What LIMBO did well on other platforms, it replicates perfectly in the iOS version: simple controls, an eerie atmosphere and an experience that sticks in your mind.

The differences between Agricola the board game and Agricola the app are largely stylistic, but I much prefer the artistic rendering of the iOS version to the real-world board. There is also the benefit of avoiding the tedium involved with assembling the game, but I know there are gamers who enjoy setup nearly as much as play. For me, being able to jump in and out of a few rounds is a major benefit.

Despite the lack of multiplayer (we expect this to be added in future updates) XCOM: Enemy Unknown offers an astronomical amount of content, spanning more than one genre. Having said that, the game is not without problems. Game-breaking bugs are frequent and frustrating when they befall you during important missions.

It is largely a known entity, and for those of you who are familiar with the game and want to play again should definitely consider this version. Those of you not in the know, I hope that this brief rundown of the game was enough to entice Star Wars and D&D fans. Knights of the Old Republic is a game that any fan of Western RPGs should give a chance.

Scurvy Scallywags accomplishes exactly that, with the hallmark wit of Gilbert & Kauzlaric The game takes the match-3 genre, gives it a fresh spin and adds enough joy to keep playing over and over again.

The electronic nature of Eclipse for iPad made it possible for me to appreciate this deep, fulfilling board game.

Frozen Synapse does so many things right on iPad: Single player, multiplayer, and the thoughtful tactical gameplay that is consistent in both modes. If you have any fondness for tactical games, don’t hesitate before jumping headfirst into Frozen Synapse.

You don’t have to be a space fanatic either to enjoy the game, it’s gameplay, wit and ability to be picked it up in minutes heavily outweigh its space setting for the non-believers out there.

I thoroughly enjoy Talisman’s overall design and presentation, and encourage fans of board games and role playing games to give it a shot.

I very much enjoyed my time playing Mr. Crab. While it doesn’t cram itself with the intentionally addictive progress bars and elements, the fast-paced gameplay and unique level design kept me glued to the iPad.

A superb blend of classic point & click and neo noir, Gemini Rue is among the best adventuring choices on iOS.

This is an overall well executed port of a great game, a game that would go on to inspire the famed job system in Final Fantasy Tactics. If you’re a fan of the original release or a fan of JRPGs in general, you will likely find something to enjoy in Final Fantasy V.

I approached Star Wars Pinball as someone largely unfamiliar with what pinball has become in recent days. After spending some time with it, I am interested in delving in to the rest of Zen Studios’ pinball offerings. I can’t say if this is their best work, but it is a damn fine pinball game, and one that leverages a beloved film franchise.

If you are a fan of Bejeweled, Triple Towns, Alchemy or slide puzzles this is a no-brainer. If you cringe when playing Resident Evil, and the slide puzzles show up this is not for you. Alien Hive is a refreshing mashup of genres, and it is a game that is easy to get into and really hard to put away.

It’s a real shame that there are so few levels in the main game then. There are challenge and practice modes included, but the whole thing is so fun that it leaves you wanting much more to play with; 18 just doesn’t seem enough.

Metal Slug X is a fun shooter with a load of content. The touch screen controls let it down at times, but most of the time they work well enough. I am not sure if Metal Slug X is worth it if you already own Metal Slug 2, and it would have been nice to have it as an IAP upgrade as well. For newcomers to the series this is a perfect start.

Sonic Dash is a quick automatic runner that harnesses the essence of the franchise in a great way. Perfect for both a five-minute break, and a lazy evening in the sofa.

Overall it’s a simple, fun and addictive package. No iAP, no complications, and impressive in the looks and sound department. Plays a good game too.

Block Fortress takes the Minecraft idea into a warzone with turrets, goblins and guns. It is a fresh idea executed really well.

The presentation is stellar: both in graphics, and sound. The levels are also varied forcing you to find new ways to optimize the effect of each throw. To me this is almost a perfect game, and the only thing I really miss is a local multiplayer mode that would make this a real party game for a long time.

It is easy to have a blast with Hell Yeah! Pocket Inferno due to simple controls, and constant action. It is even worth replaying when you have upgraded your guns to allow new routes to be taken. Don’t expect the same game, as on console, but rather something more suited to mobile gaming on the go.

King Cashing 2 improves on the original in ways I couldn’t even imagine, and takes the formula into a completely new realm. This is the kind of game that you can play for hours without knowing it, or just as well play for five minutes on the bus. No matter how, and when you play it you will have a great time.

Stardust Hero is one of those games that you just want to keep on playing. Sadly it ends, and when it does you haven´t got much left to do. Sure there are bonus levels, and some secrets to find but I never wanted it to end no matter what. Still this comes highly recommended, and you will get hours of relaxed exciting fun.

Love Gears is a casual gear puzzle game that brings smiles to gamers. It might not be a revolution to the genre, or provide the hardest gear puzzles out there. It is one of those games you can play together with your kids, or by yourself if you are keen on maximizing your scores. An easy game to recommend.

Word Up Dog is a fresh, and fun experience combining word gaming with dungeon crawling. The references to the fizzling eighties are really fun, especially for those who sang along to MC Hammer and LL Cool J. Highly recommended.

‘Real Racing 3’ is all about the three R’s. Not the ones we learned at school (or as I’m increasingly discovering to my horror, I didn’t properly learn), but Real Cars, Real Tracks and Real People.

PinWar is a great game in one player, and a pretty good one with two. It’s a bit like renting a one bedroom flat with four friends – a little cramped, but great fun. Remember though – friends with small hands work best.

Cordy 2 plays like a dream with precise controls, excellent level design and all presented in a great style. Who wouldn´t want to stomp on the evil Boogaloo?

Be Together is one of the best physics puzzles lately combining cute graphics, excellent level design and high production values. Loads of achievements, hours of puzzles and the feelgood game design make it hard to quit playing.

Table Top Racer presents some of the juiciest steaks I have ever seen in video games, a finger lickin’ good distraction.

Pixel Defenders Puzzle is a great strategy game using the excellent match three evolution formula that feels fresh, and highly addictive. With loads of game modes, achievements and levels this is one of the best puzzle-strategy games in the App Store.

Mushroom Wars is one of the better RTS games available for iPad, and anyone up for a fast-paced tactical experience should definitely give it a shot.

Art Mogul is an interesting fresh mixture of risk-reward, hidden object game and business building. The slow pace might be off-putting to some, but if you bear with it and get hooked you will find a brand new kind of game.

One minor annoyance is the functionality of weapons; these cannot be aimed and are predominantly effective against zombies that are right in front of you.

Aww Flips unpretentious nature continues with lo-fi visuals and an electronic soundtrack that sounds like it's being played live, and completely at random, combined with Space Invader-type sound effects.

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes missed out on a major opportunity with its iPad release. An otherwise fantastic puzzle RPG with decent story, CoH on the iPad lacks the level of polish of the original Nintendo DS release. I have come down hard on the quality of this port, but if you can't play CoH elsewhere don't miss the opportunity to enjoy it.

Syder Arcade HD is a no-nonsense shooter in space that makes for some truly intensely satisfying action. Not only brawn, but also some strategy to the mayhem, as it introduces different directions to travel and enemies that move in a bit random.

Sound is no slouch either. The booming effects and humorous comments from Stan add polish on top of the already polished polish, and sound even better through headphones.

Tin Man Can combines great presentation with simple to grasp controls, and an excellent multiplayer mode.

Heroes and Castles is a great game with an excellent mixture of strategy, and action. It is an intense experience standing in the keep waiting to heal while skeletons wielding huge swords raze the walls.

This is one game where less is more, and where your performance can set a new personal best in one playthrough, but barely get a quarter of the way through the level the next. Most importantly, it's one where if you brake for too long you'll end up several miles beneath the earth. Eek.

Joe Danger Touch equals Rayman Jungle Run in offering a fantastic touch screen alternative to the console version of a game. The only difference being that I think that this touch version is better than the PSN and XBLA original. Its more engaging and very addictive. That 'one more go' urge cost me my dinner this evening!

On the third level I was hooked by the simple gameplay, clean graphics and chillout soundtrack.

Overall, this is a great puzzle game. It is certainly not original, as it borrows heavily from some of the more popular games on iOS. However, it does enough to make the mechanics its own. If you like physics-based puzzle games, this is one that is well worth your time, as it features fun gameplay, beautiful visuals, and a fantastic soundtrack.

Anomaly Korea builds upon its predecessor. It isn't just more of the same, but don't come to Anomaly Korea expecting something entirely new. You can, however, expect a game equal in quality to the first release.

A very enjoyable arcade beat-em-up. It has great visuals with humorous animation, a nice range of power ups (including a mega smart bomb which destroys everything on-screen after collecting all the letters of the word 'Gumball'), inventive enemies – a multi-decker sandwich that takes off his head to beat you with – and a range of power ups to keep you interested.

Mini Dash has so many things going for it that it's not too hard to forgive the games considerably high difficulty. If you've played twitch platformers using slider or accelerometer controls before, you'll probably be right at home.

As much as I love everything about the game's mechanics, story, and artwork, this specific port does not work as well as it could have.

I would have been sold on Battle of the Bulge as a regular PC wargame, but the fact that it is an iPad only release and a brilliant one at that makes it all the sweeter as an iOS gamer.

Everything you'd expect is here, including all the above game modes and voice chat. It may not have the deep 'One-billion-attachments-and-counting' customization of something like Modern Combat, but there's surely enough here to keep you ruling the skies for a heck of a long time.

If you started off your career in adventure gaming with the Walking Dead it may do you some good to experience this finely crafted take on the traditional adventure gaming formula. I sincerely hope that Pendulo Studios is around for a long time to come, and that they keep bringing these short but thrilling adventure titles to iOS.

What Gameloft have created here is almost the complete package. It is truly AAA in scope and presentation. It's just a shame that it is still lacking decent AI routines for enemies and the voice acting it deserves. Of course, take things out of the campaign mode and into multiplayer, and MC4 really shines.

Coaster Crazy is one of the best freemium games lately, and it allows you to be highly creative when building your own coaster empire.

Bladeslinger successfully blends shooting, combat, exploration and a bit of magic in a beautiful looking package. I think we should be glad this is only the start. Episode 2? Bring it on.

Micro Miners is one of the biggest surprises of the year that came out of nowhere. Unique intensely satisfying gameplay paired with a cool presentation makes it one of those games that should be part of all iOS collections.

Although it's not perfect, Real Boxing can indeed be crowned the undisputed king of iOS fighters. True, there's not exactly much competition, but first is first. It'll be very interesting to see what Vivid Games follows up this impressive effort with. Or to put it another way…seconds out.

QatQi is a great relaxing word game that has taken the next step in the evolution of the genre.

Rovio has managed to create another compelling Angry Birds game, and I have to say it is the best one yet. Given the amount of nostalgia, and hours of gameplay it provides it is a must for any iOS gamer.

Storm The Train is a gem in the free to play category, as it is both fun and free. You can spend 20+ hours with it without having to spend a dime, and still enjoy yourself. It does get repetitive though, and more story would have been nice. On the other hand I get to storm a train, kill werewolves and robot monsters.

Heads Up! Hot Dogs is one of those games you can easily hand over to your kid, or even your grandma and watch them smirk and laugh.

With excellent old school circus presentation, brilliantly simple gameplay and a cool share functionality Slide Circus is a perfect casual game.

Dodonpachi Maximum is probably the best place to start in the Cave universe of bullet hell shooters. It has an easy mode, and is overall easier to play due to the lack of debris. The lack of personality compared to the ports is a let-down for us veterans though.

For fans of multiplayer word games, it doesn't get much better.

ARC Squadron is easily one of the best shooters on the AppStore right now.

It may not reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't do anything much wrong as such and if all you're looking for is a fix of speed, you won't be disappointed.

I am truly surprised, and actually really glad that Sega has made Sonic Jump a proper standalone game well worth it for both fans, and non-fans of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Skyriders is a polished arcade racer in Super Monkey Ball esque levels. If you are looking for a game to mesmerize you while you are chasing stars it is definitely worth grabbing.

True Skate is a marvel showcasing what can only be done on a touch screen, a game that mimics the real life activity closely.

Devil's Attorney has got nothing to do with Phoenix Wright. There I said it in the final paragraph. Many had hoped for a new text based adventure game set in a courtroom, but alas Devil's Attorney is not it. It is however a truly fun turn based strategy game set in that very same courtroom. I highly recommend it.

The biggest compliment I can give this game is that the story has completely hooked me.

Re-Volt Classic is a true gem in the racing genre giving countless hours of challenging racing, star-chasing and swearing at evil opponents blasting you with electric bolts. The price is on the high side, and I would have liked it lower to get more players to jump on the buy button. If you want a game that you can really sink your teeth into Re-Volt Classic comes highly recommended.

The only negative is a slightly too easy difficulty, and perhaps this is why I get so much game for free.

The word 'design' is at the heart of why I love Bad Piggies, I honestly felt in many levels that I was not simply discovering the developers' solution. Rather, I felt that I had designed my own. The developers placed intelligent limits on the player's independence, but give the player enough room to feel ownership of their accomplishment.

So FIFA 13 elicits less of a salivating exclamation, and more of a slow, knowing nod. One that gets more knowing as you discover how much it's been improved, in little, but significant, ways.

Lili is one of the most beautiful games for iOS, and it is also one of the most complete gaming experiences thus far beside classics like Dead Space.

This is indeed a great game package. The presentation displays a lot of love, appreciation of detail and artistic talent. The music is excellently produced and has just as much whimsical personality as the visuals, and you can even unlock a range of wallpapers for your phone as you progress. What more do you want?

The Room is a must have for the iPad 2/New iPad with the best puzzles, and puzzle mechanics of 2012. Everything about the game is polished, and highly compelling. I can't think of a better place to escape to when you are looking for your keys for the third time in a day

The holes are a bit hard to predict, and getting good scores are not that easy. Wonderputt is still recommended to those looking for something completely different in the miniature golf genre.

But boy is it tough. Even from the start.

It also allows me, after weeks sitting in a darkened room with nothing but the game to keep me company, to create an absolute evil beast of a level to send to the developers and give them a taste of their own medicine. Yellow Monkey, your contact details are nearby. You've been warned.

Eufloria is a great implementation of real time strategy on iOS devices. The art will relax you, and the challenge can keep you at the edge of your seat (the game does include a more relaxed mode). Don't hesitate to give Eufloria a shot.

Splice is the most immersive puzzle game I have played the last couple of years.

I absolutely fell in love with 10000000. It seamlessly blends multiple genres in a way I have not seen since PuzzleQuest. It has a tastefully executed 8-bit music and art style that is a joy. Other than a couple of small control issues, this game is nearly perfect and I have no problem recommending it to anyone.

It proves that quality titles can make it on Apple's mobile devices without compromising gameplay, graphics, audio, or any other aspect that makes them fit for consoles or the PC/Mac.

This is among the finest RPGs available on the platform.

I can't give more praise to McPixel than words allow, but by golly this is brilliant.

Overall, Blast A Way is great puzzle game. It's beautifully presented, but more importably its fresh and challenging, with that all important 'one more try' factor.

Succeeds where it matters: it is fun. From the first levels to the 75th I had a blast. With variation between levels, and some really challenging shots it is easy to get hooked for hours.

A pretty great little game. It has a couple of annoying control issues that popped up now and then, but it is well worth checking out. It has a great difficulty curve that will appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers alike.

Bad Hotel is a hard game, and there are some really harsh levels that demand quick decisions and movements. I found the more relaxed early levels to be more suitable to the colorful presentation, and quirky story.

Kid Vector is a cool speed run platformer that can challenge most players intensively. I would have liked to see more story, or at least more variation with power ups for example.

I can't hide my love for Alien Breed even if the story isn't more advanced than that found in Doom, or other shooters.

Tragically, the sound design in Solarola is horrendous.

A great adventure game with focus on interpersonal relationships, and intense quicktime events. The first episode sinks it´s hooks in deep, and the wait for the next episode is already tormenting me. This comes highly recommended to both fans, and newcomers to the world of the Walking Dead.

One of the only things I wished for with Arkham Asylum was the ability to use the Batmobile. Alas, it wasn't possible, but here it is.

Big, bad and explosively mad.

A great game. The physics are well done, it looks good, sounds good and is easy to pick up and learn. That being said, it did not grab me as much as some puzzle games out there, and part of that is the lack of motivation.

Knights of the Round Cable is a great game with some awesome mechanics. I found it incredibly addicting, and I had a blast with it. Some players might find that it gets a little repetitive, but people who enjoyed going for high scores in games like Tiny Wings and Temple Run will absolutely love this game.