Plan, Widget Shortcuts, Neatsy, and other apps to check out this weekend
November 22, 2020 by RSS Feed
In this week’s edition of our Apps of the Week roundup we have a clean and simple finance tracker, an app that turns your Shortcuts into widgets, and an app that uses AR and AI to find your shoe size for online orders. And as always, we’ve selected two great new games to check out.
Plan – finance tracker
Plan is a simple and clear financial tracker that helps you save money and develop a long term budget. It’s fairly entry-level, so don’t expect the features you’re going to get with Mint and other big brand apps. But I like the minimal UI and informative dashboard.
Widget Shortcuts
I’m a sucker for widget-making apps these days, so I had to mention Widget Shortcuts in this week’s roundup. It’s a super handy tool that lets you turn any Shortcut created with the Shortcuts app into a widget. Call mom, text friends, etc., and use your own icons and photos.
Neatsy
This app uses AR and AI to recommend shoe size and fit so you can make better online buying decisions. Now I don’t have some grand success story where I used the app and ordered shoes that fit perfectly, but I love the idea here. Worth trying out before your next purchase.
The First Tree
Wow! Looking for something different? Here you go. The First Tree is a third-person exploration game centered around two ideas: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Intimate. Emotional. Not a “fox simulator.”
Slay the Beat
I love a good rhythm/music arcade game. Parapa the Rapper, Rock Band, etc. This one is called Slay the Beat, and in it you must help defend a Neon-Cyber Earth from an alien bot invasion. Clear the Earth from alien cyborgs by tapping in sync with the music.
App-related news
- Developers can now create subscription offer codes for their apps
- CrossOver software can already run Windows games and apps on the new Apple Silicon Macs
- You can now get a version of Google's Chrome browser that's optimized for Apple Silicon Macs
- Dim those annoying bright new elements in the Big Sur interface with HazeOver for Mac
- Clicker for YouTube is here, the ultimate streaming companion for your Mac
credit : idownloadblog
Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 11/22/2020
November 22, 2020 by RSS Feed
ColorQueryPro , Sally & Friends: The Birthday , Cool Cat - Paws Of Furry and more
iPhone:
ColorQueryPro ( $4.99 → Free ) Alan Meyers ColorQuery puts you in the know. Just point your iPhone at a wall or other object and snap a photo. ColorQuery will analyze the photo to determine its name and properties like RGB, CMYK, HSB, and HEX. You’re also able to compare colors to five standard pallets, adjust colors, view variations, and save up to 15 samples.ColorQueryPro ( $4.99 → Free ) Alan Meyers ColorQuery puts you in the know. Just point your iPhone at a wall or other object and snap a photo. ColorQuery will analyze the photo to determine its name and properties like RGB, CMYK, HSB, and HEX. You’re also able to compare colors to five standard pallets, adjust colors, view variations, and save up to 15 samples.Universal:
Sally & Friends: The Birthday ( $0.99 → Free ) Cambrian Labs B.V. Sally & Friends tells the story of a little pig and her birthday celebration. Each page is littered with interactive elements, totaling more than 150 objects throughout the book. Your child is able to follow along with the professional narration or you can record your own custom narration. When the story is over, challenge your child with a quiz featuring comprehension questions.
Cool Cat - Paws Of Furry ( $1.99 → Free ) Volkan Kutlubay The coolest cat on the planet has been abducted by aliens. Help him escape from his captors by leaping to freedom. Cool Cat will run back and forth across the platforms, and it’s up to you to tap at just the right time to leap over aliens and onto the platforms above. Collect coins to unlock new costumes. The game includes two modes, and 40 story levels.
My Very Hungry Caterpillar AR ( $3.99 → Free ) StoryToys Entertainment Limited My Very Hungry Caterpillar AR brings the much-loved childhood character to life. Start off by hatching him from an egg right in your own living room. The Very Hungry Caterpillar needs to be nurtured and fed in order to help him grow into a butterfly. Through various non-competitive AR activities your child will learn about caring for other living things and discover a love for nature.Sally & Friends: The Birthday ( $0.99 → Free ) Cambrian Labs B.V. Sally & Friends tells the story of a little pig and her birthday celebration. Each page is littered with interactive elements, totaling more than 150 objects throughout the book. Your child is able to follow along with the professional narration or you can record your own custom narration. When the story is over, challenge your child with a quiz featuring comprehension questions.Cool Cat - Paws Of Furry ( $1.99 → Free ) Volkan Kutlubay The coolest cat on the planet has been abducted by aliens. Help him escape from his captors by leaping to freedom. Cool Cat will run back and forth across the platforms, and it’s up to you to tap at just the right time to leap over aliens and onto the platforms above. Collect coins to unlock new costumes. The game includes two modes, and 40 story levels.My Very Hungry Caterpillar AR ( $3.99 → Free ) StoryToys Entertainment Limited My Very Hungry Caterpillar AR brings the much-loved childhood character to life. Start off by hatching him from an egg right in your own living room. The Very Hungry Caterpillar needs to be nurtured and fed in order to help him grow into a butterfly. Through various non-competitive AR activities your child will learn about caring for other living things and discover a love for nature.Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free
credit : appadvice
Visit Surreal Dreamscapes in Ruya, a Charming Puzzle Game
November 22, 2020 by RSS Feed
Ruya ($0.99) by Miracle Tea Studios is a tranquil puzzle game that is perfect to unwind with after a long day. If you enjoyed recent titles like ERMO, Campfire Cooking, and PUSH, then you will love what Ruya has to offer.
I tend to think of myself as a person who gets worried and stressed out over almost anything, so you can only imagine how hectic life can be. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I like to just sit down and play some video games. My preferred cup of tea for iOS games are puzzles, of course, because they're relaxing and stimulating. So when I saw Ruya, I knew that this was something I had to have. Needless to say, this one does not disappoint.
ERMO
Giuseppe La Torre
Campfire Cooking
Layton Hawkes
"PUSH"
Maciej Targoni
Visually, Ruya is beautiful with a simple and clean design. Everything is rendered in 2D, but the artwork seems to pop thanks to the subtle backgrounds. The setting of Ruya takes place in a world of dreams, so you get to see a variety of surreal landscapes. The color palette in Ruya ranges with a nice mix of soft pastels and bolder hues that provide nice contrast with the darker background shades. The ambient soundtrack is packed with tranquil nature sounds, such as rainfall, snow, and wind, so it's the ultimate atmospheric experience. The sound effects as you connect the pieces together are also soothing.
Like many other puzzle games, Ruya is level-based. There are eight chapters, with eight levels each. In the beginning of each level, you get to see a memory of Ruya's, so a story unfolds as you make progress.
Each puzzle must be completed before players can move on to the next one, so it's fairly linear. There are no hints either, but the game does not require any, as the entire experience is designed to help you relax.
The game does not have a star system, points, or even impose a time limit, so you can play at your own pace. The only restriction are the number of moves you're allotted per stage, but even this is not a big deal. The puzzles can get challenging, but they can all be solved within a few attempts.
So how do you play? Every stage features a different layout on the grid, and there will be some colored pieces to start with. If a piece is in a bubble, that means it takes two matches to clear it out, and the bubble nets you some extra moves, which can be rather helpful. At the bottom are colored characters to match with the game pieces on the board. A number on them indicates the amount of colored pieces you need to complete the puzzle.
At the top, Ruya appears and can add more colored pieces to the board if needed — just tap on an empty space for her to add a piece (this doesn't count as a move). There's also a specific pattern shown that you need to match when you connect like-colored pieces together for it to count. To connect the pieces together, just use your finger to trace a line through the pieces you want to use.
If the board fills up and there are no possible moves left, you lose a move and the board gets reshuffled. More moves are added if you pop the bubbles that pieces are in, and those don't count until they're popped, adding to the challenge.
Ruya is a fantastic gem of a puzzle game for those seeking a zen-like experience.
The Good
Ruya is a fantastic gem of a puzzle game for those seeking a zen-like experience. The game features adorable and endearing graphics that are colorful and appealing. The sound design is well done, adding an extra layer to the overall mood of the game. I love the dreamscapes that the game features, because it definitely helps me de-stress after a long day. While the gameplay is not completely original, the developers added enough differences in it to make it unique and distinctive from the competition.
The puzzles in Ruya go from simple to a bit more difficult at a gradual pace. However, every stage can be completed after a few tries, so it's never overwhelmingly difficult. This is a game that everyone can enjoy, and it's a wonderful way to just kick back and relax.
The Bad
While Ruya is an excellent game, it may not be challenging enough for those seeking something more stimulating. If that's what you're after, then you should probably look elsewhere. But if you just want a game to take your mind off of things for a bit, then this is perfect.
The verdict
I've only started playing Ruya this morning, but I fell in love immediately. The game's cute visuals are bound to melt your heart, and the music is delightful. Controls are intuitive, and the game does a good job of explaining how to play with the subtle tutorial in the beginning. Discovering Ruya's memories is a pleasant journey, and nothing feels overwhelming. The only thing that could improve this game is more levels in the future, so hopefully the developers have considered that. This is a game that I'm going to keep coming back to time and time again until it's finished.
I highly recommend grabbing Ruya if you're a fan of peaceful puzzle games. You can find Ruya on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.1
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Game Controls 9
Replayability 8
Gameplay 8.5
Ruya
Miracle Tea Studios
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
Zach Gage's Flipflop Solitaire is a Fresh Take on a Classic
November 22, 2020 by RSS Feed
Flipflop Solitaire (Free) by Zach Gage is a new solitaire card game that breaks all the rules. You'll want to take all of your previous knowledge and experience with solitaire and throw it out the window. This is nothing like you've played before. If you enjoyed Gage's other games, including Spelltower, then you don't want to miss this new hit.
As a kid, I grew up with Solitaire on my computers. It was the quintessential computer game and one that everyone pretty much turns to when they need to kill some time back then. It's a definitive card game, but let's face it — the original gets boring after a while. That's why when Gage released Sage Solitaire a few years ago, I was eager to give it a try as it was a fresh new take on a classic. Sage Solitaire ended up being one of my favorite mobile games for a while, and it still holds up well. But when Gage releases a new game, I have to have it. And boy, this one is another surefire hit.
SpellTower
Zach Gage
Sage Solitaire
Zach Gage
Just like his other games, Flipflop Solitaire has a super minimal aesthetic to it, which I love. Everything is in 2D with a simple and clean design to it. The icons to represent each suite in the deck of cards is simplified yet iconic, and the colors are bold and vibrant. I also like the modernized typography with the rounded text, because it feels softer on the eyes. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus. There's not much going on for music, but the sound effects are fun and whimsical. Gage has a style, and it clearly shows once again in Flipflop Solitaire.
With the initial download of Flipflop Solitaire, players get to play 1-4 suites for free. However, the 5 Suite and 1 Suite Extended modes are only available through the full game unlock, which is available for $2.99. It also includes backgrounds, different card backs, and color schemes. Honestly, the game is one of the best iterations of Solitaire yet, so I think it's well worth the money.
So what is Flipflop Solitaire? As Gage himself describes it, regular solitaire is about untying knots of unordered cards into clean, sequenced stacks. Flipflop Solitaire is like the reverse of that. In Flipflop, you take your knot of cards and tie it into other, maybe better knots. Eventually, you untie the knots you created into the final stack of rightly sequenced cards. The game gives players full, complete control over how the stacks are created, giving the game a lot more depth than you'd originally think.
Yeah, that sounds a bit confusing. But once you start playing the game, it begins to make much more sense. Even though you get 1-4 Suites for free, I highly recommend playing a few rounds of just one suite to get an idea of how the game plays.
At the top, you have four empty slots. This is where you stack up all of the cards in order, from lowest (Ace) to highest (King) value. Underneath these slots are your five card stacks. The top most card is face-up, while the rest of the stack is face down. You'll want to get these cards organized in their own stacks, and they can be stacked going down in value, up, or even both.
There are two extra cards that are tucked away at the bottom left area of the screen. These can be played at any time if needed. Adjacent to these cards is the Undo button, and a "?" button that shows you all possible moves you can make. In the bottom right corner is the deck that gets dealt when you need more cards, but once it's out of cards, it's out.
Unlike traditional Solitaire, where you must arrange stacks in proper order (put lower value card on top of another card), you can put a card of higher value or a different suite on top of another. For example, you can have "K, Q, J, Q, K" in a single stack, or even "2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4." You can break up stacks and move a cluster of cards together at once, but only if they are the same suite.
Controls in Flipflop Solitaire are simple and can work two ways. You can choose to drag a card or entire stack with your finger, but you have to make sure your finger is on top of the card that starts the sequence you want to move. The easier way is to just tap on cards or the top of stacks, which makes them auto-move to the spots that they can go to. The game also has haptic feedback if you use a device that supports it. I appreciate the haptics, because it feels like all of my moves are validated.
On top of the various game modes that you can play, Flipflop Solitaire has plenty of achievements to obtain. These give players a reason to keep coming back and playing the different difficulty levels. And like traditional Solitaire, if you can get all of the rightly ordered stacks at the top, then you get a fun animation for your efforts.
The maker of Sage Solitaire, SpellTower, TypeShift, Really Bad Chess, and more has a new form of solitaire for you.
The Good
Flipflop Solitaire is another great card game from Gage. The minimalistic design is appealing to the eyes, and the subtle sound effects are delightful. The gameplay mechanic is interesting and takes your previous experience of Solitaire and replaces it with a new, modern take. The free download gives you plenty of game modes to keep you busy, and there are a lot of achievements and other things to unlock. And if you need more flip flopping, then the full game unlock is fairly reasonable and well worth the cost.
The Bad
Honestly, I can't think of anything negative to say about Flipflop Solitaire. Perhaps just the fact that it requires you to forget everything you already know about a timeless game, takes those rules, and spins it all around. It does take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the basics, it's fun and addictive.
The verdict
I've only played a handful of rounds since downloading Flipflop Solitaire, but I can tell I'm in love with it already. The design is modern and colorful, with plenty of options for customization if you want to spice things up. The controls are intuitive and prove that this is a great iteration of mobile solitaire, and the gameplay is fun. Once you start, it's hard to stop playing. Flipflop Solitaire is one of those perfect mobile games to play when you have some downtime.
I highly recommend grabbing Flipflop Solitaire. You can find Flipflop Solitaire on the App Store as a universal download on your iPhone and iPad for free. A $2.99 in-app purchase unlocks the full game, and is well worth it.
9.6
OVERALL
Replayability 10
Graphics 10
Gameplay 10
Game Controls 9.5
Sound/Music 8.5
Flipflop Solitaire
Zach Gage
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
Forge Your Own Epic Tale in Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest
November 22, 2020 by RSS Feed
Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest ($2.99) by Pablo Martinez is a roguelike platformer dungeon crawler. If you enjoyed other games like Cat Quest, Kalimba, and Mr Future Ninja, then you may like what Become a Legend has to offer.
When I'm feeling overwhelmed by reality, my activity of choice is to just kick back and relax with video games. While I usually prefer to relax with puzzles, sometimes I have the itch to explore dungeons and collect loot. That's why I've put so many hours into games like Diablo III, but I'm always on the lookout for new ones to hit the App Store. While roguelikes aren't for everyone, I like them because they give me the challenge of besting myself in each attempt. I also grew up on platformers and love dungeon crawling RPGs, so Become a Legend intrigued me because it had everything I love in one game. What could go wrong?
Cat Quest
The Gentlebros Pte. Ltd.
Kalimba™
Flashbulb ApS
Mr Future Ninja
Appsolute Games LLC
Visually, Become a Legend has a minimalistic cartoony aesthetic going on, and that's quite alright with me. It gives off a cutesy, not-so-serious vibe that's always welcome in mobile games. Everything's rendered in 2D, though some parts feel like pseudo-3D (like going through doors to get to the next floor). The color palette in the game is a nice mix of dark, gloomy tones and contrasting vibrant hues, so it's easy to see what's going on. The character models for your chosen protagonist and enemies are detailed, and the textures in the dungeon environments look good.
Animations are mostly smooth and fluid, though I did experience a few jerky movements due to unresponsive controls. The game music is rather subtle, which I found odd, considering the genre. The sound effects are nicely done and rather realistic with what you'd expect from castle dungeons. Overall, the developer did a pretty good job with the game's visual and audio design.
Since Become a Legend is a roguelike, that means each run you do through the dungeon is procedurally generated. No matter how many times you try, it's very unlikely that you'll ever get the same run twice. The element of surprise is always there and keeps things fresh and interesting, which is why I like randomly generated games. The point of the game is to forge your own legend as you go through all of the dungeon floors and face off against the final boss, whatever it may be.
The controls are simple, though I'm not completely satisfied with the default settings. In the bottom left corner are two buttons that let you move left or right. In the other corner, you have several action buttons: a sword for a basic melee attack, a spell button for casting a magical attack (costs mana), an up arrow for jumping (double tap to double jump), and a down arrow for sliding through ledges.
While the controls work okay, I had issues with their positioning. I'd often find myself casting a spell rather than a regular attack, and sometimes it didn't even register my button press. The responsiveness of the controls aren't fantastic, and could definitely use more optimization. If it's just the button positioning you're worried about, though, the game has four control schemes in the options. However, I would like to see more customization with the controls, and even MFi controller support in the future.
Become a Legend is a bit more forgiving than other roguelike games. If you die, you have one opportunity to revive and make the most of the run before you die again. On the second time, that's it — your performance is tallied up and you get your score for that attempt. If you manage to find the doorway to the next floor, the game gives you the option to save and return to the menu if you want to finish it later. Or you can be brave and continue onward without a break.
Along the way, you'll find gold coins from breakable items around you, and even enemies drop some cash. The gold is what you need to upgrade skills for your hero, which you can do at the beginning of each new run. The upgrades include dishing out more damage, having more health points, stronger spells, and more. But you'll want to spend as much gold as you can, because to enter the dungeon, it costs you 100 percent of whatever gold you have left.
On top of everything, the game features daily missions that you'll want to complete to earn extra rewards. These quests include things like killing enough of specific enemies, collecting a specific amount of gold, and more. The daily missions give players a reason to keep coming back to the game and just extend the longevity.
Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest is a fun mashup of roguelike, platformer, and dungeon crawling RPG.
The Good
Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest is a fun game that will appeal to fans of the genre. The visual style is cartoonish and cute, which just adds to the overall charm. The sound effects are fun to listen to as well. The gameplay is interesting, as it's combining three genres into one, and the exploration factor is a nice addition.
While not everyone may be a fan of procedurally generated games, I think it works out well for Become a Legend. I'm always eager to find out what the next run will be like, and I love being surprised. It also makes it fair, since one can't memorize how to do a certain floor layout. The daily missions add more reason to keep coming back to the game.
The Bad
While I love what Become a Legend offers, I am not too happy with the control schemes. Yes, there are four different layouts to choose from, but I'm having issues with all of them. Specifically, the button positions feel a bit off to me on my iPhone 8 Plus, and it's not as responsive as I'd like it to be. Hopefully the developers can add MFi controller support in the future, as well as let players customize the button positioning, or just optimize it better in an update.
The verdict
I was excited for the release of Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest, and while the game itself is fun, I feel like the overall experience is a bit marred from the controls. As much as I like the delightful graphics, gameplay, and replay value, it gets frustrating when the controls don't respond to my touch or I end up tapping the wrong button too often. Hopefully these issues get fixed sooner rather than later.
Become a Legend: Dungeon Quest is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $2.99. There are in-app purchases for potions and gold.
8.0
OVERALL
Replayability 9
Gameplay 9
Graphics 8
Sound/Music 7.5
Game Controls 6.5
Become a Legend
Pablo Martinez
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
Follow Mid Atlantic Consulting
Subscribe Mid Atlantic Consulting
APP review today