Azur Lane has enough interesting ideas of its own to help it stand out a little from the crowd, and there’s a considerable amount of content here to enjoy right from the get-go. It’s perhaps a little overly-complicated for its own good, and anyone who isn’t already somewhat familiar with games like these is probably going to be scared away by its busy interface and tutorial avalanche. At the same time, it’s not hard to see why this game was a pretty big hit in other regions. The art is good, the gameplay is reasonably fun, and there’s a lot to chew on for those who get engaged with it.

Donut County provides a lot of what people are always saying they want more of from their mobile games: a new and unique world, a compelling story and interesting mechanics you don’t see in tons of other titles.

Being left wanting more isn’t necessarily a bad thing, after all; it means that I truly enjoyed and felt a connection to the themes of lucid dreaming, depression, and connection to others. The loving attention to detail in each setting did nothing but enhance the experience. I was absolutely right to trust my instinct, as Radiant One is a game not to be missed.

Puzzle games lend themselves to mobile gaming particularly well, and Evergarden with its gorgeous color palette and subtle shading looks just beautiful on a modern iOS device. The game is calming yet addictive and one I don’t expect to stop playing any time soon, even after this review’s completion.

I guess if I have anything bad to say about the game, it’s that Sneak Ops is a little too on the nose of emulating a lot of the mechanics of Leap Day, and I’d love to see a bit of innovation on the whole daily level game format. Also, it’s weird that paying for the game seems to make it less fun, but your milage may vary on whether or not you feel the same. Either way, Sneak Ops is fun, free, and super easy to recommend.

You might make it a personal mission to progress through the quests that help to build your knowledge of the game while also having you build certain things or upgrade them to bring new mechanics into play. Or you might just want to keep zoning areas, building roads and just increasing your population to as big a number as possible. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter how you play Pocket City, I think you’ll have a blast regardless.

In the end, Rowdy Wrestling doesn’t try to set the world on fire or change the face of mobile gaming as we know it. Rowdy Wrestling is exactly what it says on the box – it’s easy to pick up, hard to put down and sometimes that’s just what you need.

Motorsport Manager Mobile 3 is simulating forms of racing that not everyone, especially those of us in the U.S., really understand all that well. It’s to the credit of its developers that it accomplishes it so well that you’re likely to get sucked in after playing just a race or two and really want to start building up your race team to chase down championships. Even if you don’t know your splitters from your spoilers, you just might find yourself enjoying the ride here

Nishan Shaman is a beautiful experience that’ll leave you wanting more and anticipate future games/content from Next Studios. If you have an iOS or Android device you have no excuse to miss this impactful experience.

The time investment it clearly demands, combined with some inconsistent story elements, forbids me from dishing out a perfect score here, but Food Fantasy has warmed the heart of this grouchy gamer and is one app I hesitate to close.

Did you play Teeny Titans? If not, then go ahead and get Teen Titans GO Figure. It’s great, and you’ll have an amazing time with it. If you did play the first game, how excited do you think you would be to replay it? If you would be fine with that, again, full steam ahead here. Enjoy yourself. But if you can’t see yourself replaying the first game right now, you’ll want to really ask yourself if you have the desire to play a sequel that has you doing a lot of the same things all over again.

Trism II is a bit harder to recommend, but if you’re among the many ultra old school iOS gamers still lurking around TouchArcade, it’s worth checking out just for the nostalgia blast and the sheer curiosity of playing a sequel to an iPhone classic that has been ten years in the making.

It really hits a great stride once you get a few hours in and have the majority of the map memorized and still have a few bosses to defeat before unlocking Hunter mode. This is also a good game to share with a kid as most of the tunnels are safe enough for a kid to navigate and you can switch in for the more challenging boss fights. If you are a fan of pretty games or spelunking or just a good old bullet dodger, you’ll want to pick this one up!

I have loved every minute spent playing this game, in fact I have played it to the detriment of other aspects of my life, If you have been missing my reviews of late, you can blame this game. Every time I sit down near my computer I end up thinking I need just one more screen shot, one more run through in case I missed something. Now, I’ve got to go and catch up on housework, or maybe I′ll do the dishes after just one more game.

If you like meta-humor, meta-horror, meta-anything, this is a game to check out, from the basic and unhelpful AI, to the maleficent Yanna and frustrated Dev it′s all in good fun. Demoralizing, hair pulling, no not again fun. Take the challenge, and wade in, Dere Evil Exe is unquestionably worth your time.

Ultimately, it’s more King of Dragon Pass. If you’re willing to put a little time into it and don’t mind that it can be terribly opaque and randomly cruel at times, you’re going to get an absurd amount of enjoyment out of it.

Suzy Cube was in development for three years, and it’s clear just where all that time went into. Everything about the game is absolutely well-crafted to a ridiculous degree. Suzy Cube is one of the best 3D platformers ever made for mobile, and you ought to play it.

Golf Club: Wasteland is quite the creative experience that you should check out. It uses golf quite well to convey a message, even if it is a bit ham-fisted at times. And then there’s a solid 2D golf game with replayability to go along with its narrative and thematic elements. Rare is the game that gets you thinking about modern society, while being angry that you missed the shot to get past a giant, irradiated giraffe. Well done, Demagog Studio.

Deep Space has a few cool ideas that help put its nose a little above the water, but it’s a hard game to recommend with much enthusiasm. This is a very well-trodden genre, one where it takes a lot to really stand out. Deep Space just doesn’t have that zing, and in the end it becomes hard to stick with it for very long.

I feel like my one complaint with Silverfish DX is that it’s kind of shallow because it is just that one game mode. It’s a good game mode, and it’s well-made. But, it’s still just an arcade high score chaser, and while surprises come in the form of enemies that you discover for the first time, you’ll get the gist of the experience rather quickly. It becomes about iteration and improvement on high scores. Perhaps you’ll love that, but just be aware of it when you’re coming in.

There’s really nothing else out there that is quite like Valkyrie Profile, and that’s as true today as it ever was. It’s both the game’s most compelling quality and the most frequently-cited reason people are turned off by it. You’ve got platforming, some unique RPG-style battles, and resource management all wrapped up with some astounding spritework, a stunning soundtrack, and a genuinely fresh story.

Sir Questionnaire may not be for everyone, but that’s ok, it would be a boring world of games if we all liked exactly the same thing. However, if you’re looking for a game with a great retro feel, lots to discover and awesome replayability, it is an absolute must. If you like choose your own adventures, Zelda, or Zork, this game is for you. If, just like me, you’re just an aging gamer looking for some nostalgia in a modern gaming world, then this is the game to download.

The game strikes a perfect balance between being casual enough to just idly pick up and play, but requiring enough thought and strategy to remain compelling. Its modes have enough intrinsic motivation to drive you to keep going. Definitely give Pocket Run Pool a download, and see if you get hooked as I am. Send help.

Homo Machina is yet the latest example of how even within some pretty narrow constraints in terms of setting and mechanics, it's possible to craft a pretty excellent world that is both amusing and rewarding. You might even learn something along the way, but kids, please don't use it as assistance for your upcoming biology test, because something tells me you're not going to pass it if you do.

Sadly, the level editor is not currently part of the mobile version of the game, which is reflected in the lower price for the mobile version compared to other platforms. Still, even if you cannot create levels yet, Animal Super Squad has a lot of replay value going for it. Not only in the fact it comes with community-created levels you can pick from, but in the vehicle variations to play them on. There is also the fact that the game is worth playing just for a laugh or to see what the physics can do under various circumstances.

It's just a game you can play anyplace, anytime and for as long as you want. Be careful though, it's a little addictive and hard to stop playing, and now that you know all about this remarkable game, I'm off to help Aristotle before those pesky aliens catch up with him.

It plays and controls well in a nice and frantic pace that should keep you on your toes for long play sessions. Super Hydorah is a very pleasant tribute to the classics of a bygone era.

You can play it for the awesome story, or to help train your brain. It is beautifully polished and for any one who has been following its production from the very beginning, this game is unquestionably worth the wait.

Overall, Volcano Tower is an interesting diversion from the standard platformer and many runner or roguelike games, mixing a few genres together. However, it is very repetitive and a bit obtrusive with the ads.

Odium To the Core is not for everyone. Some players will not have the patience to even pass level two. It is not your typical mobile title by any stretch of the imagination. If you are up for the challenge, however, give it a try. For anyone else, the game is worth having on your mobile device for the art style and aesthetics if nothing else. It is really a great demonstration of parallax scrolling and cool graphics to take in and chill to.

If you are looking for an additional platformer to add to your collection or a game you can play with one hand while standing in line, Almost There will fit that role nicely.

The music is really soothing as well and will get you in the mood of the game. It fits a puzzler well and will make you relax as you lay back and use your logic side of the brain to figure the solutions to rooms' layouts. The game is truly worth checking out for anyone in the mood to think a bit, relax, and enjoy a soothing gameplay experience that works perfectly on the touchscreen.

One thing that keeps the game from true greatness is that it gets very repetitive. This is particularly in the beginning where you only have one character and axe to throw and no sword yet. However, as you engage the match and level up (hard to do in the last-man standing mode) you will see additional perks and (sword or multiple axes) weapons available.

There are again 50 levels in total and the game is really on the short side. It gets very addicting however, as the levels are just pretty cool to look at with colors popping about on-screen. If you are in the mood for a new mobile platformer with some gorgeous pixel art to boot, you can do a lot worse than Reed. I ended up completing all of the game's levels wanting more. Hopefully, a sequel or an update will make this happen, but otherwise this is still a solid platformer worth checking out.

Whether you are looking for a fun and pretty game to cruise through, or something you can race against time and get the adrenaline pumping with, this game will deliver. Over all I am a huge fan of Moon Surfing and can see myself spending a lot of my future free time exploring the moon, though right now I am off to find more Christian Schnellmann games in the app store.

It says a lot about Brew Town that you don't even necessarily need to be a beer lover or know your pilsner from your porter to appreciate it, because it's well-constructed almost the entire way through and manages to blend simple game mechanics, an inviting atmosphere and a dash of artistic creativity to concoct something that all kinds of gamers can get into.

This game is so good, and so well-made, that it deserves your purchase regardless of the state of the market that it's in. But I see so many people complain about the state of mobile gaming. This is the game that you want, it's a fun platformer without in-app purchases that is absolutely stunning, and feels like it was made for mobile.

The idea of a mini RPG is a good one, and perhaps Kemco can find some gold in these hills with a bit more experimentation. Archlion Saga feels like a step along that road at best, and unless you really need a way to fill a few hours mindlessly, it's one you can pass up on without much regret.

Overall there was enough fun to be had that I kept overlooking the small frustrations to log back in. There’s a lot that’s right with Shadowgun Legends but it’s built on lackluster mechanics that never truly feels like a satisfying or well-built FPS.

Ovivo is a tantalizing, ambitious work of art both mechanically and visually. I guess there is a little bit of pulse pounding excitement in the meditation after all.

As you would expect from this developer, the interface is excellent and they've given all of the little details the treatment they deserve. I can't wait for the next batch of titles to come and hope that this is just the start of getting as many of the Fighting Fantasy books onto mobile as possible.

Armello ain't perfect, but it's worth your time to experiment and see if you like it, and then you can spend as much or as little as you want to keep enjoying it.

Schemata is a fun little puzzle game that also serves as a very basic primer for something players may or may not already know about. Ultimately, that's all just window dressing for an enjoyable, tense puzzler that requires quick reflexes and even quicker thinking. But hey, at least if someone catches you playing it, you can say you're studying circuit designs or something.

Whether you look at dialogue and story line, or implementation of mechanics, or just sheer volume of gameplay, Evoland 2 is not just a huge improvement on the original but also an amazing way to extend your experiences you may have had with those old school games that it emulates. Evoland 2 pulls off something very difficult to do, it keeps it's own unique feel and functions as a greatest hits anthology. Go get it if you haven't already!

The stop-and-start pacing and tremendous amounts of repetitive grinding required detract greatly from a game that could otherwise be pretty solid. There's a decent game here, and it's really only in the incidentals that it doesn't shake out to be more than that.

If you've burnt out on or bounced off of a social RPG in the past, you're likely going to look at Heir of Light the way you'd look at your seventh straight plate of spaghetti and meatballs. It's not bad spaghetti, but it's still just spaghetti. Yes, even with that bit of parsley decoratively garnishing the plate. If you've still got room in your stomach for more spaghetti, though, this won't make you sick.

If you decide to pick up The Bonfire, it might be for the spirit of discovery and adventure, or it might be for the artistic quality and simplicity. It may even be for the fact that so many great games seem to be comparable to this one. Whatever your decision is predicated on, there is so much here to enjoy.

Read Only Memories is a rather conflicting experience for me because I love its unique world, I just think that it suffers under some of its stylistic decisions to make for an experience that's a little too slow for my tastes. If you're patient, I do recommend playing this, especially with the free demo available. But I would recommend playing this on a system with physical controls, especially since you're missing out on the voice acting with the mobile version. Still, Read Only Memories: Type-M is something you have to experience for yourself.

At least for me, the freemium systems are well worth wading through to enjoy what I think is the most complete Sims experience yet that we have on mobile.

Lichtspeer comes with a solid amount of content. The 13 levels alone for $3.99 would be worth it, but there are multiple difficulties to play after that, not to mention the quest for gold medals on each level. If you preordered for $1.99, you're a freaking genius. The developers estimate about 4-6 hours, and that sounds about accurate. There isn't an endless mode, though this would be perfect for mobile in particular. If you like replaying existing content to maximize your performance, then you'll get a ton of fun out of Lichtspeer. Its difficulty and control frustrations mean this is only for patient players, overall Lichtspeer is a goofy good time.

The only remotely negative thing I can say about Part Time UFO is that it does end eventually. You'll probably need to replay many of the stages to finish all of the hidden goals, but sooner or later those 25+ stages will be exhausted and all of the costumes will be unlocked. I think the enjoyable mechanics make it fun to go back to levels and see what kind of different results you can get, but some might be turned off by a paid game that you can play through in just a few hours of dedicated play. If that's you, well, with all due respect, you can go kick rocks. Part Time UFO is great, and I hope this isn't just a one-shot effort from HAL.

Dissembler is one of those puzzle games that just feels good to play around with, but it backs that simple joy with a solid spate of puzzles and gameplay modes. Unlike this developer's previous games, I think this one is welcome to players of a variety of skill levels, too. If you're looking for a mellow puzzle game that will help pass the time without making extra demands on your wallet, you'll likely be quite pleased with what Dissembler has to offer.

If you liked Alto's Adventure and want more of it, pick up Alto's Odyssey. If you never played Alto's Adventure and want an incredibly beautiful endless runner with intriguing progression systems, get Alto's Odyssey. If you didn't feel great about Alto's Adventure, I doubt Alto's Odyssey does enough new things to change your mind.

Is Death Squared on mobile the first version of the game that I'd pick up? No, I'd probably go for one of the console versions first, particularly the Switch version, because Death Squared is at its best when playing with a friend. Or three, as the levels that support up to four players are not in the iOS version. But, the core concept is great, and the game has a lot of cool moments. If you're gonna play the game solo, or maybe want to share your iPhone or iPad to play together, you can do so.

Ultimately, this is a dance we've seen many times from Kemco and EXE-Create. You probably know what to expect from this pairing by now if you've been paying attention to the iOS JRPG scene at all, and perhaps don't really even need a review to know if you want to play the game or not. That being said, there aren't a lot of traditional single-player JRPGs being released on the App Store anymore, and while this one had the misfortune to drop on the same day as Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition, that doesn't necessarily mean that hungry mobile JRPG fans should ignore it. Dragon Lapis is a solid enough game that probably won't stick in your brain for very long but will at least keep you entertained for 20 hours or so.

Experience-centric games like That Dragon, Cancer [$4.99], Gone Home and others have found massive audiences of people who love the experimental side of gaming that focuses more on conveying emotions than they do high scores. If those are the sorts of things you're into, chances are you're going to wish Florence didn't end so soon.

Thankfully, Dig Dog's sessions are short enough that digging back into the game when failure hits is never frustrating. And the mechanics are designed well enough that failure feels like it's my fault, and not the game. It's hard to get stuck, or get into a bad situation that wasn't a result of you being reckless. The monochromatic visual style does mean that some enemies can hide in the world, but this is an intentional effect. It's a simple but slick look for the game. If you're ready to die a lot, and git gud, well, Dig Dog is the game for you.

You can't really call The X-Files: Deep State just a hidden object game, seeing as it also has numerous other mini-games, dialogue-driven decisions that affect the story and much more. It's an intriguing mix of elements worthy of its source material, but it's plagued by a sinister array of free-to-play headaches as menacing as anything cooked up by the Cigarette Smoking Man.

If you were ever going to shell out for a iOS game that is premium to its core, you want to do it for one that earns it with stellar gameplay, stylish presentation and just the right dash of nostalgia. Dandara connects all of those dots the same way it gets you leaping from point to point, and there's a good chance you're going to be spending plenty of time with it if you give it a shot.

It's simple in structure but quite enjoyable. It lacks some of the cleverness of the last couple of Kenny Sun games, and its more active nature means that not every fan of those games will be able to get into this one. On the other hand, its focus on twitch reflex action rather than head-scratching puzzles should help this game appeal to those who enjoy a solid arcade experience. The attractive visuals and fantastic tunes are just the icing on the cake.

I was never under the impression that the first game made all that much money, so I never actually expected a sequel to get made. The fact that it exists and brings so much to the table is a miracle to me. Yes there is room for improvement, and yes the free to play model and slow pace of unlocking stuff might turn off some. Hardcore players of the original might be turned off initially due to the differences in this sequel, I know I certainly was at first, but the game really does grow on you as you get used to what's new and slowly let go of what you've known. I urge you to stick with it as the brilliance of Disc Drivin' 2 slowly reveals itself. This is a true evolution of a classic formula, and one I know I'll be sticking with for a very long time to come.

In terms of replay value, the random nature of the encounters and the initial difficulty means there is plenty into which to sink your teeth, and even if there never is another card or class or land added, it's going to be a while until you've beaten the Lich and exhausted all of the possibilities in Meteorfall. For just a few bucks, it's a fun alternative to most mobile card games that still happens to use cards, and it's a clever enough tweak to your expectations that it will almost certainly make you smile a few times between cursing out your deaths.

So while Dissidia Final Fantasy OO is definitely fan service, it's not only that, and that fact alone elevates it above some of the other F2P FF titles we've seen come through the App Store. If you've got a soft spot in your heart for the personalities from the world's most famous RPG series and want to see them all come together in a way that doesn't insult your intelligence, this is worth a download to see if you enjoy the rest of what it has to offer as well.

If you enjoyed the last Fancy Pants Adventure on iOS, you've probably already jumped on this one. If for some reason you haven't jumped on it and are waiting for a stranger to push you, consider yourself pushed. You'll have a good time. If you haven't played any of these before but enjoy a good platformer, I can assure that this is indeed one of those. If you do not like platformers at all and spit in the direction of Shigeru Miyamoto and/or Yuji Naka and/or Michel Ancel anytime you can confirm their whereabouts, I'm not sure why you are reading this and don't really know what to tell you. Maybe the missing piece was fancy-looking pants all along? You could give it a try. The virtual controls can be a bit of a bear with everything Mr. Fancy Pants can do, but everything else is quite solid.

It's probably safe to say that World of Warships Blitz will appeal to a slightly smaller niche of mobile gamers than its tanking cousin, and that's okay. Not only is it a change of pace from tank battles that arguably place an even greater emphasis on player skill, it also offers a type of combat that you won't find in quite as many places on the App Store. If you try it out and find the battles to your liking, there's a good chance you'll be sticking around for the long haul.

In a nutshell, The Room games are among the best puzzle games the App Store has to offer, and Old Sins falls right in line with the three previous amazing titles.

Cytus II is a darn good one, building on what its makers have previously accomplished and wrapping it in a slick package. Even if you don't surrender to its story, you just might to the music. Just be sure to limber up those fingers first, because they're going to be moving.

Whether it’s the hilariously helpless sheep boss, or the way in which the developers never introduce too much mayhem in terms of environment-manipulating madness (a colorblind mode is even included for complete accessibility), It’s Full of Sparks impressed me throughout with how well thought out virtually all of its individual elements are. Whether the developers decide to experiment with more rhythmic, twitch-based platforming, or even do the opposite and emphasise some of the more lengthy levels and their elements of exploration and intrigue, there is so much potential in It’s Full of Sparks for refinement and expansion, despite a few minor flaws along the way.

Each mission has a set of 3 objectives, and eventually 3 more will open up under a higher difficulty. After a few hours of gameplay, a third difficulty unlocks and you will find yourself going back to earlier levels and experiencing them in a completely different context. The game has a really solid flow to it. Unlocking upgrades and purchasing them feels very rewarding and will allow you to complete missions that you thought were previously very tough or even impossible. While the story of JYDGE is barebones outside of its justice related puns and won't be confused for a gamebook any time soon, it's really the run and gun gameplay placed perfectly in a fleshed out atmosphere that will keep you hooked on this twin-stick delight.

Paradise stands as a solid standard bearer for the Rusty Lake brand. As a stand alone installment, this is as good a place as any to get into the narrative feel and personality behind these games. For veterans of this series of games you will find nods and small connections to the predecessors of Paradise. If you are looking for a dark story with some themes of rituals, biblical plagues, family secrets and a few highlights of puzzle gameplay, you are going to fit right in with what this game offers. While I wouldn't recommend for very young children I was able to play this game in front of my gradeschool aged kids with a few caveats and explanations of certain events. It's a great addition to the Rusty Lake cult series of strangeness and worthy of a few bucks for the avid gamebook enthusiast!

Double Dragon 4 isn't terrible, but it's not very good, either. For better or worse, it feels like something the Double Dragon team would have cooked up in the early 1990s if they were making a NES-exclusive sequel. In doing that, it not only ignores the significant common-sense improvements the genre has made over the last twenty-five years, but also the very same advances its contemporary competition brought to the fore in the 16-bit era. I'm glad Kishimoto and company got a chance to revisit Double Dragon, but the result in many ways answers the question of how the series lost its shine to begin with.

If you've been looking for a fun but challenging digital board game with a lot of depth and a great visual style, Antihero is the game for you. There's plenty of content to play through and clever strategies to figure out, and all of that is dressed in a lovely art style. Now go take out all those street urchins and take over the town; just know that you're in for a challenge and will have to plan carefully and execute at just the right time.

If you're a fan of Brough's other games, this review was likely a pointless exercise. You already bought Cinco Paus. I can see it on your home screen. Put on some pants, friend. Similarly, if you've been turned off by his games in the past, I'm not sure anything I've said here will convince you that this is your magic moment. If you're new to this developer's games I think this is mechanically a nice one to start with, but the language thing might be off-putting so I'd probably point you towards 868-HACK [$4.99] instead. All I know is that good old Papai Noel brought me a great new game from one of my favorite developers this year, and I'm pretty happy about that.

It does a reasonable job of that most of the time, however. For just a few bucks, you get several hours of fun auto-running platforming that looks and feels like a Sonic game of this sort should. The difficulty curve could certainly use a little straightening out in places, but it's still quite engaging even when it's too easy, and not insurmountable when it's too hard. Overall, Sonic Runners Adventure is an easy game to recommend to Sonic fans and those who enjoy auto-runners. Past that, it's going to depend on how much you appreciate a slick presentation over tight level designs. If nothing else, it's the best original Sonic game on mobile. That's got to be worth a golden onion ring or two.

All in all, I have sincerely enjoyed my time with Animus- Stand Alone. It exemplifies the aspects that make the Dark Souls franchise so fun while condensing them down into a near-perfect package for mobile. The grind for cool-looking gear was a blast and I enjoyed feeling myself get stronger/better as a player. Animus- Stand Alone is currently the closest you will get to Dark Souls on mobile and it deserves to be commended for that fact alone.

The first episode literally had me craving for more and the wait for episode 2 was unbearable. You won’t need to worry about that because Episodes 2 and 3 are available right now via in app purchase with the remaining episodes launching early next year. I hope the visual issues and some performance issues are ironed out because this could end up being the best way to experience Life is Strange. The lack of proper controller support is baffling because this exists on multiple consoles. Out of all the point and click adventure experiences available today, Life is Strange is my favourite by a long shot. I hope this does well for Square Enix so they can port Life is Strange: Before the Storm as well.

If you enjoyed Limbo (or similar trial and error puzzle games), chances are you didn't even need this review to smash the buy button- You'll really dig Inside. However, if you're like me and aren't really into the obtuseness of it all, there's a lot to like about it but I'm not sure I'd consider the game a must-have.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is a little different from the usual Ace Attorney game, but it carries a similar feel and quality that should please fans of the other games. The mobile version is sensibly improved from the original Nintendo DS release, as well. Adventure game fans would do well to give this game a look. As with other Ace Attorney games, it's a bit of a long haul, with over 20 hours of play required to reach the ending, but you won't notice the time passing by for a pretty good portion of that.

With its sense of artistic cohesion and its inventiveness, Gorogoa impressed me as few other puzzle games have, and I can't see any player who enjoys puzzle games even a bit not enjoying it. It might not be the longest game in App Store history, but it also doesn't overstay its welcome, which can be an issue with story-heavy puzzle games. Gorogoa really is a gem of a game that belongs on most people's devices and one that will cast its magic on you as soon as you start playing.

Fez is a very good game, and I love how the player never really faces any consequences for failure. It goes a long way in creating an experience that's fun from beginning to end, instead of being loaded with frustration because you ran out of continues and missed a jump. The virtual controls are basically in line with most other games that have reasonably decent virtual button configurations, but the "real" way to play Fez is with an MFi controller. Whether you pair a controller, or wrestle with virtual buttons, as long as you're actually playing Fez, you'll be in for a great time.

Quite simply, I’m a huge fan of Game Dev Tycoon and I love that we can finally play this title on iOS. It’s the perfect sort of game for mobile devices and there’s so much to do here in terms of developing personnel, researching items, and making games that there’s loads of replayability for quite a long time. An oldie, but a goodie, all players owe it to themselves to check out this great port.

Reigns: Her Majesty is an incredible followup that not only improves upon the original, but does it in subtle ways that still makes the first Reigns worth playing if you've never experienced it before. Despite playing very similar to each other, both are unique enough to stand on their own, so if Reigns: Her Majesty ends up being your first Reigns experience, you really owe it to yourself to also go back and play the original. If you were all about Reigns, you simply must download Reigns: Her Majesty. It will take mere moments before you fall in love with the formula again.

Should you buy FMT 2018 if you already own FMT 2017? That's always a tricky question with annual releases, but I think FMT 2018's improvements (and, of course, updated database) justify the purchase. The UI changes really make navigating the game easier, and the new additions offer extra information to those who want to get even more involved with the lives of their fictional players. The game does come with IAPs, but—as is always the case—they are just ways to make the game easier, if you like to take the easy road, or additional challenges. At $19.99 the game might sound expensive in mobile gaming terms, but FMT 2018 is worth every penny.

Looking beyond the simple equation of playtime for money, though, I'm not sure that the game does itself any favors in coupling such a long playtime with so deliberate a difficulty curve. I love this series and I think the gameplay mechanics are a blast, yet even I found myself wishing for the end to come well before it did. There's a great game in Cally's Caves 4, one that surpasses even the thrilling heights of the previous game. Unfortunately, it's served in a giant casserole dish with a lot of less savory bites, and you can't really pick out the lima beans here. In the end, the game taken as a whole isn't nearly as consistent in its quality as Cally's Caves 3. It's still more than worth a go, but make sure you're prepared for a lot of filler along with the killer.

Is GRID Autosport a perfect game? No, but it's pretty close to that. For instance, the menus could have been all on one screen so I don't have to scroll right and left all the time. And maybe some of the text could have been slightly larger on a phone. But this is me being nitpicky because GRID is a really amazing mobile game that fans of racing should buy immediately. Buying a game with so much content and one that plays so well for just $9.99 almost makes me feel guilty (almost). GRID Autosport is a great port of a great game, and despite a few little issues, it should be a no brainer. If you decide to grab it, keep in mind that it takes about 6 GB on your device and will only play (or at least play well) on an iPhone SE, iPhone 7 or newer, iPad (2017), iPad Pros, and requires iOS 11. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a supercar to drive down a long, long straight.

Reviewing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp feels like a necessary formality more than anything else. It's a game with over a year of hype behind it, the Nintendo seal of quality stamped on it, and it's from an IP that couldn't be more beloved. I'd recommend everyone giving it a shot, as you can play for quite a long time before hitting any kind of free to play limitations... And who knows, maybe you'll fall in love with the Animal Crossing universe and be one of those people to pick up a 3DS just to play New Leaf.

How utterly fantastic this mobile re-imagination of Lineage II is has the wheels turning in my head of what other awesome MMORPGs are there out there that enterprising developers could re-release as a auto-play mobile progress game that wouldn't also be just as awesome? If nothing else, NetMarble significantly upped the ante on what we can expect in games like this, and I really hope both Nexon and Square Enix are paying attention when it comes to the upcoming mobile port of Final Fantasy XI. NetMarble has really outdone themselves, and it's going to be hard for other developers to catch up.

If I wasn’t a sci-fi lover expecting more of a story, I probably wouldn’t have been disappointed by the story and just enjoyed the solid puzzles and fantastic visuals. And the game does a wonderful job of planting those seeds of wonder and inquisitiveness. As you explore this alien ship and get hints of their culture and even their biology, it creates a genuine sense of awe and intrigue for those players like me who are highly susceptible to that kind of content and in that frame of mind. This is the debut game of the creative Copenhagen based Fantastic, (yes, actual studio name), and what a debut it is. I’m looking forward to seeing this game completed, and whatever else they put out in the future.

Premium arcade games with no IAP are as much of a rarity as ever these days. These developers have created an engaging and destruction filled game full of cool stuff to collect, kill, and become. Rebel Twins seems to continue improving with every game, and they deserve the price of admission. If you liked the first one, give this a shot for the variety it brings to the old formula, and if you haven’t played it, feel free to jump in. I’d still recommend playing both, honestly. Great mostly-mindless action fun.

Chilling, thought-provoking, and decidedly human, Heart of the House is an excellent piece of interactive fiction. If you have any appreciation for choice-based narratives at all, you'll probably enjoy this one. It doesn't play around much with the conventional mechanics of the genre, but what it creates within them is about as much as anyone could ask for.

If you've got an appetite for unusual games, have good reflexes, and a keen ability to assess patterns quickly, Million Onion Hotel was made just for you. If you don't? Well, you'll probably have a good time with it anyway. It can be really confusing at times, but usually in a good way. As iOS gamers, we're fortunate enough to have a wealth of stylish puzzle games with personality to burn, but I can promise you that none of them are as adorably eccentric as this onion-plucking pleasure cruise.

If you approach Final Fantasy Dimensions 2 with the appropriate expectations, I think you'll find it a reasonably enjoyable game. It's a little too watered down for me to give it too emphatic a recommendation, particularly given the price bracket it's sitting in. At the same time, however, I can't say I didn't have a lot of fun with it, nor can I say that it didn't offer a sufficient amount of content for the price. This isn't a normal RPG by any stretch, but that might make it more appealing to some who are tired of the usual fare. If nothing else, it's absolutely fascinating to see a game that was very much free-to-play from top to bottom in its original incarnation become a decent offline one-and-done paid title.

All in all, STANDBY is a brutally difficult and precise platformer that will frustrate you to the point of loving it. It has distinct visuals, heart-pumping music, great level designs, and responsive touch controls. It's difficulty might turn-off some people but it's incredibly rewarding when you persevere to increase your skill and complete its challenging levels. Make sure to check out our forums to see how your times measure up to others and don't forget to leave impressions of your own!

No one can say the developers of Glyph Quest Chronicles didn't give other methods of monetization a fair try, so it's hard to get upset at them for going in another direction this time around. Nevertheless, while the end result might be more profitable for them, the means to get there have resulted in a worse experience for the end user. I appreciate the many ways the team tried to soften the free-to-play blow, and I certainly like the many little improvements they've made to the mechanics, but it's not enough to balance out the equation. There's still a great puzzle game in here somewhere, but it's never been harder to appreciate it.

Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times is exactly what I wanted to see in this sequel. The game play is fun, challenging, intuitive, and compelling—pretty much the mix of adjectives you want for a video game. Perchang didn't try to reinvent the wheel here, they stuck with what worked well in the original and updated things where it made sense to do so. Whether you're a fan of Warhammer Quest, or tactical-combat games in general, picking up The End Times is an easy decision. Do it. If you're looking for more information on the game you should head to our forums where the page count for Warhammer Quest 2 is growing by the day. Perchang developers have also been active participants in the discussion there and have shared quite a bit about the game.

All in all, Kick Ass Commandos could not have a more fitting adjective in its title. It kicks ass, plain and simple. If you are looking for an action-packed romp through ridiculous environments and set pieces, look no further than this game. It's over the top with its humor, visuals, gameplay, and quality.

Beyond Oasis is a flawed gem in the Genesis line-up. Unfortunately, some emulation issues and the nature of virtual controls magnify a few of its flaws, and it will almost certainly make you angry at times as a result. Nevertheless, the game can still be enjoyed in its current form, and on balance is probably one of the best action-RPGs currently available to mobile gamers. I'm very happy SEGA selected it for the SEGA Forever line-up. If you've never tried Beyond Oasis before, you'll definitely want to give it a chance. Even more than two decades later, the adventure of Prince Ali (amorous he) remains quite a bit of fun and rather unique to boot.