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Jeff Scott Shares His Favorite Apps and Games

Posted by Jeff Scott on July 12th, 2013

And now I get to share my favorite apps and games with you.


OmniFocus - it's a great three screen (iPhone, iPad, and laptop) information manager that keeps me organized no matter where I go.


Tweetbot - I spend way more time on Twitter than any other communication method, even email some days. Tweetbot has all of the features I need to make that as painless as possible.


Pocket - Whenever I find an interesting article on the web I use Pocket to keep track so that I can read it later, when I have time. I even have IFTTT recipes set up to bookmark and send to Pocket anything I favorite in Twitter.


Launch Center Pro - This is a bit of a geeky tool, but indispensable once you get it set up. Think of it as sort of a super macro program for iOS. It lets me do many more things quickly.



Fairway Solitaire -- I don't usually play games on my iPhone as I prefer to play on the larger screen of the iPad these days. But when I do play on my iPhone it's usually Fairway Solitaire.

More games of all types. The rhetoric we've heard recently about how free to play is the only way to make money on the App Store is really untrue. With 600 million devices out there, any type of game or app can be a success if it is good, is marketed properly, and targets enough of that audience to make money. There's no reason not so see every console and portable game ported to iOS right now. There are 1.2 billion thumbs waiting to play.


Find more of our favorite apps over at the Best App Ever Facebook page for our #AppStoreTurns5 special.

Jennifer Allen Shares Her Favorite Apps and Games

Posted by Jeff Scott on July 12th, 2013

Jennifer Allen, senior writer at 148Apps shares her favorite apps and games.



Instagram - I regularly take photos with my iPhone and enjoy sharing them with friends. Instagram makes it all the simpler, plus I get to nose at what friends and other interesting people are doing too!



New Star Soccer - I'll never be a world famous footballer, both thanks to my gender and the fact I'm terrible at the beautiful game. New Star Soccer lets me pretend I'm amazing, and is ideal for dipping into for a game here or there.



Can Knockdown 3 - Another one that's ideal for five minute bursts, that invariably turn into hours. I'd never have thought throwing balls at cans would be so compelling!


iA Writer - As a writer, I like a minimalist experience. Given I have iA Writer on my Mac, the cloud syncing proves all the more useful here, and means I can quickly write down any thoughts or ideas I might have, in an uncluttered interface.



Fairway Solitaire - I've a soft spot for all things casual gaming. Fairway Solitaire is an ideal palate cleanser in between heavier fare. It's quite relaxing to match up cards and play the traditional game, in a fancier 21st century kind of way.

I'd love to see more original but major titles come to iOS. I'm so pleased to see titles like Max Payne, X-Com and Knights of the Old Republic come to iOS but I'd love to see something on that scale make its way to the App Store and be completely original. Fingers crossed, eh?


Find more of our favorite apps over at the Best App Ever Facebook page for our #AppStoreTurns5 special.

Rob Rich Shares His Favorite Apps and Games

Posted by Jeff Scott on July 12th, 2013

Rob Rich, senior writer for 148Apps shares with us his five favorite apps.



XCOM: Enemy Unknown - I love the iOS version in particular because it's the same great game that I can play anywhere and at any time, plus it's proof positive that console and PC quality experiences can be ported to iOS.



Ascension: Chronicle of the God Slayer - This was my introduction to deck building games and has been my most reliable go-to game whenever I need to kill some time and don't know what I feel like doing.



Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery - This is, and will always be, one of my favorite adventure games of all time. It's surreal, retro, modern, understated, complex, beautiful, and heart-wrenching all at the same time.



Climate Clock - It's a simple but incredibly clever idea: combine weather reports with an analog clock display. It's also been an invaluable tool in planning ahead for my day since I can look at it for all of five seconds and know whether or not I should bring an umbrella to work.



Rage of Bahamut - This pretty much had to be on my list because I've been playing it ever since I first reviewed it back in 2012, and I doubt I'll stop any time soon. I think it's a combination of the card-collecting, fantastic artwork, social elements, and near constant special events that keep me coming back.

I'm really hoping Apple pushes stuff like ports and cross-platform play a lot further. It's great that I can already play some games on my iPad, iPhone, or web browser and have one unified save across all of them, but I think we can do even more with it. Why not allow cross-platform play with other systems that offer the same titles? Couldn't it be possible to play, let's say XCOM, on my PC/Mac/360/PS3 and then load the save into my iPhone so I could continue my campaign on the go?


Find more of our favorite apps over at the Best App Ever Facebook page for our #AppStoreTurns5 special.

Favorite Four: Atypical Fantasy RPGs

Posted by Rob Rich on May 1st, 2013

As interesting (and surprisingly tough) as it was to put together a list of RPGs that have nothing to do with fantasy stuff, that’s no reason to ignore more “typical” examples of the genre. So now we’re back to fantasy RPGs in all their kobold-bashing, dragon-taming, evil-conquering, zombie-slaughtering glory. I’ll admit that none of the games on this list is a real “traditional” role playing game, but they’re all still RPGs (of a sort) and all chock full of fantasy goodness.

Dragon Island Blue
If you’re ever in the mood to hunt down and capture dangerous monsters, delve through perilous dungeons, and create the ultimate team of badass creatures then Dragon Island is the place to be. Most if not all of the enemies (and by extension potential allies) are fairly typical fantasy archetypes, but they each manage to look so much cooler than the typical examples and feature a pretty diverse range of abilities. Constructing a well-balanced team with complementary skills is a must for higher level encounters.

Nimble Quest
An action RPG crossed with Snake. Who would've thought such a combination would work so well? Nimble Quest might feature plenty of typical fantasy baddies (i.e. bats, skeletons, evil wizards, etc), but its emphasis on a conga line procession of heroes with their own unique abilities really sets it apart. It's also one of the few action RPGs where I've found the super-frail magic wielders to be easier to use than the melee fighters.

Brogue
Roguelikes are something of an acquired taste, but those who can learn to accept their brutal difficulty and typically steep learning curves will be able to enjoy virtually limitless hours of dungeon exploration and desperate fights for survival. So why Brogue and not any of the other fantastic examples of the genre that are also on the App Store? Well first off it manages to make use of its ASCII visuals to create some truly impressive-looking environments. Secondly it’s high fantasy to the core; filled with kobolds, goblins, wands, spell scrolls, and more.

Slayin
Slayin might be the least traditional RPG on the list but it’s possibly the most fun by virtue of its addictive arcade style gameplay. All the expected baddies make an appearance here - slimes, bats, dragons, minotaurs, etc - and all are ready to fall before your sword in the name of the almighty High Score. Character levels are constantly climbing, and enemies are always getting more numerous and aggressive, equating to one crazy bite-sized action RPG.

Favorite Four: Non-Fantasy RPGs

Posted by Rob Rich on April 29th, 2013

RPGs are incredibly popular, and probably will be for quite some time to come. The weird thing is that for some reason people seem to have trouble adapting the genre’s concepts into a world that isn’t full of magic, goblins, dragons, and so on. These games certainly do exist but they’re few and far between, especially on iOS. Hence our shoutout to four of our favorite iOS RPGs that aren’t saturated with dwarfs and elves and such.

Mission Europa Collector’s
One part dungeon crawler, another part shooter, a sprinkling of horror, and a ton of stat driven RPG elements make up this offbeat adventure. Players must brave the abandoned tunnels of Jupiter’s moon as they attempt to piece together what happened to the crew that was initially stationed there, as well as try not to get torn to pieces by the hideous amalgamations of rotting flesh and electronics that continue to roam the halls. It’s a very action and loot-heavy RPG with nary an orc to be found.

Corporate Fury
When a new CEO takes over a company, they can sometimes really shake up the way things are done. Corporate Fury takes that concept to a whole new level when salary men (and women) are forced to fight each other one-on-one for every little thing. Want a promotion? Then beat the snot out of the person above you. Thinking of passing that report along to the intern? You’d better hope they’re a pushover. Amidst all the goofy violence and mayhem players can improve their character with new skills, equipment, and combat moves as they attempt to fight their way to the top of the corporate ladder, leaving a trail of broken bodies in their wake.

Penny Arcade's On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3
Zeboyd's latest convention-defying RPG might be full of all sorts of fantastical creatures, but they include things like mollusks with a love of mimes and giant crab-wizards. It's a vaguely steampunk world filled with semi-Cthulhian horrors and a remarkably goofy sense of humor, not a series of dark forests filled with giant spiders and ogres. There's still plenty of evil afoot only this time it's a bit less conventional, as are the protagonists and their rampant multi-classing.

The World Ends with You: Solo Remix
When putting together a list of non-fantasy RPGs I knew I just had to include The World Ends with You. It’s a fantastic RPG in its own right that still manages to set itself apart from most other titles in the genre thanks to its style, music, characters, and plot. And it all takes place in modern day Shibuya as Neku and his accomplices attempt to survive the Reaper’s game and save themselves from a horrible fate.

Favorite Four: Pixel Worlds

Posted by Rob Rich on April 26th, 2013

Like it or not (I personally like it), retro-inspired pixel graphics are here to stay. A lot of people love the nostalgia that comes with such visuals, but it’s also interesting to see how pixel artists interpret different ideas. They can squeeze a surprising amount of detail out of a few well-placed squares. This list chronicles four of the pixilated worlds we find the most impressive. Not just the characters, mind, but the overall artistic style of their universe.

Arranger
I’ll admit that it’s a bit rough around the edges. Some of the mechanics aren’t fully realized and the movement controls, while much better after an update, are still a bit tough to use. However this is a list about fantastic, pixilated worlds, and Arranger has definitely got that. Part homage to Atari classics, part acid trip through a 1970s arcade cabinet, it’s nothing it not incredibly imaginative and unique.

Pixel Kingdom
I know I’ve already mentioned how much I love the visuals in Pixel Kingdom but I’m going to reiterate because I really love them. Capturing so much personality and charm in characters that sport such small dimensions is no easy task, yet here it’s pulled off almost effortlessly. At least it seems that way. Simply watching the heros walk across the field brings a smile to my face. The added draw of discovering what other bizarre and wonderful creatures lurk just off-screen on higher difficulties is another big draw.

Canabalt
What impresses me so much about Canabalt is how minimal its visuals are. Aside from the main character, I mean. His animations are pretty spectacular. There’s no color and practically no fine details to the backgrounds, yet it manages to tell a rather harrowing story. It’s a world on the brink of destruction, under attack from seemingly invincible extra-terrestrial aggressors, all depicted through the use of various shades of gray and some silhouettes.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
Of all the worlds I've visited that can be expressed through "bits," Sword & Sworcery's is definitely my favorite. It's a world full of whimsical forests and foreboding caves. The magic floating in the pixelated air is almost tangible. And to say it's gorgeous would be a rather terrible understatement. The warrior monk's quest might be sorrowful (and a tad short), but it's stayed with me ever since its completion.

Favorite Four: First-Person Games that Aren't Shooters

Posted by Rob Rich on April 24th, 2013

I think most people can agree that we probably don’t need quite as many first-person shooters on the market as we actually have. There are some great games to be had, sure, but with so much over-saturation it starts to become difficult to get excited about it. That’s why we’ve got a list of four of our favorite first-person games that aren’t shooters. They use the same perspective, and in some cases the same “floating hands” motif, but there are no firearms to be found. See? Just because a game is in first-person doesn’t mean it has to involve shooting stuff in the face.

Dark Meadow
Okay, so technically you do shoot some stuff in the face here, but not in the traditional sense. That’s kind of a weird thing to say now that I think about it. Anyway the crossbow isn’t actually a gun, and it functions are more of a way to chip away at an enemy’s health before they close the gap. Dark Meadow is primarily a first-person adventure/action game with an emphasis on exploration and melee. A combination that ends up being pretty awesome.

The Quest
Now The Quest is definitely not a shooter. It’s an old-school inspired, first-person, turn-based RPG that isn’t afraid to force those who write about it to use lots of hyphens. It’s also an incredibly robust adventure that allows players to create a number of various custom characters and tackle the world and its various quests as they see fit. And that’s all before taking the ridiculous amount of expansions into account.

Ravensword: Shadowlands
If you were to ask any console gamers about first-person games that aren’t shooters, one of the first titles that would pop into their head would have to be either Oblivion or Skyrim. This is the iOS gamer’s equivalent. Ravensword is a huge RPG full of little nooks and crannies to explore and unique creatures to slay. It can, of course, be played in third-person as well but in this instance first-person is far superior.

Minecraft - Pocket Edition
Betcha didn’t see this one coming. Minecraft is a lot of things to different people: gaming’s most amazing sandbox, a great way to be creative with friends, The Second Coming, a boring and over-hyped piece of junk, or even just “meh.” But what isn’t debatable is the fact that it’s one of the least shooter-y first-person games currently available on iOS devices. Not only is there little to no emphasis on shooting (plus there’s only a bow), but it’s a game that’s actually about building rather than destroying. At least for those who wouldn’t jump into another player’s game just to troll.

Favorite Four: Apps To Get You Running (For Real This Time)

Posted by Rob Rich on April 22nd, 2013

Tons of people, myself included, talk about wanting to get healthy. Often that means taking up running. Of course the reality of the situation is that we almost never make good on those promises. That’s where this particular list comes in. For your consideration we have four apps that should, in theory, get you out and jogging. For real this time.

RockMyRun
Music can be a big motivator for a lot of people. It can get the blood pumping and really gets us in the mood for doing stuff. RockMyRun is a collection of specially mixed tunes for runners from a variety of DJs from all over the world. Sure there’s always the option of listening to your own music, but why not try some tunes that have been specifically created to keep you running?

RunKeeper
RunKeeper is great for tracking progress for running, hiking, biking, etc. It features a number of detailed stats to monitor, lets users take photos to chronicle their activities, and will notify them when personal milestones have been reached. It’s full of useful features but what’s really bound to get me using it is the feature that lets me compare and compete with my friends.

Walkathon + Fitness Games
This particular app features a lot of games that can be unlocked via in-app purchase, ranging from fantasy kingdom construction to racing with friends. However, as motivating as gamifying running and walking can be, what’s really impressive is the way it automatically links with sponsors to make donations based on your activity. I mean, it is Walkathon after all.

Zombies, Run!
Personally, I think Zombies, Run! is the app that will finally get me running. It doesn’t just turn jogging into a game, it turns it into an awesome and robust game. Constructing strongholds, completing quests, finding supplies, and running like mad from hordes of shambling corpses. It sounds awesome all by itself, but it’s powered by physical activity!

Favorite 4: Games that Won’t Draw a Crowd

Posted by Rob Rich on October 18th, 2012

In keeping with the recent mass transit theme, this Favorite 4 is all about maintaining personal space. While many of us might enjoy occupying our commute time with bird-flinging or hack n’ slash action this can sometimes invite some unwanted attention. Lining up that final shot can be difficult enough without some complete stranger leaning over us and watching our every move. This is where games that appear uninteresting, but are actually quite fun, can come in handy.

Organ Trail:Director’s Cut
Like it or not, a number of people dislike “retro” visuals. Whether it’s a general lack of appreciation or some self-imposed snobbery depends on the individual, but regardless not everyone thinks pixels are neat. It frustrating, sure, but it can also mean the difference between someone you don’t know trying to awkwardly start up a conversation on the bus about the game you’re playing and being left alone.

Mission Europa
I’ve gone on at length about how much I love Mission Europa, and also about how downright ugly it is. But that’s the “beauty” of it. It’s a fantastic action RPG with some incredibly deep and rewarding systems, but it looks so bizarre and low tech it won’t draw much attention from the guy standing in the doorway just over your shoulder.

DragonSlasher
DragonSlasher is another game with visuals that belie a much more complex experience. It looks like a simple action game with solid color cutouts for characters. It’s most definitely not much to look at and at best might draw a curious glance or two for a moment before any would-be gawkers shift their attention elsewhere. And while they’re busy reading some other poor commuter’s newspaper, you get to enjoy what is essentially a side-scrolling portable Demon’s Souls in peace.

Game Dev Story
This really applies to all Kairosoft games but I wanted to stick with the one we all fell in love with first. Although it’s certainly cute to look at and sports some pretty colorful visuals, Game Dev Story is only really interesting when you’re playing it. Watching it, especially when you have no idea what’s going on, is much less interesting. Which means less random people breathing down your neck and more planning a new console launch.

Favorite 4: Games that Don’t Require Sound

Posted by Rob Rich on October 16th, 2012

This particular commuter-centric Favorite 4 might lean more to the train side of mass transit than the bus side, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant. Anyone who’s used a commuter train to get to work knows just how noisy they can be. Screeching wheels, blaring overhead announcements, business folk screaming into their cell phones, and so on. That’s why it can be important to have a couple of time-absorbing iOS games that can be enjoyed with or without sound waiting in the wings.

Infinity Blade II
Okay so this might seem like a bizarre choice but there’s logic behind it. Completing Infinity Blade II’s story doesn’t generally take long, and once it’s finished it becomes a kind of meta-game about loot grinding. Not much call for atmospheric music and sword clangs there. Besides, the developers themselves suggest that turning off the sound can even improve performance on older devices. Bonus!

Hook Worlds
Rocketcat’s refinement of their hook-swinging formula is a fantastic “endless runner” kind of game that offers up four unique variations on the formula. While the music and sound effects are certainly top notch it’s the one-of-a-kind visuals and character design that really make these worlds feel complete.

Wizorb
I still think combining brick-breaking with RPG elements is ingenious. Doing so with a fantastic 16-bit retro aesthetic is even more brilliant. With or without the sound muted it’s a treat to play, but without the sound it gives us the added benefit of not getting the music stuck in our head for the whole day.

Legends of Yore Full
This cute and simple-looking Roguelike is actually much more complex than it first appears. It’s even got pets! However none of its complexities involve the audio, which is about as simple as one would expect given the visuals. Relevant to the pixilated theme, yes. Necessary to enjoy the all the massive amounts of content, no.

Favorite 4: Games that can Save Anywhere

Posted by Rob Rich on October 11th, 2012

Anyone who takes the bus, train, or subway to work has had this problem at least a few times: You’re in the middle of a game and before you know it you’ve arrived at your stop. You hurriedly close out the game, turn off the screen, stuff the iPhone into your pocket and bolt out the door. Once you have a moment to start it back up you realize that your progress has been wiped. Bummer. If only there were some iOS games that allowed players to save whenever they wanted!

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer
Ascension was quite honestly the first deck-building game I’d ever played, and it totally made me fall in love with the concept. I also fell in love with the way it saves all the time. No prompts and no menus to browse. The game automatically saves progress at the start of each hand, and it can do so for multiple games whether they’re solo or against other players.

Solitaire by Backflip
I’ll admit that most solitaire iOS games will keep track of a player’s progress at all times, but I like Backflip’s offering so that’s what I’ve decided to go with. Again, there’s no need to do anything in order to save a game and come back to it later. Simply exit the game and the next time it’s started up things will be just as you left them; most likely a step or two away from failure and needing to start another round.

Aliens Versus Humans
It’s an homage to one of the greatest strategy games of all time, and it faithfully reproduces many of the mechanics that even the new contemporary remake has done away with. But more important than that - and the sheer enjoyment of fending off an alien attack without losing a single soldier - it allows players to save their game at any time. Whether they’re in the middle of a mission or on the Geoscape, opening up the options menu and quickly saving progress is always an option. Reloading after getting a soldier named after loved one killed is also just as fast.

Junk Jack
Aside from the fantastic art style and clever adaptation of the block/world-building ideas popularized by Minecraft, Junk Jack also brings constant saving to the table. Pausing the game saves progress. Quitting the game saves progress. It does prevent reloading after losing some favored items or getting killed, but it also makes hopping off the bus or train in a hurry far less detrimental.

Favorite 4: Crowded Mass Transit Games

Posted by Rob Rich on October 9th, 2012

There are a lot of folks out there who take mass transportation to work on their daily commute. Kicking back and enjoying your favorite iOS game is easy enough when you manage to nab a seat, but that’s not always an option. In situations like this - one hand gripping a railing for balance, the other attempting to awkwardly handle an iPhone - having a game or two with simple one-handed control inputs can be a godsend. Which is exactly why we’re providing you with a list of some of our favorite iOS games that won’t require you to sacrifice your balance for entertainment.

Tower of Fortune
I’m still somewhat in awe of just how cleverly implemented this RPG/slot machine hybrid turned out to be. I’m also very impressed by just how much fun I’ve had with a game that pretty much boils down to the repeated use of a single button. This reliance on one button for most of the “action” (i.e. spinning) turns out to be a major selling point when you factor in situations that only leave you with the use of a single thumb.

Puzzle Craft
People like town building and people like matching puzzles. Throw them together and we have an excellent mash-up of genres with the added benefit of being playable in just about any situation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck on a crowded train and relied on Puzzle Craft’s gloriously simple interface to kill time. It sure has been a lot, though.

The Last Rocket
Looking for a game that can be enjoyed on a crowded bus but offers up a bit more complexity than simply tapping a single button every now and then? How about a complex and rewarding puzzle-platformer about a sentient missile? The beauty of The Last Rocket’s interface is that it’s all gesture-based (tap, swipe, hold, etc) and can be performed on any part of an iOS device’s screen. Making it perfect for holding on for dear life and playing a game at the same time.

Trigger Knight
Trigger Knight is another game that keeps the interface as simple as possible, thus making it ideal for packed buses and trains. Tapping the screen is all a player has to do in order to play, and it can be tapped anywhere. No buttons and no context sensitive swiping, just tap to activate various items or shops at key moments. Then hope it’s enough to get you to the next “refueling station.”

NBA Game Time Brings All Access Hoops to iOS

Posted by Jason Wadsworth on January 9th, 2012
+ Universal & Apple Watch App - Designed for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch

Now that the NBA season is in full swing, the NBA has released NBA Game Time 2011-2012, an app that gives users access to tons of NBA features anytime and anywhere an internet connection is available. Many of the basic features are free, like game alerts from your favorite teams, stats, scores, play by play reports, news, and video highlights. There are also two subscription level available for users who want to access more of the app's premium content. The NBA Game Time Plus subscription give users access to video highlights from in-progress games, full game video recaps, an advertisement free experience, and live radio feeds (both home and away broadcasts) of games. An NBA Game Time Plus subscription costs $7.99.

For $39.99, users can subscribe to the NBA League Pass which includes all of the features above as well as live streaming of all NBA regular season games, a full archive of all the season's games, and live in-game stat overlays. Some users may already have an NBA League Pass subscription through their cable or satellite provider and are able to use their account information to log in via the app and gain access to all League Pass content.

Currently, NBA Game Time 2011-2012 is compatible with all iOS devices running version 4.0 or higher, but it isn't optimized for the iPad.

First Look: Favit, a Twitter Favorites Best-Of Browser

Posted by Jeff Scott on December 5th, 2009
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad

Favit is the newest Twitter application to hit the iPhone. It's the companion application to the web site Favstar.fm, a Twitter favorites tracker. When the app is launched and you enter your Twitter login and password, you see a simple screen with a tweet that has already been favorited many times.

You can navigate the tweets by swiping forward or backward. And nicely the app remembers the last tweet you looked at when you return. And you won't see the same tweet twice unless you go through every one of the millions of favorited tweets.

When you are looking at a tweet, you can favorite it yourself, email it, retweet it, or add the author to your Favstar favorite authors list.

The app is a great, simple way to discover both interesting tweets and interesting people to follow. The app is simple, but it's designed to be that way. Just a small little app to flip between a few new to you tweets to pass the time while in line at the DMV. Well, that's what I used it for last.

Top 6 iPhone Word Games (Round-Up)

Posted by Bonnie Eisenman on October 21st, 2009

Some of you probably know that I’m a word game fanatic. Sadly, sorting through the App Store can often be quite the hassle. I've been fortunate to discover quite a few gems, though, and I thought that I'd share my six favorite word games for the iPod Touch/iPhone. You probably have favorites of your own; feel free to share them in the comments! (I'm not doing any of that start-with-the-last-one nonsense, either; the first game on my list is really the one I love the most!)

1. Scrabble
This one was pretty much a given. Mother of all word games, Scrabble is still going strong. I have a few bones to pick with EA’s app (see the mysterious Push notifications), but it’s still an excellent one. Facebook Connect provides online games, but Pass ‘n’ Play gives you local multiplayer and there’s a built-in AI for solo games as well. There's something about this classic game that just takes the cake.

As an alternative, you can always consider Lexulous, my favorite Scrabble clone. It lacks single-player modes or even local multi-player, but the online community is sometimes more active. It also features eight-tile racks with bingo bonuses available for both 7- and 8-letter words. It's also much more lightweight than the Scrabble app, which is a boon if you're trying to save your battery.


2. Moxie

Moxie is a sort of word-solitaire, and by that I don’t just mean that it’s a solo game. The board is composed of three rows of five spaces each, and you can place letters anywhere on the board; points are given for forming a word, and lost if you "break" a word. It rewards strategic thinking and pondering instead of lightning-quick actions. Moxie’s gameplay is hard to describe in full, but let’s just say that it’s refreshing, unique, and by far the most original word game I've played in years. This is definitely a gem worth seeing.


3. WordFu
For a more action-packed word game, Word Fu from ngmoco is definitely great. This fast-paced game has you forming words from the letters you roll. The kung-fu theme (complete with cheesy sound effects) will bring a smile to anyone’s face. Just be warned…addiction is a very serious danger. Better still: it's free, and comes with ngmoco:)'s Plus+ network! Go ahead: challenge me! My Plus+ username is bonniee. (Our review is linked to the paid version of the app without the Plus+ network, but it's the same game regardless.)

4. Word Ace
Mash an anagram game with Texas Hold'em, and you have Word Ace. It's intuitive and easy to pick up, but make sure that you don't go broke: you only get 1,000 free chips per day! However, the game is centered around online multiplayer, so you'll need an internet connection to really enjoy this one. On the bright side, it's multi-platform (for both the Palm Pre and iPhone OS) so there are usually enough players for you to compete with.

5. Textropolis
From Nimblebit, Textropolis is a play-as-you-feel-like-it anagram game. There are no time limits, no stress. Given the letters in a city name, you must use them to form words. As you form more words, additional cities are unlocked. While it's simple and doesn't come close to Moxie's originality, it's still worth a look. Plus, Textropolis is perfect for sneaking some fun during class or at the office (just don't tell my teachers).

6. Word Flow
Describing word flow is hard. On the surface, it’s a typical word-finding game, but there’s an almost Rubik’s Cube-like element to the way the letters move. You see, the columns and the rows both slide. This introduces a novel element that is easy to understand, but extremely difficult to master; the twist should entertain fans of the regular word-hunt genre.

That’s it for now, folks! These six games should be more than enough to keep any word fan hooked for endless hours, but I certainly haven't tried every game in the store...so suggest some more!