Funnily enough, Transistor, Door Kickers, and Don't Starve are games I really would like to play but lately I stop myself from getting into games that I know will suck up a lot of time from me when I'm pretty busy already pursuing a Computer Science degree and working part time. The only reason I made an exception for TIS-100 is because I have a special place in my heart for Zachtronics games all because of Spacechem so ill indulge myself a little with his games.
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iOS Gaming January 2016 | Should old applications be forgot?
- Thread starter More_Badass
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Funnily enough, Transistor, Door Kickers, and Don't Starve are games I really would like to play but lately I stop myself from getting into games that I know will suck up a lot of time from me when I'm pretty busy already pursuing a Computer Science degree and working part time. The only reason I made an exception for TIS-100 is because I have a special place in my heart for Zachtronics games all because of Spacechem so ill indulge myself a little with his games.
Paint it Black is the best one IMO.
toythatkills
Member
The Conceptis series (Pix-a-Pix is the picross game) have a bunch of these types of logic puzzles, and they're all excellent. Nurikabe is the highlight for me because I fucking love that puzzle, but Slitherlink and Hashi are brilliant too. Download them all for free and you'll probably never need another puzzle game ever again.
(You can buy extra puzzles as IAP, but there's so much free content throughout them all as well as free weekly puzzles that I've still not run out.)
One massive plus is how the controls are so perfectly designed for touchscreens.
gingerbeardman
Member
If they know which bits to keep during thinning, they know the size of them.
Anyone here play pike and shot?
I just wanted to give it my recommendation, focussed on the early modern period makes the game feel very fresh as rather than being a unique unit like say in medieval total war pikemen and gunners merge together to form the main unit of the game.
The battles are based on historical events and are turn based, there is a large emphasis on morale with breaking units being more important than trying to destroy them which happens much less. If a unit is broken friendly units next to it will suffer a morale penalty your unit will pursue broken units and potentially charge into other enemies and break them. This means a battle can look static and then with one morale failure a whole front can collapse and change the course of the battle. This domino effect means even if you are losing you have a chance if you can just win one conflict to change the battle.
I have also completed lone wolf the new sniper game that came out which I would really recommend, it is very clever and reminds me of max Payne in feel. My one hope is in the expansion they will focus more on puzzle solving levels as I enjoyed these the most.
I for one am loving iPad gaming atm, before Christmas I really just played on my PC but since then I have been glued to my iPad with all these great games. What sort of time do you guys spend gaming on your iOS devices per week?
I just wanted to give it my recommendation, focussed on the early modern period makes the game feel very fresh as rather than being a unique unit like say in medieval total war pikemen and gunners merge together to form the main unit of the game.
The battles are based on historical events and are turn based, there is a large emphasis on morale with breaking units being more important than trying to destroy them which happens much less. If a unit is broken friendly units next to it will suffer a morale penalty your unit will pursue broken units and potentially charge into other enemies and break them. This means a battle can look static and then with one morale failure a whole front can collapse and change the course of the battle. This domino effect means even if you are losing you have a chance if you can just win one conflict to change the battle.
I have also completed lone wolf the new sniper game that came out which I would really recommend, it is very clever and reminds me of max Payne in feel. My one hope is in the expansion they will focus more on puzzle solving levels as I enjoyed these the most.
I for one am loving iPad gaming atm, before Christmas I really just played on my PC but since then I have been glued to my iPad with all these great games. What sort of time do you guys spend gaming on your iOS devices per week?
+1000
More_Badass
Member
I finally bought Dream Quest...
Why did I wait so long? It's fantastic
If you're on the fence, check out the PC demo
https://www.reddit.com/r/DreamQuestIOS/comments/2d0d9h/dream_quest_demo_win64_and_mac/
Yes, the art is...rudimentary. But it has a charm to it, like the first Cally's Caves did, and the gameplay is excellent.
Why did I wait so long? It's fantastic
If you're on the fence, check out the PC demo
https://www.reddit.com/r/DreamQuestIOS/comments/2d0d9h/dream_quest_demo_win64_and_mac/
Yes, the art is...rudimentary. But it has a charm to it, like the first Cally's Caves did, and the gameplay is excellent.
Just jumped on this today. Enjoyable, although the chest timers are a little bizarre.
I made a NeoGAF clan, because that's traditional. It's open, so just search for it and we can friendly battle until the end of time.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
Parts of App Thinning aren't done by the developer, but done by Apple when sending the app to the device.
The on-demand resources aspect should be better communicated though. Games should have a "maximum hard drive footprint" for on-demand resources.
If users want hard drive resources to be better communicated, they need to talk to Apple, who really seems to think the whole storage issue is something that can be automated (note the Apple TV as an extreme version of this).
gingerbeardman
Member
Matt Frost
Member
One of the best games released in 2013 without doubt. At the price of GET, is a must have.
More_Badass
Member
Good ole' IOS classic Minigore 2 got updated with IOS 9 support and new visual effects, plus some other stuff
More_Badass
Member
Considering that the creator of Magic loves the game to the point of personally providing feedback and Blizzard hired the dev to work on Hearthstone, I'd say that's a testament to how complete and polished the game is. Gameplay-wise of course
Honestly it's probably the ultimate example of "gameplay first" in gaming. The depth and complexity is masterfully designed.
Hmm, a nice suggestion !
I'm always filling my ipad with games and ebooks, and always struggling with space. I should really adopt your way of doing things. Far less struggle, far more enjoyment.
How are other iOSGaffers handling things in that regard ? Do you have a set limit of apps too ?
Dash Kappei
Not actually that important
Sunburn is free atm guys. It's really good 
edit: beaten, oh well I was internet-less the whole day so I couldn't check appshopper earlier, sorry
edit: beaten, oh well I was internet-less the whole day so I couldn't check appshopper earlier, sorry
More_Badass
Member
I tend to have the three or four games I'm playing the most on my main screen and whatever other games I have downloaded in a folder. And then there are games I never delete (80 Days, Card Crawl, Icebreaker, Hero Emblems, 99 Bricks on iPhone; Door Kickers, Dungeon of the Endless, Hearthstone, King of Dragon Pass on iPad)
Christ sakes man, stop recommending games. I think highly of your opinion when it comes to games so when you recommend something, I instabuy lol
More_Badass
Member
You shouldn't check out the Indie Games threads then
Made a thread about Dream Quest yesterday, here are some longer impressions
Yes, let's get it out of the way first. The art in Dream Quest is...rudimentary. It's ugly. It's a turn-off for many, definitely was for me for a long time.
But I'm sure you've seen the opinion on GAF many times that gameplay comes first before story and whatnot, and in that regard, Dream Quest is a must play. It's probably the ultimate testament to that dictum of gameplay first.
If you don't want to take my word for it, consider that Blizzard hired the developer to work on Hearthstone, and that Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic, was such a big fan of the game that he personally reached out to Whalen and gave him feedback on how to improve the gameplay.
So yes, Dream Quest is a fantastic game.
What make Dream Quest's gameplay so good? It's masterfully designed marriage of roguelike and deck-building card game, with a plethora of distinct classes and unique enemies. Like the best in the genre, it constantly rewards you with an addictive dripfeed of new unlocks, not only imbuing the game with that "one more go" appeal but also meaning your strategies and tactics grow as you progress
You start off competent, but soon your deck grows and compounds until you're a mean lean enemy-slaughtering machine with deck synergies that let you unleash multiplying damage and devastating status effects. Maybe you're a backstabbing Thief who can keep enemies at bay with their Jab and Circle cards. Or maybe you're a powerful Priest that annihilates foes by draining their health and buffing yourself with blessings. Or maybe you're a Samurai, or a Dragon, or Druid.
Yes, the classes are diverse, each with their special skills and styles to hone and focus on through building your deck.
The enemies you face are just as varied, and knowing the kinds of cards they might have is key to fine-tuning your plan of attack. Facing a Mime that can mirror your attacks and copy your own deck to use against you is very different from fighting a Thief or Lich
Oh I lurk Toma's threads and you've done damage to my wallet there as wellYou shouldn't check out the Indie Games threads then
The Dream Quest creator ended up getting hired as a designer for Hearthstone.
I always thought this story was pretty neat, too:
I always thought this story was pretty neat, too:
Matt Frost
Member
Sunburn is free atm guys. It's really good
edit: beaten, oh well I was internet-less the whole day so I couldn't check appshopper earlier, sorry
Internet-less... That is my biggest fear xD
More_Badass
Member
So did anyone else pick up TIS-100? I love Zachtronics' games but they're not for everyone. If you liked SpaceChem, you'll get the same thrills from TIS-100
iPad only! Wish I could try it on my plus. Surely the screen is large enough, no?
Am I doing something wrong in AG Drive? I'm having trouble passing the first damn race. I keep getting 8th when I need to reach top 3. I hit the blue flames and don't think I'm hitting walls too much... Are the controls so finicky and do I just need to git good?
Chuckpebble
Member
Is your throttle fully depressed?
When you accelerate a green chevron pointing up fills with green. If you press harder a yellow one appears. Filling that one up enables your boost. Make sure you use boosts soon after they're available to get them charging again.
Also, you can change the HUD around. I just kept losing the track with that speedometer / tilt indicator dead center.
When you accelerate a green chevron pointing up fills with green. If you press harder a yellow one appears. Filling that one up enables your boost. Make sure you use boosts soon after they're available to get them charging again.
Also, you can change the HUD around. I just kept losing the track with that speedometer / tilt indicator dead center.
flashburn2012
Member
Have there been any "good" F2P games released in the last few months? Something that isn't just a Clash of Clans clone? I've been playing Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes and it's fun, but only for a few minutes every day. Looking for something I can just casually glance at while watching TV.
More_Badass
Member
- Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (port of the PC roguelike, no other game like this on mobile except for Brogue)
- Subterfuge
- Rustbucket
- Beneath The Lighthouse
- Into The Dim
- Cobe The Gallery
- Breakneck
- The Path to Luma
flashburn2012
Member
Thank you sir. I literally came up with nothing browsing the last few threads and iOS charts. Time to start checking out all of these games.
Chuckpebble
Member
Fallout Shelter has actually been my favorite F2P.
flashburn2012
Member
Played it for a couple weeks but I got bored of it.
More_Badass
Member
One of my favorite puzzlers on mobile, Euclieda, got an improved sequel with more challenges and other improvements/additions. It may look overwhelming if you're not into math, but the game is very slick, easy to use and understand, and it eases you into the harder puzzles.
https://appsto.re/us/5LTt3.i
https://appsto.re/us/5LTt3.i
It's charming and decent enough, but This War of Mine is by far the better choice if you want a shelter management/group survival game
Need the global release.
More_Badass
Member
Where is it soft launched?
Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
FirstBlood
Member
I have a long plane ride with my wife coming up. Anyone have an recommendations for games we can play with/against eachother?
We both have iPads so it doesn't necessarily have to be pass & play (though that has worked well with games like Ticket to Ride & Smallworld)
We both have iPads so it doesn't necessarily have to be pass & play (though that has worked well with games like Ticket to Ride & Smallworld)
flashburn2012
Member
Just create an Australian iTunes account real quick. It literally only took me a couple of minutes and now I'm playing Clash Royal. It's pretty neat so far.
More_Badass
Member
Poltergust
Member
*ahem*
I'd like to introduce you guys to a game that we at Skyburst Studios worked on. It's called...
Ice Burglar!
App Store
It's a neat puzzle game in which you slide around on ice to collect all the fish in each level. If you manage to get the minimum number of moves in a level, you get an cool bonus as well! We put in a lot of effort into this game and managed to crank out over 180 levels, with tons of cool mechanics to interact with. Not bad for a 5 month development cycle for what basically is a student project. =P
It is also free-to-play, with in-app purchases that provide completely optional benefits (+ the ability to turn off advertisements). There is no boring timing mechanic here; you can go through each level in one fell swoop!
We seem to have a few positive reviews, but I would really like to get GAF's impressions on it as well. And more promotion couldn't hurt, either!
I'd like to introduce you guys to a game that we at Skyburst Studios worked on. It's called...
Ice Burglar!
App Store
It's a neat puzzle game in which you slide around on ice to collect all the fish in each level. If you manage to get the minimum number of moves in a level, you get an cool bonus as well! We put in a lot of effort into this game and managed to crank out over 180 levels, with tons of cool mechanics to interact with. Not bad for a 5 month development cycle for what basically is a student project. =P
It is also free-to-play, with in-app purchases that provide completely optional benefits (+ the ability to turn off advertisements). There is no boring timing mechanic here; you can go through each level in one fell swoop!
We seem to have a few positive reviews, but I would really like to get GAF's impressions on it as well. And more promotion couldn't hurt, either!
OK, maybe I laid it on a bit too thick, but I really would appreciate more people trying the game out.
Fallout Shelter has to be one of the most average 'typical' F2P games out there, remove the Fallout from the name and nobody would care. I remember seeing someone put it as their only mobile GOTY recommendation, they must not have tried a lot at all during 2015.
I was fortunate enough to be given a code for Power Hover here last week and I heartily recommend it. I would have gladly paid the upfront cost of the game after trying it. There has been quite a lot of comments describing the gameplay so I won't do that but I did get some Ratchet and Clark similarities when grinding along rails. I especially like the progression of unlocking extra lives the further in the game you go which can be the difference between two or three stars in previous levels. I'm close to the starring all levels, but I do think that the cut off for three stars on the boss levels are too high. On one I am around 650 highest but nowhere near level three.
infiniteloop
Member
Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack set is $20.21 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YT09ICI/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Includes: Video Game, Wireless Portal and Gameplay Controller, 2 Skylanders SuperChargers Characters, 1 Skylanders SuperChargers Vehicle, and 1 Collection Poster.
I don't think the controller is an MFi controller, it'll only work for this game.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YT09ICI/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Includes: Video Game, Wireless Portal and Gameplay Controller, 2 Skylanders SuperChargers Characters, 1 Skylanders SuperChargers Vehicle, and 1 Collection Poster.
I don't think the controller is an MFi controller, it'll only work for this game.
toythatkills
Member
Looks like my kinda puzzle, I'll give it a go and review as appropriate!
Those graphics ain't gonna help you, though.
Poltergust
Member
It looks a lot better animated. :<
gingerbeardman
Member
What on earth warrants this game being 269MB?
Poltergust
Member
I wasn't involved in the tail-end of the project's development, but if I had to guess it is most likely leftover art assets taking up space.
Game size never really came up as an issue. I'll make note of that in the future.
gingerbeardman
Member
Apps over 100MB can only be downloaded over Wi-Fi, which is something developers often consider.
You can also optimise your art assets using several different software apps, such as ImageOptim, ImageAlpha and JPEGmini. Well worth looking into.
edit: in iTunes on Desktop it shows up as compressed size being 91.5MB which is somewhat of an improvement. Expanding to 269MB means you really need to optimise your assets!