Best of 2010 (Top 5):
The extraordinarily popular board game makes its way to the iTunes App Store, and all it lost in the transition was a bit of paper. Play against friends or against the computer AI (or complete solo games and challenge friends to beat your score) as you take turns placing tiles that form the walled medieval city of Carcassonne. After a tile has been placed, you can occupy one of its features (road, field, city, or cloister) with a person. There's a tutorial that walks you through all of this, so if you're a Carcassonne newbie, you'll be just fine. The game is remarkably faithful to the original, which fans will appreciate, and the interface is smooth and easy to use. A perfect adaptation!
While floating in space, the arrogant human said "We will colonize you, universe!". The universe was all "Nuh uh", and threw a flaming rock at the human's craft, smashing it to bits. In this physics game, you are the universe, throwing flaming rocks at human things, trying to smash everything into bits. There are things in the way, there are obstacles to ricochet off off. But oh, it's so much more glorious than that. Every physics trap you can dream of is in this game, including comets, magnetized rocks, ice rocks that need to be heated up, and more. In other words, yes, human, get this game immediately.
Well, cut it, why don't you? A piece of candy hangs from a rope (or several ropes!) somewhere on the screen. Swipe your finger and slice it, allowing the candy to drop (hopefully into the waiting mouth of the frog below). Make strategic movements to gather all the stars on the screen, and watch for crazy contraptions like bubbles, air vents, and rope spawners that will drastically change how you play the game. A vividly animated environment makes this game an absolute treat to play, and the physics-based gameplay couldn't be more well-tuned. The free Cut the Rope Lite is also available.
Normally, touching sentient black balls of goo isn't a good idea, but in this case, it's encouraged. You loved the game when it was released for Mac/PC back in 2008, and now World of Goo is back and sporting a fine new touch interface that is perhaps the best way to craft goo towers ever made. The goal is to send a certain number of goo balls through the suction tube at the end of the level. To get there, you'll have to build a wobbly structure from point A to point Not A, using several types of goo balls with their own unique characteristics. Gravity is both friend and foe in this highly creative game, and being unleashed from any sort of interface device (mouse, Wii remote, etc.) has done wonders for the game!
The atmospheric game of squishy amoebas shuttling around primordial goo is now on the iPhone and iPad! Tap the screen to cause your cell to jet through the liquid, decreasing your size with every spurt. Absorb cells that are smaller than you to increase your size, and keep getting bigger to engulf even the largest of creatures. The portable version of the game retains the lovely setting and ambiance as the original. Definitely one to break out the headphones for.
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