I’ve never really been “into” Escape games, but I have dabbled. It’s not that I dislike them, it’s just that I generally prefer my adventure/puzzle games to involve more character interaction and humor (i.e. of the LucasArts variety). The desolate environments for these kinds of games are somewhat of a downer for me, so I have to really be in a particular mood to want to play one.

Ellie – Help me out… please has put a Japanese horror spin on the fairly universal formula, adding an unsettling atmosphere to the isolation and loneliness that keeps the tension high throughout. It’s a bit graphic, a little disturbing and bound to get the heart beating faster. This is not a game I’d suggest playing before bedtime, no sir.

But creepy atmosphere and personal doubts about the innocence of the trapped girl aside, what makes Ellie stand out is its interesting use of in-app purchases. An “extra room” can be purchased for players who want to keep enjoying the disturbing story and world, naturally. However, unlike many “free” games it’s not ad supported nor does it lock users out until they pay for the full version. Instead, it allows users to unlock hints with real money at $1 apiece. It’s an interesting idea that might not work out all that well once people start posting said hints online, but it’s nice to see companies trying out new ideas when it comes to freemium pay structures.

Some may scoff at the idea of paying for answers to a couple of puzzles, but in all honesty some of these puzzles are very, very hard. That one with the drawers, especially. Sure it’s possible to jump online and try to look up the answers, but I expect a good many players might be too involved in their game to interrupt it like that. I think it might be easier for some to just bite the bullet and spend the buck so they can move on. And I think the folks at Ateam Inc are thinking that, too.

Only time will tell us if their idea works, but if it does it may well open up new possibilities for freemium games. I’m quite curious to see how this all works out.

FREE!

Ellie - Help me out...please

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-02 :: Category: Games

Great comic book writer/artists, it seems, deserve their very own storefront. So following this rule, IDW Publishing has created another in their series of iVerse-powered storefront comic book apps (including licensed properties such as G.I. Joe, Star Trek and Transformers, along with IDW’s own IDW Comics app), but the twist this time is that the store isn’t built around a property or license. It’s built around a creator.

Ben Templesmith’s work has graced comics including 30 Days of Night, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who as well as his own creations such as Singularity 7, Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse and Welcome to Hoxford. Now, fans and newcomers who want easy access to Templesmith’s comics work can find it in one repository – the free to download Comics universal app for iPhone and iPad.

The app comes with three free comics up front, plus the ability to download (for $0.99 to $1.99 a piece) over 30 other original comics by Templesmith. More will be added as the writer/artist’s catalogue continues to expand.

IDW and Templesmith are forging new ground with this app, drawing attention to the writer/artist rather than the publisher. How long before more creator-focused apps begin appearing on the App Store? Anyone up for a Jack Kirby app?

FREE!

Templesmith Comics

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-12-22 :: Category: Books

Just in time for the big Splatterhouse remake scheduled to land on game consoles November 23, Namco has announced that an iPhone remake of the original game will land on the iPhone and iPod Touch November 18. The iOS version will not be a port of the new game launching on consoles, but rather a remake of the original Splatterhouse arcade game launched back in 1988. Prepare to lead Rick through West Mansion in search of his lost love as though it was the very first time.

Namco is promising six weapons to use against Hell’s minions across the span of seven stages. The game will also include a new Splatter Rush Mode where players try and hold their ground for as long as possible against wave after wave of monsters.

Splatterhouse was once considered a rather controversial title due to the amount of violence, blood and gore which seemed to constantly overwhelm the game screen. Nowadays the game’s pixelated and simplistic depiction of decapitation may seem tame, but we’re sure that the console editions launching the week after the iPhone edition will rekindle that debate.

Though Splatterhouse wasn’t warmly received by critics back when it originally launched, it seems like a perfect iOS game. The simple combat and short levels should translate nicely to a touchscreen, and the retro visuals likely won’t be much of a strain on the iPhone’s battery. All-in-all, seems like a pretty nice fit.

As mentioned before the game launches on November 18, and will retail for $2.99. It’ll be a nice warm-up for those excited for the console release or who just really want to revisit a game they may have forgotten about over the past couple decades. Besides, who doesn’t love a dude in a hockey mask wielding a machete?

With Halloween coming, it is once again time to find the creepiest games of the year. Last years list included some great apps, but by now we all need something new to play in the middle of the night. The following list makes up the creepiest of 2010… well, except for the last one. Enjoy!

Soul

Soul is, without a doubt, the scariest maze game that I’ve ever played, and possibly the scariest game period. The game starts you as a soul coming out of a dead body in a mortuary, faintly illuminating your path through the worlds creepiest, filthiest hand drawn environments. It’ll scare the bejeebers out of you for sure.

Unfortunately the game is plagued with an extremely unforgiving accelerometer based control system, and could really use an autosave feature. I hate recommending the “easy” setting, but I would definitely consider starting on it in Soul.

The whole experience is so horrifying and pretty though that I don’t feel too bad putting up with a few flaws. If you really want to be scared, Soul will deliver.

$0.99

Soul

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-02-26 :: Category: Games

Prisoner 84

It definitely has its flaws, such as the mucky controls, slightly ugly looking characters, iffy path finding, and repetitive floor plans, but boy is it creepy. Put on a pair of headphones and you’ll be jumping out of your seat more often than just about any other iOS game out there.

Prisoner 84 starts with you in solitary confinement in an offshore prison (with extremely limited lighting) where everyone is mysteriously dead… or undead. You have to fight your way out of the prison, literally blowing the flesh off of bad guys to find your way. The whole this is quite disturbing, and as far as small screen gaming goes, this one might be as scary as it gets.

$2.99

Prisoner 84

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-07-15 :: Category: Games

Aftermath

Aftermath may not be as scary as some of the other games on the list, but it’s an extremely well crafted dual stick, zombie killing shooter. The real killer here is the morbid atmosphere. Maps are filled with muck and grime, rain is constantly falling, and everything is dark. So dark in fact that your combat is based on finding the enemies with your flashlight.

The only major flaw of the game, in my opinion, is its lack of depth. If it had more levels/if the levels were longer, I’d be extremely happy… er, scared.

$1.99

Aftermath

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: ZOMBIE SHOOTER
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2010-03-16 :: Category: Games

Texting of the Bread

Now if you really want to talk about scary, try going up against ravenous armies of gingerbread zombies armed only with a milk gun.

If you’ve ever played Typing of the Dead on any of the various platforms that it was on, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting with Texting of the Bread. Simply text as fast as you can to defeat the evil gingerbread zombies. It’s fun, educational (in a texting sort of way… you never know, maybe they’ll teach it in school one day), and might possibly scare those with severe gluten allergies.

$0.99

Texting of the Bread

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-09-27 :: Category: Games

Special Mention – Hysteria Project 2 – Hysteria Project 2 has yet to be released (as of Oct. 5), but it looks to continue the extreme creepiness that the first one brought. Assuming it’s close to the same game, prepare for a creepy, fully cinematic horror game that has you frantically running from an unknown man with a hatchet. The original was one of the creepiest games of ’09, so I’m sure the sequel would’ve found itself on the list if it were out in time.

Gaming developers MumboJumbo have today launched Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials for iPad, a follow-up to the Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy game for PC. The game follows the tried, tested and proven basis of the previous Midnight Mysteries game, where you travel back and forth in time to the scene of the author’s death from present day. The author, by the way, is none other than the famous Nathaniel Hawthorne, the dark romantic novelist who died from an unexplained illness in 1864.

“Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials looks really amazing on the iPad, and we’re excited to elevate the quality of hidden-object adventure games available for the device,” said Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. “This is a game with really beautiful graphics, an intriguing story and puzzles that will make you think—it’s a natural fit for the iPad audience.”

This is the first of the Midnight Mystery games to debut on the iPad, priced similarly to the PC versions at $9.99. For this, you’ll get ten adventure missions where you explore spooky terrain, solve puzzles and collect hidden objects, all to unravel the conspiracy of what happened at the Salem Witch Trials. There are a number of in-app purchases within the game, most notably the Collector’s Edition add-on which is, surprisingly, the same price as the game itself. Within this edition you’ll get an illustrated strategy guide, character sketches, deleted scenes from the game and more (see the iTunes page linked below for full details).

If horror and puzzles tickle your fancy, Midnight Mysteries could very well be what you’ve been looking for. “Hawthrone explored a number of moral themes throughout his works … [his] link to the infamous trials made his story the perfect fit for continuing the mystery game series” write the developers. It’s available for download now, click on the link below the enclosed YouTube video to take you straight to the iTunes page.

$6.99

Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-08-05 :: Category: Games

Alive 4-Ever
Sure, it may not the scariest thing ever, but it’s really really dark, and your chances of beating it are really really bleak. The story is your typical Resident Evil style experience with a pharmaceutical company creating a drug that unintentionally turns everyone into a zombie. Keeping to script, you are in charge of zombie destruction, and can either play as one of the two government agents or one of the two survivors of the zombie infection. The game is a top-down shooter, like iDracula and MiniGore, but with some RPG character building elements built in. Expect a ton of blood and some intensely awesome gun fights.

$2.99

Alive 4-ever

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: FANTASTIC
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-08-26 :: Category: Games

Hysteria Project
Hysteria Project was an interesting app to play through. It’s not the newest app in the store, but it is one of the first, and best, attempts to create a super creepy movie-like horror experience on the iPhone. You start the game tied up on the ground, and without an idea of what’s going on, you must frantically run from a creepy guy with a hatchet that, for whatever reason, wants you dead. As I said in the review, “There is always a driving sense of urgency, even at the beginning of the game when the axe murderer has yet to be revealed. You just know that, at all times, the axe murderer is right behind you and ready to strike.”

Hysteria Project isn’t the longest app in the app store, but the high quality video along with the intense sound effects might just provide the scariest experience in the app store.

$1.99

Hysteria Project

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMENDED
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-04-07 :: Category: Games

Doom: Resurrection
Sure, maybe it’s not a typical horror game, and it may not be indie enough for some, but Doom: Resurrection provides some of the most intense horror/action sequences in the app store. Unlike any other game in the series, Doom: Resurrection is an on-rails shooter that makes sure to put you in the worst situations possible to kill the monsters around you. The controls are tight, the graphics are quite impressive, and the sound effects are just the right amount of creepy. Make sure you play this one with headphones, because the sensation of hearing something growl behind you but not being able to turn around right away is surprisingly creepy.

$4.99

DOOM Resurrection

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: PLATFORM SHOWCASE
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-06-29 :: Category: Games

Resident Evil: Degeneration
I just had to do it. What list of horror games is complete without Resident Evil? Being the most successful horror series in video gaming, we were quite excited to play Resident Evil on the iPhone. Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed by the experience. Expect your typical fare of creepy zombies and even creepier sound effects, along with a ‘made-for-iPhone’ experience. One thing that was disappointing though was the lack of blood. If I shoot something in the head, it should explode in a shower of red, not a whole lot of nothing.

Besides the blood, RE: Resurrection provides one of the creepiest experiences on the small screen. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.

$4.99

Resident Evil: Degeneration

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: AMAZING
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2009-05-11 :: Category: Games

Hope you enjoyed the list! Join the discussion about the definitive scariest iPhone app ever on our forum. I’m never wrong, but I do like others opinions. Ha. Happy Halloween!