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Heavy Pillar Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on April 28th, 2015
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: TAPPING FRENZY
Simple yet frantic fun is the best way of summing up Heavy Pillar.
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Age of Zombies Goes Update Crazy and Launches Zombie Month

Posted by Jessica Fisher on September 19th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: STEAKFRIES! :: Read Review »

Halfbrick Studios has six big updates coming this month for Age of Zombies, so they have officially declared it Zombie Month! And the first of these updates is live now.

This update adds adding local multiplayer so two zombie hunters can join forces as Barry Steakfries and Abraham Lincoln to blow away the undead menace. Players can share touch controls on the same device or use any supported game controller such as the Logitech PowerShell, Razer Kazuyo, SteelSeries Stratus.

During Zombie Month, Halfbrick Studios will also offer global community challenges, daily prize giveaways and code drops, and behind-the-scenes interviews on their website.

With 5 more updates coming our way, Zombie Month is going to be jam packed with undead awesomeness. You can download Age of Zombies for $0.99 on the App Store.

Mucho Party Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on June 19th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: VARIED MINI-GAMING
Compete against friends or AI in this varied selection of mini-games, each proving quite fun.
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148Apps 2013 wrAPP-Up - Top 10 Local Multiplayer Games

Posted by Campbell Bird on December 27th, 2013

When people think of multiplayer gaming experiences nowadays most envision players sitting alone, staring at a screen, and maybe (just maybe) communicating with other players from across the world using a microphone or chat window.

Of course this isn't how it's always been. In the days before multitudes of multiplayer games took advantage of the internet, playing games with other people was social experience. People would gather around a TV or game board and interact with each other; both in the game world as well as reality. This layered interaction - with its ability to have player actions outside of the game create meaningful consequences on the world inside the game - adds a richness and complexity that is unmatched in most online games. Of course, this isn't to say that the ability to hop into matches with anyone that is immediately ready, willing, and able to throw down through the power of the internet doesn't have its own set of advantages, but rather that there is still inherent value in local multiplayer.

Luckily, there seem to be a number of game developers out there who agree with that sentiment. 2013 was a surprisingly good year for me in terms of enjoying local multiplayer experiences on iOS. With a slew of great board game ports, as well as more unique experiences best enjoyed with good game-playing company, I spent most of this year either scoping out the latest Playdek releases or digging into the back catalogue of overlooked awesomeness from years' past. Because of this, I decided to make a list of my favorite titles that scratched my local multiplayer itch the best. Although all these games may not be from 2013, here's what I had the most local fun with throughout the year:

10. Kingdom Builder


Kingdom Builder is a quick-and-dirty worker-placement game, at least in its iOS form. Players have to build their kingdoms based on terrain cards, and random elements like scoring cards and the modular board design can help keep it feeling fresh. Kingdom Builder is good for local play mainly because it is a port of a board game, and it is a relatively quick play. I know its a bit of an older game, but it's has been made more playable within the past year and is worth revisiting.

Kickstarting echoChamber: A New Party Rhythm Game

Posted by Jennifer Allen on December 6th, 2013

Approaching things differently from the rest is always good, right? That's what the folks at Little Bit Games are clearly thinking, too. Having previously covered their efforts earlier in the year, my interest was piqued thanks to a new Kickstarter campaign they've recently launched.

EchoChamber is the title hoping to be funded by it. It's described as a rhythm game with a "unique twist." It's a free-to-play local multiplayer title that uses positional audio to get players to follow various cues and perform gestures in time with the music. I took the time to learn more from Cody Lee, co-founder and developer at Little bit Games.


148Apps: How did the idea for echoChamber come about?
Cody Lee (CL): The idea for echoChamber came about after playing the game SpaceTeam with friends. It seemed like such a unique and original idea and utilized your phone for multiplayer in a way that I’d never seen before. It kinda blew my mind and I started to think of other ways we could use mobile devices for multiplayer experiences that you couldn’t get on any other platform. I spent a lot of time picturing people physically standing around with friends, trying to come up with games that required that physical space, and that used the capabilities of modern cell phones.

148Apps: Why the decision to be free to play?
CL: echoChamber is a multiplayer only game, and is more fun the more people you are playing with. It seemed natural for us to release the game as a free download so people can start playing it as easily as possible with their friends without requiring everybody to commit to purchasing it. We’ll be releasing additional tracks as paid DLC for people who want to extend their experience beyond the base tracks.

148Apps: How hard has it been to implement the positional sound effects?
CL: Doing the positional audio itself isn’t too bad. It’s really just a matter of adjusting volume for the different devices to get the desired effect we want. The hardest part has been synching the playback of the track on all of the devices while accounting for network latency. If the sound is out of sync at all, the positional effect is lost, and you get more of an echo. If it’s REALLY out of sync it just sounds like garbage!


148Apps: What other challenges have you faced?
CL: echoChamber started out as more of a Pong-like game where sound would move around and players would have to tap their screens to hit the “ball” away. The problem is it’s hard to know when the ball has reached you. It get’s louder so you know it’s closer, but how loud is the “loudest” and “closest”. That’s why we ended up going the rhythm game route. When there’s a set beat, and the ball moves to the beat, it’s easier to know when the sound will “hit”. We’ve since moved away from the Pong aspect of the game and are focusing more on an overall fun musical experience instead.

148Apps: When do you hope to release echoChamber?
CL: If the Kickstarter goes well, we hope to release some time early next year. If it doesn’t go well... we’re not sure.

The Kickstarter campaign runs until December 27, with a wide selection of backer rewards to cover everyone's budget.

Thanks to Cody for taking the time to answer our questions. We'll be sure to keep an eye on echoChamber's progress.

Wurdy Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on December 5th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: TRUE SOCIAL GAMING
Gather around the Christmas tree with some friends and enjoy playing this charades-style game together.
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Stumped Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on July 18th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: TRIVIA RICH
It'd be nice to be able to more easily find online games to join, but Stumped is a pretty enjoyable trivia game nonetheless.
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Gentlemen! Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Jennifer Allen on July 18th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: VICTORIAN EXCELLENCE
Fight it out with a friend in this Victorian-era party brawler of sorts.
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Tower Zoo Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on April 17th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: SHORT STACKS
Piling animals on top of one another might sound mean, but it's actually kinda fun. Plus it's just a game.
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Real Racing 3 - Time Shifted Multiplayer

Posted by Rob Rich on February 1st, 2013

Earlier we took a look at the history of Real Racing as well as that of Firemint itself, then it was on to the nitty gritty details of the Real Racing series' gameplay design issues. Now it’s time to talk about what could be one of Real Racing 3’s most revolutionary features: Time Shifted Multiplayer.


Of Two Minds



Most iOS gamers are familiar with the idea of asynchronous multiplayer at this point; one person takes a turn and submits it, then next person takes their turn whenever they’re able, and so on. Many iOS multiplayer games use this mechanic to great effect these days; Robot Entertainment’s stellar Hero Academy, OMGPOP’s Draw Something, and Playdek’s Penny Arcade The Game: Gamers vs. Evil are just a few examples.

It’s great for playing anything turn-based on the go because it enables players to jump in and make their move whenever it’s convenient for them. Taking a break to get lunch, turning off the phone for a few hours during a long trip, or even taking a break partway through a match are all possible thanks to this particular form of multiplayer.

Real-time multiplayer games are a bit more difficult to execute on iOS devices. Not so much because the technology isn’t there, but because the very nature of mobile platforms creates a different sort of “flow” for users who aren’t tied down to a particular location. And Game Center is still in its relative infancy, so setting up a match among friends typically requires a decent amount of prep work. Especially given the sheer number of titles available for most Apple products these days. Capcom’s Street Fighter IV Volt and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 are both examples of this particular multiplayer type, and both fun games, but setting up a match takes more work than it does on many gaming platforms.

The fast paced nature of the gameplay and the speed with which most bouts are completed fit the real-time online play well, but it still requires players to find a good spot to stop for a moment if they want to get a match or two in. Or they could also always play to their heart’s content while relaxing at home or any other location with proper seating and wireless internet.

Real Racing 3’s Time Shifted Multiplayer is a sort of amalgamation of both asynchronous and simultaneous play, and could very well lead to some significant changes in how we play mobile games with other people in the near future.

Thinking Freely


“What could we do if we had no limitations?” is the mantra that was used throughout Real Racing 3’s development according to the game’s Development Director, Kynan Woodman. “The answer to that question for many of us," he said, "is that we would be able to play against our friends and other real people anytime and anywhere.” It might not seem like a big deal but not everyone has the same daily schedule.

Anyone who’s ever tried to play games online with a friends who lives in another state, even one that’s in the same time zone, knows just how problematic it can be at times to try and coordinate. Being able to play with friends without needing to adhere to a specific schedule means everyone can play when they have a moment rather than having to set aside a specific time or possibly turn down an open invitation.

And thus Time Shifted Multiplayer was conceptualized. Without worrying about whether it was “possible” or not, they got to work figuring out a way to combine the accessibility of asynchronous play with the pulse-pounding action of simultaneous play. In essence, it’s meant to be the best of both worlds.

Blazing a Trail


Firemonkeys hasn’t revealed the exact details of Time Shifted Multiplayer just yet, but it has explained the basics of how everything comes together in practice. When a Real Racing 3 player begins a race against someone else it’s not actually a direct competition.

Rather than racing against their opponent directly they’re in fact racing against “... their fully interactive time-shifted double," Woodman said, "which emulates their performance and skill.” In other words it’s like racing against their ghost, only this particular ghost is tangible. This “non-ghost” can be driven off the track, react to other racers jostling for position, and all the other stuff a real player would do automatically.

Imagine racing against a snapshot of another person; a sort of virtual player that’s compiled from data based around their particular skill level and performance. If left to its own devices it’ll achieve a time similar (if not equivalent to) the player’s original run, but that’s only if it’s left alone. This is, in essence, what Time Shifted Multiplayer is.

It’s never a good idea to get too far ahead of things when it comes to speculation, but it’s also incredibly difficult not to get swept up in all the Time Shifted Multiplayer madness. It’s a technology that combines the two primary forms of online play iOS users have come to rely on for all of their games, and as such stands to create quite a stir once more and more titles begin to adapt similar techniques. Fusing the play anywhere/anytime convenience typical of most mobile multiplayer games with the more directly interactive (and often more competitive) nature of real time multiplayer certainly seems like a brilliant idea on paper.

Firemint (and now Firemonkeys) has been on an interesting road trip up to now; full of all kinds of unexpected detours, the occasional paint job, maybe a trade-in here and there, picking up a few new passengers along the way, and bittersweet goodbyes to those who've been dropped off. Of course it's not over yet. There's still a lot of road to travel. We’ll have to wait until next month to see how well everything Firemonkeys has experienced and created comes together for the newest pit stop, but the potential is definitely there.

SketchPhrase Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on December 10th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: PICTURE THIS
A whole lot of SketchPhrase's fun depends on who's playing but when it all "clicks" it can be incredibly silly fun.
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Critical Missions: SWAT Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on December 10th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: MISFIRE
It would be so much easier to enjoy this attempt at bringing a PC classic to iOS if the controls weren't such a mess.
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Zombie Quest - Mastermind the hexes! Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Rob Rich on June 19th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: GOOBLE GOBBLE ONE OF US
Fight terrible monstrosities with terrible monstrosities in this adaptation of a classic board game.
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Achtung Review

By Kevin Stout on March 16th, 2012
Achtung is a multiplayer Snake-like battle between up to four people.
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