Gunslugs is a fun throwback that joins the already impressive Orangepixel lineup. Regardless of which iOS or Android-powered device you own, there's quite a bit to love about this twitchy blast-a-thon.

As a solo affair, Heroes and Castles works surprisingly well. Having to constantly launch units and keep an eye on the castle becomes overwhelming, but it doesn't take long to get a handle on the game's intricacies, and with new modes coming in the near future, there's room for aggressive expansion. Might as well get in on the ground floor.

If you don't mind a rather steep learning curve, and are prepared to experiment with the default controls, you'll get plenty of mileage out of this tricky title.

If you're happy to treat the game as something you'll play through once then likely move on, then there's bags of entertainment to be had from Tin Can Man.

While certain elements of Kingdom Conquest 2 may be stronger than others, combined they result in one of the most intriguing strategy games to be released on the App Store. It's packed full of content, offers plenty of variety in its gameplay, and the real story of the game - the impact of player interactions - is something we'll only discover in time.

In 2013, as publishers finally begin to tread the waters of micro-transactions a little more carefully, and with a sensitive eye on the balance between player experience and profitability, this is how Square Enix chooses to reward that devotion, commitment and support of a franchise over all of these years. Depressing is a word too.

Despite a handful of niggles, we can't say we weren't charmed by Halfpixel's new mobile game, and we're always pleased to see something different in the ever-present three-star, physics puzzle genre.

While Temple Run 2 is a quality product, it falls short of being groundbreaking.

A Little War isn't a particularly deep or challenging game in its own right, but there is a lot of fun to be had from this free title - and it's one that doesn't push you too hard to hit up the coin store either. If you're looking for something to kill a few commutes to work or school, this micro-strategy title should be just the ticket.

The game has its faults and frustrations, but it also has its moments of enjoyment too, and there's undoubtedly the building blocks of a far more enjoyable game that we hope either an update, or a sequel, can introduce.

By and large, Amazing Ants is a solid puzzler. At the same time, we can't help but feel déjà vu each time we fire it up, largely because we've seen and played titles like this before on touchscreen devices.

The Blockheads might lean just a little too heavily on the grandfather of sandbox world-building for its own mechanics, but it's also got enough charm and obsessiveness of its own to make it an essential download.

While Zenonia 5 may not be the most original RPG to demand your attention, it is an exceptionally competent one that's packed with a surprising amount of content.

When you consider the handful of character blocks you can unlock, Legends of Chima: Speedorz has some value, but there's simply not enough digital meat on this game's bones to hold our collective interest.

If you're a die-hard fan of Flow Free, and the follow-up Flow Free Bridges, you can do an awful lot worse then get stuck into this new puzzler from Pocket PlayLab. Don't expect originality in spades, but do expect a huge number of levels, expertly designed and delivered in a very slick overall package.

Factor in some catchy music, and Time Surfer is one heck of a satisfying package. These are the types of simple and addictive games we play for hours on end throughout any given year, and that being the case, we hope it finds a hungry audience that can't resist one more slice.

If you're in the mood for a quality shooter at a budget price and one appropriate for all ages, you can't go wrong with this imaginative blast-a-thon.

Joe Danger Touch represents everything about mobile gaming at its best. It's faithful to an established franchise, yet it strikes out on its own to provide a game that's as slick as its console counterpart, remains challenging but fair, and is always entertaining thanks to a deep system of replayability.

Irreverent, eccentric, and with enough challenge to keep even the most accomplished Angry Bird expert on their toes, Swing King's 90-plus levels represent a dollar very well spent.

One of the more humorous and enjoyable endless-running zombie games we've played. Granted, it's short on options. It won't take long to plow through each stage, and beyond that, there's an unlockable Survival Mode, but for $0.99, ShaqDown is a basketball-whipping, mutant-punching riot.

All of the playable characters possess unique abilities, in addition to the many power-ups you can activate during play. The Twins, for example, can run underneath obstructions without having to slide, while the Troll just smashes things to pieces.

So it's interesting, intricate and original, but is the game just a little too clever for its own good? Quite possibly, and that punishing feeling isn't helped much by the paper-thin tutorial content.

Where others have merely replicated, Pixelbite has managed to innovate with its polarity boost mechanics, and it's a game that deserves a place on any racing fan's phone.

The game doesn't quite represent perfection as we found the difficulty level a little spiky, and the shuriken elements sit awkwardly with the gentler strategy found elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hundreds is a must-have title for anyone who craves something fresh from the App Store, and represents a fine start for puzzle gaming in 2013.

If you can tolerate the ever-so-slightly weird experience of playing this jingling, festively tuned game in the New Year, then Bubble Season will give you a pretty satisfying mental workout once you've progressed past the early stages.

The Grading Game is a welcome change of pace and a solid fit for touchscreen devices. After suffering through numerous classes years ago, it's refreshing to play a game that makes learning fun. That said, grab your virtual pen and let the red ink flow.

A cool homage to the glory days of gaming, when true skill was required to defeat insurmountable odds. If you have fond memories of tackling bosses and other creeps on NES and Genesis, download this game.

A brisk, beautiful, fluid, and entertaining endless-runner.