# iOS premium gaming thread



## mrs quoad (Jul 22, 2017)

Premium: full game with all intended features available for a one-off payment. Absolutely not free to play / freemium.

It's now possible to play some pretty bloody good games on mobile. Gaming has moved from being a pretty niche phone thing to having a tremendous range of titles, many of which are also available on steam. Sometimes some way behind current efforts (e.g. Total War: Rome, Space Hulk), sometimes pretty much identical (particularly from Indy / smaller studios - e.g. This War of Mine, Papers Please, Prison Architect, Doorkickers, The Banner Saga 1&2, A Tale of Two Brothers, XCOM, Sproggiwood, Binding of Isaac Rebirth, Frozen Synapse, Don't Starve (and Shipwrecked), Steamworld Heist, Death Road to Canada, Dead Age, Stealth Bastard Deluxe, Tomb of the NecroDancer, Kingdom: New Lands).

And most of them are under a fiver.

I'm currently playing Motorsport Manager 2 - a properly beautiful management sim with more depth than you could shake a stick at. Beginning to get a bit repetitive, but I've probably had a good 12hrs out of it for a fiver.

And Ultimate General: Gettysburg. Again, available on Steam, put together my a Total War modder, and utterly fucking beautiful. I've had three or four attempts at the first mission, and have consistently fucked it - it is proper strategic. Which is nice.

And Desktop Dungeons on my iPad mini. Keeps me coming back. A right little beauty, and properly mathematical. Oh! And I was hammering Sunless Sea until recently.

Any other premium iOS gamers?

Don't give a fuck if not, I'll keep on happily plugging away, but at least there's a single thread for it now :lol:

(I currently have 82 games on my phone :lol: Almost all of them premium. (Just counted. More than I expected. Many of them need more time...))


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## kabbes (Jul 23, 2017)

It's very old, but Knights of the Old Republic was just as good on iPad as on the PC.  Better, in some ways.  And Xcom even more so.  That's great.

I enjoyed The Room and its sequels, although they are pretty short.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 23, 2017)

Sigh.

Ultimate general. I managed to flank and enfillade the yankees southern flank, but lost control of my northern edges and let two huge brigades be routed by skirmishers.

I'm also clearly failing to make best use of my guns.

#seventhtimelucky


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## bi0boy (Jul 23, 2017)

12 hours for a fiver? I've had a good few weeks of playing time out of Clash Royale for zilch. 

It's going to take a lot to persuade me to buy an iPad game as I am quite fussy - unless they offer refunds if you don't like them, or demo versions?


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## mrs quoad (Jul 23, 2017)

bi0boy said:


> It's going to take a lot to persuade me to buy an iPad game as I am quite fussy - unless they offer refunds if you don't like them, or demo versions?


You can get one refund before they insist you acknowledge that you have declined your right for a refund at every f***ing purchase. European law. Or sth.

Do you ever play games on proper computers? If so, which genres appeal?

Edit: there are a couple of games with free DLs and paid unlocks. From the list above, Prison Architect springs to mind. You can also get an insight into many of the games listed above by looking at Steam reviews - often my first port of call if I'm unsure, and a game has a history on another platform. I think every single game I listed in the OP is also on Steam.


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## bi0boy (Jul 23, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> You can get one refund before they insist you acknowledge that you have declined your right for a refund at every f***ing purchase. European law. Or sth.
> 
> Do you ever play games on proper computers? If so, which genres appeal?



PC Steam gives you two hours of play upto which you can get a refund without giving a reason.

I like strategy games like city sims and stuff. Also tower defence etc. I like Clash Royale whatever genre that is.

I still play Alpha Centauri on the PC even though it's 20 years old because I haven't found anything better.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 23, 2017)

bi0boy said:


> I like strategy games like city sims and stuff. Also tower defence etc. I like Clash Royale whatever genre that is.


Pretty much by definition, you wouldn't find Clash as a premium game.

City building is not my forte - but might be worth having a squizz at (free to dl) Prison Architect. Which is a prison world sim. TBH, most of the games in the OP are strategy-ish, too. Total War, This War of Mine (war from the perspective of a small group of survivors trying to scavenge a life), The Banner Saga 1 and 2... XCom: EW is probably the best reputed of them (both base building and strategy) though it may not survive iOS 11, which will expunge all non-64 bit apps. (It's awaiting an update). Slitherine are probably the lead dev for (ugly) battle strategy, but most of their offerings look to be about to suffer the same fate.

Sunless Sea is fucking beautiful, incredibly deep, and profoundly weird. Kept me going for days non-stop. There's a full range of Final Fantasy games, Dungeon of the Endless is properly weird rogue like tower defence, and Star Hammer: the Vanguard Prophecy and Sid Meier's starships are both space strategy. If not to the depth of Alpha.

All links above are to Steam / Steam reviews. Most iOS versions are very much cheaper than their PC counterparts (often less than half price), and most are fully featured. (Sometimes DLC is missing). Tinkering with any of the above on Steam for a couple of hours before demanding a refund would offer one way of finding out whether or not you thought em worth it for when you're away from your lappy.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 23, 2017)

And, fuckit, here's a strategy guide to Desktop Dungeons, which gives some insight into its complexity: Strategy - DDwiki

It's a skin for maths, tbh. But a skin for maths overlaid with sth like 8 unlockable races and 16 unlockable classes [edit: and ten gods], all of which come with different bonuses, debuffs, and play styles.


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## kabbes (Jul 23, 2017)

bi0boy said:


> 12 hours for a fiver? I've had a good few weeks of playing time out of Clash Royale for zilch.
> 
> It's going to take a lot to persuade me to buy an iPad game as I am quite fussy - unless they offer refunds if you don't like them, or demo versions?


I've gone the opposite way.  I've had so many experiences of terrible game balance and stuttering play on freemium games that it will take a lot to persuade me to download one.  They generally start well for the first hour or two and then become awful, because the makers have prioritised purchase incentives over difficulty curves, player agency and other ludological concepts.  I'd rather pay the price of a coffee or two and know I've got something that's going to be good (subject to suitable research into reviews and so forth).


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## mrs quoad (Jul 23, 2017)

I am actually tempted to get a mfi controller, probably a steelseries jobbie, come next payday. The Binding of Isaac on iOS got me to buy BoI: Afterbirth when it was in the Steam summer sale. And the experience with a controller is just loads better. 

Also bought Street Fighter IV a couple weeks back. And, again, that's a game that would benefit from sth hardwired. (I'm also aware that "does it have controller support" is a very very frequent question on toucharcade's forums, which again leads me to think there's sth in it.)


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## mrs quoad (Jul 24, 2017)

Fwiw 

I'm reminded, in posting, that Leap of Fate is probably the finest roguelike twin stick to ever hit iOS. Phenomenal game. [Edit: in fact, I've just gone looking for it on Steam, AND IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE ON WINDOWS. The bastards.]

Edit: I'm currently trying to work out what to delete to free up memory, but I'm struggling to bring myself to part with any of the games on there :lol: Srsly, this is a refined collection! Any chaff has been long whittled away.

And, like, 3rd edit: other twin sticks on there include the Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, which basically has infinite replayability (it has a ridiculous number of stat- and behaviour- and world-altering items, many of which interact in unpredictable ways; but lacks the drama and excitement of Leap. And Neon Chrome which, tbh, I just haven't found as exciting or varied as Leap - which has four characters, each with multiple gameplay-changing upgrades / challenges, and each of which requires a dramatically different playing style).


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## mrs quoad (Jul 24, 2017)

And Red Conquest gets bonus marks for being the game that's been on my phone _by far the longest. _I'd guess I first installed it in... 2009? 2nd or 3rd gen iPod touch. Whenever that came out. 

The Dev has continued to update the app so's it works, and pay annual registration fees. It's a cracking little RTS - unbelievably complex for 2009, when Angry Birds hadn't even arrived. And an absolute ledge of a developer. (His other apps include _Blue Attack, _which has to be one of the best five-minute space roguelikes around.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 24, 2017)

Michael Brough also deserves a mention. He develops one-screen roguelike puzzlers.

868-hack has a cult following. IMO, it's fuck ugly, and less interesting than I hoped it'd be. Others clearly disagree, and its Steam reviews are rock solid. Perhaps I just haven't gotten into the maths enough.

Imbroglio, in contrast, has a genuinely lovely aesthetic. And has ridiculous strategic depth. Multiple characters (again, different playing styles required) and a vast number of weapons that can be placed on a 4*4 board. Weapons level up in very different ways as you kill creatures with them. Every time you pick up a star (your goal), the walls within the 4*4 grid are randomly repositioned. It makes for an endearing, very weird, very difficult, very complex game.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 27, 2017)

And Rome: Total War - Alexander is out this morning for iPad, as a standalone app. Given I still haven't got around to putting any time into the first launch, reckon I'll give this a miss for now


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## FridgeMagnet (Jul 27, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Michael Brough also deserves a mention. He develops one-screen roguelike puzzlers.
> 
> 868-hack has a cult following. IMO, it's fuck ugly, and less interesting than I hoped it'd be. Others clearly disagree, and its Steam reviews are rock solid. Perhaps I just haven't gotten into the maths enough.
> 
> Imbroglio, in contrast, has a genuinely lovely aesthetic. And has ridiculous strategic depth. Multiple characters (again, different playing styles required) and a vast number of weapons that can be placed on a 4*4 board. Weapons level up in very different ways as you kill creatures with them. Every time you pick up a star (your goal), the walls within the 4*4 grid are randomly repositioned. It makes for an endearing, very weird, very difficult, very complex game.


I have a lot of his stuff - he has written some non roguelikes but seems to be concentrating on them for the moment. I was initially a bit sceptical about Imbroglio but it's now easily my most played game ever. It really takes the idea of setting up synergies that's common with roguelikes to a new degree (even if a lot of the really killer ones were nerfed). Still only have 233 stars on any character though.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jul 27, 2017)

Oh, and I pretty much only play "premium" games, for similar reasons to kabbes - the freemium model distorts gameplay as well as often signing you up for an unpredictable amount of money if you actually want to finish the thing. Games generally involve fairly random grinding which has to be bypassed with money or time (not skill); they are also deliberately _not very absorbing_ and have short session times, so that people will pick it up repeatedly and potentially spend money repeatedly rather than play for ages then finish. They are just rarely the sort of things I want to play, even if I had unlimited amounts of money.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 27, 2017)

A triplet of original Fighting Fantasy books has just launched, for those with an interest. Fiver for three. Including the Warlock of Firetop Mountain, which I'm pretty sure someone else was talking about not so long ago.

Lots of dicerolls. Yay.

(I have also DLed Neo-Scavenger today; free DL, £10 1-off IAP for total access. Looks a bit RNG / scavengey for my liking, but tremendous Steam reviews. So will see. Also got Galaxy of Pen and Paper, as the previous two Knights of Pen and Papers have been decent enough D&D parodies).

Also: blates #rightthinking from fm and kebabs wrt freemium. Thumbs.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jul 27, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> A triplet of original Fighting Fantasy books has just launched, for those with an interest. Fiver for three. Including the Warlock of Firetop Mountain, which I'm pretty sure someone else was talking about not so long ago.
> 
> Lots of dicerolls. Yay.


They have previously released really authentic gamebook versions of FF books - these look pretty different.

If you want gamebook adaptations though I really recommend the Sorcery! series, which were not only quite groundbreaking FF books but in the iOS versions were done by Inkle, who are a fantastic studio (they also did 80 Days which is brilliant). #1 is quite straightforward/linear but still better than most RPGs out there; #2 is where it starts to get actually pretty difficult but also gains loads of atmospheric and is much less linear, and #3 is massive and lovely and weird and has loads of agency and I still haven't finished it so I can't talk about #4.

It's interesting that they can make games that are really challenging without any of the usual forced mechanisms like savepoints or random death - you can literally go back to any decision you've already made and replay from there, even the start of a fight. But like I say they are a proper interactive fiction studio.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 27, 2017)

Greatly enjoyed Sorcery #1. I fizzled a bit w/ #2. I'm not sure why. Had similar problems w/ 80 days, which remains on my phone, but which I've never quite clicked with. I can tell there's a tremendous game in there somewhere, it's just (so far) slightly missed my enthusiasm button. And I'm not sure why. (Hence its persistence!)

Edit: the other game book I have balls-out enjoyed is Legend of Dorn. But I suspect the space marine theme had something to do with that.


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## FridgeMagnet (Jul 27, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Greatly enjoyed Sorcery #1. I fizzled a bit w/ #2. I'm not sure why. Had similar problems w/ 80 days, which remains on my phone, but which I've never quite clicked with. I can tell there's a tremendous game in there somewhere, it's just (so far) slightly missed my enthusiasm button. And I'm not sure why. (Hence its persistence!)


I also fizzled a bit with #2 for a while, mostly because it is bloody hard and I got frustrated. I'll quite happily admit to having looked up solutions in the end. The gamebook was even harder iirc.

#3 is not as hard in the sense that you fail if you don't do things the right way, but it's much larger, and also the replay mechanic leads me to be much more picky about getting things precisely right - also because I really want to see the whole story and know I'm not going to replay the whole thing once I've finished it. It was starting to occupy far more of my time than it should have so I took a break.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 3, 2017)

This morning, I have downloaded _Holy Potatoes: A Weapon Shop. 
_
The name sounds dodgy as fuck, but it's a whopper (2.2gb?!). And - after a wee bit of tinkering - looks to be a gentle mash up of RPG and management games. (I am managing a team of potatoes, who make weapons for actual questers. The quality of the weapons determines how well they do, and the fame of my weapon shop (and the skill of my weapon-making potato crew) grows as my weapons allow them to complete quests).

I am sort of hovering, as it looks like there might be a latent risk of repetitiveness.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 4, 2017)

HPAWS turns out to be absolutely awesome. The early stages are a bit repetitive, but as features are unlocked it turns a bit balls-out batshit. Different heroes have very different weapon requirements, and want different characteristics from those weapons. Some want more than one leading characteristic, which I'm not really yet able to achieve. And if the weapons you produce aren't up to heroes' standards, then they'll offer a pitiful price for them.

There's also a money-gouging landlord (effectively) who routinely steals profits, a variety of side quests, benefits to be had from sending your (small pool of) workers off to train, to explore other worlds, to buy resources, or to sell weapons, and a wide variety of character effects, world events, and moods. The moods mean that - after being worked too hard - you'll have to send your depressed workers on vacation. (The holidays offered by various planets vary in both their description, and their restorative effects, depending on the season). And you have to ensure that you've got enough cash in the bank every month to pay the (escalating) wage bill.

Am also looking at Egglia: 'Egglia: Legend of the Redcap' Launches as a Fully Premium, No IAP Game but It Still Requires a Persistent Online Connection

Watched a bit of the intro / first quest video. Actually looks like it has a lot of tempting / complex features. People on TA forums saying they've put well over 100 hours into the soft-launched version, and appears to have a lot of RPG and dice-related characteristics. Tenner and 700mb; will have to free up some phone space and have a think before DLing


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Aug 4, 2017)

Wish Android got more of these. How it that iOS seems to get so many and Android so few and are stuck with Freemium.  Is it that hard to transfer between platforms? I know iOS users are more likely to put hands in pockets, but there are a lot of Android users.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 4, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Wish Android got more of these. How it that iOS seems to get so many and Android so few and are stuck with Freemium.  Is it that hard to transfer between platforms? I know iOS users are more likely to put hands in pockets, but there are a lot of Android users.


Iirc, Android has a larger user base, but iOS owners are a better source of premium revenue. (They're more likely to pay.) I have a feeling that there're also higher rates of illegal downloads on android; though I've also seen some pretty shocking stats on iOS premium apps. Which I'll try to dig up.

I'm also remembering that from a couple of years back, so may be a bit askew.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 4, 2017)

One reflection of the distinction between Android and iOS: some games (I'm looking at you, Panthera Frontier) are released f2p on android and premium on iOS, with a few tweaks to game balance. This caused riots with PF - the whole of the game's TA thread was originally taken up with people outraged that it *also* contained IAPs. To the point where the devs altered the game, and the complaining posts were binned by the mods. (I'm also not convinced that the transfer worked - the open world aspect wasn't very varied or interesting, and probably needed the urgency of running out of resources / value in grinding that the f2p original probably relied on). 

Here's an article analysing the death of premium apps in 2013: Paid Games Don't Work For Developers, Here's Why - The Carter Crater

And a rather weird article, apparently by a f2p dev, on the monetisation of f2p: "We Own You" - Confessions of an Anonymous Free to Play Producer

TA did also have an article from a premium dev, who'd ascertained that despite sth like 3,000 sales, sth like 12,000 devices were actively playing his game. Struggling to find that one, tho!


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## mrs quoad (Aug 10, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> They have previously released really authentic gamebook versions of FF books - these look pretty different.
> 
> If you want gamebook adaptations though I really recommend the Sorcery! series, which were not only quite groundbreaking FF books but in the iOS versions were done by Inkle, who are a fantastic studio (they also did 80 Days which is brilliant). #1 is quite straightforward/linear but still better than most RPGs out there; #2 is where it starts to get actually pretty difficult but also gains loads of atmospheric and is much less linear, and #3 is massive and lovely and weird and has loads of agency and I still haven't finished it so I can't talk about #4.
> 
> It's interesting that they can make games that are really challenging without any of the usual forced mechanisms like savepoints or random death - you can literally go back to any decision you've already made and replay from there, even the start of a fight. But like I say they are a proper interactive fiction studio.


Very positive review: 'Fighting Fantasy Legends' Review - Nomad Successfully Passes their Skill Test



> They've clearly taken some cues from previous unorthodox efforts, but in a lot of ways, _Fighting Fantasy Legends_feels the most faithful to the source of this bunch. You're presented with frequent choices that sometimes feel unfair in their outcomes. Your trips through each location feel like they're on rails. You'll need to roll the dice frequently to pass Skill and Luck Tests.
> 
> And yet, there are also all sorts of new aspects that expand significantly on the original works. You'll now gain experience and level up, increasing the effectiveness of your dice. Certain sections may be on rails, but you're able to re-enter areas or go elsewhere at your whim. It leans closer to its gamebook roots than its cousins from Tin Man or inkle, but it also feels very much like a tabletop RPG game in the vein of _Hero Quest_. The outcome is a game that has the speedy pace of a choice-based gamebook combined with the sastisfying depth and fairer difficulty of an RPG. It took all of thirty seconds for me to fall in love with this particular mixture, and hours for me to actually make my way through its traps and adventures.



These are the people who did the Talisman adaptations for iOS, apparently; which also gives me considerable hope. The Talisman apps are tremendous pieces of work.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 11, 2017)

Picked up Cat Quest this week. Convinced by 100% positive out of 118 reviews on Steam.

Have put in a couple of hours, and it is a lovely little light sort-of-RPG. Loot, gear, gold, level-uppable spells (and gear). Decent sense of humour, beautiful presentation, and some respectably tough battles. Steam puts it at a 5-10 hour campaign.

Would cheerily recommend!


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## mrs quoad (Aug 13, 2017)

My cat is now L48 and, having found the gold key, has been going around unlocking all the golden chests hidden in loot caves that I had not previously been able to unlock. I'd guess I'm a good 10hrs in already. 

2 dragons dead. One more to kill. But there are some chuffing caves that are L199 / L200, which is either a full-on LULZ-level challenge, or else suggests considerable room for a post-game.

Extraordinarily well suited to mobile. Tonnes of save points, five minute missions. Can get a bit repetitive, and the loot choice is arguably thinner than it could be. But def one of the cheeriest / best assembled (exceptionally lite) open world RPGs I've played on iOS for a long time!


(Holy Potatoes also received an update about an hour ago, which has fixed a persistent crash; but I can no longer remember how to play teh fucker. May have to restart!)


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## mrs quoad (Aug 14, 2017)

Sale on some of the earlier Final Fantasy games, should they be anyone's thing.

It Is (Once Again) Time to Fill in the Gaps of Your 'Final Fantasy' Collection with This Big Sale

Possibly old enough for you to've played first time round, bi0boy?


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## mrs quoad (Aug 16, 2017)

Guild of Dungeoneering on sale. Genuinely tremendous indie effort, actually decent humour, and one of very few games where I don't feel driven to turn the volume off. I've come back to it several times, and it remains on my phone. 

Vast array of classes, interesting deck-based combat, decent persistent upgrades, and characters who gain from experience, and progress to having actual graves in your graveyards.

The Innovative 'Guild of Dungeoneering' is On Sale for the First Time Ever

Guild of Dungeoneering on Steam


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## mrs quoad (Aug 18, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Picked up Cat Quest this week. Convinced by 100% positive out of 118 reviews on Steam.
> 
> Have put in a couple of hours, and it is a lovely little light sort-of-RPG. Loot, gear, gold, level-uppable spells (and gear). Decent sense of humour, beautiful presentation, and some respectably tough battles. Steam puts it at a 5-10 hour campaign.
> 
> Would cheerily recommend!


A week on, I reckon this is one of the finest iOS games I've played. My cat is now high L70s, main campaign finished, and kinda dusting off the last few loot caves (some of which have absurd level requirements). I may delete it before it's thoroughly completed, to free up memory; it has, however, been played through pretty darned thoroughly.

I don't believe it's been as short as ten hours!


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## FridgeMagnet (Aug 18, 2017)

I cracked and bought your fucking cat game and I have to say that it's got one of the smoothest UIs I've yet seen on the phone. It is absurdly easy to play and yet doesn't feel simplified. Normally I find realtime RPGs a pain on phones and get frustrated at not being able to handle fights properly but even the magic is easy to use.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 20, 2017)

I'm going to add Data Wing to this thread: TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'Data Wing'

It's technically a cheat, bc it's free. But it's a free premium release - no IAPs, advertising, timers, grind requirements, dual currencies, or other freemium / f2p mechanics - and developed as a side project by a dev on another team. As TA note, there isn't even a "tip" button for folks who want to thank / remunerate the dev.

It's a tremendous little racing game, with properly interesting physics and a robust learning curve.

And a decent sense of humour!


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## mrs quoad (Aug 24, 2017)

Darkest Dungeon just out: 'Darkest Dungeon' for iPad Has Finally Released on the App Store

I had been playing Ticket to Earth, which got a huge and long awaited content update yesterday; but my phone bricked it about an hour ago, so I guess that's a good reason to look at an iPad only game this week. Sort of lol.


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## mrs quoad (Aug 24, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Darkest Dungeon just out: 'Darkest Dungeon' for iPad Has Finally Released on the App Store


^^^
This has all the hallmarks of a tremendous game. My first attempt had to be called off, bc I somehow disabled tooltips, and so sent my three main warriors off to the brothel, pub, and to prayer to reduce their panic (not realising this meant they couldn't fight for a week).

My second run has had two teams attempt two missions. Terror levels have been going through the roof, though, and I've got two chars who i currently can't control bc they're shitting themselves and spamming out random attacks.

Think I'm going to read up on some strategy :lol: It is proper deep - 4 chars from a roster of >9 at any one time, each of whom is from one of 16 classes with a random selection 4 of 8 fighting skills (and several camping skills that I haven't yet got to use), and a variety of idiosyncratic buffs and forms of terror / phobia. Every char is properly unique. 

Standard char screen below; and the tutorial popup for corpses, bc lol.

 

Edit: I restarted again. Managing terror a lot better, but one of my novices went to a pub for stress relief and has now gone awol on a bender; whilst a crusader who I sent for a bit of meditation refuses to stop praying. 



and the opening screen!


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## mrs quoad (Aug 25, 2017)

Oh, hello, and Codemasters' F1 2016 has just gone on sale for £0.99. 

Codemasters' Rapid Racer 'F1 2016' on Sale for $0.99, Its Lowest Price Ever

That's a pretty tremendous price for a 2-3gb racer by a top end developer. (I've been pretty hopeless at actually playing it; it's been on my device for yonks in the "really gotta get round to that" queue.)


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## mrs quoad (Aug 25, 2017)

Put a torch in a malevolent sounding torch holder for lulz. Accidentally got transported to an interdimensional demon infested plane, where one of my posse was killed, and the other three went mad. 

I do have a spare posse back at the hamlet, but I'm financially fucked so may restart. 

This is awesome


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## mrs quoad (Aug 30, 2017)

Sunless Sea on sale for £7. 

The Fantastic 'Sunless Sea' Is on Sale, Has Never Been This Cheap

Really tremendous game. Kept me going pretty much nonstop for ages.


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## mrs quoad (Sep 1, 2017)

SF IV Champion edition £2 ATM.

'Street Fighter IV Champion Edition' Is Discounted to Just $1.99 Right Now

Touch controls only. TBH, the screen controls are pretty damned good. And I considered buying a controller largely to improve said game.

However. That would've been almost exclusively bc I wanted to relive my teens. And the games I actually play these days are very different to the ones I enjoyed then.

(They're probably not, actually, but SF doesn't appeal as it once did).


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## 8den (Sep 1, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Put a torch in a malevolent sounding torch holder for lulz. Accidentally got transported to an interdimensional demon infested plane, where one of my posse was killed, and the other three went mad.
> 
> I do have a spare posse back at the hamlet, but I'm financially fucked so may restart.
> 
> ...



I've bought this, and suspect it could become a massive time sink so haven't dived too deep.


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## FridgeMagnet (Sep 1, 2017)

I bought Always Sometimes Monsters the other day and even speaking as somebody who _likes_ sentimental indie JRPGs like To The Moon, I played it for half an hour and couldn't be arsed any more. It doesn't help that the controls on mobile are awful, which slows the whole thing down even more, but it felt like it could have been speeded up by a factor of ten.

There are a bunch of indie games on sale for 99p on the front page of the App Store right now, some of which I have. I didn't get on with Device6; Year Walk is good though, particularly if you like Swedish forest mushroom trip simulators. I bought Sailors Dream as I'd heard good things but haven't played yet.


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## mrs quoad (Sep 1, 2017)

All of those are the same dev, fwiw, FridgeMagnet

Device 6 remains on my phone, largely because I suspect it deserves more time and attention than I gave it when I first bought it.

Your comments move it slightly up my delete queue.

Edit: btw, there's talk of a content update or new release from gentle brothers on the toucharcade cat quest thread, fridgey. If you're still playing.


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## mrs quoad (Sep 1, 2017)

8den said:


> I've bought this, and suspect it could become a massive time sink so haven't dived too deep.


It's fucking tremendous. tommers pointed out to me on the "what are you playing right now" thread that the point is to dispose of weaker chars and make best use of the constant inflow. That freed up my cash worries considerably, and I've literally just completed my first medium length mission. Raked it in! 

Still l1, mind :lol:


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## FridgeMagnet (Sep 1, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> All of those are the same dev, fwiw, FridgeMagnet
> 
> Device 6 remains on my phone, largely because I suspect it deserves more time and attention than I gave it when I first bought it.
> 
> Your comments move it slightly up my delete queue.


It was pretty much the same for me until I got a new phone tbh. "Ooh this is fancy and people are raving about it yet for some reason I find it a bit annoying, maybe I need to just give it more time and effort".

One of the good things about iOS games though is that they're so cheap I don't feel the "sunk cost fallacy of games" effect so much, where you convince yourself that something must be good because you paid money for it. It's much easier to just say "eh whatever" and just not play it any more if you don't want to.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Sep 1, 2017)

Oh, on the subject of sentimental indie games I really liked Open Sorcery, where you play a magical shell script and which is literally a twine game on a phone and wins no Apple design awards. It has good characters, some nice core mechanics, and is quite short but really replayable.

Open Sorcery on the App Store


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 1, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> One of the good things about iOS games though is that they're so cheap I don't feel the "sunk cost fallacy of games" effect so much, where you convince yourself that something must be good because you paid money for it. It's much easier to just say "eh whatever" and just not play it any more if you don't want to.


My bigger problem is the "unsunk time" fallacy. There's sth like 70 games on my phone, and I believe every single one of them is excellent. Most have survived multiple culls, big and small, searching for another few mb. And many have had an hour or ten of play. 

But... they've got to stay, bc I haven't given them their full desserts. I haven't completed them, and don't have a sense that they're played out - they remain as unfinished business. 

Games like Ember or Cat Quest, I've played through - sorted! They can be deleted. But it's the "this game is better than the attention I've given it" games that linger on, on my phone. 

(Though the sunk cost fallacy definitely kept a few final fantasy and slitherine games on beyond their sell by date!)


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Sep 3, 2017)

Sailor's Dream is very pretty and cute and sentimental in that way that I like, but also clearly very resource-intensive because it's very short. (From personal experience I can imagine the devs sweating over, say, a room full of lights that you can touch and move about and which make noises when they hit each other, which I spent a few minutes playing with and moved on.) More of a visual novel type thing than a game. Apparently there is various extra content that pops up on other days, which I'm guessing I will never see. I don't mind paying for that though, particularly if it's 99p.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 14, 2017)

Iron Marines, from the makers of Kingdom Rush, has been having a great deal of smoke blown up its arse since last night. 

Mobile version of Starcraft, blah blah blah. Fiver.  

TBH, I'm not (yet) impressed. Has some of the hallmarks of a rank f2p - dual currencies (no timers), buckets of IAPs (up to £99.99 LOL), and IAP only playable heroes. And watchable ads. For currency. Bleh. Oh. And did I mention the £4.99 "double value starter pack"? 48 hours only. Gahhhh. 

It is not being harshed on TA as powerfully as one might expect, given that premium titles w/ IAP are usually ripped limb from limb by the forum community. 

But. Yeah. I'm not yet smitten. Three tutorial missions, followed by the kind of ball-achingly difficult mass destruction of my troops that leads me to suspect an IAP paywall at some point in the future.


----------



## tommers (Sep 14, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Iron Marines, from the makers of Kingdom Rush, has been having a great deal of smoke blown up its arse since last night.



I have been waiting for it for about a year.  The developers did Kingdom Rush, which are the best tower defence games ever*.  I'm willing to cut them a bit of slack.  They had paid heroes in KR as well, which was a bit annoying but I still ended up buying my (then) 4 year old son a new hero every weekend as a treat. 

I played it a bit on the train this morning.  It's... OK so far.  I'm not really a fan of RTS.  The wonder of KR was the balance - be interesting to see if they get that right again.  I like the different powers, cos it feels like you are conducting the action a little bit.

What other IAP is there?  I've completed all of the KR games on the hardest setting without using any items so they probably aren't necessary to be honest.

*IMO


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 14, 2017)

tommers said:


> What other IAP is there?


----------



## tommers (Sep 14, 2017)

Yeah, the payable heroes are annoying.  I think I added up the ones on Frontiers once and it came to about £50 if you bought them all.  To be honest heroes in KR games are the only IAP I think I have ever purchased.

The other ones are to buy items aren't they?  You get it anyway just by playing the game.

I agree with you though, games don't need this nonsense.

I'd be interested to know how much they make from that stuff rather than the cost of the game itself.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 15, 2017)

tommers said:


> The other ones are to buy items aren't they?  You get it anyway just by playing the game.


This raises questions about game balance - is it balanced for the people paying £99.99, or those paying £0?

Tbf, early playing leads me to think this is a decent offering. The battles are tight. Strategy is meaningful. Unit strengths need to be carefully considered and, even on easy difficulty, it's pretty easy to fuck right up.

And I'm inclined to think that the IAP really would break it / make it too easy. (Any level doable. Just spam it with bombs. But who wants that?! Tbf, who wants any power up?! Weird.)

Main issue for me ATM is the sheer length of the levels - 20-25 mins, realistically, @ L6? Idk if it's auto saving, but that's one helluva time investment on mobile, and even more of a time investment if death means losing everything. Will be interested in seeing how that pans out!


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 15, 2017)

WHEN WARHAMMER quest 2 launches (OCTOBER 19TH), I will celebrate being 4 weeks closer to death than I am today, because Warhammer Quest 2 WILL HAVE LAUNCHED!!!!!1111eleven

The 1st one got well over 100hrs of gameplay out of me, across a couple of saves. 

New 'Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times' Gameplay Trailer Released Ahead of October 19th Launch

Literally the only bad thing about it is that it was made in Guildford.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 16, 2017)

Yeah. Ok. I am rayt enjoying iron thingies. Enough to have spent a couple of hours last night grinding tech upgrades, which I don't think can be bought via IAP (?) Not outside the one-level's-worth offered for a fiver in the starter pack, at least.  

The reward system seems a bit unbalanced, mind. First extra mission pays €550 tech points for a five minute rescue mission. Second one pays €420 for a somewhat longer wave defence. Third pays €450 for more like a 10min multi wave nightmare.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 19, 2017)

At the risk of sounding weird, I'm finding iron marines both deep and shallow. The tech tree is big. It takes a lot of time to fully unlock. The upgrades are meaningful, and impact on the game / unit selection in ways that - tbf - I still haven't fully grasped. The missions are generally pretty bloody tough, even on easy. 

But... at the same time... it feels as if there hasn't been much thought given to mission generation. Lots of them sprawl, in ways that aren't particularly fair (e.g. ten mins in, you are suddenly presented with a new and massively different / insurmountable objective). Others seem quite arbitrary - defend this point for 7 mins!!! Defend this point for 10 mins!!! Feels a lot like they sort of CBA with level design, here's a way to keep you busy for 10 mins. Which is a helluva long time for a mobile game mission w/o save points. 

And, yeah. Only 16 main missions. Which. Yeah. Isn't much. It'd be something if there were different rewards for different difficulties. But there aren't. Complete it on easy, and that's the game completed. Tech point and cash rewards also don't scale with mission difficulty or progress, so if I'm grinding, I could get 450 tech points for grinding out level 4 on easy (piece of piss, eyes closed) or about 500 for white knuckling l15 on veteran. Which. Yeah. Doesn't feel right. 

Weirdly, it is really deep and complex in some apparent ways, just feels as if the devs have totally failed to capitalise on that complexity. Id even k what some of the units are, or why I'd bother to use them, or why I wouldn't just mech the fuck out of everything after saving up a bit more £££. (There are some advantages to using cheaper units - a coupla unique abilities - but they don't seem to be massive gamechangers when set against the massive fucking melee and rocket tank units.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 22, 2017)

Oh fuuuuuuuhhhhh

'XCOM: Enemy Within' Has Been Updated with 64-bit Compatibility

That's good news (!) Goodbye, weekend.


----------



## tommers (Sep 22, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> And, yeah. Only 16 main missions. Which. Yeah. Isn't much.
> 
> Id even k what some of the units are, or why I'd bother to use them, or why I wouldn't just mech the fuck out of everything after saving up a bit more £££.



I've just finished it on normal and going through again now on Impossible (not sure how far I will get to be honest).  The replayability suffers a bit compared to KR cos it doesn't rate your victory - you either win or you don't.  With KR you get stars, and the stars determine your upgrades - so there was an incentive to completing something perfectly and more for doing it on a harder mode.  And harder versions were completely different levels, whereas this just seems to be the same level again but with more enemies or more difficult ones (maybe I'm wrong).

I also have a sneaking suspicion that third planet won't be free either.  (Although the game was only a fiver which isn't a vast amount so I feel a bit mean moaning about it).

I thought the units were pretty well balanced to be honest.  Snipers can hit from ages away, ignore armour and instakill.  Engineers repair towers which is vital for the last level.  Diplomats make other units invulnerable for a short time.  The pink guys can instakill as well.  Those missile mechs are rubbish at everything except flying enemies.  And the melee ones just stand there without attacking things that are 2 feet away unless you tell them.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 22, 2017)

I need an incentive to up the difficulty (and to replay), and there isn't one. 

ATM i haven't completed the last level, or most of the optionals on world two. I've got stuck in a tech tree grinding loop, which isn't really very enjoyable, or doing me any favours. (As by far the most brainless way to grind tech points, ime, is by hammering the 2nd optional level.)

I feel as if this is a game that's a few steps short of being fully / really well implemented. Falls short at the ultimate "but why?" step.


----------



## mrs quoad (Sep 22, 2017)

Unfortunately, I will have to keep on playing it, as all this week's new releases were shite. 

Tbf, maybe I should go back to Jade Empire. It's hogging 3gb of space, but it's stayed in the "need to give this more time" camp ever since taking on its first (afire long and involved) battle tutorial. Or Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons. Which is similar. And which has mostly survived multiple culls bc iirc FridgeMagnet thotht or awesome.


----------



## wtfftw (Sep 22, 2017)

Stunning visual puzzler 'The Witness' arrives on iOS


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 4, 2017)

The last couple of Thursdays have been total pants. 

WH quest in a week or two (WOOOOOO!!!!), but properly hoping for a non-shite launch by 6am tomorrow. 

C'mon, you appy bastards!


----------



## doodlelogic (Oct 5, 2017)

GTA is good.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 5, 2017)

This weeks releases are staggeringly shit. 

But all the goat simulator games are on sale @£0.99. 

For those w an interest.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 7, 2017)

I have bought Kickass Commandos and REKT this week.

Kickass has yet to properly grab me. It's a bit messy. You pick up lots of rescued commandos, but can't control what they do. So they spam themselves all over, loosely following your path, but also spamming bullets towards your (nearby) aiming point. So they die lots and have a very wide field of fire. I'm yet to be convinced that this is an asset. A leading steam review recommends leaving all rescues til level end, then running back through the empty level with them (for a 100% rescue bonus). Hmm. 

Rekt is great. Plenty of rapid rewards, and genuinely enjoyable stunt racing. Suspect it'll have a limited shelf life, but well worth the £2. IMO.


----------



## kabbes (Oct 11, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> A week on, I reckon this is one of the finest iOS games I've played. My cat is now high L70s, main campaign finished, and kinda dusting off the last few loot caves (some of which have absurd level requirements). I may delete it before it's thoroughly completed, to free up memory; it has, however, been played through pretty darned thoroughly.
> 
> I don't believe it's been as short as ten hours!


Now I seem to have bought this too.  It better be all that, quoad


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 11, 2017)

kabbes said:


> Now I seem to have bought this too.  It better be all that, quoad


FridgeMagnet

In other news, the Talos Principle has just been ported / launched on iOS.

I've skimmed off it on steam multiple times without buying, bc I don't really do puzzlers. And, yeah. Clearing out 1.8gb THE WEEK BEFORE WH QUEST 2 LAUNCHES would be hard. But I can't say I'm not tempted, particularly given the price differential (£4.99 on iOS; £29.99 on steam).


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 11, 2017)

And in the latest demonstration of #quoadscatastrophicimpulsecontrol, I lasted all of two minutes before deleting F1 2016 and DLing a game I probably won't play


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 11, 2017)

The game I've come back to time and time again over the last week is Rekt. It is alarmingly simple - essentially a sandbox sk8 park for cars, with multiple jumps, ramps, loops (&c.) and the bare minimum of controls (L/R, swipe for spin / rotate, brake). And pretty minimalist goals - up to three "goals" per run (winning tokens for a relatively vacuous slot machine) or high score (unlocks next car).

Basically, stunts make combos make points. Crash -> combo ends.

But it comes together superbly.

It's, like, £2. The physics are awesome. The learning curve just keeps on going. As do the new unlocks. And the hidden / unexpected stunts just keep on appearing.

Unfortunately, I think I've worked out how to points grind. But in and of itself, that's opened up challenges. Do I stop at 87,000 (points) *33 (consecutive tricks)? Or keep on facking pushing, knowing that catastrophe might ensue? Particularly given points grinding involves 6-7 front spins at a time. Which can go horrendously wrong.

Seriously going to recommend this as a £2 (ffs!) quick play car stunt skate park awesome thing. It is just beautiful.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 19, 2017)

A not uninteresting day of releases. 

Halcyon 6 is out (steam link). Meant to be a sort of 4x or 6x, afaict. Bit too pixel art for me, combined with some “omfg the grinding” reviews on steam. 

Time recoil has also launched. From the makers of Neon Chrome - a really well reviewed twin stick. (A bit shallow for my liking, particularly when compared to Leap of Fate. But ay.) I’ve played about 5 mins, lol. It’s single stick. Relies on auto aim. HMMMM. Not very sure about that (but toucharcade reviews seem to think this is to cope with later manic levels).

And WH Quest 2. The biggie, from my perspective. The launch has fallen slightly flat for me, bc it began with multiple crash bugs (eventually updated to iOS 11 to make it work), and the game doesn’t quite have all the crack-like insta-rewards of the first (cash drops from dead enemies, i’m looking at you). It also relies heavily on character development. Which I’m not quite at. So, we’ll see. Fingers crossed.


----------



## 8den (Oct 21, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> A not uninteresting day of releases.
> 
> Halcyon 6 is out (steam link). Meant to be a sort of 4x or 6x, afaict. Bit too pixel art for me, combined with some “omfg the grinding” reviews on steam.
> 
> ...



Should I try the original warhammer quest first?


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 22, 2017)

8den said:


> Should I try the original warhammer quest first?


Depending on your device, I’d recommend thinking about the new one. Early bugs have been ironed out. It’s at least launching on my phone, and is proving v playable. 

There are still some kinks - the inventory system is a bit of a mess, and I kinda preferred the loot system of the old one (enemies drop gold; crates for polishing off bosses. Whereas now there are no in-level rewards, just three winnings cards at the end. Which is probably fine. But provides fewer instant endorphin rewards.)

I think the other main difference may be the disposability of characters. You could *only* get 8 chars in the original, 4 of them paid. In 2, they’re classes, and it’s possible to recruit multiple instances of a class. I assume the leveling up is a bit random (+1 to random stat), giving a bit more room for tailoring.

Part of what I loved about 1 was following my 8 chars through 8 levels (pretty tough!) So, yeah. I’m wondering if this will be a positive. No complaints after a couple hours, Tbf.

There were also char skills in the original - special abilities, and mana points for wizards. I’m kinda hoping they’re in here somewhere, too, or the chars will lose a fair bit of their uniqueness. They’ll just be stat hounds. Instead of genuinely different play styles.

Quest 1 was also launched by a now-dead studio (Rodeo; Perchang, who launched this, was started by one of the Rodeo blokes). So I’m not sure whether or not 1 will continue to be updated.

Errrr, long story short, 1 was epic, man. If it’s a quid or two, it’s a steal. But... I’d really want all the IAP (eventually, and personally - they’re not needed to complete, but they are rich additions...) That would an extra chunk.

2 isn’t quite there yet. But there’s clearly a team of active devs working hard to fix any current probs, and on future releases / updates. I have some faith in this new launch, but I can’t fully back it yet.

I have also already bought all the IAP for 2 already. (There are IAP glitches - which is fucking stupid for a launch. I have to restart in order to get access to the chars I’ve just paid £3 for. Business model fail.)

And there’s a c.50 page and fast-growing thread on toucharcade; who gave it a five-star review last week.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 22, 2017)

The thread is a mixture of people saying it’s the most awesome game they’ve ever played, and they’re 60hrs in; and people saying it’s functionally broken and in serious need of insta patching. 

So, yeah. #alittlebitbeta


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 22, 2017)

I keep on trying to convince myself to press “buy” on Halcyon 6.

But then I read (ever longer and more refined) reviews, and re-think “naaah.”

Idk. The original seems to’ve been panned. Lightspeed Edition seems to be quite well reviewed. But... pixel art. £7. No real overview of wtf it actually does (Star Trek pastiche w/ xcom overtones and JRPG combat. Ok. Tx4that.) 1.2gb (hashtagisit). 

Yeah. Not quite over the buy line there. 

HMM.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 26, 2017)

Errrrr, looks like an interesting week for premium releases. In a classic #toosoon venture, Slitherine have launched a follow-up to their deep strategy war logistics game, entitled Afghanistan. Slitherine totally fucked a half tonne of seriously expensive top end strategy games with the move to iOS 11 (don’t support 64 bit architecture and so lost to the App Store / bruk) so I’m a bit thrown by this. It’s a £20 app that’ll only appeal to the small hardcore of rich deep strat / middle class fans who used to buy all the games they’ve just dropped / left unsupported. Which is, yeah. Bold. 

ICEY also launched. I bought earlier this week. Side scrolling combat game w/ lots of swooshy combo building, plus upgrades. Am properly enjoying. 

Errrr... there’s what looks like a pretty educational title about Martin Luther. Sort of cross between the banner saga and late night edutainment documentaries 

Battlevoid: Sector 9, a rts RPG from the people who made Harbinger (bought it this morning, yet to fire it up). 

And a few other interesting titles, too. A survival crafting game from Team 17 (?!), a survival FPS from some Russian bloke... lots and lots. Most of them just miss my “ooo” button, but a really good week for new premium releases. Will attempt
To add more info / links l8r.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 28, 2017)

ICEY rated as Toucharcade’s GOTW. Made me go back to it (I’d inadvettwntky selected “massacre” level difficulty) and it is, actually, outstanding. 

TA review: TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'ICEY'

Steam link (w/ reviews): ICEY on Steam

I remain frankly unbothered by WH Quest 2. Which is quite an indictment in and of itself.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Oct 28, 2017)

Eh. I got ICEY on Monday and played it for a while but it’s a bit HELLO BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL HERE all the time, which seems to involve a lot of unskippable cut scenes which then make you reload when they’re finished. Also I seem to have got onto some easy difficulty level where the fights still take forever but it’s basically impossible to die. Changing the level up now to make the game more interesting seems just too much meta.


----------



## mrs quoad (Oct 30, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Eh. I got ICEY on Monday and played it for a while but it’s a bit HELLO BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL HERE all the time, which seems to involve a lot of unskippable cut scenes which then make you reload when they’re finished. Also I seem to have got onto some easy difficulty level where the fights still take forever but it’s basically impossible to die. Changing the level up now to make the game more interesting seems just too much meta.


I certainly find it’s improved by turning the volume off on the narrator.

I’m still not very far in, thanks to a weekend of catering for guests. 

I look forward to imminent disappointment


----------



## kabbes (Oct 30, 2017)

Finally got round to that cat quest game today.  It’s fun.  Slick.  It’s no Disgaea or Final Fantasy though, is it?  It belongs to that school of mass produced RPG writing that says just make some random quests and have em hit things with other things.


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 2, 2017)

kabbes said:


> Finally got round to that cat quest game today.  It’s fun.  Slick.  It’s no Disgaea or Final Fantasy though, is it?  It belongs to that school of mass produced RPG writing that says just make some random quests and have em hit things with other things.


Well, no, but I’d assume that people who wanted ff on mobile would buy one of the dozens of ff titles available on iOS. Most recently, ff Dimensions II, released today, and yours for £15.

I know I won’t be buying it, bc I don’t have the time on mobile to sit through very long screeds of dialogue. I’ve repeatedly tried; and have probably ended up wasting (ie, not really playing) well over £100 of ff titles over the years.

For an RPG-lite - which cat quest emphatically is - it’s great, though. Bite sized pockets of play, completely fine for 5 mins at a time. IMO, basic mechanics of leveling, spells, combat etc v effectively reduced to their barest 5-min components.


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 2, 2017)

Having said that, I picked up Strain Tactics this morning, after reading the steam reviews. 

So far - actual omg. Unbelievably deep / rich action rpg game. More later! Ridiculous detail. Tonnes of screens to navigate.


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 2, 2017)

FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS II on the App Store

^^^ kabbes 

Edit: though I’m not sold by TA’s review: 'Final Fantasy Dimensions 2' Review - Neither Fish Nor Fowl, but Fun Anyway

(Tbf, though, it sounds like a game id enjoy / actually play rather more than your common or garden ff game.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 10, 2017)

The three Total War apps for iPad have been bundled into one £17 package. 

Individual prices reduced, too. 

'Rome: Total War' Collection Makes War Cheaper


----------



## kabbes (Nov 14, 2017)

kabbes said:


> Now I seem to have bought this too.  It better be all that, quoad


Cats Quest complete, including all endgame I could find.  An enjoyable romp.  The combat was very nicely done


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 16, 2017)

RPGolf. 

RPGolf - A hybrid RPG Golf game like never before

Classic 2D JRPG style gameplay, combined with 80s / gameboy style golf. 

Achieve par on every hole. Battle your way through enemies in order to reach your ball / your next shot. 

Stats have multiple effects - eg strength = damage, and distance. Strength is lost as damage is taken. 

Int = magic, and spin. 

&c. 

Cracking fucked up combjnation, and sth like £3 and just 79mb. Beautiful.


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 17, 2017)

I also bought Ocmo yesterday. A hardcore speed running rope game, centred on viciously disembowelling rabbits. 

It’s excellent. Tight controls, beautiful implementation. Very tough indeed.


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 19, 2017)

Ocmo is fucking legendary. Did I mention ragdoll physics?

The top times are absolutely deranged, and many of the levels absurdly challenging. I’ve spwnt about 1.5 days (on and off, Obvs) trying to beat one excellent level. And enjoying every second of it. 

I can clearly understand how and why every failure is my fault. So it’s that kind of rewarding hardcore game. 

(ATM, I’ve got a choice of many - this is at the head of one path.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 26, 2017)

The long-awaited Grid Autosport releasing Monday. 

Apparently 8gb free space recommended for uncomplicated install. 

Hashtaglol


----------



## mrs quoad (Nov 26, 2017)

Well. 

That’s the first time I recall seeing a game my 6+ can’t handle. 

Oh well!

Looks like a pretty damned interesting app, for those whose hardware is up to it. 

GRID™ Autosport by Feral Interactive Ltd GRID™ Autosport on the App Store


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 8, 2017)

Steamworld Heist. Tactical RPG with turn-based side-scrolling missions, so it’s sort of steampunk western space robot Lemmings.

Easily the best part of combat is Sharpshooter weapons, which let you bounce shots off map elements and have reflective laser sights that show the route - this has practical benefits (it’s the only way to get round the shields that some enemies carry as far as I can see) but is also great for situations where you could have just shot someone in the face but decided to zigzag the bullet between three separate objects first.

Grenade launchers are amusingly dangerous as they have the same bounce mechanic but have no laser sights and also do friendly fire damage. Mostly you can just retreat if you see enemies with that weapon class and they will proceed to fuck each other up trying for unlikely bounce shots.

It’s well animated and designed and has plot and characters and stuff, but all tactical RPGs live or die on the basis of the fights, and so far it’s doing pretty well there.


----------



## tommers (Dec 8, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Steamworld Heist. Tactical RPG with turn-based side-scrolling missions, so it’s sort of steampunk western space robot Lemmings.
> 
> Easily the best part of combat is Sharpshooter weapons, which let you bounce shots off map elements and have reflective laser sights that show the route - this has practical benefits (it’s the only way to get round the shields that some enemies carry as far as I can see) but is also great for situations where you could have just shot someone in the face but decided to zigzag the bullet between three separate objects first.
> 
> ...


I liked it a lot. Buy Steamworld Dig 2 on the switch if you haven't already. Different type of game but same developer.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 8, 2017)

tommers said:


> I liked it a lot. Buy Steamworld Dig 2 on the switch if you haven't already. Different type of game but same developer.


Yeah, that’s on my list - actually the reason I found Heist was that I was wondering whether Dig was on iOS.


----------



## Buddy Bradley (Dec 9, 2017)

What's a good RPG I could get that will run okay on my 5s? Looking for something that's more RP than combat.


----------



## kabbes (Dec 11, 2017)

At the moment, I've gone back for yet another play through XCOM.  On hard mode (although not that insane mode that doesn't allow you to cheat-save.  Fuck that.)  with random stats and skills.  There are some well OP skill sets that can turn up at random... which is necessary when facing hard mode.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 15, 2017)

I found out that the guy who wrote Dungeon Raid - probably the game responsible for the most time wasted on my phone apart from Drop7, but both of those not updated for latest iOS - did another one called “I Keep Having This Dream”. It’s another roguelike, similar in some ways - the varied “boss” enemies, collecting special abilities and items - but less match-x-puzzly and with more areas of strategy, as well as with some of the more annoying aspects of the previous one fixed (for example you can change out your abilities rather than being locked into the first four you pick for the rest of the game). It’s themed around dreams, so all of the bosses are neuroses or dream elements, and the ultimate threat is your Nemesis which powers up and/or catches up to you when you get “killed” or make a dead end, but that can sometimes be beneficial.

It got mixed reviews when it came out but I think it’s better than Dungeon Raid tbh.


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 20, 2017)

Buddy Bradley said:


> What's a good RPG I could get that will run okay on my 5s? Looking for something that's more RP than combat.


What do you mean by RPG? Open world classic type first person? Top down Uber classic type role play? JRPG?

There are excellent examples of all - the whole FF series is on iOS (and will inevitably be discounted come Christmas), Baldur’s Gate (and a couple of others by the same dev, eg Icewind Dale) are Uber classics, and. Erm. Thinking of 5s here, there were definitely open worlds released a few years back that were iOS genre defining classics. Can dig up. Certainly played a couple to completion. Oh - Jade Empire. There’s a classic. If it’ll run.

Templar Battleforce and Strike Team Hydra are also by a couple of batshit deep top downs. But they’re probably more tbs than RPG.


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 20, 2017)

Also - fully agreed re: steamworld heist, FridgeMagnet / tommers 

Played it to near completion, got distracted, and keep on meaning to go back to it.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 20, 2017)

Jade Empire is 99p at the moment!


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 20, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Jade Empire is 99p at the moment!


A brand new 256gb iPhone plus arrived about 7hrs ago. 

In consequence, I have been reinstalling a half tonne of games that had to be sacrificed for reasons of 64gb. 

Jade empire is among these. Thanks to kabbes, XCom is now, too. 

(Have also DLed Grid Autosport, which was the first nail in the “fuck I can’t play new releases any more I need a new phone” coffin. Which is proving _very acceptable. _Though a bit chuffing easy so far. I need to find how to turn of brake and steering assist, and precisely what gyro setups work for me. It’s all a quite new tinkering experience.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 20, 2017)

Ember - recall that as another decent RPG. Played it end to end over a week or three.


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 20, 2017)

I have bought Bridge Constructor Portal today, too. 

A mash up of bridge constructors and, er. 

Portal. 

There seems to be a decent amount of steam IP in there. And promising early levels!


----------



## kabbes (Dec 21, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Jade Empire is 99p at the moment!


Cheers, bought and downloaded.  Never played it first time round, but love Bioware.


----------



## Buddy Bradley (Dec 21, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> What do you mean by RPG? Open world classic type first person? Top down Uber classic type role play? JRPG?
> 
> There are excellent examples of all - the whole FF series is on iOS (and will inevitably be discounted come Christmas), Baldur’s Gate (and a couple of others by the same dev, eg Icewind Dale) are Uber classics, and. Erm. Thinking of 5s here, there were definitely open worlds released a few years back that were iOS genre defining classics. Can dig up. Certainly played a couple to completion. Oh - Jade Empire. There’s a classic. If it’ll run.
> 
> Templar Battleforce and Strike Team Hydra are also by a couple of batshit deep top downs. But they’re probably more tbs than RPG.


I got SW:KotOR in the end, should keep me busy for a while.


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 21, 2017)

Civ VI. 

Full port.  

First 60 turns are free, then requires a £60 unlock. 

‘Sid Meier's Civilization VI’ Just Released for iPad and You Can Try It out for Free Right Now

INTERESTING.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 21, 2017)

Sixty fucking dollars


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 21, 2017)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Sixty fucking dollars


Yeah. Same as pc full price. 

Which. You know. 

May not go down so well on mobile. 

I’m in favour of them trying it, tho. (Particularly if they do their regular thing of abundant sales, and “a tenner within three years”)


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 21, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Yeah. Same as pc full price.
> 
> Which. You know.
> 
> ...


It’s not as if Civ has actually changed radically over the last 20 years anyway. I wouldn’t pay that on any platform. I should be paying update prices tbh.

I do also think that mobile games emphasise how extra dev time and resources hit diminishing returns in terms of user experience much quicker. Dozens of artists doing detailed research and carefully building styles of rope (I went to a talk by the art director for Horizon: Zero Dawn and this is the level they went down to, how people tied stuff together and with what and how this tied into broader cultural issues) is even less significant on mobile than it would be on console or PC because you can’t see it and don’t have the time to look.


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 22, 2017)

List of top iOS titles currently on sale: The Big 2017 App Store Holiday Sales List - All the Best iOS Games on Sale

Errrr, of those IME...

Atomine - genuinely fucking lovely roguelike twin stick. Recent. Love it. Wouldn’t bother with anything less recent than an iPhone 6, probably 6s. (It was sketchy - but just ok - ok my 6+). £1

Bastion - omg. £1

Cat quest - see this thread - omg. £1.

Don’t starve - Shipwrecked. £1

Final Fantasy by the fucking tonne (Buddy Bradley)

Iron marines. I am less convinced than someone else upthread. Makers of Kingdom Rush. £3.

Motorsport Manager 2. Most exciting 2017 mobile release for a long time, until WH Quest 2. Errr, bit mechanistic, but pretty fucking good for an hour or 12. £1

Sunless Sea - fucking love that game. But £7.

Titan Quest. £4. Buddy Bradley

Transistor - see Bastion. £2

Warhammer Quest 1 - to my mind, this remains the finest game ever released on mobile. £1. Buddy Bradley

OMG and Strain Tactics. Totally batshit hypercomplex rts batshit mashup. £3.


----------



## paolo (Dec 22, 2017)

Oh I’m so in the market for a new iOS game. Been ages.

Are real time strategy games still a thing? Any recommendations?

Or just brilliant ‘puzzle’ games? (with enough levels not to burn it all too quickly)


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 22, 2017)

paolo said:


> Are real time strategy games still a thing? Any recommendations?


Strain tactics reviews on steam.

^^^properly nuts, but properly deep.

Top of my head, would also cheerily recommend Red Conquest (which has been on my phone constantly since c.2009 and remains a standout rts, IMO), and Ultimate General (which is a fantastic / painfully deep US war rts. With Steam reviews).

Edit: and wrt puzzles Crispy recently posted this: Gorogoa - Gorgeous hand-drawn puzzle story

Would also give a double thumbs to Bridge Constructor: Portal Version (linked above).

Many many many other puzzle games around, mind!


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 27, 2017)

Latest Michael Brough roguelite has been released.  

He’s decided all significant text should be in Portuguese. And randomised each game. 

#verybrough

'Cinco Paus' Review - A Rosa By Any Other Name

Also, FridgeMagnet


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 27, 2017)

*dp


----------



## mrs quoad (Dec 28, 2017)

List of randomised wand capabilities: Cinco Paus Wand ability list

NB: that’s obvs spoilers, given the text is in Portuguese in the game itself. 

The list looks ridiculous.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Dec 28, 2017)

mrs quoad said:


> Latest Michael Brough roguelite has been released.
> 
> He’s decided all significant text should be in Portuguese. And randomised each game.
> 
> ...


yeah, I was playing it on the tube just now

It's, er. Well, it might be some sort of meta-commentary about the fact that regardless of help text, powers in a roguelike only make sense in strategic context and you only learn that through play, but it's _just a little confusing_. I don't think he really writes games for mass market appeal these days. I worked out a few of the icons, but I shall be reading the spoilers. Or maybe I'll learn Portuguese, I dunno.

It does seem pretty good - the wand mechanic combines discovery and randomisation - and it would be even better if it was in fucking English.


----------



## mrs quoad (Jan 16, 2018)

I have pre-ordered a game for the first time ever. Jydge. By the makers of Neon Chrome and Time Recoil - both eminently decent twin sticks, also available (at least in one case) on Steam. Not as good as Hand of Fate (IMO), which slaughters the genre wholesale; but still pretty darned decent nimble efforts. 

Also bought Let Them Come last week. Which is a proper oddball of a game. Aliens themed (sort of), sort of shooter, mass death and you die hundreds of times, but level progress is always saved. I’m completely unconvinced that my “skill” has anything to do with my progress, but it’s still quite rewarding to play. 

And got game dev tycoon, which I literally have not had three seconds to play; and Animus, which is a beyond brutal / hardcore top-end battler; and Ashworld, which is a tremendously good little open world mission based post apocalyptic pixel graphics survival crafter; errrrr, and Antihero, which looks like an outstanding board game conversion, but (again) which I’m literally struggling to find 30s to play. (For which, thank you, puppy.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Jan 20, 2018)

Jydge is very, very good. As a twin stick shooter.

I think it’s only 20-ish levels, but each had 3 achievements * 3 levels of difficulty.

There’s also a tonne of customisation options - see below. Up to 4 enhancements for your character, 3 for your weapon, a choice of weapon types, and a choice of special weapons. All of them with genuinely absurd levels of choice. And some of which (eg weapon type) can be levelled up, sth like ten times.

I am currently rolling with a l10 shotgun, murderous lead (+50% damage on lead-based weapons), a rapid reload, and a rapid fire / slower reload weapon mods. And with personal mods that allow some frontal damage to be absorbed (a riot shield), hacking, invisibility when static and, er... sth else. You can save 3 loadouts; so I have an additional two saved, one for hostage rescue, and another for melee (which includes 300% melee damage, explosions on contact, and sth else.)

Very smooth, lovely gameplay, unusual degree of depth. And cracking gfx, to boot.

A real gem!


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 20, 2018)

I have to say that the Switch is kind of damaging my iOS game playing. Basically as long as it’s charged I will be playing Mario Odyssey or Stardew Valley on train journeys of any length, so phone games are limited to fag break/loo/three tube stops.

With that in mind I’ve started up Fallout Shelter again. It’s got better since I last played it though that was a year or two ago.


----------



## mrs quoad (Jan 21, 2018)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I have to say that the Switch is kind of damaging my iOS game playing. Basically as long as it’s charged I will be playing Mario Odyssey or Stardew Valley on train journeys of any length, so phone games are limited to fag break/loo/three tube stops.
> 
> With that in mind I’ve started up Fallout Shelter again. It’s got better since I last played it though that was a year or two ago.


Well, then. Let me recommend to you Jydge on Nintendo Switch


----------



## mrs quoad (Jan 25, 2018)

Thumper is out today. Well, yesterday.


kabbes said:


> I enjoyed The Room and its sequels, although they are pretty short.


One for you, kabbes: 'The Room: Old Sins' Review: 'The Room' Series Continues to Amaze

Thumper: Rhythm Violence is also out. I hadn’t heard of it, but it turns out to have a robust steam (and switch?) pedigree. First rhythm game I’ve properly chuffing enjoyed - rayt dirty quick gameplay, and not too obviously rhythm based, at first. 

It has great steam reviews: Thumper on Steam

Will try to dig up a video l8r.


----------



## mrs quoad (Feb 8, 2018)

Final Fantasy 15 pocket edition out.

Strong / positive review from a JRPG nutjob: 'Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition' Review - In Other Words, Final Fantasy 15

kabbes

Edit: This costs nothing up front; am comfortable listing it as premium bc it’s only the first chapter, with a £19.99 full unlock.


----------



## mrs quoad (Feb 8, 2018)

Dandara is also out today. Out on steam, too.

I’m sort of intrigued, bc it’s £15, and is a multi platform release. But, idk. Is it really £15 of good, on iOS scales?

(Reported to have about 10hrs of campaign  )

And WHQ2 has an update. Lots of new iap. New chars. Including a white wizard. New world. Chaos. Idk. I sort of wish I cared enough to spend the money I can’t really afford on it. Iykwim. Woulda been a no-browner on whq1.

As it is, feels a bit like £14 for four more bowls ofnubflacoured porridge.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Feb 8, 2018)

I saw Dandara on the Switch store the other day, discounted for pre order. I suppose it’s now back to full price. Tbh while it looks fine there are a frig of a lot of metroidvania games for the Switch and it would take some seriously good reviews for me to spend £15 on one. I don’t think I’d buy one on iOS unless it had really good touch-designed controls, and if it’s multiplatform that seems less likely.


----------



## kabbes (Feb 23, 2018)

I see that The World Ends With You is now available on iOS.  I played that game through to the end on the DS and it was one of the best games I’ve ever played.  I’m not going to pay for it all over again, but I’d highly recommend if if the port is a good one.  At least it was designed in the first place for a touch screen.

ETA: I say “now available” but the reviews are 5 years old.  So yeah.


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 1, 2018)

kabbes said:


> I see that The World Ends With You is now available on iOS.  I played that game through to the end on the DS and it was one of the best games I’ve ever played.  I’m not going to pay for it all over again, but I’d highly recommend if if the port is a good one.  At least it was designed in the first place for a touch screen.
> 
> ETA: I say “now available” but the reviews are 5 years old.  So yeah.


Erm.

Weirdly... oh. Yeah. I see your ETA. 

Something appalling has happened here, mind, as I paid for this originally but it's now asking for £18 for ownership. I assume this is bc I owned the iPad version, and Square are massive dickheads wrt versions.

 

Massive dickheads.


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 1, 2018)

Today, I bought Lichtspeer. Mostly bc it's payday, I suspect. Erm, IDK, 4/5 stars on TA, decent enough reviews on Steam. Atm (couple of levels in) I'm finding it a bit basic / bland. Stand there throwing a parabolic spear, basically. With a couple of special weapons. Maybe it's because I don't have the music up loud enough, or maybe it gets more interesting, or sth. (It has already got a bit more interesting; flying things, big things, and things on different levels to spear. I'm not getting the 'amazing' feeling of headshots described by other reviewers / posters on TA, tho.) I originally put it on my 'wait til a sale' list, given it was available for pre-purchase @£2. But crumbled @£4, as a lecture I'm putting together on jihadi radicalisation in prisons gathered an increasing need for brief interruption.

I also bought Holy Potatoes! We're In Space. Again, decent Steam history, decent Steam reviews, and - despite multiple game-breaking crashes - I did quite enjoy its predecessor (HPAWS). I am quite enjoying this, though I've taken a couple of restarts - there's a lot to do, I'm an early-game perfectionist, and it doesn't explain things fully until they happen (e.g., the irritating impact of dying hard in battle / during exploration). It does appear to be somewhat more fruity than HPAWS, though - not only weapon building, but also weapon deployment in a sort-of-FTL-lite combat mechanic. IDK. Enjoying what I've seen, but not yet gripped. Which may be, in no small part, due to the fact that I was fucking knackered when I fired it up last night, to the point of being barely able to focus.

Oh, and Alto's Odyssey. Got that earlier this week. £5 for an agreeable one-button endless runner. IDK. Doesn't really do anything that the first one (Alto's Adventure) did, except there's lots more 'levels' for each piece of kit, each of which requires progressively more coins, and so more grinding. I've got a max distance of well over 20km now (which I appreciate is no doubt tiddly compared to some huge scores). It hits a point where it's no longer really viable for a quick loo break, bc to beat that I'd have to be there for, like, 12 mins or sth. Yeah, no thanks. More itch scratching than glory. For me, at least. And the devs (who are active on TA) wank on endlessly about the experience and the joy of discovery and blah blah blah oh shut up u dickheads and concentrate on good gameplay.

Edit: so, yeah. Ouch. That's £16 of apps, and none of them have completely blown me away. I could've got the dog _at least_ 1.6kg of dried tripe sticks for that. #paydaydickhead


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 7, 2018)

I am growing to love HPWIS. 

It is a good and characterful game. 

Seems a bit easy atm - having realised I can craft QNS Sell weapons I’m rolling in a bit too much £££. 

But it has a nice crafting, upgrade, exploration, battles, text based decisions dynamic.


----------



## tommers (Mar 7, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> I am growing to love HPWIS.
> 
> It is a good and characterful game.
> 
> ...


I played it a little bit before I got stuck into ITB and it seemed alright. I misjudged the time thing though and beat the first boss but didn't have time to warp out. Then it dumped me in with somebody I had no chance of beating (like it was impossible). I tried escaping the fight but couldn't and it killed me in one turn.  I'm presuming that I'm missing something but it seemed a bit unfair.


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 7, 2018)

tommers said:


> I played it a little bit before I got stuck into ITB and it seemed alright. I misjudged the time thing though and beat the first boss but didn't have time to warp out. Then it dumped me in with somebody I had no chance of beating (like it was impossible). I tried escaping the fight but couldn't and it killed me in one turn.  I'm presuming that I'm missing something but it seemed a bit unfair.


Yeah. Afaict, the time limit is absolute. Miss it, and die by boss. (But with the offer of restarting from your most recent hub visit, or most recent galaxy visit).

It makes sense to push the time limit to the edge, to maximise resource gathering, crafting, etc. But go one turn too far, and the sanction is pretty non negotiable.

Edit: tl;dr “don’t do that again and you’ll be rayt.”


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 9, 2018)

One for old skool rpg fans: 'Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear' Arrives in the App Store for iOS and Android


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 13, 2018)

I am still on my first play through of HPWIS. 

I am playing it quite hard. 

It is fuckin awsum. 

I must go to bed.


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 13, 2018)

It’s incremental grinding perfected, really. Incremental gains. Randomised crafting (with incremental gains). Lots of crew management. Decent chances to test out benefits of incremental gains in multiple combat scenarios.

Scratches the invisible grind itch superbly. Even though I know what’s happening, I’m properly fucking enjoying it.

Constantly holding out for that two-charge L7 350 damage S grade pea shooter.

And to hell with its HP.


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 15, 2018)

Darkest Dungeon at 99p. 

Tablet only. 

Beyond outstanding game, complete no brainier at that price. 

Darkest Dungeon:Tablet Edition on the App Store


----------



## mrs quoad (Mar 28, 2018)

I see Sega’s two Football Manager 2018 titles are half price atm, for those with an interest in soccer.


----------



## mrs quoad (Apr 29, 2018)

Oddmar. 

'Oddmar' Review - This Game Earns its Place in Valhalla

I’m not usually a fan of platformers, but this is stunning. Lots and lots of ways of changing up levels (animals with various skills to ride, dream worlds within worlds that add whole new sets of challenges (which themselves differ between dream worlds)), variable skills and enemies. Outstanding production values. 

Well worth a fiver, IMO.


----------



## mrs quoad (Apr 29, 2018)

Also: new iap / content expansion for Imbroglio, FridgeMagnet


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 29, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> Also: new iap / content expansion for Imbroglio, FridgeMagnet


Don't seem to see anything in the app store yet 

Tbh, while Imbroglio is my favourite "thing to play when I haven't got my Switch with me", iPhone games have to reach a pretty high (almost impossible) bar to get played when I do. Even if I don't have the time between stops to get the Switch out I'll often rather hum to myself than start anything phone-based.


----------



## mrs quoad (Apr 29, 2018)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Don't seem to see anything in the app store yet


Phlogiston.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (May 4, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> Phlogiston.
> 
> View attachment 134037
> 
> View attachment 134035


For some reason I thought you said Cinco Paus. Duh. I did take a look at the new weapons but not only are there a load of new behaviours to learn, there seems to be an entirely new method that they can all interact, “(dis)charging” each other and themselves. As if creating a good board on Imbroglio wasn’t absurdly complex enough already. Think I’ll wait until I see some winning examples.

Vampiric Spear was nerfed while I wasn’t looking, too - it’s two stars until it sucks a heart from normal enemies, and while it sucks from cursed at zero now, you only get one heart rather than the previous two, which kind of hurts curse-heavy boards.


----------



## Shechemite (May 18, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> Football Manager... for those with an interest in soccer.



you really are a cunt


----------



## mrs quoad (May 18, 2018)

MadeInBedlam said:


> you really are a cunt


And you, sir, are a soccer fan!

However, tomorrow I shall still be a cunt. 

To paraphrase GBS, or possibly Churchill.


----------



## mrs quoad (May 21, 2018)

I died somewhat over winter. HOWEVER, there have been some cracking releases.

First and foremost, Tiny Bubbles. £2? I'm not usually a puzzle nut, but this is chuffing tremendous. Based on a sort-of match-four colours basis, but what they've done with it is imaginative, perfectly suited to mobile, and chuffing gorgeous. Requires a lot of imaginative thinking and, on occasions, quick fingers. I've cracked about 130 of the 175 or so levels, and the difficulty curve has remained somewhat constant. Never too difficult, but some lateral thinking (and some luck) required.







Super Hydorah came out last week. It's a proper classic shmup, takes me right back to my days of smashing Gradius on the NES. Superb replayability, luvverly controls, REALLY EXPENSIVE @£7 but has a fantastic series of reviews on Steam and - apparently - can be tested for free on steam (in an earlier version) too. Again, I'm not really a shmup person (and others on the TA forums have compared it to Steredenn, which I find appalling). But this - first-rate Gradius-type action. £7 well spent!






^^^ with CRT-simulation lines turned on 

In a slightly weird move, Real Racing 2 has also been updated for iOS 11 (and new devices?) This is a real oddity - bc after RR2 (IMO the best classic racer by a country mile for donkeys) the company was bought out (and sold out), churning out the sack of wet shit that is the full-on freemium grindfest of RR3. Outstanding game, with outstanding mechanics / physics. I've re-DLed it, and IMO it's well worth a punt for anyone who likes racers (and doesn't already have it).


----------



## mrs quoad (May 29, 2018)

Dungeon maker. 

Dungeon Maker : Dark Lord on the App Store

Currently 38th top selling strategy game in the U.K. market. 

(Despite weeks at number 1 in a range of less European markets)

Arguably the finest game I’ve encountered in a couple of years. 

TA has a burgeoning thread:

Universal - Dungeon Maker : Dark Lord (by GameCoaster)

The game itself is hard to describe. Like Guild of Dungeoneering gone epic action hardcore. Strong roguelike elements. Phenomenal use of RNGs, to determine the types of upgrade you can access, and their specific nature. 

Task 1: survive 100 days. 

I’m on playthrough c.30. 

Yet to get beyond 84. 

Also: DOGS.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jun 2, 2018)

FridgeMagnet said:


> For some reason I thought you said Cinco Paus. Duh. I did take a look at the new weapons but not only are there a load of new behaviours to learn, there seems to be an entirely new method that they can all interact, “(dis)charging” each other and themselves. As if creating a good board on Imbroglio wasn’t absurdly complex enough already. Think I’ll wait until I see some winning examples.
> 
> Vampiric Spear was nerfed while I wasn’t looking, too - it’s two stars until it sucks a heart from normal enemies, and while it sucks from cursed at zero now, you only get one heart rather than the previous two, which kind of hurts curse-heavy boards.


I’ve been playing some boards with the new “charge” weapons. This being a Brough game there’s no documentation as to how they work but it seems that a charged weapon does one extra pip of damage and also arcs to adjacent enemies, doing the same damage to all of them. It then discharges and needs to be charged again somehow. Arcing is recursive too (not sure whether it can branch) so this is potentially really significant for the late game, where you get packed out with enemies and need either a reliable one hit kill or ideally a mass crowd clearing effect.

The best one previously was Witchpact Blade IMO, which had a cascade effect when killing a cursed enemy and also hit power based on the # of cursed enemies, so combined with auto-cursing tiles could clear out the whole board. With charging, there are a selection of auto-chargers affecting themselves or other weapons, the key difference being that it’s a status effect on weapons not enemies, so if you discharge a weapon you need to have some recharging mechanism or move to a different tile.

The other big addition is the Philosophers Stone which gives you sixteen stars when you level it up, but takes away one of your blue diamonds. Given that 256 stars is a win this can really increase your chances as long as you can survive with less resilience to blue attacks - and while you can get extra blue diamonds, you either need to kill a dragon or level up a Dragon Skull tile to max. I’ve seen some winning boards appearing for all characters using it.


----------



## mrs quoad (Aug 11, 2018)

Wonder Blade is _very very very very _good indeed. A lovely little beat em up, with what looks like (early game!) a whole lot of potential for leveling up stats, weapons and spells. 

TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'Wonder Blade'

Wonder Blade ‎Wonder Blade on the App Store


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Aug 12, 2018)

I actually won Imbroglio the other week, with cursey witch woman and the above mentioned Witchpact Blades, also Confusion Clouds which are one of the few defensive weapons (two at full power block 75% of all attacks from cursed enemies, and when you can curse as a power that’s pretty handy). The Wicked Thorns in the corners curse all enemies 50% of the time on entry at full power, too, and as the board fills up, monsters often move over that tile repeatedly even if they didn’t get cursed the first time.

 

She’s one of the easier characters to win with though I understand. (I’ve got scores in the 210s and 220s with other characters but that’s it.)


----------



## mrs quoad (Aug 12, 2018)

That is way above my pay grade, FridgeMagnet #rofl


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Aug 12, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> That is way above my pay grade, FridgeMagnet #rofl


Well you know I'm not a dilettante with my premium iOS games.

I never noticed before that Jeska has some harsh cyan curse eyebrows.


----------



## mrs quoad (Aug 23, 2018)

Been on iPad for a while.

Now available for iPhone.

If you’ve got the iPad version, this is a free dl.


----------



## mrs quoad (Aug 25, 2018)

I really rate Dungeon Maker, tbh. For a good few months, it’s been keeping me entertained on the QT. 

Strong rogue like elements, and the potential for vastly different outcomes based on the randomised options that crop up. 

Through a series of batshit risk / reward decisions, my latest dungeon won 5 altars (worst possible rooms - give your enemy heroes boosts, and can’t hold your monsters) within 50 days / turns. My monsters were epic strong bc of it (eg, event card, “all monsters health +30, but gain an altar”; “all monsters gain random equipment, but gain an altar”) but if any heroes made it past them, I was ducked. Properly gambling on an every-20-days-boss-defeating “remove all altars” relic to show up, which didn’t happen until day 120. 



I’ve never seen a dungeon like this, in months of playing. The game keeps on throwing curveballs (and keeps on adding updates) in ways that are frankly tremendous.


----------



## kabbes (Aug 28, 2018)

To be honest, I’ve played nothing but Pokemon battles on Pokemon Alpha Sapphire for the last three to six months, as well as breeding optimised Pokemon for my teams on Pokemon on Pokemon X.  Gen VI all the way.


----------



## Cid (Apr 29, 2019)

mrs quoad said:


> I'm going to add Data Wing to this thread: TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'Data Wing'
> 
> It's technically a cheat, bc it's free. But it's a free premium release - no IAPs, advertising, timers, grind requirements, dual currencies, or other freemium / f2p mechanics - and developed as a side project by a dev on another team. As TA note, there isn't even a "tip" button for folks who want to thank / remunerate the dev.
> 
> ...



I’m playing it now... I like the er... narrator? Boss? Controller? Has a sort of portal feel to it.


----------



## cybershot (May 9, 2019)

Epic Strategy Classic 'Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion' Released on iPhone


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## ohmyliver (Jun 27, 2019)

So, I've finally got an iPad (second-hand iPad pro 10.5).  Been enjoying Darkest Dungeon, and, err, Korg Gadget (yes I know it's not a game).  What else's recommended.  Not really into freemium (I'd rather pay up front, and I don't like the psychology of 'em).


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