"If there is an app for that"

Trace Your Way Past City Lines in This Charming Puzzler

May 25, 2016 by macjeff

City Lines for puzzle lovers (Free) by Genix Lab is a cute new puzzle game that lets players visit various cities from all over the world just by connecting the dots. But don’t be fooled — things are trickier than they seem. If you’re a puzzle fan and enjoy seeing the world, then this is a nice combination of the two.

Traveling around the world is pretty much one of my biggest dreams, and I’m sure that it is the same for many others as well. However, let’s face it — not all of us are rich and can afford to travel around the globe as much as we’d like. Perhaps one day it will be possible, but in the meantime, we’ll just have to make do and see the world through the eyes of others. Or in this case, a puzzle game that lets you see some sights while also stimulating your mind! I’ve been waiting for City Lines for a few months now, but it has only recently arrived on the App Store. But for any puzzle fan, it has been worth the wait.

First off, I’m in love with the visual style of City Lines. The game sports a colorful, flat aesthetic that fits in well with the modern iOS looks, but it has enough shadow and depth to make the cities you paint in come alive. Not to mention the fact that all of the city elements have a bit of retro flair to them, which I find rather fitting for the game. The animations in City Lines is also gorgeous, as everything is fluid and smooth. As with other puzzle games, there’s a rather soothing soundtrack in the background that will definitely help you unwind and relax, and the sound effects when you connect the dots is rather whimsical.

In City Lines, there are two sections of levels available: Free Packs and Premium Packs. There is a total of six cities in the Free section, though the last two require you to reach a certain point in the previous pack to unlock. The Premium Packs section has five more cities that are higher in difficulty than what you start out with in the Free section, and they cost $0.99 a pop or you can get them all for $2.99. Since the game is initially free, you do get a decent amount of content for not paying anything, but there are some occasional ads. These can be removed with a $1.99 in-app purchase.

At some point through the free campaign, you will unlock Multiplayer Mode, though I’ve been having some connecting issues with it so far during my testing this morning. From the App Store screenshots though, it seems like you challenge other players through a series of rounds and whoever ends up with the most points (less moves are better) wins. There is even a spinning wheel that determines what challenge awaits your opponent, so each game will be different.

The gameplay of City Lines itself is rather interesting. Depending on the pack and level that you’re doing, the square grids will range from 5×5 all the way up to 10×10. There will also be bridges involved on some levels, which mean that two paths can occupy one square (one on top and another underneath) so it adds another layer to the game. Each level’s grid will feature different emblems, but there are always two of each. Your goal is to connect these emblems to each other until the entire grid is filled up with colored lines that match each dot. When everything is filled in, the city comes to life with homes, buildings, people, nature, and water. You’ll even get to see some familiar landmarks depending on the level pack that you’re working on.

While City Lines starts out easy enough with the 5×5 levels in the Saigon pack, the difficulty ramps up once you get into the larger grids. Things end up not being so straightforward, as there are more dots to connect and larger grids to fill. You’ll have to think about the paths you draw carefully since every square needs to be filled before the level is complete. Up to three stars can be earned on each stage too, depending on the number of moves you make, so less is better. The paths can overlap as you draw them, though the current one will just replace the previous one, causing you to use another move to fix it, so be careful.

If you ever get stuck on a puzzle, the game gives you five free hints to start with. But once those are used up, you’ll need to purchase more through in-app purchases. But I’d recommend holding off on using up your hints, especially in earlier levels, because a lot of them can be solved just by trial-and-error.

As a big puzzle game fan, I’m enjoying my time with City Lines so far. The visuals in the game look stunning, and the music is soothing. It takes a simple game concept and ramps it up at a gradual pace so it is not overwhelming, and it is pretty challenging overall. But watching a city come to life with familiar landmarks at the end makes everything worth it. I just want to see better connectivity for the multiplayer aspect, as I was unable to test that out from multiple connection errors today (through both Wi-Fi and cellular data).

I highly recommend checking out City Lines if you have not done so already. It’s an endearing puzzle game that will appeal to all fans of the genre. You can find City Lines on the App Store as a universal download for free with in-app purchases.

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

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 05/25/2016

May 25, 2016 by macjeff

Relax Rain , Animal Game Show - Whose Toes are Those? - Matching Fun for Kids and Family - Ultimate Edition , Anodia: Unique Brick Breaker and more

iPhone:

Relax Rain ( $1.99 → FREE )

Relax Rain offers a soothing way to unwind. It includes eight different rain sounds: Forest Rain, Heavy Rain, Light Rain, Rain on Tent, Rain Shower, Sprinkle, Thunderstorm, and Wind and Rain. All sounds were recorded in high definition. Just swipe to choose your sound, set the timer, and relax.

miniSynth 2 ( $0.99 → FREE )

You're able to mash away on the scrollable keyboard to create and record tunes whenever the moment strikes. The app features a 32-bit professional quality digital signal processor, allowing you to hear your tunes just as they were intended. The app also includes dual analog modeling oscillators, Audiobus input, MIDI-in, SoundCloud support, and 30 factory presets.

Universal:

Animal Game Show - Whose Toes are Those? - Matching Fun for Kids and Family - Ultimate Edition ( $2.99 → FREE )

Animal Game Show will build up your child's confidence while entertaining them. Your child gets to see a set of toes sticking out from underneath the curtain, and they must decide what animal or person they belong to. They’re provided with three possible answers, and when they select the correct one the curtain will be drawn.

Anodia: Unique Brick Breaker ( $2.99 → FREE )

Keep the ball in the air by continuously sliding your paddle under it via touch or tilt controls. Try to collect power-ups while avoiding all of the power-downs that come streaming down. The game includes more than 150 levels loaded with all kinds of crazy objects to destroy, more than 20 power-ups and power-downs, two modes, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

Octagon - A Minimal Arcade Game with Maximum Challenge ( $1.99 → FREE )

Octagon will test your reflexes and your patience. As you go speeding along, you’ll need to swipe left and right to spin your world to avoid all kinds of procedurally generated speed bumps. Giant gaps will also appear between tunnel platforms, requiring you to swipe up to flip upside down and surf on the opposite side of the tunnel. The game includes classic and endless modes, and an energizing soundtrack to match the gameplay.

Fudget: personal finance, budget planner, monthly income ledger ( $1.99 → FREE )

Today only: Unlock Fudget’s pro features free of charge! Simply go to the Settings menu, tap on Fudget Pro Upgrade, and confirm your action. The upgrade will unlock eight themes, a calculator, Touch ID support, and the ability to export budgets. Fudget takes a less-is-more approach to finance tracking. You’re able to create separate budgets for each month, specific occasions, or anything else you deem necessary. It only takes one tap to add income or an expense, and you will see your totals updated in real-time at the bottom of the screen. Income and expenses can be favorited in order to be repeated in future budgets. You’re also able to reorder, edit, and delete entries at will.

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

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

May 25, 2016 by macjeff

Everyone likes free apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up fast. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

The post Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source link: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/daily-app-deals-ios-05-25-2016/

Challenge Your Math Skills with 102030

May 25, 2016 by macjeff

102030 is not just “original and addictive” but it also features a simple concept and helps your math skills too.

Features:

As suggested by its name, 102030, by Li Yinjian, is definitely a fresh idea in the app store and is a game where numbers matter.

Specifically, players in this challenging app are given the task of adding up game pieces to equal values of “10,” “20,” or “30.”

However, just being clever with your mathematical strategies isn’t enough to dominate in this game. Instead, in-app “bombs” get in the way of your matchups, and it’s up to you to carefully plan the timing and location of your game pieces in order to successfully rack up high scores.

This app features both “endless” and “challenge” variations, with optional signing in to your iTunes game center account to compete for tops scores if you’d like.

As a whole, we found this innovative game to be just as fresh and fun as promised. It is a simple concept, but it definitely takes awhile to get the hang of. In-app instructions are decently clear, but there is still a learning curve when first starting out.

Appearance and Layout:

Just as 102030 has a pretty simplistic concept of gameplay, the artwork within the app is very simple as well. Things are kept to a minimum; during games most of your games pieces take up the majority of your screen, with a small portion dedicated to showing scores.

With “ball and stick” game pieces, however, detailed designs really aren’t needed; the simplicity of the graphics matches perfectly with the overall feeling of the app.

Getting around the app is easy to do as well; a home screen shows you a few navigational options to get you oriented when first starting out.

Value:

102030 is a free app. It features simple graphics and fun gameplay, and while it might take new players a bit of time to really get the hang of, it’s definitely a game that will delight anyone who loves a good multi-layered challenge.

I had a few instances where the app crashed on me, but as a whole, 102030 ran very smoothly with minimal problems. For a free game, it’s definitely worth at least trying out.

102030 requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 05/24/2016

May 24, 2016 by macjeff

Mushroom Identification Guide - Illustrated Fungus & Mycology Catalog , Real Metronome Pro , Burpquake: The World's Loudest Burping Animals and more

iPhone:

Drink Water Reminder PRO - Drinking water for healthy living ( $1.99 → FREE )

We really like this app because it’s so easy to set up. There’s nothing worse than putzing around with a bunch of settings you don’t need just to complete a simple task throughout the day. All you have to do is enter your weight and your awake and sleep times. The app will let you know when you should drink some fluids, and all you have to do is record how much you’ve had to reduce your total.

Universal:

Mushroom Identification Guide - Illustrated Fungus & Mycology Catalog ( $3.99 → FREE )

Mushroom Identification Guide will improve your foraging experience in every way. It features an ever-growing catalog of mushrooms complete with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. Each entry includes scientific name, edibility, etymology, habitat, and season. You’re also able to pin the location in which each mushroom was discovered.

Real Metronome Pro ( $1.99 → FREE )

The app includes two types of metronomes: classical and digital. The classical metronome features realistic pendulum animations, and you’re able to adjust the speed with a vertical swipe. The digital metronome displays even more useful information, and provides quick access to time signatures, sound sets, and the ability to tap to the beat.

Burpquake: The World's Loudest Burping Animals ( $0.99 → FREE )

Six tiny critters are waiting to entertain you with their burping skills. Tap on any critter for a short burp. Hold your finger on them for a longer, deeper burp. A live seismograph displays the earthquakes as the animals burp. The louder your iDevice’s volume, the greater the quake. Each of the six animals has its own pitch range and animation.

Tiggly Story Maker: Make Words and Capture Your Stories About Them ( $2.99 → FREE )

Your child is presented with two consonants that sit at the bottom of the screen with a space in the middle. They get to pick any vowel they wish from the top of the screen to create a word. If the word is valid, an object, person, or animal will appear. If it’s invalid, it will be ejected from the screen. When they’re done generating words, they can use any or all of them to create an animated story.

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