall art style were well executed. The age and adoptive sister/brother romance did put me off though, as well as the lack of dialogue options. I wish the game gave you more chances to get to know the characters and interact with them before throwing you into their route. That being said, once you start romancing them, each character has an in-depth backstory. You could also see the progress levels with each character, which was nice to know.

Metal Slug 2 is a fun experience, enhanced further by bluetooth co-op multiplayer and a Mission Mode, which allows you to practice stages which are giving you a difficult time on their own. The only real downside to this version is having to overcome the various hurdles the controls sometimes present, but that's still a pretty considerable hurdle.

If you’re someone with a deep passion for storytelling experiments and noir gaming, then Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered was made for you back in 2005 and its high-quality mobile adaptation delivers the exact same experience. For others, the same inherent flaws that dogged it a decade remain alive and present.

So this is an occasionally bumpy ride, but the superb presentation and enjoyable cast make this a mystery worth looking into for fans (if not newbies) of the genre.

If bringing the law to the denizens of an ultra-violent future city isn't your thing, Countdown Sector 106 probably isn't the gamebook for you. For everyone else, this is an absolute blast to read. With their latest release, Tin Man Games have proven that they can handle existing characters just as well as they do heroes of their own creation.

What Agent Dash lacks in originality, it makes up for in solid design. Its controls are responsive, the graphics are some of the best I've seen in an endless runner, and the gameplay doesn't pull any sort of punches.

If you’re looking for a simple strategy game that’s funny, frenzied, and dripping with style, you’d have a hard time doing better than Star Command. And besides – if you won’t travel the stars to introduce humanity to a surprisingly hostile galaxy, who will?

Yet, something about Dodo Master spurs you on. Maybe it’s the booming soundtrack. Maybe it’s the trap designs (knives on fire!). Maybe it’s the fact you’re playing as a fat-bottomed bird. Either way, it is possible to get a significant serving of fun out of the game – at least enough to drive you to try again after you die.

Pocket Trains sticks close to NimbleBit’s successful Pocket Planes and Tiny Tower, but it’s not hard to understand why. This is a fun ride, and best of all, it’s free.

There are a ton of match-three games out there in the App store, but Zookeeper DX manages to stand head and shoulders above nearly all of its competition. It's goofy and fun and –above all- insanely addictive.

I had a lot of fun for the first hour or so, and it's certainly competent on a mechanical level, but there isn't a whole lot to it.

Gemini Strike is not a perfect game, but one with enough redeeming elements and things that can, at worst, be addressed in updates, that it’s worth checking out for the curious – especially at that free price.

Cursed Treasure 2 is very much a game for seasoned tower defense gamers.

If you’re looking for complex moves or the kind of variety that wildly different fighters can provide, it will be too shallow to hold your interest for long. But if you’re just looking for something that’s fun and accessible, or have just been waiting for Marvel to give us an alternative to the DC-powered mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Contest of Champions is a super game to add to your collection.

It’s a little game that has some real value in it’s replay potential for speedrunners, and for everyone else it’s a nice reminder of the games we used to play as kids/teens, back in the age of game cartridges and AA batteries.

One can only hope that this game is successful enough to justify a sequel of its own (a new Sonny 2 if you will) down the line, perhaps with slightly more elaborate gameplay graphics and a slower progression in difficulty.

As tower defense games go, Jelly Defense starts out with the potential to be one of the greats. Unfortunately, it never really lives up to this possibility, and that's really too bad because it manages to get some very big aspects very right in very big ways. It's sort of like JELL-O that way: it looks like it'll be awesome, but then turns out to be merely okay.

With an excellent simulation in Grand Prix Story still fresh on the market, there's just no reason to settle for such an inferior game.

Huebrix's sins are far from great enough to sink it, as its original gameplay, bold difficulty, long term expansion potential, and dedication to hardcore puzzling help it rise above not only its poorer decisions, but feel like a great one for any fan of the genre. Especially those in need of a little humility.

You owe it to yourself to explore Mayday! more than once, hearing everything it has to offer.

There really isn’t much bad to say about Ridge Racer Slipstream, and it stands to reason, as Namco Bandai have been producing installments for almost every platform imaginable for so long, they seem to more or less have it down to a science.

Order Up!! To Go is not a bad game. Everything in the game works from a functional standpoint, but could have used a little bit more cooking in planning out player progression.

With a steady stream of freebies via daily bonuses, and chests that can be unlocked for extra goodies, Battlejack does a good job of drip feeding content and therefore luring you in. It may never quite stick in your mind as a game to remember for years to come, but its charm and steady progress means you’ll likely return to it any time you want a win during your day. Sometimes, that’s just what you need.

Proof that these brands should have been on mobile all along. Took you long enough, Nintendo, but here’s hoping you stick around for a while.

Sure, it's turn based strategy at its core, but the movement and treadmill vibe from the levels make it feel a bit different.

Paper Monsters is one of those rare games that come along once in a blue moon. It's more fun than a night out with friends, and as flawless as diamonds. For lack of a better word, it's perfect. Everyone should play this.

Anyone who likes arcade shooters should pick this game up. If you like a challenge, doubly so. My biggest qualm with the game is that, because the control surface is also the screen, I sometimes couldn't see the action because my own thumbs got in the way.

Wizard Hex is a very solid game that provides a great amount of depth to it... once you learn it. I'm afraid the lack of instruction or guidance will only serve to scare people away before they've had a chance to see what's it's really about, and that would be a tremendous shame.

Bug Wings continues the gaming trend of chucking small animals great distances for our own enjoyment. It's a good download for those who enjoy catapult/target games, and offers addictive gameplay in a simple, six-legged package.

MacGuffin's Curse is a great, meaty puzzler that will really get your brain cogs whirring. With so much content, the formula was bound to feel a little samey eventually, but by the time that feeling sets in you'll have more than gotten your money's worth.

The classic board game makes a great transition to iPad.

But as it stands on its own, Heroes and Castles 2 offers up some good action and strategy gameplay. You just have to look past some clunky controls and blocky graphics to get it.

Ultimately, Puzzle Craft 2 is everything a sequel should be: it’s bigger, grander, and more engaging than its already-fantastic predecessor.

If it seems like I’m being too negative about Splash Cars’ monetization, it’s only because I’ve been having so much fun with it. I think it’s well worth playing, but I also think the in-app purchase stuff could definitely use some work.

You will die a lot, and it will get frustrating. But the monetary investment for this premium game means you have endless lives and can keep trying for as long as it takes without any continues or energy systems to get in the way. So if your fingers are itching for a fast-paced arcade game that looks familiar but feels fresh, Stagehand will be worth the try.

There’s a great range of challenges, the presentation is purely old school cool, and the controls are ultimately well judged.

Magic Orbz is good, solid fun which takes a tried-and-true foundation and builds upon it nicely. It could do with a little more variety than what it offers, and can grow a little dull if played for longer stretches, but in quick bursts, it satisfies nicely.

The open world aspect of Ravensword: Shadowlands is one of its big selling points, and it is fun to explore some non-linear adventures on your iOS device.

Its combination of engaging gameplay and good looks should be a winner, and even if it gets lumped in with other strategy titles in the minds of mobile gamers, at least it should emerge as the first thing people think of when they hear its name.

The lack of action will probably put off its fair share of players, but I still think Please, Don’t Touch Anything is a riddle worth exploring. If for no other reason than to see how many in-jokes have been crammed into its more obscure puzzles.

House of Hell might not have been amongst the very best of the original Fighting Fantasy series, but Tin Man have made the most of the opportunities afforded by the digital transition to improve on the paper version, and make it as fun as possible.

The classic "60 stages, more stages coming soon, three stars per level based on performace" physics puzzler app is definitely growing stale, but that doesn't keep Expand it's unique mechanics from being fun. To its favor, my largest issue is simply that the game is surprisingly short: just like the rainbow-hungry dinosaurs, I just wanted a little more.

Wipeout also tries to get you to pony up for premium currency, but it's not a free game to begin with. Most of the game is open to you regardless, but panhandling in a paid app is always a little off-putting.

If you're dying (Mwa-ha-ha!) for another Dash game, Hotel Transylvania Dash is a worthwhile addition to your collection. If you're Dashed out, though, leave these monsters to enjoy the peace and quiet that they deserve. There's not much unfinished business here.

The only real disappointment to be had in Gizmonauts is how much it feels like ground we've tread before. Yes there are improvements, and yes it's a lot prettier, but at the end of the day it just feels like DragonVale with robots. Is it a better product that DragonVale? Absolutely. But it's just not different enough to really blow our socks off.

That's the core nature of the game – extreme accessibility – and it is definitely a cute little time-passer. But as rogue-likes go, I found it a little too simple to hold my interest for very long.

The result is simply that Splot is best experienced in short bursts of a few stages at a time, ideal for on-the-go mobile gaming but less fit for binge-playing.

Ruzzle Adventure successfully adds some dimension and depth to the already-addictive Ruzzle mechanics. It's far more of a single-player experience than its older brother, but there's nothing wrong with wandering the world on your own from time to time.

Real Boxing wants to be the iPad's answer to Punch-Out for Wii, but instead, well… it just makes me want to go out and buy a copy of Punch-Out for Wii again. Flailing your arms can be plenty of fun, but unless those flails are going to translate into on-screen action 99% of the time, it just ends up feeling like an exercise in futility.

Kings Can Fly was a fun little adventure. Just difficult enough to be rewarding, but with just enough helpful gameplay features to ward off frustration. The core concept is well executed, and mistakes in planning are easy to correct which gives Kings Can Fly that coveted "just one more round" appeal. If you're a fan of puzzle adventures you should give this one a shot. You could certainly do far worse.

The gameplay feels a tad familiar, but it's also rather addictive, so it's hard to fault it too much on that. Combine the fun you'll have with the great art style and mood presented, and On the Wind is a game that's easily worth checking out for those whose curiosity has been piqued.

As a basic sidescrolling platformer game, Mimpi especially shines in its creative and colorful design, full of massive level landscapes that seamlessly blend into one another and constantly create a sense that you’re venturing farther and farther from home. However, it’s during the moments when the game tries to incorporate its interactive world and puzzle elements into the actual platforming that things start to go haywire.

The clever and progressively challenging rotating gameplay of Twisty Planets is its primary draw, and the reason to play it.

It was mundane and unimaginative, technically competent but entirely unengaging – not disastrous but disappointing, both as a dungeon crawl and a puzzler.

If you love Stardew Valley, Sun Haven, and the earlier Harvest Moon games, you are sure to find yourself enjoying your time in Fae Farm. While there were some concerns about the pricing, it’s easy to say that it’s worth it. Fae Farm has hours of content to play through and it’s clear to see the amount of love that went into it during development. The attention to detail is amazing, and it certainly sets a new standard for the genre.

It may have lost a little bit of its personal touch, but for better or worse, Casey's Contraptions is Amazing Alex now. And with the same great gameplay, a dauntingly endless set of custom levels, and a company behind that has the resources to churn out tons of free content? I'd say that's better. Amazing, even.

Sam & Max Save the World is a well put together re-release that gives the original game a much needed HD makeover – but is perhaps only worth a look for fans of the genre.

The game's heavy reliance on luck may well prove to be its downfall.

Heroki isn’t just one of the best 2D platformers on mobile — it’s one of the best games on mobile, period. Do yourself a favor and play this thing immediately.

Too easy, but still highly engaging.

Of course it’s only natural to expect some form of time-based gating when dealing with a free-to-play game. And as far as I’m concerned Heroes of Destiny does a great job of keeping those gates from becoming a huge problem. It’s full of loot and characters to acquire and upgrade, so there’s plenty of reason to keep playing for quite a while. And of course it’s fun to play. There’s always that.

Baby Nom Nom is a cute and cuddly way to spend a few hours or perhaps a few minutes on the way to work. Just don't expect it to last forever. Like the rice left in Baby's food bowl, it'll be gone before you know it. Downloadable levels, anyone?

But in the mobile space (no matter the platform) we need to be able to save and quit in a heartbeat. Maybe we're grabbing a fast turn while waiting in line for coffee, or staving off a few minutes of boredom on our lunch breaks. We game on a micro-level on these devices, and the games need to understand and respect that. It's unforgivable to expect us to have the time or where-with-all to find the stupid save point just so we can hit "home" and get on with our lives.

While the gross-out concept and humor might not be for everyone, there’s still no denying how much fun and rewarding the actual gameplay is, for gamers and real-live surgeons alike. And if you happen to have a friend or family member who’s been impaled by something lately, don’t hesitate to give me a call – I’ve been trying to boost up my field experience lately.

In a perverse way I learned to embrace the "unfairness" as part of the game's arcade charm, but more casual players will certainly find these balancing issues to be small slaps in the face.

If you've ever found the slightest bit of satisfaction in matching up like colors, consider Liqua Pop a must buy.

Camouflaj definitely delivered on its promise of the longest chapter so far, though some of it is like busy work in the sense that it makes you anxious to get through it just to see what twists the story is going to take.

Elegant in its simplicity yet challenging in its execution, Super Crate Box is a game that should easily satisfy fans of classic gaming.

Manifold Garden is a striking and hugely impressive puzzler – but it’s certainly not for everyone. But perhaps that’s part of the appeal. Scratch that – it definitely is.

As far as fast-paced, death-at-every-corner survival games go, The Blocks Cometh easily ranks up there with the best of the best. It's tough as nails, but if you're even tougher this is a challenge you'll absolutely want to face.

On one hand, it's got some really solid production values, increasingly frantic gameplay, and some really interesting RPG-like elements. That said, it's frustrating because it doesn't always feel like strategy is the focus, with button mashing being a more effective technique.

Not every title from the early 2000s has stood the test of time, but Max Payne Mobile's fantastic presentation and storytelling keep it a must-have for action junkies looking for a serious game on iOS. It might not look or control as well as it did over a decade ago, but much like the hundreds of mobsters and bullet wounds you'll encounter over your 10 to 15 hour adventure, it won't stop Max Payne from emerging successful.

As long as you don't mind the snack-sized portion, Gobtron is a really fun and funny game as long as you have the stomach for it. He may not be a beast of legend, but Gobtron has enough charm and charisma to turn into something more.

Fans of Ninjump and Ninjatown will absolutely want to make Mechanic Panic their next buy. It may be built on the same foundations as these popular vertical jumpers, but it brings enough new to the table to be well worth the purchase for any fan of the genre.

If there's a downside to the game, it's that it really isn't built with everyone in mind. It's super strange, and if you're not into it the weird effects and sounds will really just make you hate it even more.

Beautiful, charming, and wonderfully addictive, but it has a few issues that are holding it back.

Super Cyclone is by no means an epic adventure, but for a buck it's an excellent arcade-style shooter.

Even with the lack of an addictive progression curve, Bug Assault is a nice addition to the arcade-style app library. The upgrade system might be a little flawed, but the unique two-finger gameplay and colorful cast of critters are enough to make any gamer happy.

Unless there's some grim subtext I've not managed to pick up on, that is. I guess you could say this whole situation is... puzzling. To add to the mystery, "Ichi" is the word for "one" in Japanese, and the game is very much a one-button affair. Could that be the link? I leave that mystery to you.

All in all, is Fish Heroes bad? No, it's just not really as astounding as it could have been. If you're in the market for another way to wreck structures and take revenge with an unlikely team of flying animals, it's certainly packed with enough charm and content to be worth your while. It's just a shame that it isn't nearly as strong as the past titles it emulates.

Jurassic Park Builder's core gameplay certainly doesn't break new ground, but it builds a solid experience with its old materials. Even if you master dinosaur wrangling, however, don't get too confident: life finds a way (to eat you alive).

Playing Blockolicious, a unique match-3 puzzle game for Facebook, will make you want to bite into a big 'ol juicy melon. It's pretty darned fun to play, too.

It's cute, lively, and the match-three movement gives it a strategic puzzle element not usually found in RPGs. For gamers new to role-playing, it's the perfect way to learn the RPG basics. Role-playing veterans, though, could easily grow impatient with the over-simplification of their beloved genre's complicated game mechanics.

Combining the best elements of match-three, RPGs, and TCGs, Spirit Stones presents a hybrid pastime that does what so few social games do—plays like a game instead of a free-to-play business model.

I’m really not impressed. “Great,” this game is not.

For a team with an unspoken rule of adding a signature twist to well-trod concepts, Golfinity’s gameplay hooks seem to hew disappointingly close those of Blinkbat Games’ much-talked-about time killer.

If you’re a fan of strategy games – even if your experience with them begins and ends with Civilization – consider Sid Meier’s Starships an absolute must buy.