McPixel does perhaps the most audacious thing of all: embrace the idea that joy in gaming comes in equal measure from knowing what you're doing and having absolutely no clue. Betting big on the concept that games aren't simple tests of what you can already do, but tests to see how much you're willing to learn. And hey. It doesn't hurt that Sosowski packs every scene with video-game related in jokes, pop culture references, and intertextual nods to earlier characters, improbably crafting a world one twenty second scene at a time.

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.

You're given direct control of the game's speed. Feeling bored? Want to earn more money? Crank up the pit's activity to twice its normal rate. Or four times its normal rate. Feeling frayed? Drop it back down. Managing the pit at top-speed requires a lot of assistants, though, and unlocking the full lot takes a lot of kart points.

You're not going to find a lot of innovation in the core gameplay if you're already committed to another city builder; it's still the same type of game we've seen many times before, but with a charming space theme.

I felt like KooZac relied too much on aspects out of my control. No matter how long I played I just couldn't get past the fact that I had no power over 50% of what I needed to score points, and had to bide my time and hope it worked out. It's okay, but it could have been much better.

At this point, I have no problem saying that developer TheCodingMonkeys has me hook, line and sinker.

It's frustrating. Still though, if you want to see something new, I won't stop you from downloading it. It's a good game, it just needs some kinks ironed out.

The Curse is a great game, but again, it's out to taunt and torment you into spending your money to be able to lock The Mannequin away once again. It's just a darn shame we kind of want him to stick around, which seems to work against the entire premise.

A wonderful time sink that hasn't forgotten the principles of giving back to its players. This is a title pared down to precious few actions, but designed so well that nothing ever gets stale. A glowing, beeping slice of pure, simple fun.

Big Fish Casino is a good casino sim on Facebook and an excellent one on iOS devices. Whether our friends across the pond take to it for real money gaming or not, it's going to have plenty of people in the US and elsewhere playing for free before too long.

All that's missing from SlotSpot is a catchy hook, like that song from the first paragraph I don't want to mention again. But it does have that same subtly addictive quality as Carly Rae, and now that it's available online and on the go, you just may be adding it to your rotation of free slots games.

Aside from its lack of any real innovation, the only nagging problem with The Simpsons: Tapped Out is its insistence that you connect to EA's Origin service, even if it's only used for online features such as visiting your friends' parallel Springfields for daily bonuses.

If you find yourself craving a retro 2D side scroller, Random Heroes is definitely worth a try. However, unless you absolutely need another game in your mobile collection, there's little reason to buy it on your device instead of playing it for free online.

I'm still sitting here bleary-eyed, blister on my finger, totally satisfied for having played this game way past the time I should be in bed.

Honestly, the replay value can be forgiven; Disney Fish Hooks succeeds in just about everything it set out to do. It provides a quality product that extends the Disney name, it's faithful to the show, and it's completely free.

Like the conventions it bucks, this one escapes the faux pas of a potentially poor start, and gets exponentially better each time you play.

While the game feels devilishly difficult to the point of nigh-impossibility at times, eeking out your wins always manages to prove a method to Bad Hotel's madness. And despite the occasional crash here and there, Lucky Frame have delivered on too cool a concept for that to matter.

I don't want to sound too overdramatic, but if I were looking to sum up Horn in two words, it would probably sound something like 'mobile masterpiece.'

Critter Escape is what you want out of a mobile puzzle/action game. It has a ton of variation, huge relay value, and a clever concept.

It isn't forgiving, and it forces you to get better, or simply accept your inferiority as a consumer of dirt. The challenge curve will be the direct determinant of whether or not you like the game: either you'll fight through and emerge victorious, or fail often and feel insulted.

If Com2Us is responsible, they'll patch this game up and get it back to fighting in the streets. Pending the fixes, this could be one of the better action games on the iOS platform. Until then, it's held back by its technical flaws.

Has managed to turn the concept into something that's both enjoyable and downright addictive. It's an absurdly hard, unforgiving game, but that's a big part of what makes it so fun.

Drip Drip, if nothing else, is a unique RTS that deserves credit for trying something new.

Ultimately, If there's one thing working against Chimpact, it's just how simple it is. The game gets repetitive after a while, and even with different game modes, it never feels different enough to keep me coming back in my moments of mobile addiction.

Its tilt controls are some of the best I've seen in an endless runner (there are also touch controls, but I found myself preferring tilt), the graphics are as vibrant and charming as we've grown to expect from an [adult swim]-published game, and the inclusion of achievements and sundry unlockables makes the game dangerously addictive.

What's really a shame is that Kingdoms & Lords would be an easy recommendation if it was a complete game with a $4.99 price tag. The genre mash-up makes for a playful and memorable game. If you have the patience to endure long waits and panhandling for diamonds, go ahead and pick this one up. Otherwise, leave it in the Dark Ages.

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.

As far as the iOS implementation, I actually found San Juan to be a nicer experience over its board game brethren Puerto Rico. While both games hinge on a similar mechanic and identical theme, I found the simplicity of the cards to help immensely with the UI.