Thread for opinions/reviews on iOS games which may just happen to be on sale

[wonderpug]

Why no, I'm not trying to find a way to get an iOS deals thread to stay here instead of going to the Steals & Deals subforum.  That's crazy talk.  You are crazy for that talk.  The iOS games to be discussed or reviewed in this thread just coincidentally happen to also be on sale.  If you want to find a place to just list iOS deals, well of course you'll want to go to that other thread. 

Oh hey!  Blueprint 3D looks like a fun, simple game involving blueprints shattered into pieces around a 3d space that you have to rotate into the proper orientation to look correct from your 2d perspective.  The metacritic reviews certainly seem positive.  The "top in in-app purchases!" headline scares me a little, because it makes me wonder how aggressive their in-app moneymaking scheme is going to be. 

Oh holy shit by golly this game is free today as part of FreeAppADay.  I guess I'll give it a shot, and then share more opinions and reviews on this, the first of many iOS games in this game review thread which just happen to also be on sale.

[Teggy]

I think this thread belongs in Massivel Multiplayer Madness. Mods, please move.

[Jag]

I subscribe to Free App of the Day's RSS feed. Pretty easy to find what's free.

Toucharcade also has a great forum just for freebies.

[Misguided]

Picked up a game called LightUp yesterday which is really good. If anybody remembers Prism on DS, this is similar. There are emitters of different color light beams and you have to bounce the beams around with mirrors to hit the correct color targets. It gets pretty complicated. This is not Universal, but looks pretty good at 2x on iPad (most games I can't stand doubled). It has a timed element, but it is easily ignored.

[wonderpug]

Have you played Trainyard?  Sounds like a similar concept, and Trainyard is a lot of fun.

[Misguided]

Have you played Trainyard?  Sounds like a similar concept, and Trainyard is a lot of fun.

Isn't that a frantic, real-time sort of game?

[farley2k]

Oh hey!  Blueprint 3D looks like a fun, simple game involving blueprints shattered into pieces around a 3d space that you have to rotate into the proper orientation to look correct from your 2d perspective.  The metacritic reviews certainly seem positive.  The "top in in-app purchases!" headline scares me a little, because it makes me wonder how aggressive their in-app moneymaking scheme is going to be. 

I picked it up on sale and am enjoying it quite a bit.  Of course I have only played a handful of levels but I think I have a pretty good feel for it (kind of how you know a game of doing jigsaw puzzles pretty quickly.)  It is pretty much exactly what you expect based on reviews and descriptions.

Well worth a buck for me!

[wonderpug]

Have you played Trainyard?  Sounds like a similar concept, and Trainyard is a lot of fun.

Isn't that a frantic, real-time sort of game?

Nope, but it may look like that in videos.  You lay out the tracks to get your colored trains to mix/change and hit the target colored end-points, then you hit play.  Retry as many times as you want.  You can even slow down the playback so you can troubleshoot where things are going wrong.  Totally a take your time puzzle game.

[wonderpug]

Oh hey!  Blueprint 3D looks like a fun, simple game involving blueprints shattered into pieces around a 3d space that you have to rotate into the proper orientation to look correct from your 2d perspective.  The metacritic reviews certainly seem positive.  The "top in in-app purchases!" headline scares me a little, because it makes me wonder how aggressive their in-app moneymaking scheme is going to be. 

I picked it up on sale and am enjoying it quite a bit.  Of course I have only played a handful of levels but I think I have a pretty good feel for it (kind of how you know a game of doing jigsaw puzzles pretty quickly.)  It is pretty much exactly what you expect based on reviews and descriptions.

Well worth a buck for me!

As you score stars you unlock two higher difficulties.  I kind of like the hardest one, as it gives you two different layers that each have to be rotated/oriented to add up to the final image.  I'm a little annoyed that it removes the "this way is up" hint, because on some items the orientation of the art is arbitrary and you have to fiddle around wondering if it's not accepting your answer because it's upside down or because the layer alignment is off.

[Misguided]

Thanks, Wonderpug, I had totally dismissed that one.

[Gratch]

My second favorite match–3 (behind Dungeon Raid) is on sale for .99 today.  Be sure to check out Montezumas Revenge 3

[MonkeyFinger]

My second favorite match–3 (behind Dungeon Raid) is on sale for .99 today.  Be sure to check out Montezumas Revenge 3

Don't see anything with that name... do you mean 'Treasures of Montezuma 3' perhaps?

[Gratch]

My second favorite match–3 (behind Dungeon Raid) is on sale for .99 today.  Be sure to check out Montezumas Revenge 3

Don't see anything with that name... do you mean 'Treasures of Montezuma 3' perhaps?

Yes.   

[MonkeyFinger]

No problem.  I'll have to check and see if this is something the wife hasn't already played, she love the match three.

[Misguided]

First ever sale for Ascension: 99 cents. If you dont already have it, don't think, just buy.

[Gratch]

First ever sale for Ascension: 99 cents. If you dont already have it, don't think, just buy.

Done...now I just have to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

[Misguided]

It should become pretty clear within a playthrough or two. The one thing that is a bit more of an advanced concept per se is that getting rid of your starting cards (by banishing them) can really help you out by letting you cycle through your good cards more quickly.

If you have any questions, just ask.

[The Grue]

First ever sale for Ascension: 99 cents. If you dont already have it, don't think, just buy.

Not until they add retina for iPad 3.  They updated the app since December (with the exception of adding in things to buy through IAP).  If I felt they might ever update it for better resolution, I'd buy it.  I own all the card games they've released, so not like they're losing out on all my money, but they'd get all of it with this one move.

[wonderpug]

but...

[The Grue]

too much for that.

[Chaz]

Man, I'm glad I only got an ipad2.  Apparently the 3 makes you a crazy person. 

[Gratch]

Man, I'm glad I only got an ipad2.  Apparently the 3 makes you a crazy person. 

I have an iPad 3 and think it looks like.  Grue be talkin' crazy.

Very fun game.  I've been playing a lot of Dominion lately, so this is right up my alley.  Went ahead and grabbed the expansion as well.

[Chaz]

I'm debating about getting the expansion.  Since I just got the base game about two weeks ago (at full price *grumble*), I'm holding off on buying it for a bit.

[Bullwinkle]

I'm debating about getting the expansion.  Since I just got the base game about two weeks ago (at full price *grumble*), I'm holding off on buying it for a bit.

I think the expansion is great and adds some very interesting cards.

Plus the next expansion, Storm of Souls, has just been announced for next month!

For those all about the MP, it'll make the game playable with up to six.

[The Grue]

Man, I'm glad I only got an ipad2.  Apparently the 3 makes you a crazy person. 

I have an iPad 3 and think it looks like.  Grue be talkin' crazy.

Very fun game.  I've been playing a lot of Dominion lately, so this is right up my alley.  Went ahead and grabbed the expansion as well.

I will admit that since I have not purchased it, I have not seen what it actually looks like on the screen, but I know from other games that I can see pixelation if it isn't specifically enhanced to look great on the retina display.  Are you telling me that you don't notice any pixels?

[Misguided]

I figured the sale was probably to increase the user base before storm of souls comes out. I actually bought a physical copy of that one and it is interesting.

[Chaz]

In app purchases never go on sale, right?

[Cragmyre]

In app purchases never go on sale, right?

Neuroshima Hex's inapp purchases were on sale once.  Though I don't think you can find out about that via something like AppShopper.  I happened to catch it on BoardGameGeek's iOS blog

[Gratch]

Man, I'm glad I only got an ipad2.  Apparently the 3 makes you a crazy person. 

I have an iPad 3 and think it looks like.  Grue be talkin' crazy.

Very fun game.  I've been playing a lot of Dominion lately, so this is right up my alley.  Went ahead and grabbed the expansion as well.

I will admit that since I have not purchased it, I have not seen what it actually looks like on the screen, but I know from other games that I can see pixelation if it isn't specifically enhanced to look great on the retina display.  Are you telling me that you don't notice any pixels?

I don't, but I'm also not nearly as picky as most when it comes that sort of thing. 

[wonderpug]

I'm debating about getting the expansion.  Since I just got the base game about two weeks ago (at full price *grumble*), I'm holding off on buying it for a bit.

I think the expansion is great and adds some very interesting cards.

If you're enjoying the base game, you should definitely just impulse buy the expansion, Chaz.  The added cards really do improve the game.

[Suitably Ironic Moniker]

Having never played a game like Ascension, I'm slowly learning my way, but it seems fun so far.

[BrianE]

Aralon: Sword and Shadow is 99 cents

[leo8877]

If you like tower defense and The Behemoth style graphics, check out Kingdom Rush HD for sale right at 99¢. Really neat game and optimized for retina iPad too!

EDIT:  Updated to correct App name.

[Cragmyre]

If you like tower defense and The Behemoth style graphics, check out Castle Rush HD for sale right at 99¢. Really neat game and optimized for retina iPad too!

You mean Kingdom Rush HD?

[The Grue]

Alright, I broke down and bought Ascension and man does it look like crap on the new iPad.  Hopefully they update this when Soul of Storms comes out.  Pixelated text is not attractive.

[leo8877]

If you like tower defense and The Behemoth style graphics, check out Castle Rush HD for sale right at 99¢. Really neat game and optimized for retina iPad too!

You mean Kingdom Rush HD?

Shoot sorry, that's what I meant.

[Teggy]

Maybe this should go in another thread, but what's the key to beating other players in Ascension. I get the basic rules, but outside of banishing the occasional card to prevent the AI from getting it or picking a card that has a negative effect for an opponent, I'm kind of playing the game just to build my deck. What are strategies you would use, and therefore watch out for opponents using?

[Bullwinkle]

Maybe this should go in another thread, but what's the key to beating other players in Ascension. I get the basic rules, but outside of banishing the occasional card to prevent the AI from getting it or picking a card that has a negative effect for an opponent, I'm kind of playing the game just to build my deck. What are strategies you would use, and therefore watch out for opponents using?

I know that often when I lose, it's because I'm paying more attention to get victory points in-game and forgetting to check what VP cards may have as a post-game reward.

[Cragmyre]

One thing I try and do is banish cards in the center row that have a good ratio to star point value.  So if I see a card that costs 6 and has a 6 star ( and I can't grab it myself ) I'll tend to banish it so my opponent can't get them.  Though that is usually later in the game.  If possible I just try and keep the "good" cards from my opponent.

[wonderpug]

Don't grab 1 point cards unless you really like them or want them.  They'll dilute your deck, especially the Hectic Scribe, who looks good on paper but translates to you playing one fewer card on your turn (he's still situationally useful, though).

When there's only ~10-15 points left in the game, do grab those 1 point cards, as they're on par with mechana constructs as having a 1:1 point ratio.

Don't go construct heavy if you are playing more than one opponent.  With 3-4 players there are going to be too many construct disposal cards coming into play for it to be worthwhile.

Get a deck-banishing ability ASAP.  Your goal is to banish all your militia and apprentices, militia first if you can.  Once I get one of those cards, I try to use it every single time it comes up, even if it means banishing something in my hand (but don't do that if you need that last point to gain or kill something in the center).

I'll try to think of more later--if there's this much interest, maybe we should have a thread for the game?