10 Best iPhone/iPad Games for August 2014
The best gaming apps for your iOS device this month
Below, we run through the ten best new iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch games released within the past month. All titles are playable on all iOS devices unless otherwise indicated.
1. 80 Days 89
Adventure, $4.99, ages 12+, from inkle
"A sharp, wonderfully written adventure, 80 Days deserves your attention."
The creators of Sorcery! return with an interactive story/adventure that takes you on a race around the world. It's based on Jules Verne's classic Around The World in 80 Days.
From the Publisher: 1872, with a steampunk twist. Phileas Fogg has wagered he can circumnavigate the world in just eighty days. Choose your own route around a 3D globe, travelling by airship, submarine, mechanical camel, steam-train and more, racing other players and a clock that never stops. 150 cities to explore. Detailed research and techno-fantasy combine in an 1872 of tensions, inventions and exploration. Climb the Burmese mountains, trek the Zulu Federation, sail up the Amazon and disappear under the Indian Ocean - but don't fall behind the time! Featuring stunning art by Jaume Illustration, a half-million word script by Meg Jayanth, original music by Laurence Chapman, and built using the same inklewriter engine that powers our critically-acclaimed Sorcery! series, 80 DAYS is an interactive adventure created by your choices, on the fly, and is different every time you play. Playing as Phileas Fogg's loyal valet, Passepartout, you must balance your master's health, your finances, and the time, as you choose your own path from city to city all the way around the world. Bribe your way onto early departures, but don't let yourself go bankrupt or you'll be sleeping rough and begging for aid! Trade items for profit, and collect the equipment for the conditions you'll face: but too much luggage will slow you down... 80 DAYS is a breakneck race, with an in-game clock that never stops running. Trains, steamers, hot-air balloons, boats, camels, horses and more leave and arrive minute by minute.
2. Rules! 88
Puzzle, $1.99, ages 4+, from TheCodingMonkeys
"It's certainly worth checking out, but be warned: it might make you feel your age, even if you're not all that old."
This 100-level puzzle game is deceptively simple—with memory-based challenges involving colors and numbers—but ups the pressure by adding a countdown clock and gradually increasing the number of rules you must follow.
From the Publisher: RULES! is a cute puzzle game that's challenging, fast-paced and fun. Follow RULES! into a hundred level-deep maze of cuteness and order.
Multi-touch interface at its finest
Color perception assistance mode
Whales, Unicorns, Robots and Squirrels!
A plethora of surprising new game mechanics
3. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen 87
RPG, $14.99, ages 9+, from Square Enix
"A solid port of a remarkable game, Dragon Quest 4 might creak at the joints nowadays, but it's still worth your time."
After an inauspicious debut—Square Enix originally released the game in the App Store as "Dargon Quest IV"—this iOS remake of the classic 1992 JRPG has impressed critics. All five chapters of the original story are included, giving you a lot of playing time for that steep $15 price.
From the Publisher: Dragon Quest IV, the first instalment in the Zenithian Trilogy, is now out on mobile devices! This epic adventure, unfolding over five unique chapters, each focusing on a different cast of characters, can now be enjoyed on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad! Experience the full epic game with over 40 hours of gameplay in one standalone package! Download it once, and there's nothing else to buy, and nothing else to download!
4. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies 85
Adventure, free–$14.99, ages 12+, from Capcom
"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies does the impossible; it turns hours of litigation into an action-packed, exciting game experience."
—148Apps
Originally released last year for 3DS, the fifth main entry in the Phoenix Wright legal adventure series (featuring both trial and investigation phases) now comes to iOS, and critics found few objections. (Yes, we went there.) Note that the first of the five episodes comes with the free download; the remaining four episodes can be purchased for $14.99 (or individually for $4.99 each).
From the Publisher: There are no "Objections!" to the latest entry in the Ace Attorney series! Become a lawyer and solve the case! Your client's life is in your hands! Point Your Way to Victory: Simply tap the screen to play. The intuitive interface includes useful features such as a backlog for you to re-read testimony and story dialogue. Immersive Investigations: Freely explore 3D crime scenes for evidence and speak with witnesses for information that you can use in court. Fast-Paced, Entertaining Trials: Dismantle lies and resolve contradictions between witnesses' words and the evidence. Solve the case and save your client from trumped-up charges! Colorful Cast of Characters: Join Phoenix Wright and his junior lawyers as they confront an all new cast of interesting, amusing, and sometimes outrageous characters. Fan favorites also make their return under some unexpected and unusual circumstances! Surprising Twists: Delight in solving the mysteries and smile at the characters' amusing and often ridiculous shenanigans. The drama and dialogue will keep you laughing, crying, and guessing until the very end! Lighthearted Additional Content: Dress the three lawyer protagonists up in costumes and use them in the main game for some unintentionally humorous trials!
5. WWE SuperCard 84
Card battle, free, ages 9+, from 2K
"WWE SuperCard is a very decent card-battling game that's more concerned about engaging players than bleeding them dry with in-app purchases."
A pro wrestling-themed collectible card battle game that is free to play, though you may wind up buying a few extra card packs.
From the Publisher: WWE SuperCard puts the power of WWE Superstars, Legends, and Divas in your hands by bringing the hard-hitting, larger-than-life action of WWE to mobile in a brand new card battle game! Massive WWE Roster - Collect your favorite WWE Superstars, Divas, Legends and Managers to build your roster and compete online against other players in multiple game modes! With more than 400 collectible cards, the action never stops! Fast-Paced Player vs. Player Action - Take your five-man team online against other players to test your skills. Win your matches and earn new cards to add to your roster! Customize Your Team - Discover cards of different rarities to assemble the ultimate WWE team. Train or combine your cards to upgrade their levels and unlock their full potential. King Of The Ring - Put your deck to the ultimate test by playing in the King Of The Ring tournament. Manage your deck wisely in this 16 person multi-day tournament because the higher you rank, the bigger the reward! Expanding Universe - The WWE SuperCard Universe will regularly expand with roster updates, so you'll always find yourself discovering new cards!
(tie) 6. Deep Under the Sky 80
Puzzle/Platform, $2.99, ages 4+, from Sarah Northway
"Overall, Deep Under The Sky is a great little casual game that does some neat, fresh things, while simultaneously looking very prettying doing so."
This mix of physics-based puzzle-solving and platforming—accompanied by trippy, one-of-a-kind visuals—asks you to get your jellyfish from one spot to another through a combination of actions, all controlled by a single touch.
From the Publisher: Try life as a strange jellyfish on a remarkable world. Learn to fly through the skies of a psychedelic Venus, to explore and flourish... FLING, JET, GRAPPLE and ROLL your way through 80 levels of physics fun. Time your bursts just right to explore every cleft and cranny of the floating beasts inhabiting the mysterious DARK SIDE of Venus. This game uses ONLY ONE BUTTON but don't be fooled - you'll have to THINK LIKE A JELLYFISH and zen to the heady biorhythms of the planet before you learn its secrets.
(tie) 6. The Phantom PI Mission Apparition 80
Adventure, $0.99, ages 9+, from Rocket 5 Studios
"The Phantom PI is an exceedingly clever and well-crafted adventure game."
This puzzle-solving point-and-click adventure game casts you as a detective with ghostly clients.
From the Publisher: The Phantom PI Mission Apparition is a spooky, puzzly, rock'n'roll fueled adventure game starring a paranormal investigator who specializes in helping ghosts who are being bullied in the afterlife. Step into the shoes of The Phantom PI and explore a huge haunted mansion, solve devious puzzles and avoid diabolical traps on your way to helping deceased rock-n-roll legend Marshall Staxx escape the torment of a larcenous ghoul named Baublebelly. Upon arriving at Ravensmaw Manor, an infamous haunted house which Staxx bought shortly before his sudden (and some say cursed) rise to fame, the Phantom PI quickly realizes that the old house is a maze of strange passages and interconnected puzzles that will require his keen investigative skills to solve. For best performance we recommend that you play on an iPhone 4S (or newer), iPad 2 (or newer), iPad Mini or iPod touch 5th generation.
(tie) 6. Spooklands 80
Shooter, $0.99, ages 9+, from Luderia Jogos Digitais
"A bright, shiny arcade blaster with a cartoon swagger and enough challenge to keep shooter fans grinning maniacally."
Blast away at hordes of enemies in this tricky one-finger arena shooter in which every shot fired also changes your position.
From the Publisher: From the creators of Battle Rides Duel, here comes Spooklands! Spooklands is a unique survival game in which you tap to shoot, and shoot to move. With every touch, your character fires in your finger's direction, and is knocked back the other way. Master your skills to destroy the nightmare hordes in fast-paced matches for survival, and try to beat all final bosses: the Curupira, the Spider Queen and the Goat Demon. BRIGHT COLORS AND POWER-UPS: Improve your performance with awesome unlockable items like the Edible Snail, the Fist of Might, the Happy Face and the Wand of Crystal Power. THREE INFINITE LEVELS: Meet the mythic creeps of Amazonia, the eight-legged horrors of the Spider's Nest, and the dead demon-things of Necropolis. TAP OR HOLD: Every weapon comes with two uses. Tap to use them the regular way, or hold to charge a powerful shot. Charged shots may pierce, multiply or explode on contact! COMPETE WITH FRIENDS: Master your surviving skills and the combo system to beat your friends' high scores! Game Center integration complete with achievements. PROUD BOSS HUNTER: Beat a level's boss multiple times in a single run to earn Skull Badges. The level thumbnails will show the maximum number of badges you got on a match.
9. Pako - Car Chase Simulator 78
Action, $1.99, ages 9+, from Tree Men Games
"It's certainly not the deepest game, even in its own genre. However, I have no problem offering a recommendation for what it offers."
Stay alive as long as possible while being chased by the cops in a vehicle with no brakes.
From the Publisher: Closed area. No Escape. How long would you last? See how far you can make it on online leaderboards! - Five different vehicles in five different locations, the Mall, Suburbia, Cemetery, Highway and Square - Online highscore lists for each map and a combined highscore of all maps - Achievements for all locations - Super secret achievements !!! - Adrenaline pumping six song soundtrack by DKSTR - Quick restart, no waiting - No ads
10. The King of Fighters '98 78
Fighting, $0.99, ages 12+, from SNK Playmore
"The King of Fighters '98 is a fantastic port of an excellent game, but don't expect any frills."
Party like it's 1998 as another installment in the 20-year-old fighting series—one where the multiplayer outshines the single-player battles—gets ported to iOS devices.
From the Publisher: Series' masterpiece "KOF '98" finally joins the battle on iPhone! FEATURES: ■ The best game balance in the "KOF" series! "KOF '98" is praised among KOF fans around the world as being the ultimate compilation of "KOF '94" ~ "KOF '97" titles and for its fantastic game balance. Moreover, this perfect port of "KOF '98" features 2 different gameplay modes, "EXTRA" & "ADVANCED", and also includes a "TRAINING MODE" where you can master all your combos! "KOF '98" is also compatible with Bluetooth game controllers for the best gameplay experience ever!! ■ 38 playable characters! In addition to the series' iconic characters, "Iori" and "American Sports" teams as well as "Shingo Yabuki" and "Rugal Bernstein" edit characters return in "KOF '98" to complete the gorgeous roster of 38 characters and for a never ending dream match! ■ A NEOGEO Perfect Port with added features! Play "KOF '98" with its original 4 buttons configuration, or use its unique control scheme of 6 button settings and the simplified special moves with the help of the "SP" button! ■ Challenge your friends via Bluetooth! Dual with other KOF players via Bluetooth Multiplayer Mode for epic and unforgettable battles!
The Metascore for iPhone and iPad games is an unweighted average of individual scores given by professional game publications on a scale of 0 (bad) to 100 (good). A Metascore of 75 or higher denotes generally positive reviews, while 90 or higher indicates universal acclaim. Scores are not calculated for games with fewer than four reviews.
A few to avoid
There are no truly awful games this month, but August's lowest-scoring titles include Zombie High Dive 52, Swing Copters 54, and Dream Revenant 55.
What are you playing?
Have you tried any of the games above? If so, what did you think of them? Are there any other new iPhone or iPad games that deserve a download? Let us know in the comments section below. And visit our iOS Games section for reviews of all new and recent releases.
