We’ve made it to the weekend, everyone take a deep breath. If you’re ready for your quick fix of new App Store games, then you’re in the right place and have some sweet new titles to look forward to.
Discover the lighter side of a werewolf’s curse, crusade against ducks, seek burgers, and more in this week’s roundup — see you on the other side!
MacGuffin’s Curse
Let’s be honest, it’s tough to find a good adventure game. So much of the experience rides on the quality of the writing that it’s easy to get lost in dull fetch quests with no meaningful context. In MacGuffin’s Curse, you’ll be freed from all these concerns and captivated at the hands of Ayopa Games, whose development of this title recently earned them the “Best Game Writing” award at the Freeplay Independent Games Festival.
You play as charismatic thief, Lucas MacGuffin, who’s become bound to a mysterious amulet after a museum heist gone wrong. Imbued with the power to transform into a werewolf at will, Lucas embarks on a marvellous adventure full of compelling characters, genuinely funny dialogue, and interesting environments.
Everything from the design of the levels to the responsiveness of the controls shows off the effort that went into bringing this game to life, and when so much love gets poured into something, it’s difficult not to get swept up in the enthusiasm. Try it on your iPhone and then check it out on your computer too, as this title is multi-platform friendly from day one.
Price: $3.99
Developer: Ayopa Games LLC
Download: App Store
Shark Dash
Hey, do you want to fling a thing at some other things and make them collapse? Good, because the App Store is full of opportunities to do just that. In all seriousness, it becomes an interesting experience playing the latest game of this sort because they can seem so alike that wonder why people even bother. And then you get games like Shark Dash that manage to seem familiar while continuing to push things forward with unique gameplay elements.
You are a shark and you hate rubber ducks because they stole your sweetheart. Now that you’re up to speed on the story, let’s focus on what makes Shark Dash special: water physics, dynamic levels, and challenges. Because the gameplay takes place in water-heavy levels, you’ll have to account for how movement is affected by the presence of water, and also how various environmental obstacles respond (will it float, sink, dissolve, etc.) The fact that you don’t start every level in the same position helps keep you from thinking too linearly, and ensures that you’ll enjoy the challenge of finding out how to earn top marks by completing the level in the fewest number of hops.
In addition to the mechanical adjustments, Shark Dash is endearing for its subtleties, including some adorable animations that you only see in a few circumstances and a general cute aesthetic that lends everything a playful feel. Toeing the line between the familiar and the fresh, Shark Dash is a great level-based puzzler to spend some time with.
Hambo
From the folks who introduced you to Gravity Guy, meet the mighty … Hambo! Yeah, so they have a talent for cool characters over at Miniclip.com.
On a mission to rescue his friend Bacon, Hambo the war hero has to blast his way through more than 200 levels, all the while wielding some awesome weaponry. The controls and mechanics are easy to pick up and don’t pose any problems, with the possible exception of the bow & arrow, which can be tricky to aim with any degree of precision.
Hambo offers a lot of content for the price, and unlockable costumes can add even more variety to the gameplay if you’re into that. Either way, this is a title that’s not afraid to try something new, and that alone makes it worth a look.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Miniclip.com
Download: App Store
Burger Cat
Anyone who’s ever owned or encountered a cat will know that they’re fond of food. Their enthusiasm for munchies is amusingly portrayed in Burger Cat, where your task is to offer a hat-wearing feline a safe path from the start of each level to the juicy burger waiting at the end.
Unlike the vast majority of platformers, Burger Cat is a bit less hands-on with its control, requiring you to clear a path for the cat rather than control him to the finish line yourself. This makes for a completely different set of challenges, beginning with mundane tasks like covering pits and making stairs out of blocks, to much more involved interventions like setting up trampolines and setting lures. If you’re thinking this sounds like Lemmings then you’re right, except that it’s a single cat and it’s on your iPhone.
Whether you’re a cat person or not, Burger Cat will offer you some strategic enjoyment through its unique form of platforming. Give it a try and fetch some burgers!
Price: $0.99
Developer: Ravenous Games
Download: App Store
Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy
Famously regarded as among the finest flight experiences on the iPhone, Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy has just received a massive update that wipes the slate clean of old concerns and launches the game into the upper echelon of mobile flight combat simulation.
With a healthy dose of both single and multiplayer gaming modes, Air Supremacy offers something for every type of gamer, and the game is so magnificent looking (especially on recent hardware) that you’ll be glad to have excuses to return to it. Customization is a big part of the gameplay, and allows you to finely tailor the controls to your preferences. With more planes arriving with every update, it’s a good time to dig in and explore the skies.
Oh, and the game is AirPlay compatible too so you can enjoy the graphics on your Apple TV for a truly cinematic flying experience!
Price: $4.99
Developer: Namco Networks America Inc. Games
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
Those games have been keeping us entertained this week…what about you? Tell us about what you’re playing these days in the comments, and we’ll see you next week with more!