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5 best iOS games to play on a plane

Posted by Emily Sowden on August 24th, 2018

Some of you may absolutely leap at the chance to climb onboard an aeroplane. Some of you may not be too thrilled at the idea of flying, but will get on with it without much fuss. Some of you may be paralysed with fear, like me, from the moment you step in the airport.

However you handle flying, this is a handful of games you really shouldn't be without. I mean, it's not the end of the world if you don't have them, but they're good fun and a good distraction for those less tolerable of air travel – trust me.

The 5 best mobile games like Game of Thrones

Posted by Matt Suckley on April 27th, 2016

Everyone's favourite weekly dosage of medieval depression, Game of Thrones, is back for its sixth season. An excellent time for the bloodthirsty!

But we know what you're thinking: what iOS and Android games should I use to fill the time between episodes?

Firstly, that's an oddly specific request. But as you're clearly insistent, we'll indulge you - here are the five best ways to get your Game of Thrones-flavoured kicks on mobile.

This Week at 148Apps: April 20-24, 2015

Posted by Chris Kirby on April 27th, 2015

The Apps of April

How do you know what apps are worth your time and money? Just look to the review team at 148Apps. We sort through the chaos and find the apps you're looking for. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out above the many good apps and games with something just a little bit more to offer. Take a look at what we've been up to this week, and find even more in our Reviews Archive.

Sorcery! 3 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on April 23rd, 2015
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: PURE MAGIC
Sorcery! 3 demonstrates just how wonderful interactive fiction can be.
Read The Full Review »

Sorcery! 3 Release Gets Delayed

Posted by Jessica Fisher on April 10th, 2015

Sadlyy, Sorcery! 3, the mobile gamebook based off the popularSteve Jackson's Sorcery! series, has been pushed back a week toApril 23. Fans will have to wait just a little longer for this continuation of thefantasy adventure. You'll be leaving the city ofKharé behind as you try to cross the cursed wasteland of Kakhabad.

When it is released, Sorcery! 3 will be priced at$4.99 and we'll have a review for you to check out.

In the mean time, you can replay Sorcery! 1 and 2 while you wait.

inkle's Sorcery! 3 is Coming Soon

Posted by Jessica Fisher on March 23rd, 2015

inkle is releasing Sorcery! 3 in April.

If you're not sure why that's exciting, it's becauseSorcery! is a four-part narrative adventure based off the adventure books written by Steve Jackson back in the 80s. The game has you exploring a huge 3d world map full of quests, monsters, and treasure. You have thousands of choices and the story changes based on your decisions. In this part you will be fighting seven deadly serpents as you adventure across the cursed wasteland of Kakhabad. The game boasts a day/night cycle, the ability to rewind time and see how other choices play out, beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and turn-based combat.

inkle has not announced how muchSorcery! 3 will cost, but the previous two games have been priced at $4.99 so we can guess it will be probably the same. You can check out this epic tale when it's released next month.

Runic Sorcerer Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Arron Hirst on November 11th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: WORTHY SORCERY
Runic Sorcerer is a mystical adventure that will take players back to the dark ages with its immersive 3D environments.
Read The Full Review »

Sorcery! 2 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on November 7th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: EXCITING ADVENTURING
Building upon the success of its predecessor, Sorcery! 2 is a gripping and well told story of intrigue and adventure, amongst some great game features.
Read The Full Review »

Sorcery! Enhances the Gameplay in Latest Update, Part 2 to Bring Double the Narrative Content This November

Posted by Andrew Stevens on October 16th, 2013
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: MYSTICAL EXPLORATION :: Read Review »

Sorcery! gets a brand new update that adds a playable female character, an improved magic system, and a simple way to transfer your game. This comes as Sorcery! Part 2 has been announced for November, which features double the narrative content of the first title. Part 2 will also feature new enemy types, more complex story branches, a detailed city map, and additional enhancements to the gameplay.

Who's ready to continue the adventure?

Choose 'Toons: Choose Your Own Adventures For Younger Readers, Animated

Posted by Jennifer Allen on August 13th, 2013

As a huge fan of interactive fiction thanks to a childhood full of Fighting Fantasy and Choose Your Own Adventure books, it's been a pretty exciting time on the App Store of late. Besides Tin Man Games's steady conquering of all things Fighting Fantasy, the release of Sorcery!, and Visual Baker's Underground Kingdom, things have been kicked up a further notch.

Founder of the series, R.A. Montgomery and publisher, Shannon Gilligan.
That's thanks to the latest Kickstarter campaign, focused on Choose Your Own Adventure books aimed at younger readers and now known as Choose 'Toons. With the Kickstarter just launched, we took some time to chat to Shannon Gilligan, publisher at Chooseco.

"Choose 'Toons are interactive cartoons, plain and simple. There are very abbreviated amounts of text at the choice points, but that's it. Otherwise, you are watching an animated story, with choices!" explained Shannon.

The first app is based on Your Very Own Robot in which the reader uses their parents' robot lab to put together a robot named Gus, leading to some entertaining mishaps. While Shannon told us that there are some "slight amendments and additions", the app is set to follow the book "pretty faithfully".

"It was interesting to adapt because I actually found that typical cable or Saturday morning cartoons are much more physically violent than what's in our books," Shannon noted. "It has something to do with watching vs. reading I think. And it's nothing new. I watched Roadrunner as a kid and it's quite violent, sometimes to the point of sadism. Our eyes are trained to be entertained which might demand certain kinds of less cerebral plot points."

So, young readers and their parents should have nothing to worry about when it comes to the content of this forthcoming adaptation!

The Kickstarter comes with some fairly typical pledge awards, as well as some rather exciting high-end ones such as being able to pay to have one's voice featured in the app. Most thrilling of all, though, has to be the one-off $10,000 pledge. Unlike anything else I've seen before, it gives the buyer their very own Choose Your Own Adventure for real. Throughout the campaign, backers and followers will be asked two questions each week, which will eventually lead to the adventure of a lifetime. While Shannon explained that Antarctica is out because of costs, pretty much everything else is up for grabs. Adventurous spirit and $10,000 to spare? You know what to do.

On a serious final note, anything that encourages kids and their families to read together has to be a hugely positive step. Even better, for this series, it looks set to combine nostalgia for the parents with new discoveries for the kids. We'll be sure to keep an eye on this Kickstarter's progress. For now, check out the campaign page if you're interested in participating or you fancy a $10,000 adventure of a lifetime. The campaign ends on September 12.

Favorite Four: Adventure Game Book Apps

Posted by Jennifer Allen on June 12th, 2013

With the recent release of Fighting Fantasy: The Forest of Doom, it seemed like the perfect time to take a look at our favourite four Adventure Game Book Apps. The Forest of Doom isn't included here, but consider it a bonus 5th, representing just how great all the Fighting Fantasy conversions are. The Adventure Game Book genre is a strong one on the App Store, so it's been a tough battle narrowing things down!

Sorcery!
Only part one of four has been released so far, but Sorcery! is a great conversion of the much loved series by Steve Jackson. There are nearly 50 spells to learn, plenty of decisions to make and a gripping story throughout. The combat might take a moment or two to click, deviating from typical dice throwing methods, but it all adds to the already beautiful visuals. It's a quite captivating tale.

Trial of the Clone
One of two titles featuring here from, unofficial App Store Kings of the genre, Tin Man Games: Trial of the Clone is a rare thing in the gaming world: a genuinely funny title. Written by Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal creator, Zach Weinersmith, and including the voice of Wil Wheaton, the artistic pedigree is as strong as the content. Telling the story of a clone making its way in a futuristic world, it's an unique tale that is ideal to play again and again, seeking out new endings.

Underground Kingdom
Less focused on combat than the others, Underground Kingdom is the re-imagining of the first Choose Your Own Adventure book, a series popular in the 1970s and 1980s. 23 different endings are available to find, as players explore an alien world in this attractive storybook style app. The artwork is particularly appealing and while it's a shorter read than some of the others here, it's an ideal way to remember a classic series.

Judge Dredd: Countdown Sector 106
It was a close run thing between this and one of the Fighting Fantasy titles, but the Judge has just about inched ahead. Understandably for such a violent theme, there's plenty of dice rolling based combat here, alongside appropriate visuals capturing the spirit of Judge Dredd well. What makes it stand out all the more, however, is the record sheets that come with each perp either killed or arrested. There's always that urge to play another game, just to try to fill the database. Adventure fans, as well as comic book fans, will love this.

This Week at 148Apps: April 29-May 3

Posted by Chris Kirby on May 4th, 2013

Your App Authority

Having trouble making sense out of the overwhelming number of apps released each week? Have no fear! Just look to 148Apps for the best app reviews on the web. Our reviewers sift through the vast numbers of new apps out there, find the good ones, and write about them in depth. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out above the many good apps and games with something just a little bit more to offer. Want to see what we've been up to this week? Take a look below for a sampling of our latest reviews. And if you want more, be sure to hit our Reviews Archive.

VideoGrade


I’ve never really been one for taking video with my phone, mostly because of storage space. I also like to mess around with the videos that I do take, and straight-up iOS video doesn’t really give me that opportunity. With an app like VideoGrade, however, I might start using the feature a lot more often. VideoGrade is probably easiest to describe as Instagram for video clips. Users can make all sorts of adjustments from Brightness to Vignettes, and even cut down their video if they so desire. They just have to allow access to their Camera Roll, pick what they want, and start editing. Most values are adjusted via sliders that can be set back to the default at any point if a mistake is ever made and once everything is good to go users just have to save the new clip and they’re done. --Rob Rich


Sorcery!


Tin Man Games has done a fantastic job lately, of bringing the Fighting Fantasy experience to iOS. Now, it’s the turn of a different studio, Inkle. Bringing Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! to iOS is quite the undertaking given the mini-series encompasses four books, but if the first book is anything to go by, this is going to be quite the collection. Don’t expect an experience in which players flick through the book’s pages. Sorcery! isn’t like that. Feeling more like a crossover of a board game and an interactive novel, players are presented with a beautiful hand-drawn map as they drag their character’s pawn through the ever dangerous world contained within. Choices are dictated through a series of blue flags, indicating what can be done, rather than simple text. --Jennifer Allen


Circles Memory Game


Circles Memory Game is a lot like the popular ‘80s game, Simon, if it were reproduced for iOS today. It’s a beautiful and challenging game that’s almost impossible to put down for too long. Players are presented with a clean and polished interface. There are four ways to play: practice, levels, top score and multi-player. It’s best to start with practice to get a feel for things. In practice, gamers can select up to six different colored circles. The idea behind the gameplay is simple. Players watch a sequence of circles light up and play a sound. That sequence must then be repeated. Every turn adds a new part to the sequence and players keep at it until they make a mistake. --Angela LaFollette


Flowboard


Hot on the heels of content creation app, Stampsy, Flowboard is quite the revelation in making it easy to tell a photo story or present a portfolio of work. As simple as it sounds, users can just pick out a template before adding pictures, videos, text and web links to their content. More advanced users can opt to create their own template from scratch. It’s the kind of interface that’s reminiscent of desktop publishing tools of old, but with a much more intuitive touch based set of controls. --Jennifer Allen


Other 148Apps Network Sites


If you are looking for the best reviews of kids' apps and/or Android apps, just head right over to GiggleApps and AndroidRundown. Here are just some of the reviews these sites served up this week:

GiggleApps

YodelOh Math Mountain


Readers and fans of Spinlight Studio may be familiar with an app of theirs from last year, the memorable YodelOh – a wonderful take on the classic shooting gallery-style game taking place in the Swiss Alps. This is a game that my son, although far from mastering, really enjoys playing and although it is not specifically an app with a high educational value, I am happy for my son to use his screen time playing this game as the look of this app is lovely and fun as well as being great for his reflexes and hand/eye coordination. Because of this, I am very happy to let readers know about Spinlight Studio’s new app, YodelOh Math Mountain, with much of the same game play as their original app... --Amy Solomon

Little Dead Riding Hood


When I first read about the app Little Dead Riding Hood, I assumed that it was a novelty platformer with zombie elements, as these types of apps can easily be found in iTunes, typically devoid of any educational value.
I am so very happy that I gave this app a closer look because my assumptions were totally wrong, as Little Dead Riding Hood is an interactive storybook app with both English and Spanish translations included as well as the highest of production values – a refreshing tale on this classic story of Little Red Riding Hood. Although I highly recommend this app, this recommendation is a qualified one... --Amy Solomon

Fairytale Maze 123


I am quite pleased to let readers know about Fairytale Maze 123, the third in a series of Maze apps by GiggleUp. My son and I are huge fans of these mazes, as they are the ones chosen by my son to work with over and over again. He was tickled pink to explore Fairytale Maze 123, as this app weaves wonderful fairytale elements within, including oftentimes iconic characters as well as other details my son simply adores. --Amy Solomon

AndroidRundown

Tennis in the Face


Tennis in the Face is a morality tale about tennis, energy drinks and the curiously-named Pete Pagassi. In my quest to free society from the debilitating addiction to Explodz that destroyed my promising career as a tennis pro, I used my racquet to defeat hordes of platformed folks with different attributes. The action was leveled and fast paced; Pagassi was armed with a racquet and balls, had to take out different types of opponents by making use of ricochets to get into tight spaces and to avoid deadening obstacles. To put the ball in play, I simply used a finger to draw a path in a straight line to where I wanted it to head to. Basically, I wanted to take out the caffeinated drones out with point-garnering strikes to the body, with extra bounties paid for head shots. --Tre Lawrence

Dog Sled Saga


Chicago’s bubbling-under indie scene has seen some Kickstarter success, and the latest project to come up from the Windy City is Dan FitzGerald and Lisa Bromiel’s Dog Sled Saga. This is a cross-platform arcade dog-mushing game. Ever play that before? Well, they’re looking to raise funding for the game’s development via Kickstarter to make this idea a reality. The core gameplay involves tossing food to the team of four dogs to keep them at their peak performance in order to do well in the mushing competitions that are entered. It’s a simple control scheme to use, just tap and hold to control the angle the food will be launched at, but doing this effectively at a continuous rate will be the challenge. --Carter Dotson

Fish Tails


Fish Tails was a fun game that I stumbled upon while reviewing Green Throttle Bluetooth Controller. In this side scrolling aquamarine game, I got to guide my adventuresome koi fish on gold collecting errand. The game made me think of arcade games, with its soft color schemes that made up the background. Visually, it was made up of mostly stills; the animations were not groundbreaking, but they worked. Air was air, water was water and little ambiguity existed. The extras, like fish and birds, were utilitarian in looks and movements. --Tre Lawrence

Sorcery! Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on May 2nd, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: MYSTICAL EXPLORATION
Capturing the magic of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! novels, the game of the same name is a great addition for adventure game book fans.
Read The Full Review »