Light Up The Darkness and Let Life Flourish in Ilu
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Ilu (Free) by Brainium Studios LLC is a puzzle game that balances light and darkness. I know, it's a little cliché, but it's tastefully done in ilu. If you enjoyed other recent titles like Fliplomacy or even Umiro, then you'll like what ilu offers.
When I'm under a lot of stress, I need to take some time out to relax and take my mind off of things. Usually, my go-to game type is a puzzle because it helps me calm down and also keeps my brain busy, which is always welcome. And while I feel like I've played every kind of puzzle game there is on the App Store, I can't help but always be on the lookout for new ones. And so ilu was definitely one that caught my attention this week, and I must say that it does not disappoint.
Fliplomacy
Shobhit Samaria
Umiro
GHI Media, LLC
Visually, ilu is beautiful. The game contains a minimalistic aesthetic style that's completely rendered in 2D. It uses simple shapes to represent the board and the pieces, as well as a soft color palette that is full of soothing gradients. Each of the infinite stages contains a board that lights up yellow, to represent the light in the darkness. And as you solve each puzzle, lush green life blooms and flourishes, proving to be the icing on the cake on this already gorgeous game. All animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus, and the game has an ambient and atmospheric soundtrack that's tranquil and zen-like. The sound effects are whimsical and create a dynamic track on it's own as light fills the board.
The great thing about ilu is the fact that the game is free and contains an infinite number of levels that are generated as you progress. Since the game itself is a free download, there are some ads that show up every now and then, but you can get rid of them with an in-app purchase. However, I was not bothered by the ads since they don't interrupt the gameplay, but I appreciate having the option to get rid of them completely.
The goal in ilu is simple: light up the dark board and make sure that no tile gets unlit. However, some tiles have dots on them — these dots signify that an adjacent square must be the source of the light, and all of the dots on a tile must be lit up accordingly. So if a square has one dot, it only needs one adjacent tile to be the light source. If it has three or four, then three or four adjacent spaces must be the source of the light.
While this sounds like a simple task, things get complicated as the board gets bigger and features more intricate layouts. Each time you place a light down, the entire row or column is lit up accordingly. Be careful not to overlap the lights though, as the dots can be cancelled out too. With ilu, it's all about the logic and sequence of the lights.
Controls in ilu are simple and intuitive. To place a light in a square, just tap on it. The light flows into the rest of the row or column, and if an adjacent tile has dots, they'll light up. The goal is to get all of the dots lit up, as well as the rest of the grid, in order to solve the puzzle and restore life. You can undo a light by tapping on the square, and there are buttons in the bottom left corner for resetting the puzzle or undoing your last move.
At the top of each puzzle is a bar that shows you how well you're doing in solving it. You can even see the difficulty level at the start, in case you're curious. However, don't worry about stars or anything, because the game doesn't use that system. Instead, the number of moves you do to solve it is calculated into the progress bar, as well as your overall, cumulative score. You can earn "perfect" on a puzzle, and it's shown in your stats, but it's not completely necessary.
Once you've completed all of the puzzles on a planet, you'll earn crystals. These crystals are to upgrade your suit and ship. Both of these are more like cosmetic upgrades, as they don't affect solving the puzzles — that's all logic. They affect how the world looks after you terraform them, as a result of restoring light and balance.
Ilu is a gorgeous logic puzzle game about balancing light and dark and restoring life.
The Good
Ilu is definitely a good game to check out for fans of logic puzzles. The graphics look sharp and crisp on Retina screens, the dynamic music and sound effects are fun, and the controls are simple enough for anyone to understand. However, the puzzles are a great mix of straightforward and intricate, and it just becomes more entertaining as you go. And while it's a free game with ads, they do not get in the way of the game itself, and there's an infinite number of stages that can be generated, giving you a lot of bang for your buck.
The Bad
Honestly, even though I'm not usually big on freemium games, ilu doesn't have the annoyances of the typical free game, which is a nice breath of fresh air. There's no energy system so you can play as long as you want, and the ads never get in the way. Perhaps if I must point out a fault, it's the fact that the upgrades can be a little pricey, and they don't change the gameplay at all.
The verdict
As a fan of relaxing puzzle games, ilu is definitely one I'm going to be keeping around on my devices. The game's visuals are breathtaking, especially as life blooms on each planet, and the dynamic music is fun and delightful. I love logical puzzles, and these are the kind that make you go, "Aha! That all makes sense now" quite often. The ads don't get in the way of enjoying the game, but I think I'll be sending some money to the devs in the future to show support for this elegant little gem.
You can find ilu on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for free. There are in-app purchases for ad removal and cosmetic upgrades.
9.0
OVERALL
Replayability 9
Game Controls 9
Graphics 9
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
ilu
Brainium Studios LLC
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Flitter is a New Twitter App With Potential
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Flitter ($2.99) by Shihab Mehboob is a new app for getting your Twitter fix. If you're tired of just having Tweetbot or Twitterrific as third-party options for Twitter on iOS, then you're in luck with Flitter.
As we all probably know by now, Twitter originally came out in March 2006. That's over 12 years ago now. Personally, I signed up for Twitter in 2007, and it's been my go-to social network for years. I've made a few good friends from Twitter, and some I've even met in person (crazy, I know). For years, I've been using Tweetbot as my main Twitter client on both iOS and Mac, with Twitterrific being a close second choice each time an update comes out. In a time where it seems like new third-party Twitter apps are scarce due to the changes in the API, it's a surprise that Flitter was released at all. Still, as I'm always curious about new apps, I had to check it out for myself.
Tweetbot 4 for Twitter
Tapbots
Twitterrific 5 for Twitter
The Iconfactory
Twitter, Inc.
Visually, Flitter is a simple and clean app that carries a minimalist design that should appeal to plenty. It carries an aesthetic that reminds me of most native Apple apps, and everything is laid out in a neat and organized manner. Despite the simplicity on the surface, Flitter also gives users plenty of options for customizing the app's appearance to their own liking, including some themes, accent hues, and even different app icons. Flitter is also fairly fast and easy to navigate.
To use Flitter, you'll need a Twitter account. Just log in with your credentials and then everything gets loaded up. Flitter has quick access to four main sections in the bottom toolbar: Home (Timeline), Mentions, Direct Messages, and Your Profile. Also at the bottom is a "+" button that lets you compose a new tweet.
Now, about that compose button. It's one of Flitter's best features, because you can move it to anywhere that's comfortable for you. To do this, just long press that button and then drag it anywhere you want. IT can float above the toolbar, or go in any of the four corners of your screen so that it's within easy reach of your thumb.
Composing a new tweet is your typical fare, where you have a text box to write a message up to 240 characters. One thing I do like about Flitter is the fact that there is a button on the toolbar that gives you fast access to the emoticons with unique characters. You know, things like the shrug "¯_(ツ)/¯" and the table flip "(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)". I love using these emotes quite often, but it's always a pain to type out. So Flitter having these is a nice addition.
Since many get their news from Twitter, viewing trending topics is a must. With Flitter, trending topics is easily viewed by tapping on the icon in the upper left corner. It defaults to worldwide trends, but you can fine-tune it to a specific region that interests you. Flitter's search button is in the upper right corner, and you can do quick searches in your timeline, comb through global tweets, or find specific users.
Going back to your timeline, tweets are organized in chronological order, with newest at the top. If you tap on a tweet, you can view it in more detail, including full threaded conversations. I especially like Flitter's way of handling this because when a tweet is part of a thread, the tweet you viewed gets pushed down to reveal the beginning of the thread at the top, and you read it from top-to-bottom.
Other details Flitter handles well in the tweet detail screen are the number of likes and retweets that a tweet has. It even adds a nice little bit of commentary, such as "triple digits!" or "it's about to enter double digits!" for the number of likes and retweets. It's fun and cute, though it could also be considered distracting for some.
To reply, just tap on the speech bubble icon. To like something, just tap on the heart. Retweet is done with the "recycle" icon, and you can do a normal retweet or quote. There are also other options for sharing, or viewing the original user's profile, adding a bookmark to the user, and more.
Flitter's profile view is also pretty nice. You get a nice big area for the header image, avatar, and bio details. Above the username will be the number of tweets they've made. It's not a big deal, but the emphasis is kind of fun if you care about numbers. Underneath the following and follower counts is a scrollable ribbon of recent media posted by the user, and underneath all of that are recent tweets.
You also access the app's settings from your profile view as well. Just tap on the gear icon. From here, you can change the app icon, tweak general settings (time display, how to show links, etc.), appearance and display (themes, font size, image size, etc.), sounds and haptics, Touch ID and Passcode, and Accounts. Flitter is pretty generous with giving users the ability to customize their Twitter experience, which is nice.
Flitter is a new Twitter app that has a lot of potential, but not quite there yet.
The Good
Flitter is a pretty nice app in terms of visuals and functionality. I love the ability to change the aesthetics to fit my needs, and the way it shows threaded conversations is much better than that in Tweetbot (I have to scroll up to read previous replies).
The Bad
Unfortunately, I have more issues with Flitter that prevent me from using it full time. For one, I noticed that the app has a lot of lag and freezing when you return to it after the device is locked and Flitter was still running. This is especially true if you have it set to automatically change between a dark and light theme. I'm also not a big fan of not being able to use swipe gestures on tweets in the timeline to do quick actions like like or reply. I'm used to this in Tweetbot, and I feel it's much faster than going into a tweet detail screen to do.
And since I use Tweetbot on both my Mac and iOS, I use iCloud for tweet syncing. Flitter doesn't have any kind of timeline syncing (i.e. Tweet Marker), and it always seems to scroll up to the newest tweet when I come back. This is annoying and results in wasted time as I try to find where I last left off.
I've also encountered a lot of crashes during my testing of the app, which prevents me from using it out of frustration.
The verdict
I've long considered myself a Twitter power user, and while Flitter looks nice, I can't commit to using it right now. At least not in its current state. It's still too buggy, inconsistent, and not as reliable as Tweetbot or Twitterrific. There are other nice features, such as the emoticons and the way the threads are displayed, but there's more cons than pros.
7.3
OVERALL
User Interface 8
Lasting appeal 7
iPhone Integration 7
Is engaging 7.5
Does it well 7
Bluebird - Be Social
Shihab Mehboob
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
Get Your Daily News Fix With Cappuccino
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Cappuccino (Free) by Nebula is a gorgeous newsreader app for those who want a personalized and customizable news-reading experience. It's similar to other popular apps like Unread and Reeder, except for the whole RSS thing.
Ever since I got into journalism in my college years, I grew addicted to the news. Yeah, I'm a total news junkie. I've lived and breathed the news for years through RSS feeds, various apps, and social media. Though I'm taking a break from current world affairs for some self-care, I still need my fix of technology and other news, at least. And while I mostly use RSS feeds, that gets backed up like an unchecked email inbox quite often. It just gets a bit hard to maintain at times, so I like to seek other solutions. Cappuccino was an interesting surprise.
Unread: RSS Reader
John Brayton
Reeder 3
Silvio Rizzi
Visually, Cappuccino's design reminds me a lot of Unread. It's simple and clean with a digital magazine-like aesthetic. Cappuccino places emphasis on visuals, so half of the display is taken up by the headline image for articles, reiterating the magazine-like feel. The typography is pleasant to the eyes, which is great since it's an app for reading. If you opt for the premium subscription in Cappuccino ($0.99 a month or $9.99 a year), you'll get access to a variety of themes that have their own unique headline font. Unfortunately, you can't mix-and-match the themes with the headline fonts, which is a shame.
Unlike Unread and Reeder, Cappuccino is a news reader that does not rely on RSS. In fact, there's nothing to sign into at all here, aside from your iCloud account. To add news sources, just swipe right to reveal the side drawer, and then click "Add." This brings up the Discovery screen.
In Discovery, you'll find various news categories, including current events, international and local news, and various categories such as technology, sports, fashion, finance, and more. Just tap on the broad topic you're interested in, and many sites and blogs are displayed. To add them to your feed, just tap on the "Add" button underneath their description.
What I like about Cappuccino is the fact that you're bound to find and discover new sites that you may not have heard of before. This app is great at getting you out of your usual comfort zone and into something new.
Once you've picked out some sources, the side drawer gets populated with individual feeds, or you can just go through all articles, only unread, or what's new today. Each article gets displayed on the screen with the header image, headline, and short excerpt. To view the article in its entirety, just tap on it to bring up the built-in browser.
Without a premium subscription, Cappuccino is pretty bare-bones. If you do opt to subscribe, there's a few nice perks that go along with it, aside from beautiful themes. With Cappuccino Premium, you'll get a daily generated mail with a summary of your chosen news sources at a time that you specify. You can even get push notifications for specific news, mute sources if need be, and a Dark Mode. The premium subscription also works with the Mac version of the app, so you just pay once for both versions. The iCloud sync should also keep your settings and news intact across both platforms.
Cappuccino is a news reader that's focused on simplicity and elegance.
The Good
Cappuccino is a nice news reader with an elegant design and provides ample ways to discover some new sources to get your daily news. The free version of Cappuccino is pretty bare-bones, but should be good enough for anyone who just wants a way to get their daily news fix. However, the subscription model isn't too badly priced and gives you a lot of theme options that look great, and having a daily news digest that's tailored to your tastes is nice to have.
The Good
If you're already using something like an RSS reader, or even Apple News, then Cappuccino seems a bit redundant. It doesn't offer anything too groundbreaking from the competition, and the premium subscription may turn some people off from using the app.
I also had issues with getting the subscription activated on the Mac version, and the sync did not seem to work. So it was a bit buggy for me.
The verdict
I'm all for discovering new news, so Cappuccino is a nice addition to my daily news arsenal. I love the simplicity of the app, and it's super fast and responsive. The themes look gorgeous, and the headline typefaces that are unique to each one is a nice touch. I'm not sure if this will replace Reeder for me, but it's a good way to discover news sources I may not have thought about before.
Cappuccino is on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and Mac for free. There is also a Mac version available. There are in-app purchases.
8.5
OVERALL
User Interface 9
Lasting appeal 8.5
iPhone Integration 8.5
Is engaging 8.5
Does it well 8
Cappuccino
Nebula SRL
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
Use Everyday Objects to Get Rid of Bombs in Bombarika
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Bombarika ($0.99) by Street Lamp Games is a puzzle game that you can actually win. Forget those games where you just play forever and ever — Bombarika gives you puzzles that you can solve and get an actual ending to. If you enjoyed recent games like Umiro and Vandals, then you'll like Bombarika.
When I need some relaxation time, I often turn to puzzles to calm my mind down. There's just something about the fact that they're relaxing yet stimulating that keeps me hooked. Though I feel like I've gone through and tried pretty much every type of puzzle there is on the App Store, I'm always looking out for new ones. Bombarika is just one that happens to strike my fancy this week.
Umiro
GHI Media, LLC
Vandals
ARTE France Apps
Monument Valley 2
ustwo Games Ltd
Visually, Bombarika is gorgeous. The game features an isometric 3D aesthetic that's strongly reminiscent of Monument Valley, except rather than Escheresque-style dreamscapes, you're dealing with typical rooms that you'd find in a house or even a business. It's more realistic, but the art style is downright beautiful to look at and behold. I also find it to be serene and minimalistic, so it's definitely nice eye candy. Animations are smooth and fluid, so there's no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The music is upbeat and quirky, proving to be rather delightful to my ears. Sound effects in Bombarika are realistic as well, and pretty hilarious when the bombs go off.
Like most puzzle games, Bombarika is level-based. At the moment, the game only has 14 levels, but the developers are promising more in the future. Again, as mentioned already, Bombarika is a puzzle game with an ending. And you can actually reach the ending within 30 minutes if you're good enough, but the game can be fairly challenging. The goal in each stage is to use household objects to push the bomb out. No diffusing the bombs, just discard them somehow by getting them out of the house before they blow up. Sounds easy, right? Wrong!
In each stage, you're responsible for noticing when the bombs get dropped into place and using whatever's in the room to get the bomb out. To interact with these household objects, just tap on them, and they'll do something. You can have drawers spring out to push the bomb away, or slide a table to nudge it, rotate a table so the bomb can pass through, or activate fans and vents so the bomb gets where it needs to go. Beds and couches can be lifted up to reveal hidden doors, and standard doors can be opened with a tap. You must think fast though, because you only have a certain amount of time before they go off.
Levels here will usually need a few playthroughs before you figure out the correct order of events needed to get the bomb out, and the hints provide you with a blueprint of what needs to be done. You can also collect the blue pyramids on each stage, which act as currency in the game. You can spend these "Rikas" on new bomb types, which have unique abilities. For example, the Sapphiro gives you three more seconds, Flush Out reveals all exit points, and the Puchakaya removes the time limit. If you want a bomb but are low on Rikas, you can buy more via in-app purchase.
Don't let it blow up.
The Good
Bombarika is a fantastic little puzzle game if you're looking for something that can be completed and is also challenging. The graphics are stunning, the music is delightful, and the controls are simple enough for everyone. Even though it's a short game, you'll still need time to master all of the stages and complete it, and the different bombs add a new layer of depth to everything.
The Bad
While there's a lot I like about Bombarika, it's not perfect. I was definitely expecting more levels, because 14 isn't enough. I also noticed that sometimes it was hard to see things like slopes and depth perception in certain rooms, so I wasn't sure if an object was going to reach the bomb as I planned. And since the game is premium, I wasn't thrilled that there are still in-app purchases.
The verdict
As a sucker for puzzle games, I'm really enjoying Bombarika so far. I'm not done with the game yet, since it's taking me a few tries on some stages. However, I love the graphic style, the music is charming, and the controls are simple. I just wish that there was a bit more detail when it comes to depth perception here, and not too happy about a premium title still having in-app purchases. Still, it's a fun and challenging game that is sure to delight many puzzle fans.
Bombarika is available as a universal download on the App Store for your iPhone and iPad for just $0.99. There are in-app purchases.
8.5
OVERALL
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
Game Controls 8.5
Graphics 8.5
Replayability 7.5
BOMBARIKA
Cheetah Technology Corporation Limited
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
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Pop All of the Tiny Bubbles in this Delightful Puzzler
November 20, 2020 by RSS Feed
Tiny Bubbles ($2.99) by Pine Street Codeworks is a relaxing physics-based puzzle game that lets you play at your own pace. If you enjoyed games like Level 24 and Ruya, then you'll get a kick out of Tiny Bubbles.
While I consider myself a gamer, one of my favorite genres to play are puzzles. There's nothing quite like being able to relax and keep my mind busy at the same time, you know? Though I've gone through most of the puzzle games on the App Store by now, I can't help but keep my eyes peeled for new ones that hit the market. And Tiny Bubbles is definitely one of my new favorites.
Level 24
FLG DEVELOPMENT, OOO
Ruya
MIRACLE TEA STUDIOS LTD
Visually, Tiny Bubbles is impressive with it's offering of a cute and whimsical cartoon style art and bright colors. And if you're colorblind? Don't worry, Tiny Bubbles has a mode for color blind players, and there's also a Dark Mode for more contrasting hues too. Everything's rendered in 2D with smooth, fluid animations that don't lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The ambient music is atmospheric and immersive, and the sound effects of popping bubbles is zen-like.
Like most puzzle games, Tiny Bubbles is level-based. There are different chapters full of puzzles to solve, but there's an infinite mode as well. Each stage in Tiny Bubbles has a different objective that you must complete before it's considered cleared. These goals range from just popping all of the bubbles to having just enough bubbles to fill a target area, and much more. And to make things more challenging, you'll only have a certain number of moves to do it all in. However, there is no time limit or stars to earn, so you play at your own pace.
The controls in Tiny Bubbles are simple. At the top of the screen are the moves available to you, which includes colors that you fill bubbles in with, or abilities like scissors to cut the bubble outlines. To fill in a bubble with that color, just tap it. To use the scissors for cutting, just tap on the line you want to cut. Bubble physics takes care of the rest.
Eventually, you get to the point in Tiny Bubbles where you'll need to combine colors to get another color. Just tap on a colored bubble to mix the colors together and create a new shade. When you forget what colors create what, just long-press a bubble to see what colors it's made with. And when you cut the outline of a bubble, it can blend with another bubble, or pop entirely if you cut the external line.
Also, you'll encounter a fish named Bloopers. It blows bubbles that get added to the existing bubbles, thus adding another layer of challenge to the overall game. It can either add one bubble after you make your move, or blow continuous bubbles, so you need to think fast.
To clear out bubbles in Tiny Bubbles, you must make matches of like-colored bubbles in groups of four or more. Once bubbles pop, more cool bubble physics happen and everything shifts around and melds together. And with the 60 frames-per-second framerate, these bubble physics are just super fun to watch.
The game always tells you the objective before you begin, and there are hints if you get stuck. And even though it's level-based, you can choose to play stages as they open up (multiple paths get unlocked sometimes), so it's not too linear. New elements get introduced along the way, but the game does a good job of explaining each one as you go.
As far as the endless mode, you unlock it after a certain point in the game, but it's pretty early on so not too hard to obtain. After that, you earn "tickets" to play it after a certain amount of time, and once you're out of moves, you'll need to wait for more tickets. It's not the best implementation of an endless mode, but it's decent since you can spend the downtime playing the regular stages.
Even for the most casual gamer, it’s hard to go wrong with Tiny Bubbles. The gameplay is simple and accessible, and the music and visuals are stunning.
The Good
Tiny Bubbles is an excellent puzzle game for any fans of the genre. The graphics are stunning, especially Dark mode, and the frame rate is as smooth as butter. The music is soothing and delightful to listen to as well. I also love the sound effects, as they're whimsical yet still fairly realistic. The gameplay is simple enough for anyone to pick up and enjoy, but it's still quite challenging. The variety of objectives keep things fresh and interesting, and the endless mode is something to look forward to while you play.
The Bad
While Tiny Bubbles itself is a fantastic game, I'm not sure I like the way endless mode is set up. I believe it should be a standalone mode that lets you do just that — play infinitely, as long as you want. I was a bit annoyed to discover that I'd need to wait for tickets to play it, because that's just not endless, in my opinion. Still, I suppose it's not too bad, since the regular puzzles are fun to play as you wait for tokens.
The verdict
Tiny Bubbles is a welcome addition to my ever-growing collection of iPhone puzzle games. I'm in love with the unique visual style and sound design. The gameplay is interesting since it combines Tetris-like mechanics with physics puzzles, and knowing your color combinations is a true test. I just wish endless mode was truly endless, but the rest of the game is top notch.
You can find Tiny Bubbles on the App Store as a universal download on your iPhone and iPad for $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.5
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 10
Replayability 9.5
Game Controls 9
Gameplay 9
Tiny Bubbles
Pine Street Codeworks LLC
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
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