Here’s a roundup of the ten (now 11!) most addictive iPhone games this year. This list will ignore sales, charts and ratings, though many here have done very well. We’ve cherry picked the games that appeal with their excellent game design, original mechanics and, most importantly, addictive play.
There are no big brands or game franchises – this is all indie gaming at its best. iPhone games offered incredible value in 2009, with many titles giving more gameplay than Nintendo DS or Sony PSP releases costing £25 or more. We’ll see the quality of iPhone games continuing to rise in 2010, possibly with a few from Playniac…
Developed over Xmas 2008, this was one of the first hugely addictive games of the year. It invented the “line drawing” genre, making great use of the iPhone’s touch screen. Flight Control is a simple game that’s easy to learn yet always leaves you thinking “surely I could land one more plane”. Firemint avoided adding levels to each map – keeping the difficulty level ramping up gradually; though they did add 3 new locations over the course of the year. The final addition of multiplayer created a quirky though not entirely satisfying collaborative mode. Could do with a few more locations added, but still stands up as great value.
2. Rolando 2
Handcircus followed up on the excellent Rolando 1 with this stunning game that brings iPhone-perfect click-and-tilt game mechanics, cute characters and a huge set of quirky and challenging levels. This game gets you coming back not just because of its level design, but because the world of Rolando is a fun and lovely place to be. Its perfectly balanced, so you always feel it is just pushing you but never leaves you stuck. I’m looking forward to seeing what developer Simon Oliver’s next offering, mysteriously entitled “project 3″, will look like when it comes out in 2010.
3. Charadium
My enjoyment of this highly original multiplayer game was only very slightly tempered by the fact that I prototyped the same idea in 2005 for a prize-winning multiplayer site – we dropped it because you can’t rule out cheating, but without prizes it works fine. This is a great implementation that does all I would have hoped for with the concept. Players take it in turns to draw a word, and everyone else must guess as soon as possible. The result is lots of crazy sketches and quickfire typing. Embarrassingly, all of the drawings are archived to their web site so everyone can admire your, erm, artwork. In my view the best multiplayer game on iPhone.
4. Harbour Master
This game clearly drew its inspiration from Flight Control, but adds enough to the play mechanic to make it a worthwhile entry in its own right. Ships must be docked, unloaded and then guided off screen. The creators Imangi really went to town with taking the game further, adding levels that include pirates, cannons, monsters, multiple cargoes and hurricanes. Thoroughly recommended, especially if you’ve enjoyed crashing planes elsewhere and want more.
5. I Dig It
Another original mechanic, this digging and collecting game is highly addictive. Controls work well and vehicle upgrades keep the game rolling. However it does have one critical design flaw – you can lose your entire ‘career’ progress in the game if you run out of fuel or overheat once, making play much more punishing than it needs to be. A simple ‘continue’ feature would have made this game much more popular. (Note: The latest version has ‘casual’ and ‘freeplay’ modes which may address this).
6. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor
This is the only game on the list I must guiltily admit to not having played. However what I’ve seen and heard is enough to warrant its inclusion. How many games let you play as unglamorous a creature as a spider and explore an adventure mission using a touchscreen to draw cobwebs. Its a fantastic idea and I can’t wait to get this one downloaded. I recommend you do too.
7. Lucky Coins
Donut Games‘ approach seems to be to put out game after game for free. They don’t all work, but this is one for fans of Peggle or Pachinko that had me so addicted that when iTunes lost all my scores and level unlocks, I played it through again from the beginning. Its an incredibly simple interface, that requires just a single tap to send the coin shooting off to collect pick-ups. There are loads of levels and its got a balanced combination of chance and skill. Very simple casual gameplay for when you don’t want to concentrate too hard.
8. Tap Tap Revenge 3
Not just a game, but a content delivery model, creators Tapulous were pioneers of the ‘freemium’ app this year when they launched this Dance Dance Revolution-type game that has you tapping your touch screen in a frenzy. You get a load of free tracks to play, but you can also download free promos or buy songs by your favorite bands. Pass this one round at a pub or party and see what an enthusiastic reaction you get. The multiplayer mode gives you the opportunity to be totally humiliated by strangers from all over the world.
9. iBomber
This game doesn’t break boundaries on genre, but it does simulate WW2 bombing very well. Its the only game on the list that involves shooting stuff, a game activity I usually avoid. It made the list because it creates a skillful challenge that has you judging speed and distance carefully. A must for any fans of arcade classic Xevious, this game takes the mechanic into the noughties with multiple bomb types, multiple targets and mission goals, unlocks and awards. It has lots of missions and my only criticism is that the difficulty level ramps up quite quickly – though that only adds to the amount of gameplay on offer if it gets you hooked.
10. Sheep Launcher
This is the only gratuitously silly game on this list, but it works because it is simple to use and keeps you wanting to beat your own score. Launch sheep into the air and continue to bounce them by tapping. There are all sorts of power ups as you catapult from sky to stratosphere to outer space, with accompanying scenery and obstacles. Currently the game has been re-skinned for Xmas – Kronos Games promise a return to ovine oddity in January 2010.
11. Pocket God
Why does my top ten list have 11 entries? Well I originally didn’t include Pocket God because it hovers somewhere between being a game and a toy. However over the year it has grown into such a feature rich and fun bit of content that I just couldn’t resist adding it. Bolt Creative are one of the few developers to keep their promise of regular episodic content releases (those who didn’t know who they are and will get no presents from Santa). This app just keeps growing and growing, with recent additions including an ice monster (pictured above), Thriller-dancing zombies, a laser wielding shark, giant spiders, dinosaur eggs and lots of other hidden goodies – I would love to attend a Bolt brainstorm session. And no, I don’t know how to make the Xmas decorations appear – if anyone can enlighten me please post a comment.
