Since we’ve featured a good number of premium titles over the past few weeks, we figured it’d be nice to lighten the load on your wallets a bit and showcase some of the recent free titles that have impressed us.
This week’s picks are therefore completely free, so you’ve got nothing to lose by checking them out. And if you think free games aren’t as fun as paid ones…think again!
Overkill
Overkill
When it comes to amazing amounts of content given for free, Craneballs Studios seem to be looking for a medal to win. Their new shooter, Overkill, is a beautiful and vastly entertaining time waster with an incredible amount of unlockable material.
The game is essentially an on-rails shooter without the rails, where you must defeat waves of enemies from your fixed position. Doing so earns you money and Overkill Medals, which are the in-game currency used to unlock more environments, upgrade your weapons, buy more ammo for them, and more. As you progress, you’ll get promoted through 30 ranks, and encounter tougher enemies including nasty flying drones that are a pain to take down.
The graphics are lean and impressive, but what really makes Overkill stand out is how satisfying it is. You can play for short spurts and get a great action gaming experience without shelling out big money. It’s also very kind about rewarding you: more than 80 achievements can be unlocked, and although you can speed up your upgrading by buying OM via in-app purchase, there are also more ways to earn them, including standard play, email/Facebook referrals, and TAPJOY. There’s lots to love in this package, so if you like shooters then grab it and enjoy!
Price: Free
Developer: Craneballs Studios
Download: App Store
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Zombie Revolution
Zombie Revolution
Amid the zombie craze, it’s not often that we get to assume the role of the opposite side, so Zombie Revolution brings the premise a neat refresh since you play as the zombies instead of us humans.
As the leader of the zombie revolution, you must muster your forces and attack the annoying humans on the opposite side of the river. Why? Because brains. Actually, it’s because they’re putting flowery stuff in your water and zombies prefer dirty things. Who knew? Gameplay consists of building structures in your town and training zombies, researching upgrades, etc. and then attacking new sections of the map with your newly created forces.
There are 6 zombie types that you can mutate your warriors into, and 4 different types of humans to kill with them. For folks who want a more patient take on the zombie story with the roles reversed, Zombie Revolution has a lot to offer, especially for the fine price of free.
Price: Free
Developer: Digital Chocolate, Inc.
Download: App Store
DJ Rivals
DJ Rivals
In the unusual category, DJ Rivals offers a fresh and fun story that puts you in the stylish shoes of a DJ trying to save Nightclub City from the evil Bland Corporation. It’s an RPG at heart, but the battles are replaced with DJ-style mini-games that range from Guitar Hero beat tapping to scratching and more.
The story is told through excellent cinematics, and one of the neatest features is the ability to enable location services to battle at “real” places in your neighbourhood. Despite the MMO and RPG tendencies though, it’s clearly the rhythm game aspects that are the most emphasized, and with good reason since they’re fun, well polished, and appropriate for the story.
With 50 moves, 50 collectibles, and 9 bosses to defeat, you’ll have your hands full for a while with this one. Check it out if you like your rhythm games with a bit of brain and progression.
Price: Free
Developer: Booyah, Inc.
Download: App Store
KartRider Rush
KartRider Rush
If you’re one of the more than 230 million (!!) players familiar with KartRider in its online form, then you hardly need an introduction here. If you’re not among those folks, KartRider is essentially like Mario Kart except online and, obviously, now on the iOS platform. This platform change seems to have happened to replace the American online version of the game which disappeared in 2008.
Regardless, KartRider Rush is a cheerful and energetic racing game with cartoony visuals, catchy music, and very simple controls. You tilt to steer, and there’s a button for braking and for drifting (sliding around corners to gain a speed boost). Acceleration happens automatically, which means you can focus on driving and on dealing with your opponents. In the game’s Speed Mode, your goal is to drift as much as possible to collect nitro and get ahead, but the Item Mode is where things get really familiar: you’ll be collecting and using special items to impede and attack your fellow racers, just like in Mario Kart.
There are very few other games out there that capture the spirit of kart racing as nicely as KartRider Rush on the iOS, and the fact that you can enjoy this bit of nostalgic gaming for free makes for an excellent deal.
Price: Free
Developer: NEXON MOBILE
Download: App Store
Squidy
Squidy
Our final pick is an adorable little puzzle game that asks the question: if you were a squid living in a canyon, what would you do to return to your aquarium? If you answered “detonate impressive amounts of dynamite under in my vicinity to launch myself in the direction I need to go” then you have just found yourself the perfect game.
Having spoiled the premise for you, all that’s left to say is that while the physics sometimes feel a bit too forgiving, the art design is beautiful and the gameplay itself is fun and addictive. The challenge ramps up nicely and although there are only 25 levels for now, more are promised in an upcoming update so there’s lots to look forward to.
Price: Free
Developer: Karma World LLC
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
There you have it: five great little games for zero dollars each! If you’re spending that cash on other important endeavours or if you’ve enjoyed one of these games (or a different one) then let us know in the comments!