iOS Universal – Page 9

WWII submarine sim, Silent Depth, dives onto the App Store

December 7, 2016 David Neumann 1

As the grandson of a WW2 submariner, the war under the waves has always held a special significance for me. As a fat dude with claustrophobia, actually being in a submarine is the most terrifying thing I can imagine. I even get uneasy touring the U-505 in Chicago or the USS Cobia in Manitowoc, WI, and they’re just sitting there. I’m a wimp. Lucky for me, there have always been pretty decent sub simulations for PC with the Silent Hunter series and way too many others to mention. This week ushered in a new sub simulation called Silent Depth, and this one we can play on our iPads.

Review: Colt Express

December 6, 2016 Kelsey Rinella 8

Colt Express has two things I adore: an Old West theme of bandits robbing a train, and programmed movement with character decks. Westerns are in sort of a tough place right now. The themes common to westerns are largely in tension with some now-common values, so it’s difficult to make them without effectively taking a controversial political stand (either to support those themes, or explicitly reject them). As a result, family-friendly western content is rare these days. Admittedly, I have never seen Sheriff Callie’s Wild West, but Wikipedia tells me it occurs in the town of “Nice and Friendly Corners”. I am now imagining Fred Rogers in a poncho, chomping a cigarillo, and my attempt to deride the western credentials of the Disney Junior show has gone totally off the rails as I embroider that fabulous image.* Anyway, a western family game stands out.

Blizzard releases latest Hearthstone expansion, Mean Streets of Gadzetzan

December 1, 2016 David Neumann 3

Two years ago the arrival of a new Hearthstone expansion would have been major news worthy of getting a certain Faraday out of bed to give us his thoughts on what was (and maybe still is?) the biggest game on mobile. Today it’s a bit meh. Sure, Hearthstone is still a pretty great game, but with this being the umpteenth expansion I find it hard to jump up and down and holler when a new one is released. That said, we still have at least one major Hearthstone fan chained in the manor’s wine cellar and I’m sure there are some of you who still pick it up and give it a go every once in a while. Today will be a good day to delve back in as Mean Streets of Gadgetzan was unleashed this morning.

Colt Express gallops onto the App Store

November 28, 2016 David Neumann 9

We’ve known about the flood of board game ports that tabletop giant, Asmodee, is planning on brining to digital. Time to grab your galoshes, because the flood is beginning today with the release of the 2015 SdJ winner, Colt Express.

Review: Paperback

November 18, 2016 David Neumann 8

Everyone hates words games. It’s true. Well, almost everyone. Your grandma still loves Scrabble, and so does that one tool who’s memorized every two-letter word that begins with “Q”. Do we want to game with those people? Hell, no! (Grandma excluded. It’s fun to game with grandma!) What if I were to tell you that there was a word game that didn’t suck? What if we took one of the most popular games of the past 10 years and mixed it with word games? How would that work? Let’s take a look at Paperback.

Pathfinder Adventures expands again, adds another adventure deck

November 15, 2016 David Neumann 1

Much like my patience, Pathfinder Adventures is slowly coming to an end. Not the end, just an end. Last week saw the release of Deck 5 of the Rise of the Runelords campaign meaning that we only have one deck remaining before the adventure path wraps up. Will a new adventure path follow? We can hope, but for now let’s revel in the fact that there’s new stuff to do in one of 2016’s greatest ports.

2D turn-based shooter, SteamWorld Heist, lands on iOS

November 10, 2016 David Neumann 5

Thanks to our intrepid undercover reporter, [redacted -ed.], we knew that Image & Form was close to releasing their super-popular 2D shooter, SteamWorld Heist on iOS very soon. What we didn’t realize is that “very soon” meant “now”. That’s right, the much anticipated SteamWorld Heist is now available for iOS Universal.

Three Games You Can Play To Distract From This Sense of Impending Doom You’re Feeling

November 9, 2016 Tanner Hendrickson 12

I’ve always defended mobile games as more than mere distractions. But today… Today I need some distractions from this newfound sense of overwhelming dread I woke up with, and you might, too. Here are three quality “distractions” you can play today and into the coming months. (And if you’re not feeling particularly down today, here are some good games that are worth playing.)

Review: Red7

November 4, 2016 Kelsey Rinella 0

Red7, a simple but scalable card game now come to iOS, offers a surprisingly strong metaphor for American capitalism and its discontents. Try to think of this claim, not as total BS, but as a helpful mnemonic for the various details the game adds as you activate the three independent optional rule sets. My brain apparently abhors a purely abstract game.