"If there is an app for that"

All Hail the Queen in Reigns: Her Majesty

December 07, 2017 by RSS Feed

Reigns: Her Majesty ($2.99) by Devolver Digital is the official sequel of the popular, original Reigns game (our review) that came out last year. If you've ever wondered what it felt like to rule over a kingdom as a queen (or king with the first game), then this is the perfect bite-size mobile game to help you accomplish that. In some ways, Her Majesty feels more flushed out than its predecessor.

In the age of Tinder-style apps (such as Popcorn), it's not surprising that this format would end up in mobile games. The format is perfect for the choose-your-own-adventure kind of game, which is what Reigns is. In the original, you sat as the king, overseeing a kingdom and making tough decisions that affect your church, people, army, and treasury. It was a simple concept, as you were just presented with situations and two options for choices. I loved the original, but even with the additional character cards to unlock, it felt like it was missing something. And now Her Majesty has arrived.

$2.99

Reigns

GHI Media, LLC

Visually, Her Majesty features the same art style as the original Reigns. This means a minimal aesthetic with flat, 2D visuals that have a low-poly design. The color palette remains similar as well, with a nice mix of bright, vivid colors and muted, earthy tones so that everything contrasts nicely. The character designs on the cards are all unique and distinctive, so you can tell what they are in a single glance. The icons for the kingdom's various levels are the same, and the green and red transitions help you identify when a decision positively or negatively impacts your kingdom. Animations are smooth and fluid, and I had no issues of lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The original soundtrack by Jim Guthrie is ambient and soothing, while the sound effects are as quirky as ever.

In the original game, players ruled as the King and various citizens of the kingdom came to you with a wide variety of situations. You were given two choices, which could be revealed by swiping left or right (you can pull the card slightly in either direction to see your options). Each choice you make will affect the levels of your kingdom (religion, people, army, and money), and you continued until your inevitable death. The goal was to see how long your rule would last, and then you'd play again as a new King.

While Her Majesty is the same concept, it adds in a few new elements to spice things up again. With these new additions, the game feels more robust than before, while providing the same gameplay that you loved from the original.

In Her Majesty, you're actually ruling together with a King by your side. However, don't let that fool you — you're still making all of the tough decisions, and the King will just go along with whatever you say. And since you're a female in this game, there are choice you must make regarding how you dress, and you'll even have children. The game has the same great humor that was in the first one, so that hasn't left.

Additionally, Her Majesty has some new game mechanics, such as usable items and puzzles. To access your item stash, just tap on the arrow at the bottom, then select the item you want to use, then tap on the character card you want to use it on. Puzzles involve remembering steps and doing them in the correct order, finding hidden secrets in the castle, and even finding your way through a maze. Her Majesty also has a combat system, but it may take you a few attempts before you even see this, as you'll need to manage the kingdom without it falling apart first.

To keep players coming back, there are new characters to unlock, like in the first game, and objectives to complete.

Reigns returns in an all new time period with all new swipe based choices.

Her Majesty is a great follow-up to the original game that came out last year. The first game felt a bit basic, but this sequel adds in many new features that make the game feel more whole. Plus, the game's simple style is endearing, the music is incredibly well done, and the controls are still intuitive. The humor is carried over too, which is sure to bring a smile to your face as you play.

If you were a fan of the original Reigns, then Her Majesty brings more of the same.

Even with the new additions, Her Majesty still feels a lot like the original Reigns. While this may not necessarily be a bad thing, the concept is no longer fresh and interesting as it was when it first came out. It is also rather hard to not have some misfortune fall upon you before reaching the new game elements, such as combat and childbirth.

The verdict

Reigns: Her Majesty is a great sequel that fans of the original game must check out. The graphics are as charming as ever and feel more polished than last year. Jim Guthrie's music is top-notch once again, and the soundtrack is just lovely. The diversity of gameplay mechanics in Her Majesty will keep you coming back for more, and it does make the game more challenging.

If you're looking for a fun choose-your-own-adventure kind of game, make sure to grab Reigns: Her Majesty.

9.6

OVERALL

Replayability 10

Game Controls 10

Sound/Music 10

Graphics 9

Gameplay 9

$2.99

Reigns: Her Majesty

Devolver Digital

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/07/2017

December 07, 2017 by RSS Feed

Cinderly's Holiday Sparkle , My Town : Daycare , Videomator and more

iPhone:

Videomator ( $0.99 → Free ) Enrique Garcia Videomator couldn’t possibly be any easier to use. All of its filters and color option categories run across the bottom of the screen. Tap on a category to bring up a secondary menu that will allow you to choose a specific filter or color option. Everything is done in real-time, so just point your camera at your subject and start recording. Videomator includes a total of 317 different presets to choose from.

Universal:

Cinderly's Holiday Sparkle ( $0.99 → Free ) Cinderly, Inc. Cinderly’s Holiday Sparkle will help you spread some cheer. It includes almost 40 stickers in total, allowing you to send festive ornaments, wreaths, peppermints, snowmen, and even aliens donning Santa hats. Just peel and stick.

My Town : Daycare ( $2.99 → Free ) My Town Games LTD My Town: Daycare is bursting with cuteness. It’s filled with six rooms to adventure into, allowing your child to visit a playground, put food on the table, put babies down for naps, and so much more. Like all other My Town games, your child is able to enjoy the wide variety of activities without any pressure. It’s their own virtual dollhouse. Just tap and swipe to see what happens.

dB Decibel Meter - sound level measurement tool ( $1.99 → Free ) Elena Polyanskaya With dB Meter you can find out if the environment you’re in has eardrum rupturing sound or is quiet as a whisper. The app has been calibrated with a professional decibel meter, so you can be sure the results are accurate. It includes two weighting types, max and average sound levels, and two speed options.

Trixibrix ( $0.99 → Free ) Westbits Trixibrix is about as straightforward of a brick-breaking game as you’ll find, which is why we love it. The entire bottom half of the screen is devoted to your finger. Slide back and forth across the region to control you paddle. The moment your finger touches the screen the ball will be launched, so be ready! All of the bricks you need to break scroll across the screen continuously, requiring you to break until you can’t break anymore. Power-ups will also randomly appear, giving you a chance to earn multiple balls and lives back.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/06/2017

December 06, 2017 by RSS Feed

Resume Builder - Resume Maker , Pic Scanner Gold: Scan Photos , Apollo. Extreme Space Flight and more

Universal:

Resume Builder - Resume Maker ( $2.99 → Free ) PocketSoft LLC Resume Maker does most of the work for you. All you need to do is fill in the categories. The built-in categories include personal info, cover letter, objectives, work experience, education, and skills, but you can also add to them by creating your own. Once everything has been filled out, choose from one of the 10 templates and get a preview of how your resume turned out. You can print your resume using AirPrint, send it off via email, or upload it to your favorite cloud storage service.

Pic Scanner Gold: Scan Photos ( $4.99 → Free ) App Initio Limited Just take photos of everything you want to capture. Pic Scanner will detect the edges and allow you to enhance the scans with 19 different tools. You’re also able to manually adjust the selections if need be. Scans can be grouped into albums, captioned, shared, and backed up to the cloud.

Apollo. Extreme Space Flight ( $1.99 → Free ) Emre Demir The fate of the world is in your hands! Guide a ballistic rocket around obstacles for as long as possible with only taps. Tapping and holding your finger on the screen will guide the rocket upwards and releasing will allow it to drop. Obstacles will move and spin as will the screen. Whatever you do, don’t get disorientated and allow the rocket to crash. The coins you collect along the way can be used to purchase different rockets and effects.

The Mystery of Blackthorn Castle ( $2.99 → Free ) Syntaxity Inc. Uncle Henry is back at it again. This time he needs you and your newly acquired archeology skills to help him track down a mysterious artifact known to be hidden in the Castle Blackthorn in England. To find the long lost treasure you must pick the correct paths, solve puzzles, and search through old structures with just a tap. A built-in hint system will assist you when you’re stuck, and a dynamic map will ensure you won’t simply go running around in circles.

Follow Me Dragon ( $1.99 → Free ) The Virtual Reality Company Follow Me Dragon leverages Apple’s ARKit to generate a dragon a friend who resides in your 3-D world. Point your camera at any surface and the dragon will appear. Use a pinch gesture to adjust his size and watch as he does as he please. You can interact with him directly with taps to draw different reactions, play fetch, pick him up, perform tricks, and pose for the camera.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Uncover the Secrets of the Toy Box in GNOG

December 05, 2017 by RSS Feed

GNOG ($4.99) by KO.OP is a playful puzzle game featuring toys and secrets galore. If you enjoyed games like Campfire Cooking and Vignettes, then you're going to like what GNOG brings to the table. It's also available on the PlayStation 4 with PSVR support.

With the holidays just around the corner once again, life's been pretty hectic. You know, with all of the decorating, buying gifts, and planning out holiday feasts. When I need a break from life and reality for a bit, I just want to sit down with some video games. Most of my time has gone into Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp lately, as it's one of the most zen-like games out there (just like Animal Crossing: New Leaf). Still, I'm a sucker for puzzle games so when I saw GNOG on the App Store, I had to give it a try. Plus, it reminds me a lot of Vignettes, which was a fantastic game as well.

$3.99

Campfire Cooking

Layton Hawkes

$2.99

Vignettes

Skeleton Business

Visually, GNOG is stunningly gorgeous. The game has a nice mixture of both 2D and 3D graphical elements. But the puzzles themselves take place in 3D toy boxes that are shaped like charming monster heads, and each one is unique and distinctive. GNOG is full of bright and vibrant colors that definitely serve their purpose as eye candy. All animations are buttery smooth and fluid, so there was no lag on my iPhone 8 Plus. The ambient and atmospheric soundtrack is soothing to listen to as you solve the puzzles, and the sound effects are delightful, fitting in well with the overall toy box theme. Plus, the monster heads eventually sing along to the music, which changes during the puzzles, and it's amazing.

Like most puzzle games, GNOG is level-based. There are nine toy puzzles to solve at the moment. While that doesn't sound like much, the puzzles can be rather lengthy and challenging, so you do spend quite a bit of time on them. And there's not really any tutorial or guidance, so you're left to figure things out on your own. While some may prefer not having their hands held in games, others who need a little push may feel a tad lost in GNOG.

The goal in GNOG is to solve the puzzles within each monster head puzzle box, where entire worlds can be found. These worlds tell a story through pictures, and these actually serve as clues to how to solve the puzzles. While some are fairly straightforward and easy to figure out, others are more intricate and complex. Regardless, the key to GNOG is paying attention to fine details, so it's a test of your observing skills.

Controls in GNOG are intuitive and optimized for touch screens. A swipe of your finger horizontally on the screen lets you rotate the monster heads, so you can see both the front and the back. There are buttons to press with a tap, sliders to slide, and handles to turn. All of these actions are simple on touch screens, and it makes everything feel even more realistic, as if you're truly poking and prodding at an actual toy.

For a bit of fun, GNOG utilizes iOS's ARKit, so you can play the game using your camera viewfinder to set the background. However, controls in the AR mode are a bit clunkier than normal, so it definitely feels more of a gimmick than it is useful. But it's great to show kids.

An interactive 3D toy that lets you swipe, pull, push, and more to what can happen.

The Good

GNOG is a beautiful puzzle game that simply captivates with pure charm and delight. The graphics are one of the best parts of the game, as the designs for each of the monster head boxes are special and remarkable. In a way, a few of the designs remind me of Dia de los Muertos, which isn't a bad thing. The music is relaxing and I like how it changes once you start to figure out the puzzles, and having the monster heads sing along is a nice touch.

While GNOG is available on a console as well, and even coming to Steam, this is the kind of game that seems to be made for touch screens. The way you need to poke, pull, twist, and turn various interactive parts of the toy box just seems perfectly designed for touch, so it feels natural.

The Bad

While GNOG is a great game, it's not perfect. The lack of guidance can confuse some people, and make them feel stuck. And while the nine existing puzzles provide a distinctive experience, it feels a bit short for the money. I hope that more puzzles are added in the future, if possible, as that would extend the life of the game.

The verdict

GNOG is one of those quirky games that brings in a special kind of experience to iOS gaming. The graphics are amazing to look at, the dynamic music is upbeat and catchy, and the controls feel natural. But the lack of guidance can be a drawback for some, but overall, it's a great game to sit back and relax with.

9.2

OVERALL

Game Controls 10

Graphics 10

Sound/Music 10

Gameplay 9

Replayability 7

$4.99

GNOG

KO_OP

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/05/2017

December 05, 2017 by RSS Feed

Top Folders Pro - Scanner Plus , Week Calendar Widget Pro , Simpler Pro and more

Universal:

Top Folders Pro - Scanner Plus ( $4.99 → Free ) Bassm Boles Top Folders image quality rivals any desktop scanner but without the bulk and large footprint. It’s perfect for all your scanning needs. Your scans can be edited, organized within folders, searched, and automatically uploaded to the cloud. You can even highlight text or add your digital signature to scans. Top folders can be your personal file manager as well thanks to its ability to import and read a wide range of other file types.

Week Calendar Widget Pro ( $1.99 → Free ) Crater Tech LLC Week Widget isn’t a standard calendar app in any way, shape, or form. It taps into your iDevice’s native calendar app in order to populate a Today view widget with everything that’s coming up on your schedule. When you launch the app itself, you’re greeted with ways to customize the look and content of the widget. Week Widget includes a day timeline, a week timeline, and the ability to scroll through days and weeks.

Simpler Pro ( $3.99 → Free ) YT Development Ltd If you're like most of iPhone users, you enter a new contact when needed and never think much more about the entry from there. However, on occasion, you may realize, somehow, your address book contains two entries of the same person or lacks a photo so that you can easily recognize who it is. These instances are when Simpler can bring a huge relief. Once authorized to access your current address book, Simpler identifies any redundant people and offers to merge the entries as well as can recognize if an entry is missing a portrait photo, then offers one up from another source, such as Facebook -- after asking for access permission, of course. Lastly, you can further protect your data or share it in bulk by allowing Simpler to export or backup the contacts database, either to Simpler’s secure servers, another popular cloud service, or just transferring the data using email.

Past Mistakes - Science Fiction dystopian Book app ( $0.99 → Free ) Jorge Caballero The future of the world is in your hands. Past Mistakes takes place in the 25th century. Ever since World War III, the Great Dictatorship has ruled civilization with an iron fist. Commissioner Collins, a veteran agent of the law, stumbles upon a time capsule that holds plans on how to build a time machine and the location of the tyrant who started the war. It’s up to you to choose the path that will correct the past and erase the dystopian present.

Tiggly Doctor: Spell Verbs and Perform Actions Like a Real Doctor ( $2.99 → Free ) Tiggly Your child gets to be a doctor for the day. The waiting room is full of patients with unique ailments who require your child’s attention. They’ll get to perform a series of operations like putting bones back in place, pulling dancing worms out of wounds, and much more all while building more than 200 verb

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free