Broken Age ($10) from Double Fine Productions is the first graphic adventure game in 16 years from developer Tim Schafer. Famously funded through Kickstarter, Broken Age is an iPad-only game which was first released on other platforms in January. Players control two teenagers who find themselves in similar situations, but in completely different magical worlds. A star-studded affair, it features the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Jack Black, Jennifer Hale, Wil Wheaton, and Pendleton Ward. The game has been well reviewed, and if you’re a fan of point-and-click adventures, it would make a lot of sense to get the iPad version. Act 1 is now available, and Act 2 of the game will be added as an in-app purchase in the future.
(R)evolve (free) is a new release from Team17 Software, best known for developing the Worms series. The game tasks players with taking care of life on an alien planet as meteors crash down upon it in different waves and patterns. Controls are simple — press the left side of the screen to spin the planet to the left, and likewise for the right. You’re aimed with making sure the meteorites hit the bare spots on the planet. Winner of The Great British Game Jam 2014, (R)evolve is a neat little game that’s worth a try for free; a $1 in-app purchase removes ads.
Skype has redesigned its free Skype for iPhone app in version 5.0. The app has been revamped to start up faster and puts recent conversations first.
Users can now create groups, share photos, and leave video messages. The updated app makes it easier to switch between conversations, and new in-app controls lets users better manage notifications.
Terry Cavanagh’s platformer VVVVVV ($3) was released for Mac in 2010; it hits iOS nearly four years later. Of course, if you haven’t played it — or heard of it — it’s new to you. The touchscreen controls are simple, as players use the left side of the screen to move, and the right side of the screen to “flip” — you reverse gravity to stand on the ceiling or the floor. This is how you get around obstacles, rather than jumping.
