sonic-dash-2-sonic-boom_968744559_ipad_02.jpgAnother week, means another batch of new iOS game releases, and this week looks to be a promising one with a nice, varied selection of new titles to choose from.

Starting things off this week is SEGA, with Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom, the sequel to their 2013 paid/rapidly turned free-to-play, 3D lane-based Sonic endless runner. Please bear with me as it has been a little while since I’ve played the original, but as far as I can tell, the sequel features the same core gameplay, but adds some new worlds and characters as well as the ability to race with up to three characters in a new Team Play mode where you can swap out runners (in a tag-team style) during the race to try to maximize your score. There is even an Apple Watch companion app which apparently earns you in-game rewards for “walking and dashing’ in the real world. While the original was no slouch graphically, the sequel looks even crisper, so if you enjoy this style of game, it’s probably worth a download.

the-walking-dead-no-mans-land_970417047_ipad_01.jpgNext up is The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land, AMC’s official mobile game for the television series. In this tactical, mission and turn-based strategy/RPG game, players take on the role of the popular cross-bow wielding, Daryl Dixon as he assists other Terminus escapees in their fight against the flesh-hungry walkers. Upgrade your camp, train your survivors and plan your attacks against hordes of walkers in several popular locations from throughout the series. Fans of the AMC series will love the theme and the ability to immerse themselves into this rich universe.

lego-scooby-doo-escape-from_1031214682_ipad_04If you like your monsters a little less spooky and bloody, then perhaps LEGO® Scooby-Doo Escape from Haunted Isle might be more your style. Just in time for Halloween, LEGO has turned your favorite Scooby Doo crime-fighting characters into minifigures for a Scoobtastic LEGO platforming adventure. “Scooby-Doo and The Gang have discovered a hidden treasure map and a mysterious LEGO key that can be built to unlock any door.” Take on the role of Fred, Daphne, Velma or (fan favorite) Shaggy and explore this mysterious isle for lost treasures, uncover plots and be those ‘meddling kids’ who help unmask the evil villains.

psych-outwit-your-friends_1005765746_01.jpgDigital board games fans take note, we’ve got several new titles to choose from this week.

First, the creators of Heads Up! have just released Psych! Outwit Your Friends, another digital party board game. Selected by Apple as one of their Editor’s Choice titles for the week, the game plays very much like the classic party board game Balderdash or (even more so) like Jackbox Games’ Fibbage. Psych! has players making up their own fake answers to real trivia questions. Players earn points if one or more of the other players select their made up answer as the correct one. I haven’t tried Psych! yet, but being a big fan of the titles which obviously inspired it, I suspect this will be another rather fun, casual game night or get together game to play with family and friends, especially over the upcoming Holidays.

battle-decks_983204619_ipad_02.jpgThen Chillingo and Codemasters have teamed up to launch a new two-player turn-based, deck-building card combat game called Battle Decks. Set in the near-future, players build their decks from a huge, unlockable collection of over 1000 unit cards and then play/deploy them (using any/all available command points) to maneuver troops into position on a hex-based board, trying to be the first to take out their opponent’s headquarters. There are also special equipment cards which can be used on units to bolster their abilities to help you win the war. It’s a familiar, but interesting little tactical game which is likely to appeal to fans of titles like Star Realms, Magic and Hearthstone. One thing I will note is that the game seems to take unecessarily long to load (even after a device reboot).

chess-cards-game_983746091_ipad_02.jpgLastly for new card games, we have Chess Cards Game. Available in both FREE and PAID releases, Chess Cards Game is a strategic trick-taking card game based on the game Mate, created in 1915 by G.Capellen. It is played with only 20 cards and both players have full information, meaning they can see the other player’s entire hand the whole time. Matches are are played over two rounds with players swapping their original hands of cards for the second round (kind of like in Turn The Tide). There is a nice tutorial to get you started and after a game or two you start to learn some of the strategies of this neat little game and there are even some advanced rules with regards to ‘sacrificing’ some of your cards, for more experienced players.

super-sharp_1033873301_ipad_01Another justified Editor’s Choice this week by Apple, Super Sharp is an excellent and challenging new physics puzzle game from French indie development studio 1Button. The game is based on a simple, but difficult to master concept; use a minimal number of slices to assist gravity in making one object collide with the marking of the same color. The physics in the game is well-implemented, with objects reacting much as you would expect. The level design and ramping of difficulty are divine, with a smooth, gradual introduction of new, more interesting and challenging elements. The more you play, the more you compulsively want to play that next level and the next and the next. Super Sharp will (and rightfully should) be your next physics-based puzzling addiction.

Crescent Moon Games actually launched two new games this week, one of which is a sidescrolling skateboarding combat platformer called Leave Me Alone. Set in the post-apocalyptic version of the mid-80s, you are a skater on a mission to rid the world of mutants and streetpunks. Armed with just your trusty board, you’ll need to perform tricks, drink energy soda, and beat down your enemies to restore order to your world. The game has a very retro NES/Double Dragon-era feel to it.

sago-mini-babies_994673739_ipad_01.jpgFor those little iDevice users in your household, Sago Sago has just released Sago Mini Babies, another of their adorable imaginative play apps aimed ad kids aged 2-5 years old. Whether it’s feeding time for Robin the bird, time to change Harvey the dog’s diaper or playing dress up with Jinja the cat, your child can pretend to take care of several of Sago Sago’s cute cast little critters in this fun, kid-safe app.

Cobra Mobile goes on another bombing run this week with its latest series adventure, iBomber Winter Warfare. This time around, Cobra takes players high above the British Isles, dropping them in the cockpit of “the legendary Junkers JU88 and Tupolev TU-2 combat bombers” for some new and challenging Search & Destroy missions. The game looks pretty similar to previous titles in the series, so if you liked those, odds are this one will be right on target as well.

heroes-reborn-enigma_923032178_ipad_01Using the Unreal 4 engine, Phosphor Games Studio has crafted Heroes Reborn: Enigma is a first-person action-puzzle game set in the same universe as NBC’s new television series, Heroes Reborn. The game follows Dahlia, a 14 year-old EVO (evolved human) who uses her powers (telekinesis, and time manipulation) to escape a secret government facility called The Quarry. Overall, Enigma offers a very PORTAL-like feel to it, as the game is divided into 30+ individual test chambers which Dahlia must solve one by one, while being antagonized by the man running the facility. The game’s story was written by the original Heores TV Series creator/writer Tim Kring along with the Heroes Reborn TV show writers. I’m about a third of the way through the game so far, and I’ve found both the story and gameplay to be quite engaging. It is quite polished with some excellent voice acting. Though I watched Heroes and am watching the new series as well, I don’t feel like you need to have seen them to enjoy this game.

dust-an-elysian-tail_1020962158_ipad_01.jpgLast, but by no means least, we have Humble Hearts’ iOS port of Dust: An Elysian Tail. Released to critical acclaim in 2012 on Xbox Live Arcade, this beautifully hand-painted 2D action RPG has appeared on a number of platforms over the years, and it has finally made its way to iOS. Players are trying to uncover their true identities and to aid them on their quest(s), they’ll enlist the assistance of the mythical Blade of Ahrah, and the blade’s diminutive guardian, Fidget. The game features multiple difficulty levels along with a nice repertoire of combat moves, thanks to combinations of virtual stick movement and/or the four on-screen virtual buttons allowing for some Street Fighter-esque button combos to pull off a varied collection of satisfying attacks. And to round out the package, the game features a fully voiced cast. This is a premium title, well worth the price.

We hope you enjoy this fun-packed week.




Go to the second page of this post to watch the trailers for these games.