Readers’ App Reviews – October 2014

Happy Halloween!

As we think about pumpkin carving, costumes, and candy, there’s one more thing to think about – awesome creations by the iOS community.

October brings us some great apps made by fellow readers:

• A game about herding sheep
• A dating game for fruit
• A game for people who love retro arcades
• And of course, much more!

This is not a trick; it’s a treat! :]

Fruit Dating

Have you ever wanted to help a piece of fruit find its true love? Now’s your chance!

Fruit Dating is a sliding puzzle game where you’re a matchmaker, finding each piece of fruit find their soul mate.

With adorbable graphics and more than 60 well designed levels, Fruit Dating is really fun and casual iOS game. Obstacles and tile types introduced in later levels bring the challenge.

Controls are simple effortless swipes. All I ask is for more levels! I couldn’t get enough.

• Author: Tomas Rychnovsky
• Most useful tutorial: Unity 4.3 2D Tutorial: Getting Started
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Fire Command

Fire Command is a fantastic missile command style game with some truly awesome old-school graphics and sound effects.

Fire Command brings the spirit of the retro back, but with a blazing explosion of awesome style. A sweet soundtrack and retro sound effects round up the experience.

And what retro game wouldn’t be complete without a high-score table? GameCenter takes care of that.

• Author: Hicham Chourak
• Most useful tutorial: iOS 5 by Tutorials
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Dash Up!

Dash Up (from one of our favorite developers, known for “I Want Ice Cream”) is a simple but addicting new game recently featured by Apple – congrats Johan!

Dash Up is easy; just tap to bounce as high as you can. But constantly moving blocks hunt you! Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and… Dodge your way to the top.

Its simple. Its addictive. Don’t believe me? Give it a try, and tell me when you beat my high score: 12. I dare you! :]

• Author: Johan K @DashUpGame
• Most useful tutorial: Space Game Starter Kit
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Good Time Tracker

Good Time Tracker is a powerful app perfect for tracking our time through the day. As we bounce around from task to task its still valuable to track individual time spent for multiple projects or priorities. Good Time Tracker is perfect for that.

Good Time Tracker lets you track durations or start/end times. Silo work into tasks which can be attached to projects. Run reports for individial projects or periods of time. See a summary of your goals for the week or month.

Good Time Tracker does a good way of just getting out of the way and letting you track your time at your own pace.

• Author: Prashant Choudhary
• Most useful tutorial: Storyboards Tutorial in iOS 7: Part 2
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Barn Rush

Barn Rush is a cute simple game for kids, but I found myself rather addicted as well. :]

Barn Rush is all about rescuing chicks and ducklings from the bad Raccoon as you snake around the barnyard. Raccoons work in packs so watch out! Grab every bag you can to help get rid of them.

Work your way through 24 levels before moving onto an endless mode where you try to save as many chicks or ducklings as possible. Compete on GameCenter to see who the best bardyard hero is.

Grzegorz was generous enough to share some promo codes for our readers. Here are 20 promos for Barn Rush – grab em before the Raccoons!

393X4H6ETTN9
R7AHK47MLXT3
AJWATYR4LL3P
KJKKL9A63FRP
WAWF6XE643E3
L4NP9EMH9MYF
JPR46HNJTTKM
Y7X9EAL66MER
W33KH6TYETY3
E9AFJXMPL4M9
PRWRHMPT6E4A
M7F7FTE6WR3L
4YYA36RLLXYR
WLW4YW3E6MA3
TEF4E6JJRJL4
E47WHR9T9EMW
47L3ETEYNN47
44P9RKTXKWRX
KNFMRR37AWRE
FFRMAM4T3MHN

• Author: Grzegorz Jagliński
• Most useful tutorial: Unity 4.3 2D Tutorial: Scrolling, Scenes and Sounds
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Put Your Puzzle Together

Puzzles have always been fun for me. And kids love them too. Maybe thats why we get along so well. Or maybe its our love of Candy. :p

Put Your Puzzle Together is an app just for puzzling. It lets you build puzzles on the fly with pictures and stickers. And it’s just in time for Halloween, since it’s packed with halloween stickers.

The app cuts the puzzle right in front of you and then drops the pieces delightfully on the floor for you. Picking them up enlarges them while you drag them into place. You can even see a blurred picture of the puzzle behind it to give the slightest hints.

• Author: Luca Bianchi @Rincy73
• Most useful tutorial: iOS Games by Tutorials
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Watch My Colors

This game shows you that color recognition is harder than you think!

Watch My Colors is all about the bubbles. You’re looking for two bubbles with the same color at a time. Grab matching bubbles and drag them to the corner that matches.

But you’ve got to watch your corners, they change as you color more bubbles, keeping you on your toes.

As if you didn’t just want to collect as many bubbles as possible, you can challenge your friends on GameCenter to see who can grab the most bubbles.

• Author: Hani Ibrahim
• Most useful tutorial: iOS Games by Tutorials
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Prism X

Prism X is a clever login game based around lasers.

Prism X has 60 different levels where you need to get a laser from A to B. But sometimes theres a C, D, E, and more!

Later, they throw in multiple colored lasers. And combine that with 10 different types of optical diffusers and you’ve got a very wide array of possibilities to blow your mind.

Prism X is a great way to give your brain a workout and have some fun at the same time.

• Author: Shu Chengxun @scx
• Most useful tutorial: How to Make a Game Like Candy Crush: Part 1
• App Store Link: Check it out!