A digging game. A quiz game. And a game about shooting ragdolls out of cannons. It would be a challenge to find a more varied selection of iTunes App Store games. Unless one of them involved monkeys. Monkeys always win the randomness awards.

Quizarium - From the makers of Charadium comes an online multiplayer quiz game that's way too cool for its own good. The set-up couldn't be simpler: fire up the game, pick a lobby with the theme and difficulty you're in the mood for, then start answering questions. The community is great, the quiz questions varied, and the experience is as smooth as you could possibly imagine.

Ragdoll Blaster 2 - The action/puzzle-oriented physics game has returned, now with more ragdolls, more cannons, and more of everything in-between. Tap the screen to shoot a ragdoll towards the target. All you have to do is brush up against it to finish the level, but that usually involves nasty moving platforms, pushing blocks of ice, transporting cannon control, teleporters, or a number of other creative obstacles. An excellent follow-up to an already excellent game, and the visual upgrade is much appreciated!

Mole: Quest for the Terracore gem! - A digging game in the vein of I Dig It, Mole is a little more arcade-oriented and focuses on short rounds of digging and treasure finding. The goal is to pick up as much cash and metal as you can get your grubby little paws on. Dig down as deep as you dare, careful to keep an eye on your oxygen meter at the top of the screen, and gather what gems you can. Return to the surface, sell the loot, and upgrade your abilities so you can go even further down. An excellent and well-balanced digging game.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Nobody's a stranger to mahjong, the Chinese game of tile matching. According to legend, Confucius developed the game in 500 BC, naming it after the sparrow for the delicate symphony created by the individual tiles coming together to form a whole. Whether or not that's true, mahjong tends to be a quiet, contemplative sort of game, a mood elegantly set by the beautiful music and visual presentation of Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe.

In this type of mahjong, you're presented with a pile of tiles decorated with dozens upon dozens of unique images. The goal is to remove tiles a pair at a time, selecting only pieces with open edges (sides that do not border other pieces). Which tiles you remove becomes important when your mahjong stack grows intricate, creating a subtle strategy that's important to the puzzle experience.

In Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe, 3D tiles are used instead of the usual "flat" tiles deployed in most casual games. The cubes are stacked and removed just like in any mahjong game, only now you must rotate your point of view in order to see tiles facing away from the screen. Click the arrows on the left and right sides of the screen to move the stack. You can also use the [left] and [right] arrow keys or the [a] and [d] keys on your keyboard.

Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe is played against the clock (though an untimed mode is available), and you score points based on how quickly you complete each set of four puzzles. Matching tiles quickly nets you a bonus multiplier. Special tiles appear after a few levels, such as time tiles, slowdown tiles, and gems that turn the entire pile into same-colored gems when matched. During this brief time, you can match any open gem with any other open gem, allowing you to make a serious dent in the puzzle!

Analysis: Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe stands out of the crowd for one huge reason: its presentation. The game begins with a bit of backstory outlining the Confucius legend along with a few other pieces of flavor text. Then you're treated to a peaceful meadow scene with trees and grass and cute fuzzy animals moving around. Later, new dimensions (scenes) open up, and each is almost as captivating as the last. The music was composed by actual musicians on actual instruments, and you'll feel like you're sitting in the audience of a small symphony.

Apart from it's deliciously calm presentation, one question about Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe springs to mind: why 3D? Doesn't that add a pointless aspect of perspective hiding to an already challenging game? No, not really, at least, not after you settle down with the game. For the first few levels you'll wonder why you have to rotate the view just to see the other tiles. This rotation adds a subtle quality of realism to the game. It gives the playing field depth, drawing you in to the soothing backgrounds and filling your ears with the orchestral music more so than your standard mahjong layout. After a few minutes of play, board rotation becomes second nature, and the game takes on a wonderful zen-like quality of peace.

Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe stumbles a bit near the beginning of the game with a too-verbose tutorial that practically tells you what the mouse cursor is and how you can move it. A few hyper-clicks later you'll be free of most of the help text, but it persists a few stages into the game, which is mildly annoying. Also, don't look for anything more than a game of 3D mahjong here. Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe does what's on the cover and doesn't stray from that in the name of wacky mini-games.

A beautiful visual and aural setting, Mahjongg Dimensions Deluxe literally adds a new perspective to the mahjong genre and does a quietly pleasing job at it!

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

It's a roguelike-like Weekend Download! Two of our games this weekend snuggle up to the famously non-casual sub-genre without turning up the complexity. Same RPG flavor, one tenth the time commitment! Quaffing potions should be a standard roguelike feature, though...

Desktop Dungeons (Windows, 2.9MB, free) - A quick ten-minute roguelike designed with casual players in mind. Move through the dungeon screen uncovering bits of the map and finding monsters, treasures, shops and more as you go. Fight enemies to move through more passageways, and before you engage in battle, Desktop Dungeons tells you the result of the first exchange of blows. Gameplay is entirely mouse-driven, and all the information you would ever need is right there in front of you. It's the perfect casual-friendly dungeon crawler that will easily quench your roguelike thirst.

Fishface (Windows, 3.4MB, free) - One-button arcade games can be the most charming and challenging games around. Fishface uses only the [z] key to cause your little fish (who, as you may have gathered, has a face) to bob deeper under the water. Let go and the buoyancy will pull you up, useful for grabbing airborne rings and leaping over obstacles. It's a pretty short game, but it's charming, and what gameplay is there is very well-tuned. And you'll love the chiptune soundtrack, too!

Fatherhood (Windows/Linux, 1.3MB, free) - A really simple roguelike that features no RPG elements, no dungeon crawling, and no combat. You play a father of three children who are running about outside. The rivers are flooding, however, and its your job to keep them safe. Pick up and drop boulders to form barricades that keep the water at bay. You also have to contend with brushfires on some levels, and those kids are never content to stay in one place, so managing them is also a bit of a problem.

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows Vista and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!

One of the darling developers on the iTunes App Store, NimbleBit, has released yet another simple but crazy fun game. Sometimes I wonder if those guys stay up at night thinking of ways to make me stare at my iPod for hours on end. Between Text/Fishtropolis and Dizzypad, I'm going to have a hard time putting that little device away for long periods of time...

Dizzypad - From NimbleBit, creator of Textropolis, Fishtropolis, and several other games, comes a simple one-switch game involving a frog, some lily pads, and a little timing. Jump from lily pad to lily pad by tapping the frog at just the right moment. Each pad rotates when you're sitting on it, so you have to gauge distance and time your jumps just right. Land in the water and you lose a life, leap over a lily pad and you gain a life. See how that can lend itself to nigh-infinite playtime?!

Doodle Bomb - We all know bombs play an important role in puzzle games. In Doodle Bomb, all you do is lob bombs out of a hole in the background. Hit switches that open the exit door to escape, but obviously that's never as easy as it sounds. Moving platforms, treacherous ledges, and tons of other obstacles stand between you and sweet freedom. Adjust the power of your throw, and don't be afraid to try, try again. The free Doodle Bomb Lite is also available.

Comet Racer - This is one of those games that's so wacky, you can't help but love it. An arcade racing game at its heart, Comet Racer puts you in control of a little rocket with the power to blast forward and adjust course left and right. In order to complete each stage, you must race through the 2D asteroid cavern as quickly as you can, often repeating your solo races until you beat the qualifying time. Not a game for those who give up easily, but definitely a game for anyone who likes a wild gaming experience.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

When will headstrong adventurers realize you can't go on a trip through the tropics without getting stranded on a mysterious piece of land? Secret Mission: The Forgotten Island begins with researcher Chanel Flores finding herself on an island that doesn't really exist. And, when she discovers strange crystals and an unusual tree, she discovers it's not so deserted, either.

Secret Mission: The Forgotten Island is a hybrid hidden object/adventure game with a slight leaning towards the latter. That's no surprise, really, as the game was created by Frogwares, veteran adventure game studio that also crafted Secret Missions: Mata Hari and the Kaiser's Submarines. Explore the island one still screen at a time, gathering items, poking your nose in every corner, and assembling things in your inventory to help you uncover more secrets on this strange tropical paradise.

You'll notice each area features a number of items scattered on the ground along with a few sparkling spots you can click. Grab what you can and stash it in your inventory, you'll need it to solve one of the puzzles close by. Each area features a small handful of explorable scenes, and you'll need to track back and forth between them to find things you need to complete the location. Hidden object scenes in Secret Mission are short, relatively easy, and function as puzzles to supply key items you need in the main game. Even if you have the puzzle solving sense of a tub of molasses, with a little exploration you can easily work your way through this game.

No modern casual game would be complete without mini-games, and Secret Mission doesn't buck convention. The battery of games isn't all that unique, but they're very well-integrated into the story and are usually quick and easy to complete. Even if you hate the puzzle you're talked into completing!

Analysis: Great visual package, simple gameplay, non-complex puzzles, good mini-games, and a standard storyline, Secret Mission walks the safe path in hidden object gaming. It never tries to create anything fantastically new for the genre, but sometimes you don't need to innovate to create an entertaining experience. When it comes down to it, Secret Mission is just enjoyable. Not groundbreaking, just fun.

Secret Mission is designed for the most casualest of casual players. From the beginning, you have the option of two difficulty levels: easy and normal. The only real difference is the hint timer in easy mode refills at a much faster rate, not that it's really necessary in the super-simple hidden object scenes. The rest of the game tends to hold your hand a bit too much, spelling everything out in front of your face and leaving the puzzle solving to trial-and-error clicking. Please, Secret Mission, leave me alone to figure out things for myself. I'm sure my big fancy brain can figure out that the conveniently-placed rope with a hook on it is used to reel in the box from the water.

Secret Mission: The Forgotten Island doesn't tread new ground in the hidden object/adventure hybrid field, but it does everything it promises quite well. You won't be floored by any particular aspect of the game, but in the end, you'll have a pleasantly fun time solving its puzzles.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Why spend all of your time toiling away on one game when you can make a ton of them? The 529-in-1 Klik & Play Pirate Kart II: Kart Harder is all about that, and the games featured below are from this recent event. 102 people contributed a total of 529 games over the weekend, each made in under two hours. It's quantity over quality, so don't expect the next Sprout, but do expect a lot of wacky ideas, one-trick games, and maybe even a few things that, once seen, can never be unseen. Check out a random selection of the 529 games, and don't be afraid to download and play many more!

Wolf, Goat, and Cabbage (Windows, <1MB, free) - A wolf, a goat, and a head of cabbage are trying to cross the river to get away from a crazy farmer. While you could assume this is the old puzzle about who to put on the boat together, you'd be quite a bit wrong. Instead, Wolf, Goat and Cabbage is a short adventure-type game where... well, where some crazy stuff happens. Just try it and you'll see what I mean.

Six-Chamber Champion (Mac/Win/Linux, 1.1MB, free) - A one room piece of interactive fiction by C.E.J. Pacian, Six-Chamber Champion is, as the game page suggest, the "best ever all-text game about shooting yourself in the head". And it's true! Thrill as you order yourself to pick up the gun. Watch in shock as your opponent does the same. Will the barrel click empty, or is this turn your last? O noes teh suspensse! (Note: Definitely not one for the kids, and Mac/Linux users will need to download the .t3 file and run it in an interpreter in order to play.)

Watch Ducks (Windows, 1.3MB, free) - A game with limitless "replay" value. A game with infinite possibilities. A game... about sitting on a bench staring at ducks. Press the [up] arrow key to stand, [down] to sit. Make sure you're sitting down, as you can't really watch ducks while standing. The longer you watch, the more points you get. Sometimes the magical gold duck will swim by, scoring you a nice bonus. Otherwise, see how many points you can get... by sitting!

Animal Control (Windows, <1MB, free) - Too many critters are wobbling around the field, but fortunately you've got a nice pair of guns to take care of them all. Oh, what's that? You forgot to load them? That's fine, we, the players, can handle it! Move the guns up and down using the [arrow] keys, and keep them loaded by pressing the [left] mouse button when near the ammo crate. Quite a bit crazier than you might think.

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows Vista and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!

A turn-based aerial dogfighting game may sound bland in writing, but as SteamBirds conclusively proves, it's the whole nine yards of awesome. Working from a top-down perspective, you fight a series of increasingly difficult enemies with your small squadron of planes. Set your course, unleash a fancy ability if necessary, and try to maneuver yourself to a direct line-of-sight to your foe to set your guns blazing. And, you know, don't get shot down yourself.

SteamBirds takes place across a fictional past where fusion aircrafts utilize super-heated steam to wage powerful warfare in the skies. Each stage is a small chapter highlighting battles that took place during this time, the outcome of which is determined by you (assuming you win, of course). You control the red planes on the left side of the screen. Set each craft's flight path by moving the arrow that extends from its nose. When you're all set, end the turn and watch the show.

Planes only fire at each other when they're close enough and facing the right direction. Fortunately, you have a few tools that can help you get out of sticky situations. At the end of each plane's flight path you can choose one of two abilities assigned on a per-level basis. At first, your planes' special abilities are limited to a defensive shield, a speed boost, and a quick-turn option. Later you get access to weapons such as missiles and bombs, but naturally your enemies at that point require a lot more finesse to deal with.

Analysis: SteamBirds emanates perfection from just about every part of its construction. It's an easy game to play, requiring only the mouse to control, and new elements are introduced at a gradual pace, giving you plenty of time to acclimate. SteamBirds' subtleties definitely take some practice to master, though, and in later levels, you'll discover just how important strategy and patience can be.

Visually, SteamBirds is simple but very well designed. The green relief maps give the game a feeling of age and strategy, while the bright explosions, green poison gas, and white ammunitions fire provide a stark arcade contrast that stands out in more ways than one.

Also worth noting is the development team behind SteamBirds, including Andy Moore (Fantastic Contraption), Daniel Cook (Bunni), and DannyB (Canabalt). Can you say... "wow"?

Brilliant casual gameplay design, SteamBirds weaves action and strategy elements with a bit of storytelling to create a stunning experience.

Play SteamBirds

HI. MY NAME IS AN INTRO PARAGRAPH. I hope you enjoy reading me, as I'm here to provide a fuzzy, comfortable buffer between the beginning of the article and the games below. Did you like it? I hope so, because you'll really like the games below. I know I do!

Collider - True to its name, the goal in the physics-based puzzle game Collider is to destroy positive and negative particles by making them bump into each other. Slide everything from your inventory bar on the screen, tap the "play" button, and let gravity do the rest. You'll often have to maneuver the balls through sensors, gears, pipes, springboards, and a number of other inventive contraptions to make sure everything gets to where it needs to be. The creativity in the level design is definitely the game's strongest point, and it's one of the few iPhone games I've felt compelled to come back to again and again, just to see it through to the end. The free Collider Lite is also available.

Super Search 60 - Remember Little Things, the beautifully designed object finding game from last fall? We do, developer KlickTock certainly does, and Super Search 60 remembers, too. This quick-play object finding game fills the screen with loads of tiny items stacked in neat rows. Simply tap the objects listed at the top of the screen and find as many as you can before your 60 seconds runs out. Simple, yes, and that's exactly why you'll love it. A free, limited version of Super Search 60 is also available.

FlipWorld - HI MY NAME IS A LITTLE RED GUY WITH LEGS AND I LIKE TO RUN ALL THE TIME! So, um, I kinda need your help. Looks like I'm running in a closed field, so if you could be so kind as to rotate the iPhone whenever I reach a corner, that'd keep me from falling on my face. Also, tap the screen to make me jump over obstacles that appear out of nowhere. Also also, do this as long as you can and you'll get a better score. That is all. I'm off to run some more now.

Strimko - Yesterday's dose of sudoku-like logic puzzles not enough for you? You can also grab a nice version of the game for you iPhone/iPod Touch. The goal is to fill the grid with numbers, careful not to repeat any digits in any row or column. See the pods connected by lines? Those also form groups, and you can't repeat digits in those, either. It's a nice variant of the familiar sudoku puzzle, and it suits the mobile platform quite well.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Researchers agree: playing logic puzzles requires your brain. Exactly what's required of it, they can't seem to agree, but it's the general consensus that the net effect is positive. Enter Strimko, a sudoku-like game of logic that involves placing numbers on a grid. Instead of a dry, angular box, however, you get to work with number chains that snake their way around the grid, adding a nice, flavorful twist to the familiar concept.

Strimko is basically sudoku with fewer boxes to think about. The principals are the same: fill the grid with numbers and don't repeat digits in each column/row. The difference is that number sequences wind through the puzzle, zig-zagging their way from one side to the other. These number trains cannot contain duplicates, meaning you have to think a little differently to solve each puzzle.

Adding/altering numbers is a snap: just click on a pod to bring up a small menu, then make your selection from there. Click on the side of a circle to add an annotation, just in case you aren't entirely sure which number should occupy that space.

Strimko is divided into a number of modes, each with its own healthy portion of puzzles to complete. Classic/zen mode is your destination for straight-up puzzle solving, while Story Mode is essentially an excuse to tack on mini-games and an overall goal to playing strimko puzzles. Pave and Fit switch things up a bit and require you to rebuild puzzles by placing completed chunks of numbers onto the grid. And then there's Tri, the last unlockable mode, which treats you to triangular puzzles. That may not sound like much in writing, but switching your perspective from columns to diagonals can be pleasantly tricky.

Analysis: When it comes to pure puzzles, Strimko doesn't have as many as other similar games, but its variety and style make it an offering to consider. The game looks spectacular, with smooth colors and menu items that work like a charm. The interface is simple as well, providing the next best thing to pen and paper.

Strimko's variety is a strong point, but it doesn't come without a drawback or two. Instead of lobbing a fistful of number puzzles at your face, you're treated to several different modes of play, each with a different twist on the solving logic. The modes aren't as radically different as they could be, leaving you just south of satisfied at the end of the day. Either more unique game modes or a more expansive catalog of puzzles would make Strimko an unbeatable winner, but instead the game went the middle route and doesn't quite achieve either.

It may not be the end-all game of number logic puzzles, but Strimko delivers good challenge with a little variety and a lot of style.

For a limited time only: Save 50% when using the "Order the full version" link below (includes the coupon code: strimkolaunch)

Also available for iPhone/iPod Touch! (Full version is currently free for a limited time only.)

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Games are fun. Jam is delicious. Why not combine the two? The Game Jolt Weekend Game Jam has both of those words (even though its jam is less strawberry flavored) and contains exactly the same amount of yum. Check out a few of the top games from this 48 hour competition.

Paper Dreams (Windows, 9.4MB, free) - Hand-drawn visuals are always great to see in a game, and Paper Dreams is full of them. This single-screen shmup sends loads of smiling enemies your way. Of course, it's your job to blow them up, collecting little plus signs that fall to upgrade your ship. A pretty challenging game, even on easy mode, but even if all you do is die over and over again, it's a experience.

Dissipate (Windows, 7.7MB, free) - The only non-shmup of the bunch, Dissipate is a crazy-difficult platform game whose puzzles come in the form of riddles. Each single-screen level begins with a proverb. Read the words, then play the level and use the clues given by the riddle to beat the level. Expect some crazy things to happen, like your controls being switched around, exit doors not really being exits, and solutions to certain levels being, well, jumping into a pit of spikes. A great change of pace from your typical platform game.

Vatn Squid (Windows, 7.6MB, free) - A vertical shooter that's made up entirely of boss battles! Maneuver your ship around enemy firing patterns while returning shots of your own. Tap [x] to use your shield, a defensive mechanism that also causes you to absorb bullets to charge a super weapon. There are only ten bosses to defeat, and the difficulty isn't all that high, but it's a great arcade experience reminiscent of retro shooters.

Note: All games have been confirmed to run under Windows Vista and are virus-free. Mac users should try Boot Camp, Parallels, or CrossOver Games to play Windows titles, Linux users can use Wine. If you know of a great game we should feature, use the Submit link above to send it in!

I'm thinking of a nine letter word. That word is kind of connected to some sort of plant. It's also related to an igloo. Give up? Knew you would! It's a treehouse, and now that you know the answer, you're probably slapping your forehead because it was sooo obvious, wasn't it? This sort of "connect the dots" thinking is what Lateral: The Word Association Game is all about.

Each level is made up of a web of words connected with lines that indicate a relationship. Your job is to guess the hidden words by determining what that relationship could be. For example, if the words "fish" and "cat" are connected to a seven letter mystery word, you could assume the answer would be "catfish". The connections are rarely that obvious, of course, but it's that sort of thinking that will get you through the game.

The main game comes with a handful of carefully crafted levels unlocked by guessing special words marked with stars. There's also a custom level editor you can play around with, and it's one of the game's most entertaining features. Creating your own stages is as easy as typing a few words and sliding connection boxes around. Well over 300 user-created puzzles are ready to play from the main menu, and that number is always growing. Some are quite a bit more "lateral" than others, but you'll have a great time picking through them all the same.

Lateral's strength is its ability to get your brain out of that one track mode it's usually in, but sometimes the lateral thinking is a bit too lateral and you have to resort to guessing. There's no hint system, so if you're stuck, you're stuck, and straining your brain to uncover the connection between items doesn't always yield rewards.

Regardless of its slightly random, obscure nature, Lateral is a great word game that encourages you to think outside of the box. Way, way outside! And if you enjoy this kind of word game, be sure to give Funny Farm a try!

Play Lateral

How's this for a theme: three games that make you scratch your head! Colorbind because you can't figure out how to do what's right in front of your face. Gravity because you can't figure out how to precisely set up a chain reaction to tap a little button. And NOBY NOBY BOY because you have no earthly idea what's going on (even though you love it).

Colorbind - A beautiful puzzle game that is deceptively simple in appearance. Your goal is to extend colored ribbons across the screen to join like-colored dots together. You can only turn at right angles, and ribbons cannot cross at a fold, creating some fantastically challenging puzzles that can only be solved once you really "get" the game. Lots of levels and three difficulty settings make this one full of content to devour.

Isaac Newton's Gravity - A wonderfully complete physics puzzle game with a lot of precise head scratchers. Place various objects on the screen, ranging from boxes to balls to girders and more, then tap the "play" button to set things in motion. Your goal is to nudge a button on the stage, and the only momentum you're given is by a ball that drops out of the wall.

NOBY NOBY BOY - Come on now, say it like you see it: NOBY NOBY BOY! With loud exclamatory voices! This gem of a game comes from Keita Takahashi, creator of the Katamari Damacy series, and is based on the PlayStation Network title of the same name. Rather than putting a quirky game in front of your face, NOBY NOBY BOY is more like a wildly interactive toy. The "goal" is to stretch the main character (the "boy") out as long as you can so he can add his length to the cosmically-proportioned "girl" in the hopes that she can unite all things in the galaxy. Yep! Wholly unique when compared to its PSN cousin, and wholly unique when viewed by itself. It's so absolutely charming you can't help but love it.

NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.