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Top Mobile Game Discounts

Posted by Campbell Bird on March 25th, 2024

Every day, we pick out a curated list of the best mobile discounts on the App Store and post them here. This list won't be comprehensive, but it every game on it is recommended. Feel free to check out the coverage we did on them in the links below to further vet these discounted games before you decide to buy:

Games marked with an asterisk(*) denote that the entire developer/publisher’s catalog is discounted, despite the fact that all of their games may not be listed here.

The best mobile point-and-click adventure games

Posted by Jessica Famularo on August 12th, 2017



Nostalgia for classic point-and-click adventure games has reached an all-time high in recent years, and the rise of mobile games have provided a perfect platform for this old-school genre.

This week we're going to take a look at some of the best adventure games on mobile that aren't by Double Fine. Double Fine adventure games are great, but we think you know all about them at this point, and if you don't, information on them is easily available. Here are some other quality point and clicks for you to try.

5 point and click games like Kathy Rain

Posted by Jessica Famularo on November 24th, 2016
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: PHENOMENAL ADVENTURE :: Read Review »


Raw Fury’s latest game, Kathy Rain, is now on mobile for all of you potential super sleuths out there. Set in a small town, journalism major Kathy Rain uses her investigative skills to uncover the mystery surrounding her grandfather’s death while also dealing with issues of family and loss. It’s quite good, especially if you’re a fan of point and click adventure games. Once you’ve beaten it, we recommend these other fine point and clicks.

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 Fifty: 148Apps Best Games of 2011 - The Top Five

Posted by Carter Dotson on December 30th, 2011

Part One: Games 16 - 25
Part Two: Games 6 - 15
In what was another fantastic year in the world of iOS gaming, we are here to bring you the titles that we, the staff of 148Apps, thought were the best of the year. Here are our top five picks for the Best Games of 2011:

5. Tiny Tower: Listening to some of the most prominent voices in gaming journalism right now, so-called 'social' and 'free to play' games are the scourge of the industry, and will bring forth the end of gaming as we know it, or at least a cowpocalypse. Of course, the problem is more that these games tend to be designed for nefarious purposes, to try and suck every last penny out of players' wallets. Tiny Tower was one of the few to not do this. It does a lot of the little things right - from giving out its credits through completing in-game actions, to providing things for players to do while actually checking in on the game, to feel compelling yet fair.

I spent weeks on end compulsively checking my tower, managing where my little bitizens should be working, and making that building go higher and higher. I eventually stopped - my tower was very large, and I didn't necessarily feel the need to make it bigger, and I had other ways to spend time when on my iPod. But there's just a satisfaction in knowing that a game is designed in a way that if I wanted to get back in, I could, and wouldn't have any negative effects waiting for me if I did so. This is a shining example of what the industry needs to do with their free to play titles, as it is infinitely more satisfying than the ones that make me feel like they just want my money.

4. Tiny Wings: This wasn't supposed to happen. A game made almost entirely by one guy in Germany, with no promotion whatsoever, shooting to the top of the charts? Sure, in the early days of the App Store, back in 2009, it would seem believable; but here in 2011, for this to happen? It seems impossible. But it's clear to see why it did just that: its watercolor graphics, adorable bird protagonist, and simple-yet-unique gameplay mechanic all combined to make a hit game that just happened to be picked up by people...then by a few more...then a lot more...then suddenly everyone was talking about this ingenious little game made by some unknown developer that now everyone was playing. I still don't know how it happened, but I'm sure glad it did.

3. Infinity Blade 2: There was one iOS game that made me cry this year. This was not it. It should have, though. Due to glitches with iCloud, I lost my built-up characters twice. On consecutive nights. A lesser game would have made me throw it down in frustration, delete it, and never speak of it again. I guess it says a lot about a game that I could pick it up again for hours on end, after any practical benefit to playing it had eroded, whether it had been to simply review the game or even after I had beaten it. There I would sit on my couch, continuing to hack away at enemies, managing my equipment to keep mastering it and improve my stats. I've lost a lot of time to this stupid game, and though it may be inherently repetitive, and largely only iterative on its well-known prequel...it was still some of the most fun I've had this year.

2. Where's My Water? - Physics games can be distilled down to a pretty easy formula these days: combine an endearing protagonist to create an emotional connection to the player with gameplay that uses the physical interaction of objects in a simple enough way that even casual players can become hooked to for great success. Combine these two things, and profit is the hopeful result. Plenty of games attempt this. Very few succeed at it, though. Where's My Water did just that.

The goal of the gameplay, which is simply to cut through dirt to guide water to Swampy's bathtub, hits the notes of being deceptively simple with added complexity. Soon, dangerous substances are added, along with pipes, bombs, moss and other hazards. But that simple mechanic of cutting through dirt to guide the water with understandable physics, remains the core.

Of course, the fact that Disney makes Swampy come alive doesn't hurt at all. Swampy is fantastically animated, as one would expect from, well, Disney. His worried and pained expressions while wearing his shower cap and waiting in his empty tub for his bath water causes that hook to sink in; I'm not just doing this for myself, I'm doing this for that little guy! He gets so happy when he gets his water that it becomes difficult to not become attached, to want to keep trying to get that water to him.

Disney found a way to create that kind of emotional connection to players, and look where they sit on this list. They earned it.

1. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP - In reality, a lot of the hype for this game was in part due to its visual style: sure, retraux pixel art is en vogue among a lot of games this year, but it was the detail, the usage of it to become something more than just imitation of the good ol' days of gaming. The mystery played a large part of it too - we knew how it looked, but how would it play? What was the setup for this game? What will happen?

What we got was a truly beautiful experience. The combat is simple and somewhat repetitive, sure. But everything else about it raises the experience to another level. The art and animation are splendid, of course. The music, composed by Jim Guthrie, is an incredible feast. The writing is at times humorous, but helps to set up a scene of a world with mystery and wonder, explaining only just enough when it needs to. The ending is so powerful it brought me to tears. It takes a powerful piece of art to do that, and it is something that few games have ever done to me. As a pure game, it is imperfect. But as an experience - I can't say I experienced anything greater on iOS this year. This will stick with me for a while, and it is an easy choice for our game of the year.

That's it, there's our list of the best of the year in iOS gaming. Did you have a preferred title? Let us know in the comments! We look forward to another great year of iOS gaming in the year 2012!

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Carter Dotson on April 1st, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: A TIME OF MIRACLES
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is the long-awaited adventure game from artist Superbrothers and developer Capybara Games.
Read The Full Review »

The Portable Podcast, Episode 78

Posted by Carter Dotson on March 30th, 2011

We did a podcast and we are the greatest. #sworcery

On This Episode:

  • We discuss Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP - trying to discuss the game's experience and gameplay while trying to be as spoiler-free as possible.
  • We also discuss the iPad 2, and whether iPad 1 users should upgrade.

  • Who We Are:

  • Host: Carter Dotson

  • Co-Host: Dan Morgan, The APPera
  • Music:

  • "Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)" by The Eternal - Download on iTunes here:


  • "Nanocarp" by The Eternal

  • How to Listen:

  • Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes:
  • Click Here to Subscribe via RSS.

  • Listen on WRGT Radio every Friday at 4pm Central
  • Listen Here: [powerpress]
  • Apps Mentioned in this Episode:


    The Portable Podcast, Episode 75

    Posted by Carter Dotson on March 8th, 2011

    Now available at competitive rates!

    On This Episode:

  • We discuss the iPad 2, and its feature set, whether there were any surprises, and what the new features could change about its usage.
  • We discuss the potential of iOS TV gaming, with the iPad 2's true screen mirroring, and the potential of the Apple TV as a gaming console.
  • We discuss Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, and its long development time, and whether the App Store business model can sustain higher budget projects, and why iOS games often aren't able to sustain longer hype cycles.
  • Who We Are:

  • Host: Carter Dotson
  • Guest: Chris Hall, 148Apps
  • Guest: Brad O'Hearne, Big Hill Software

  • Contact The Show: Email | Twitter

    Music:

  • "Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)" by The Eternal - Download on iTunes here:


  • "Nanocarp" by The Eternal

  • How to Listen:

  • Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes:
  • Click Here to Subscribe via RSS.

  • Listen on WRGT Radio every Friday at 4pm Central
  • Listen Here: [powerpress]
  • Apps Mentioned in this Episode: