Glad you could join us for this spooky, Friday-the-13th edition of Game Friday!
Superstition aside, we’ve collected some fine new games for you so click through and have a go at defending your body, flying through the Antarctic and slashing your way to victory!
Amoebas Attack
Let’s start with Amoebas Attack, a multi-layered twin-stick shooter from Pixofactor with some brilliant gameplay and a fun biological twist.
You play as an antibody, and while you’ll be doing a lot of the expected enemy blasting and cell absorbing, the game unfolds on multiple layers not unlike Flow on the PS3, so that you can choose to travel into higher layers for more difficulty or lower ones for a gentler ride. Combined with the mutations that occur when you collect enough cells, unlocking new abilities in the process, you’ll find that there’s a lot of flexibility in how you can play Amoebas Attack.
The game unveils its perks and difficulty slowly and steadily, so you are always aware of a sense of progress and can enjoy things at your own pace. This flexibility makes it one of the most unique and enjoyable games in the genre, and we highly recommend a look — can’t beat free, after all!
Price: Free
Developer: Pixofactor, LLC
Download: App Store
Outwitters
Following the success of Tilt to Live, the developers have set out to prove that they aren’t a one-trick pony, and Outwitters is the result.
A turn-based strategy affair played on a hex grid, Outwitters is a colourful and challenging game with three different (I mean very different) factions, and some great action. Outwitters eschews complexity in favour of emphasizing strategy and equality; each faction has the same basic units, and damage amounts are consistent, meaning that — aside from the faction-specific specialty units — you’re essentially playing a game of tricky chess.
Game Center integration is amazingly handled, with everything working seamlessly and offering the kind of social gaming experience you would expect. The one downside is that there is currently no offline or AI mode, meaning that you’ll either have to play online with friends, or have them beside you and pass the device back and forth. If that doesn’t deter you though (and it shouldn’t), then Outwitters is a great addition to your strategy games collection.
Price: Free
Developer: One Man Left
Download: App Store
Captain Antarctica
Leave it to FDG Entertainment to release a game like Captain Antarctica. Featuring all the charm of Cover Orange with the polished gameplay of Beyond Ynth, these talented folks have decided to dip their toes into the frigid waters of the Antarctic and the endless falling genre.
Playing as the titular hero, you’ll go on a quest to save your family and uncover the mystery of missing penguins. You’ll manage this with the help of a mad scientist’s untested scuba jet pack and all manner of other bizarre inventions that the inventor will provide. The descent will be harrowing, with many enemies, huge bosses, obstacles and more impeding your progress.
Some amusing extras include a number of comics, fun power-ups and an alternate control scheme so you can pick whatever method suits your playing style. Combined with the lovely Retina display graphics and terrific sense of humour, Captain Antarctica is a wonderfully entertaining time passer.
Price: $0.99
Developer: FDG Entertainment
Download: App Store
Slash or Die
Slash or Die combines equal part ridiculous premise with ridiculous gameplay to form an amazing runner that offers tremendous excitement in a fast-paced and stylish package.
Essentially, the world is under attack from … well, everything. Aliens, ghosts, robots and demons — not a good way to start the week. The hero, Blade, is a mystical warrior who’s been in hiding and has now returned to take on all the baddies, and you’ll appreciate his skills as you fight through endless hordes of monsters. The controls present an interesting departure from the norm: sliding forward attacks forward, while sliding backward will attack anyone sneaking up behind you. This also controls your movement speed, allowing you to keep things manageable.
As you level up, you’ll get more powerful and be able to slice and dice the various monsters with ease. Of course, Slash or Die doesn’t take itself too seriously, as evidenced by the comical cutscenes, so you’re yearning for a purely over-the-top runner, this is it.
TheEndApp
Appropriately enough, we’ll end with a game named TheEndApp. Another runner, this new game from Goroid is more in the vein of Temple Run, but it manages to offer a more sophisticated gameplay experience.
As you run, dodging obstacles like cars and pits, you’ll need to collect duct tape (the game’s currency) to purchase things, and explore the wide open city. The sliding and tilting controls are more sensitive than Temple Run’s, and are extremely responsive — perfectly tuned. The visuals are also surprisingly vibrant given the post-apocalyptic setting, and you’ll find that the mission mode offers some variety.
While it may not re-invent the genre in any meaningful way, TheEndApp does offer enough of a fresh feel to make it worth playing, and you might even prefer the rich city environments to Temple Run’s jungles.
What Have You Been Playing?
Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed one of these games, or you found an even better one this week, drop us a comment so we can all have some fun!