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[More_Badass]

Each month, the iOS GAF community hosts a thread for new game releases, rumors and discussion that define the fast-moving world of iOS gaming.

The OP will contain games that released both towards the end of the previous month and games that have released during the current month.
All the games listed will have been highlighted by the GAF community in one way or another. This way you can keep tabs on the best games and at the same time curate an excellent resource to look back on to find games you may have missed.

If you're a developer who wishes to have your game featured, please talk about your game in the thread and if the GAF community at large likes the game then your wish just might be granted. Please note that there's a difference between posting about a game you made and just advertising your game with no further interaction with the community, this thread is not for the latter and such advertising behavior is frowned upon.

Directory
1) Introduction & Recommended Games
2) Recommended Games continued
3) Upcoming Releases, Past Threads & Other Links

Site (N/A) | Trailer | App Store
Meet our stretchy pooch : Silly Sausage in his adventure through Meat Land.
Swipe based controls will allow you to stretch through the air changing direction as you go. Latch onto a surface and your dachshund will retract to that spot.
Having an infinitely stretchy body is pretty handy, but it's not all plain sailing. Your exposed body is vulnerable to all sorts of meat cutting instruments so don't over stretch yourself or you could end up butchered!

I do not like it at all. For me, the controls are a bit cluncky and... meh, I think I do not like the overall design. Magic Touch and Platform Panic appealed more to me.

Nitrome's Silly Sausage is another fantastic addition from them. I know I've played a game with a similar concept before, cant remember what it was, but basically you control an elastic dog traversing a colorful world of danger. Latching onto a surface retracts your body. The game is set up like Smash Hit or Retry, one long level with checkpoints you can stop at. Watching ads or using gems you collect let you unlock a checkpoint. The gameplay is fun and challenging as the mechanics and hazards grew: lasers, saws, spikes, surfaces that can't be grabbed, areas that boost your speed, pipes, crushers, and more. Definitely worth checking out

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Site | Trailer | App Store

If you solve something, say something.
In today's world, it's all on the line. Answer the call.
Join your fellow citizens to decrypt suspicious messages and help make our nation safer and stronger! For every puzzle you solve, for every dangerous message you bring to our attention, you make your family and your country that much safer.
Solve high-level decryption algorithms through a puzzle-like interface, then uncover potential plots and unmask suspicious individuals. Reach into their past to follow their movements and uncover their motives, track their associations and evaluate the threat.

TouchTone is really, really good. Figured it would be since it's by Mikengreg.

Okay, so TouchTone is fascinating. The actual puzzles are not very complicated. Challenging but not that complex. It's reflecting and splitting beams. The presentation is slick and manipulating the tiles is effortless.

But the real reason to check out TouchTone is its story. It's like BlackBar in that sense. The puzzle core is fun but the framework is the truly compelling element. You - yes, you - are a loyal citizen taking part in a government program focused on protecting national security. You piece together info from emails and phone conversations and other private communication to figure out if there is a threat. A story emerges.

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Site | Trailer | App Store

Meet Mr Jump, your new hero! Help him jump his way through the ingenious and tricky levels we have created for you!
Mr Jump will seriously challenge your skills and reflexes!

Don't be put off by the comparisons to Flappy Bird that sites are making; it's a platformer in the vein of Kid Tripp from 1Button. They've been my go-to devs for fun and challenging minimalist puzzle games for a few years now, so rest assured that anything from them is quality

Mr. Jump is pretty neat. I was about ready to write it off, but as of Level 2 they've added an interesting new mechanic, which immediately refreshed the gameplay.

I've played it. Pretty fun but Kid Tripp is miles better IMO. Still definitely worth a download.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Ever wanted to play at being Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple, solving puzzles, finding clues and leading the investigation into the crime that needs to be deciphered? The Trace is an immersive murder mystery puzzle adventure game that will pit your wits against a baffling crime that needs solving and a case that needs answers!
Discover clues, find the leads and reveal the proof, become a detective, solve the mystery and unravel your next case! Was it an accident or was it murder? Delve into the science of forensics, examine the scene of the crime, chase the leads that you uncover and find the truth you need.
Play detective and lead the investigation into an intriguing case, exploring crime scenes and searching for clues. Find forensic evidence and study fingerprints to piece together the proof of what really happened.

*Impressions soon*

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Site | Trailer | App Store
A relaxing exploratory game in a mind-blowing audio-visual world. Get involved in this special tale, choose quick adventures if you want to rush through, or take your time and explore a world of sound & design.
Discover a new world where there’s a lot to see and even more to hear. Help Poco Eco, the curious explorer complete his mission. Your goal is to help Poco and his tribe find their Sounds that they’ve lost by solving the mini puzzles and completing all twelve 3D animated levels. By downloading the game you also get free access to Iamyank’s new LP.

It's lacking polish, visually some poor textures get in the way of this beautiful artstyle and there's not really any puzzles. You just press random buttons until you clear the path because there's no way to fail. It might sound harsh but at least it will deflate the hype as this is no Monument Valley.

It's definitely enjoyable but the couple of worlds I've played through weren't so great gameplay wise.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
New, polished, mind-bending, minimal puzzle game with dozens of levels and extra-ordinary design..
- Beautifully crafted minimal puzzle game
- 77 mind bending levels
- No IAP, complete experience the moment you download it
Get ready for the new puzzle experience.

Rop is really good puzzle game worthy checking out. The core concept is really simple - manipulate ropes and points to copy shapes - but the shapes grow increasingly complex and challenging

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Card Crawl is a solitaire style Dungeon Crawler played with a modified deck
of standard cards.
Clear the Dungeon of 54 cards by using item-cards, slaying monsters and managing your limited inventory. Each run you can use 5 ability-cards (mini deck building) which will give you unique skills. By collecting gold you can unlock 15 ability-cards which enable new tactics and even better highscores.

I bought this last night and tried it out. It's good, but it feels like it's lacking a little depth right now. There's not much variation in playing through, although you can unlock new abilities so maybe that'll help. Still, it's entertaining enough and the presentation is great.

I'm enjoying it. It's a little too heavily based on luck, however. I'll have one game that's a cake walk and another where I just get handed monster after monster and get killed pretty quickly.

That said, there's an option to play with ability cards that you choose (they need to be unlocked either through gameplay or coins earned) that can make it a bit more strategic.

The game kind of got me wanting a deeper poker or solitare based RPG game (aside from the obvious Sword & Poker).

Card crawl is pretty fun, nice take on solitaire

Card Crawl is great design throughout. Great, simple visuals and quick gameplay. As much randomness as Solitaire, but with enough strategy each round that you don't feel like it's always totally out of your control.

I can't stop playing this.

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Site (N/A) | Gameplay | App Store
Blokshot Revolution. Feel the rush.
A beautiful firework display of hypnotic neon destruction.

Blokshot Revolution is excellent. The controls couldn't be more simple: Touch and hold to spin, release to launch. Launch shots at blocks that fall from the top of the screen. Each block you hit adds to your combo, reach X3 combo to unleash 'Triple Shot'.

The gameplay does become very absorbing, especially when you perform a shot that saves the day at the last moment. The controls will take getting used to but it's a great feeling when you start pulling off chains and canons for more points.

The game is finely presented, from the visual style to the fine tunes. It's free to download so give it a try and let me know what you think. There's no consumable IAP, just $1.99 to disable ads which also unlocks the full soundtrack

Blokshot is very cool. I completely suck at it but it's amazingly well polished with excellent physics and is difficult without being frustrating.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
An epic vision of the future, AG Drive takes you on the ride of your life as you drive blazing fast anti-gravity race craft and race against opponents on spectacular tracks that dive over and under an Earth city of the future
The world of AG Drive is real and full of life - witness huge futuristic highway systems come to life, with air traffic filling the skies as spaceships land and take off, and spotlights sweep the skies. The stunning, unparalleled visuals of the world of AG Drive were possible to be realized only because of the ZORG 3D engine.

Holy cow at AG Drive!!! The game is GORGEOUS, runs buttery smooth on my 5s and is a joy to play. Absolutely the best Wipeout-like on iOS. This should not be passed up for $4.

Guys...AG Drive
The best F-Zero/Wipeout-like I've played since Repulze. The sense of speed and the visuals are...wait for it, GLORIOUS™
And the best part? 100% premium. The devs switched from freemium during the soft launch to paid with no IAP for the worldwide launch

Just to be clear, it's all racing, no weapons. But there's a nice variety of race types (duels, elimination, etc.), the controls are tight, the sense of speed and visuals are great, and there's a hefty amount of content.

Edit: there is a slight offensive element, since each vehicle has a special ability (shockwave that slows down racers, electric AoE blast that knocks racers away, etc)

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins.
Along the way you'll rescue runaway llamas, grind rooftops, leap over terrifying chasms and outwit the mountain elders – all while braving the ever changing elements and passage of time upon the mountain.

Alto's Adventure is really fun!

Sure it's an endless racer but damn does it have style. Just gorgeous! The time of day changes each run so eventually you're snowboarding at night with a crescent moon in the sky and lights on in the houses, and then the sun starts to slowly rise on the next run! It all looks really great.

They've got the usual three challenges you need to complete to level up and coins to collect to buy things from the shop. You can do tricks in the air and you have to land properly or you'll crash.

I dunno, I haven't played a runner in a long time and I think this one's great. Soothing music, too.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
A physics platformer about size, speed and momentum unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!
Grow, shrink, roll, leap and climb in this unique puzzler featuring over 150 challenging mazes one-of-a-kind gameplay that includes portals, inverted gravity, vehicles and more! Share your times with friends on the global leaderboards and become a time/space legend!

...Totally worth checking out. Its a puzzle platformer, but easily one of the better ones of the recent past, polished AND interesting enough to get into my highly recommended category even. The basic mechanic revolves around growing and shrinking your ball, and how that affects mass, momentum and some other aspects that are very cleverly used in the levels. Swirling around the level is very satisfying and its generally really pleasant to play and solve. Definitely check this out as well.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Use sound to explore mysterious environments and escape from an unseen evil through 80 ominous levels.
Based on our Ludum Dare game You Must Escape, which is featured on PC Gamer's list of 100 best free online games.
Best experienced with sound enabled. Stereo headphones are recommended.

So yeah, Dark Echo is awesome

A black screen, with your white footprints the only color amid the surrounding dark. Hold the screen to move toward that direction. Each step illuminates the world through sounds, lines emanating from your steps and against the wall. Without sound, you are blind. Find the exit. Except it's not so easy, because you are not alone. Things lurk in the darkness, drawn by the sound of your movement. Hunting you.

Dark Echo is a masterful execution of minimalist design. Each step is tense, drawing you forward through the necessity of sight and the need to explore. The visuals, stark lines contrasting against black, are simplistic yet work so well. The sound design is atmospjeric and incredible. Listen to the game's advice and use headphones. Your echoing footsteps. The gruttual growls of those things that lurk in the dark. Water splashing underfoot, or dripping overhead.

I loved every minute of it (played about an hour).
It's brilliant, very engaging and incredibly immersive (I've a soft spot for sounds heavy games but I'm really liking the visual feedback).
I really hope there is a mystery/story to discover...seems like it.

Great game.

Dark Echo is really fantastic. The whole take on using sound is truly unique and fun mechanic. Also looking forward to seeing what mysteries lie ahead.

 

[More_Badass]

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Site | Trailer | App Store
All bump. No grind.
Dinofarm Games - creators of 100 Rogues - are pleased to present Auro: A Monster-Bumping Adventure.
Auro introduces a whole new kind of gameplay: Bumping! What's that? Why, it's the strategic use of movement, magic spells, and straight-up bumping to kill monsters to gain points, and become a master Bumper!
Set in an original fantasy universe, guide the brash, spoiled Prince Auro through procedurally generated dungeons, with only a handful of tactical spells - and your wits - to protect you.

Now it's finally in shape for prime time. I need to get back to it and put more time into it with the latest updates. Quite a difficult game that looks simplistic at first thinking all you do is bump enemies off the playing field, but it's much deeper than that (the tutorial alone is 31 levels!).

Wow. The tutorial is much better than it used to be in Auro. Great to see when a game truly evolves.

Regardless, I always knew Auro had the chance at greatness and it feels like, at least the current Android version, it finally has.

Looking forward to diving into this again with a fresh perspective.

Don't go into it thinking it's a Hoplite clone. It's way deeper than that game. Without strategy and knowing your enemies, you will get nowhere in this game.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Odd is not like the other robots. After failing a standardized test Odd ends up in the recycling bin. Help Odd escape the robot factory using building blocks, electricity, and physics!
Each level in this contraption puzzle game presents a new challenge. Build a bridge across a (small) abyss. Design and drive an unsafe car. And ride a robotic centipede, like you always wanted to.

This is astonishing. GOTY stuff, on 1st Feb

Picked it up. Cute and cleaver so far. Looking forward to digging into it more later.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Midnight Star is an epic sci-fi shooter designed from the ground up for mobile. Build your arsenal, develop your skills and compete against thousands of other players online! Set 120 years into our future, Midnight Star takes players aboard the MSRV-Joplin, a research vessel newly outfitted with military weaponry to explore a mysterious signal coming from within our Solar System. When disaster strikes, they're transported across the universe to take part in an epic war whose outcome will determine the fate of humanity...

At the moment I'd say it's the best rail shooter I've played on iOS. Might even go as far as to give it the Metroid Prime seal of approval

Midnight Star is also growing on me. Wish it had been a premium title, but certainly is one of the better rail shooters on iOS. It too had some nice twists on the usual tap to shoot found in similar titles.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Run. Jump. Hit walls to turn around. Sounds simple, right? Just remember: nobody said it was easy

Started playing Nobody Said It Was Easy earlier and if you want to get your hard-as-nails retro platformer fix, I recommend checking this out

It's not auto-run, which I had expected after seeing some gameplay. You can only move in one direction and need to hit walls to reverse, but you can stop and decide when to move forward. This allows for level design that wouldn't be possible in games like Bitless and Run Roo Run.

The game really impresses me with the variety of mechanics it introduces and how it smartly builds on its simple core gameplay. Oh, you thought simply dodging spikes and jumping gaps was tough? Now do that while controlling two people simultaneously. Enemies to avoid, switching platforms, gravity swapping, and more. Controls are responsive and tight and the game is tough. You will die dozens of times.

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Trailer | App Store
Yet It Moves is an award-winning puzzle platformer now available on iPhone and iPad for the first time!
Tilting the world turns walls into floors, slides into platforms, and stacks of rocks into dangerous hazards.
Navigate through a colorful paper collage world and unlock new levels by solving puzzles.

Three levels in (four if you count the tutorial) and I can say that Yet It Moves is one of the best physics platformers on IOS. Honestly it feels like a game built from the ground-up for touch. Very natural and simple controls and smart uses of the mechanic too.

I picked this up as well and completely agree with this. There's also been platformers that play with gravity, but this takes it to another level. There will be times you will die because you don't know what awaits you of you decide to just fall through a crack. Either careful small movements or trial by dying are your options.

Great game cleverly adapted for touch.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Hero Emblems is a JRPG that mixes “Side-Scrolling beat' em up” and “Match-3” features. Set in the middle-ages fantasy world of sword-fighting and wizardry, it is an adventure of 4 brave warriors who wield different emblem powers and their attempts to stop the re-awakening of the God of Evil.

OMG! Hero Emblems is sooooooooooooo good! Such a great rpg/puzzle/brawler-mix!

I've tried to fight it, but Hero Emblems owns my soul. It's super addictive and a novel take on the JRPG paradigm. I just made it to the third continent and this will definitely be in my top 5 of 2015.

Sogood.gif

Honestly, Hero's Emblem isn't the most amazing game ever. The story is generic as all hell, the characters are trite and the only unique thing it has going for it is how but used the match-3 mechanic in battles. This part about the game works very, very well, because you have to think about every match you make and can't do things just willy nilly. Matching pieces does not afford you points. It will either heal you, increase your defense, attack the opponent, or unleash a skill. There is, of course, an element of randomness to deal with, but the game seems mostly fair. It's rare that a board feels unfair, and the challenge from the game truly comes from playing the game at its own game. The game is unrelenting and unforgiving, but it is incredibly rewarding and when you do well and beat that boss, you feel like you actually did what had to be done to win and didn't win by just pure luck and randomness.

That's why I love the game. I will say the game is doing a very good job at pissing me the fuck off enough to stop playing for a bit, but I have no plans on giving up.

PittaGAF can be a little hyperbolic at times, but Hero Emblems really is a superb game (game being the main word here, rather than a match-3 puzzler). My weekend was taken up entirely by it with more than 10 hours being played.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
In a future where cars are obsolete, the Gunbrick has become a worldwide sensation!
The Gunbrick - A gun one side... a shield on the other.
Encounter wasteland mutants, crazed nerds, law enforcement and all manner of cube based adversaries. Roll your way through this action packed puzzle platformer.

Gunbrick is fantastic! Such a simple premise used masterfully. Nice change of pace to have a new platformer that concentrates on thinking things through rather than how fast you can dash through levels. Last time I felt this excited about a puzzle platformer was probably Penumbear.

Love Gunbrick, but I'm finding the beginning stages to be quite tedious. Mostly because it sticks to the same formula most games do in introducing new elements. I see the next thing coming a mile away, and I just want to move beyond it.

I'm just being an old curmudgeon, really. It's a beautiful and very clever little game. Highly recommend it!

Gunbrick is really good, it's such a simple idea but it works perfectly with the controls

A recommendation for Gunbrick - it's really a puzzle platform game in which you try and get the right side of your brick facing the right direction. Nitrome then squeezes everything they possibly can out of the idea, with new mechanics and ideas in every stage. The pixel art is lively and fabulously detailed. They've really established themselves as a developer to watch.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Shadowmatic is an imagination-stirring puzzle where you rotate abstract objects in a spotlight to find recognizable silhouettes in projected shadows, relevant to the surrounding environment.
The game combines stunning visuals with relaxing and captivating gameplay.
On your journey to discover the right solution you will stumble upon many unexpected and infinitely varied silhouettes.

Shadowmatic is amazing on my GOTY list

You might remember Zen Bound from a few years back, a leisurely puzzle game about wrapping figures in rope. It was a calming experience, not too taxing and enjoyable in its design and artistic style. If you're looking for something similar, the recently released Shadowmatic might scratch that itch.

Like Zen Bound, it's a puzzle game to be enjoyed at your leisure, where the entertainment comes from the manipulating objects and slowly teasing out a solution at your own pace. But rather than wooden objects and rope, Shadowmatic is more abstract. Each level presents you with odd shapes, their shadows projected onto the environment. By rotating and moving these shapes, you alter their shadows into familiar objects, perhaps a frog or a wrench or a chess piece. Between the soothing music, detailed environments and objects, and satisfyingly tactile gameplay, Shadowmatic is an enjoyable puzzle game. While the core objectives are simple on their own, you can also try to find tricky shapes when you replay levels if you're looking for more of a challenge

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Site | Trailer | App Store
PARTICLE MACE (iOS) is explosive arcade fun that pays homage to twitch games of the past, but replaces the typical guns with an unruly physics-based weapon. To survive, you must carefully navigate around the many hazards while building up momentum to swing your weapon into your foes, all in a field of brightly abstracted visuals and an entrancing procedural background. PARTICLE MACE is a game about trying not to die!

I think it's bloody fantastic. The mission system is ingenious and I'll be playing this one till I've beat all the missions and gotten all the ships for sure

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Site | Trailer | App Store
From the creators of the award winning Ravensword: Shadowlands comes EXILES, a beautiful Sci-Fi 3D role playing game that takes place on a distant world.
In the near future, a colony on a distant planet has been driven to isolation and desolation, as a corrupt government tries to enslave it with a lethal virus.
Become one of the Elite Enforcers, and go on various missions that will unravel the secrets behind the plot to enslave the world. Unleash a large arsenal of weapons and items against vicious aliens and mechanized enemies.

It's a good game but a little disappointing (been playing the Android version). Big open world but sparcely populated and an underwhelming story. AI also could use some work.

They've been promising more content updates, however, so it may get better. Just don't expect a Mass Effect for iOS. I would say, other than graphics, it's not even on par with the Aralon / Shadowlands games.

Honestly thought with all the feedback on Android that they'd hold back on the iOS release a little longer.

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Site | Trailer | App Store
Radiation Island is a survival adventure game where you craft your own destiny in a huge open world environment. As part of the Philadelphia Experiment you have become stranded in a parallel, alternate reality. Discover this new and mysterious world, with all its surprises. Use everything you find to survive it and solve its puzzle to get back to the real world.
Follow your own path in an environment of breathtaking beauty and gigantic scope. Explore huge forests inhabited by dangerous wolves, bears and mountain lions. Investigate abandoned villages and old military compounds where zombies guard vital tools, weapons and clues to the secrets of this world. You can even swim and dive, if you can avoid the hungry crocodiles.

Played some of Radiation Island. Still early in but very impressed so far. Great visuals, easy controls and for people like me who aren't big into the whole finding/crafting thing, the system and ability to easily find items is quite accessible.

I like that it's open world but still gives you objectives if you ever feel off track and want a little more guidance.

Only played a small amount but I can't figure out how it only costs £2.29.

At the moment I'm just strolling around the island marvelling at how far phone games have come.

 

[More_Badass]

A friend of mine has a blog and does daily roundups of iOS releases. http://pixelatedparadise.wordpress.com/

Skatelander - March

Tiltagon - March

Cube Koala - March or April

Out There Omega - March or April

More releases to be added soon

This website keeps track of all the controller enabled games. It gets updated regularly.

Here are a few video reviews of iCade supported titles (thanks Alextended!) iCade hardware Blazing Star Shogun: Rise of the Renegade Gridrunner ElectroMaster Enborn-X Midway Arcade Vectrex Regeneration Temple Run

iOS Gaming February 2015 | Under New Management
iOS Gaming December 2014/January 2015

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Visit the January 2014 thread for links to December 2013 through November 2012 threads!

### The Game Center user list is here: quote to see ###

Rules

• Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you want to be added or taken off the list, following this text formatting: GAF Name = Game Center Name / iOS Device(s)

• When adding someone, add From GAF to the friend request and your NeoGAF name as to easily tell who's who.
• Send Dash Kappei or Tunesmith a PM if you are already on the list but want to update your profile with more info like iOS devices(s) owned, or to just change your existing GC profile.
• We are on the list and, if you are too, it's OK to add us even if we're not best buddies; don't be shy: we enjoy having more GAFers challenging us on the friends leaderboards.
• Don't just wait for others to add you first you should at least add some of the profiles posted above yours if you want to get the ball rolling... It's really up to you. Ideally the last member of the list will be the one to add the profiles above his, and so on and on with each new member. Or maybe just add whoever you like, that's also an option.
• Remember: Your real name will be visible to your GC friends.
• You can add everyone on the list at once; click the second sheet on the iOS Membership list and read the instructions, works on iOS and Macs

### The form to enter yourself to the list is here: quote to see ###

How do I back up my game saves for games that do not support iCloud save games?

Use a file manager program such as i-FunBox (PC/Mac) - It's free and requires no jailbreak. i-FunBox has many different features, but to back up save games you would just want to do the following:

• Click the iFunBox Classic tab
• Connect your iOS device, via WiFi or USB, it should then appear in the Connected Devices list on the left side of the UI.
• Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to back up save games for.
• Select the Documents and Library folders and copy them one at a time to your PC/Mac - this will copy the folders and all their contents. They contains your save files and settings for the game. Some games only use Documents, some use both.

To restore a backed up save game do the reverse.

• Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to restore save games for.
• Select the Documents and/or Library folders and choose to copy from PC/Mac.
• Navigate to where you saved the backed up Documents and/or Library folders on your PC/Mac, open them and select all the files within it and open them. This will copy the folder contents back onto your iOS device.
• Restart/fully close the game itself and your saves should be back!

Check that the file structure of the game is retained, e.g. GameName > Documents > files after you're done (no Documents folder within the Documents folder!), otherwise the game will not recognize your restored saves!

How do I hide my Real Name on Game Center?

Your real first and last name (taken from your Apple ID) will be shown to your GC friends. If you value that information and want GAF's leaderboards to show your GAF nickname instead, here's how you do it:

• Go to http://appleid.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID details via "Manage your Apple ID".
• In the "Name, ID and Email Addresses" section, click Edit on the Your Name field at the top.
• Change you First and Last name (you must enter both) to whatever you like (e.g. First Name: Tunesmith, Last Name: GAF)

Done, now that's who you're going to be listed as on your friend's Game Center leaderboards. This will affect Game Center *and* your Apple ID. If it's the same account you use for App Store/iTunes, you will still be able to use it for iTunes/App Store's purchases (you can still buy whatever you want like you could before) *BUT* in the receipt it'll show your nickname or whatever you chose as First Name and Last Name when you changed those fields. The first time you will use the modified account on App Store/iTunes, you will be asked to verify the account by re-entering the 3 digits code of the credit card's CCV security code (if you make your purchases using a credit card).

Should I buy this new high-priced game or wait for a sale?

Maybe! Just be aware that iOS games have a tendency to go on sale frequently and unpredictably, even recent games can be a dollar rather than premium $4-5. Spend your pack of gum money wisely. As a recommendation, set up a RSS feed for the price changes on http://appshopper.com/which will then notify you of any price fluctuations for old and new games alike.

I just got an iPhone/iPad. What are the best games?

In addition to checking out the past month's iOS Gaming threads, visit Why iOS Rocks / iOS Hidden Gems. You're welcome and your wallet will hurt.

For gaming, should I get the iPad Mini 2, or iPad Air?

Both have their pros and cons. The Mini 2 is cheaper and smaller but there is a slight difference between the Air's A7 chip and the mini's A7: the mini's is around 100MHz slower -- 1.3GHz compared to the Air's 1.4GHz. Other than that they're both identical in spec. It's very much a coin toss between if you want a 9.7" or a 7.9" screen.

I'm a new iOS user, what non-gaming apps should I get ASAP?

This thread would be a great place to start. Asking here wouldn't hurt either!

Genuine thanks to our iOS Gaming community for keeping these monthly threads alive!
Special title thanks to The ChewyWaffles
Also special thanks to Tunesmith for his fantastic thread format and month after month of hard work in maintaining these threads
As well as to RustyO for the clever thread title suggestion

 

[PittaGAF]

 

[infiniteloop]

My Top Five this year so far:

1. Hero Emblems
2. Alto's Adventure
3. Rocket Cars
4. Radiation Island
5. Drop Wizard

Still got a huge backlog to get through already.

 

[Tak3n]

I hope you all picked up Tainted Keep whilst it was free... got my MFi controller to work, what a game it then become, I can see why people call it the Dark Souls Lite

 

[JCho133]

Damn, I liked Killercow's title idea better

 

[killercow]

I hope you all picked up Tainted Keep whilst it was free... got my MFi controller to work, what a game it then become, I can see why people call it the Dark Souls Lite

It's really great isn't it? I couldn't believe how well it plays.

Damn, I liked Killercow's title idea better

Aww, thanks

Edit:
Trambo is free on iOS right now:
https://appsto.re/us/iyWDV.i

 

[Apoleptica]

I just got an ipad mini 2 and it's my first iOS device. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with how many apps and games are available for it and pretty much have no clue where to even start. So far all I got is hearthstone. Every ios game seems obscure and unheard of to me, finding good mobile games is not anything like finding a good console game.

 

[More_Badass]

I just got an ipad mini 2 and it's my first iOS device. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with how many apps and games are available for it and pretty much have no clue where to even start. So far all I got is hearthstone. Every ios game seems obscure and unheard of to me, finding good mobile games is not anything like finding a good console game.

Here's a good place to start:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=921676
I need to do another update with recent games, but you can find the worthwhile recent releases in the OP here

Sites I'd recommend following
- Pocket Gamer
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk

- Pixelated Paradise
https://pixelatedparadise.wordpress.com

- Pocket Tactics
http://www.pockettactics.com

- Toucharcade
http://toucharcade.com

 

[FloppyDelux]

I just got an ipad mini 2 and it's my first iOS device. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with how many apps and games are available for it and pretty much have no clue where to even start. So far all I got is hearthstone. Every ios game seems obscure and unheard of to me, finding good mobile games is not anything like finding a good console game.

Do you like episodic adventure stealth games? if so check out République its $20 and there are currently 3 episodes out, and its one of the best looking games on IOS so far. Also check out Monument Valley, its has Escher type mazes, that are really well designed and fun to play.

 

[Tunesmith]

Interesting, the Pixelbite Mega Pack, which is €6.99 and includes Space Marshals, Reckless Racing 1,2,3, Reckless Getaway and Repulze, offers me to "complete" it for €0.99.

For that €0.99 I'd get Space Marshals, Reckless Racing 1+3 and Repulze. That's a steal even though I own Reckless Racing 3 already on my US account.

I have a feeling something is wrong with the pricing since Space Marshals alone is €4.99.
Edit: the Racing Pack bundle, which is the same without Space Marshals, is totally free for me, that has to be wrong, lol. It has three games I dont own.

 

[Apoleptica]

Here's a good place to start:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=921676
I need to do another update with recent games, but you can find the worthwhile recent releases in the OP here

Sites I'd recommend following
- Pocket Gamer
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk

- Pixelated Paradise
https://pixelatedparadise.wordpress.com

- Pocket Tactics
http://www.pockettactics.com

- Toucharcade
http://toucharcade.com

Thanks, appreciate this. Will check these sites out.

Do you like episodic adventure stealth games? if so check out République its $20 and there are currently 3 episodes out, and its one of the best looking games on IOS so far. Also check out Monument Valley, its has Escher type mazes, that are really well designed and fun to play.

Ill look into those, though $20 seems really high for an ios game. Thanks.

 

[colinp]

Love the title!

And woo woo my impressions for Alto were used!

 

[Wthermans]

Great OP! Only thing I could suggest is to improve the MFi section. Kinda weird having a ton of videos of the arcade controller and just a link to a thread for the other MFi offerings.

Still addicted to Vainglory as well. Celeste is fun!

 

[More_Badass]

Great OP! Only thing I could suggest is to improve the MFi section. Kinda weird having a ton of videos of the arcade controller and just a link to a thread for the other MFi offerings.

Still addicted to Vainglory as well. Celeste is fun!

I took over for Tunesmith, so I used his format for that section. My Photoshop skills aren't good enough to put together banners and images like what's there currently

 

[JCho133]

Magic Touch is utterly fantastic. Can't stress my love for Nitrome

 

[More_Badass]

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 coming to IOS in May
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/knights-of-pen-paper-2

 

[More_Badass]

Mortal Kombat X is coming to mobile
http://youtu.be/uui_gd2gpl0

 

[Tunesmith]

Mortal Kombat X is coming to mobile
http://youtu.be/uui_gd2gpl0

Let me guess, this will be exactly like Injustice and WWE Immortals.

 

[SteveWD40]

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 coming to IOS in May
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/knights-of-pen-paper-2

Yes!

Also, from the link:

Main features:

The ultimate role-playing simulation - again!
Fully customizable party, from the players to the game room
Expanded equipment- and crafting systems
JRPG-style, turn-based combat full of tactical options
All-new campaign featuring dozens of pixel-art locations and bundles of side-quests
Dynamically generated dungeon raids

Now that is intriguing...

 

[killercow]

Dungeon Hunter V is coming out March 12th.

https://t.co/XyP2JtlIWu

 

[awp69]

Magic Touch is utterly fantastic. Can't stress my love for Nitrome

I like it but it seems to not register my V swipes correctly. Could just be me.

Let me guess, this will be exactly like Injustice and WWE Immortals.

Yes, same bullshit. No real Mortal Kombat for us which blows. iOS is more than capable of it.

 

[killercow]

Who wants to see some Overland gameplay? (By the creator of Hundreds and Canabalt)

Starts at 31 minutes:
http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gamespot-presents-the-mix-at-gdc-2015/2300-6423622/

 

[Tunesmith]

Joe Dever's Lone Wolf was just released a few days ago as a combined/complete edition (non-espisodic/IAP) for $12.99.

Was this game worth it according to people who've played through it as it was released piecemeal previously?

 

[infiniteloop]

alto's adventure got an update:

Bug fixes:

- Fixed bug that would prevent tricks/goals registering while sounds were disabled in the menu
- Fixed bug that would prevent wingsuit activating on synced devices, or when app deleted/reinstalled
- Fixed bug preventing some Game Center achievements from unlocking
- Fixed bug that would prevent intro sequence and title screen UI appearing
- Fixed bug that would allow infinite wingsuit flying
- Fixed error with German social share text
- Improved detection of “Backflip over a sleeping elder” goals in levels 24 and 43

Tweaks:

- Allow background audio to play from other apps
- Increased frequency of ramps on steep hills to assist with double/triple backflip goals
- Added new "ramp to grind" sequences to help with goals that require them
- Level 42, goal 2, has been reduced from "30 birds" to “20 birds”
- Increased tap area of wingsuit button
- Localization tweaks based on player suggestions

 

[More_Badass]

This is brilliant. Brilliant, I tell you!

Under the Sun - Free, $1.99 to remove ads
https://appsto.re/us/snZO2.i
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnccadJeKPA

Waste no time! Guide a stranded castaway through a series of puzzling desert islands.
You must reach the campfire by nightfall. But with each step time moves forward and the world changes, making things difficult. Trees grow, bridges crumble, animals age, waters rise; everything gets in your way!

 

[RM8]

5. Drop Wizard

This looks awesome and old-school arcade platformer-like. I guess I'm buying it

 

[PittaGAF]

alto's adventure got an update:

At last!!!
I can confirm sync works properly now, as I could finally activate the wing suite on iPhone too!!!

BTW I suck at both Paz and Izel.
BIG TIME.

 

[awp69]

Pocket Gamer's 2015 Gamer Award winners were announced:

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/pgawards2015.asp

Pretty good picks overall. Interesting to see Monument Valley win iOS and Banner Saga win Android.

 

[killercow]

The next game from Butterscotch Shenanigans looks great :
http://toucharcade.com/2015/03/03/gdc-2015-crashlands/

 

[infiniteloop]

Pocket Gamer's 2015 Gamer Award winners were announced:

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/pgawards2015.asp

Pretty good picks overall. Interesting to see Monument Valley win iOS and Banner Saga win Android.

maybe we'll see GAFs one day.

 

[More_Badass]

maybe we'll see GAFs one day.

Ah, fuck, sorry. Totally forgot
I'm taking Physiological Psych again so I've been busy studying like hell. Totally slipped my mind.

 

[killercow]

Warner Bros is developing 5 mobile games including Mortal Kombat, Lego Batman, Arkham Underworld and Game of Thrones:
http://t.co/2X20VM4ofF

 

[More_Badass]

PAX 2015 trailer for Leap of Fate

 

[Gamecocks625]

Golden Tee coming this summer and then Lumines sometime this year? My casual fix is ready.

 

[killercow]

Pretty good, though I wish it had been premium instead of free+IAP to remove ads. The ads are absolutely appalling, but I hate feeling like I'm giving in to blackmail.

Not that I encourage this sort of stuff (what's wrong with demo or ads?) but do you know that there are apps to remove ads ?

 

[awp69]

Picked up Blastball MAX and .Decluster. Blastball is good with unique gameplay and strategy involved. Much slower paced than most games of its ilk. Not sure if that slower pace is what's causing it, but I'm having trouble getting into it. That "just one more time" felling is absent and can't nail the reason why.

.Decluster is really a fun challenging shmup. The controls are great, even if not 100% relative touch. The gameplay is quite challenging. My only small gripe is wishing your ship was a little smaller. Otherwise, I'd give it a recommendation for anyone who needs to scratch that shmup itch.

 

[PittaGAF]

Spoiler

Paging Tunesmith

For people waiting for next Rodeo's game announcement hoping for a scifi Games Workshop flavored Hunters 2 sequel....look at this, seems very promising and I'm hearing it's pretty good too.

It has even cross platform async multiplayer.
I THINKS it's out tomorrow.

Legions of Steel trailer


EDIT: I was wrong...it's due out in May apparently...sigh.

 

[Tunesmith]

Spoiler

Paging Tunesmith

For people waiting for next Rodeo's game announcement hoping for a scifi Games Workshop flavored Hunters 2 sequel....look at this, seems very promising and I'm hearing it's pretty good too.

It has even cross platform async multiplayer.
I THINKS it's out tomorrow.

Legions of Steel trailer

Looks promising! Let's hope it's not hot garbage like Space Hulk was.

 

[Anno]

Brad Muir @MrMooEar

$10 million for Crossy Road in 90 days. Woah.

Geez. Get yours, Crossy Road.

 

[JCho133]

Spoiler

Paging Tunesmith

For people waiting for next Rodeo's game announcement hoping for a scifi Games Workshop flavored Hunters 2 sequel....look at this, seems very promising and I'm hearing it's pretty good too.

It has even cross platform async multiplayer.
I THINKS it's out tomorrow.

Legions of Steel trailer

Thought this was Rodeo's next game... Still looks pretty damn good.

Maybe even a bit too much like Hunters

 

[INTERNET]

Pretty good, though I wish it had been premium instead of free+IAP to remove ads. The ads are absolutely appalling, but I hate feeling like I'm giving in to blackmail.

Gross. This is a two person team giving a polished, thoughtful experience, with one ad every six levels. Honestly, it would die on arrival as a premium title, so you have the option of the complete game as a demo, with very occasional commercial breaks. About the game itself: top notch puzzle design, with a turn-based structure that you can rewind or fast forward at any time, making changes to your strategy at will. You will need to make use of this mechanic: trees grow, structures erode, the ocean rises, and you are aged to the brink of death on every level. There's at least ten

Spoiler

ads

worlds, with six levels each that require significantly more thought and attention than, oh say, the equivalent sort of structure in Monument Valley. A+/10.

 

[INTERNET]

I'm sorry that they felt blackmail was their only option, but I'm not going to pretend to like it.

That's straight up actionable slander, is what I would say if I was prone to hyperbole.

 

[More_Badass]

I'm sorry that they felt blackmail was their only option, but I'm not going to pretend to like it.

How it is blackmail? "Payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations" To be fair, I think you're using the wrong word. Blackmail just doesn't make sense in the context here.

Is it blackmail when Crimsonland only offers a few levels and provides the option to purchase the full game? Or Smash Hit locks checkpoints and more difficulty levels behind a premium upgrade? Or Stealth Inc having user-made levels as an IAP unlock? Or any of the other games that offer the full experience for a one-time IAP? Jet Car Stunts 2, Ninjin, 99 Bricks, etc.

 

[Tunesmith]

GAF blackmails me every day.

 

[killercow]

This War of Mine iPad hands on (with video) :
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/This+War+of+Mine/news.asp?c=64188

Coming late April/ early may

 

[Tak3n]

Ok, Ok, Ok

GOTY all sewn up coming in 3 weeks (unless you have a New Zealand account)

Adventures of Poco Eco

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nA_ji5gLkWc[/URL]

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLxK3g3Tk88&feature=player_embedded[/URL]

A relaxing exploratory game in a mind-blowing audio-visual world. Get involved in this special tale, choose quick adventures if you want to rush through, or take your time and explore a world of sound & design.

Discover a new world where there’s a lot to see and even more to hear. Help Poco Eco, the curious explorer complete his mission. Your goal is to help Poco and his tribe find their Sounds that they’ve lost by solving the mini puzzles and completing all twelve 3D animated levels. By downloading the game you also get free access to Iamyank’s new LP.

 

[PittaGAF]

This War of Mine iPad hands on (with video) :
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/This+War+of+Mine/news.asp?c=64188

Coming late April/ early may

Highly anticipating this!!!
Looks a proper port!

 

[colinp]

Yay! Second page!