How to Get 20 Awesome iOS Games for $20 During the Christmas Sales
(We recommend reading this article on your iPad)
It seems like every developer and his 8-bit dog has snuck in before the App Store freeze with a tasty sale to lure a dollar or two away from Christmas players. Many of us, I’m sure, will be desperate to sneak away from Grandma for a quick bite of mobile gameplay at some point in the next week. So why not? Amongst all the so-so titles, there are some genuine gems that you’d be remiss not to snap up while the shopping is good. We just spent $20 on the sales, and these are the titles we picked up and why we think you should snap them up too!
Note: This is a price guide; figures may vary slightly between countries. If you want to grab any of the below titles, you can click the link and you will be directed straight to your regional iTunes. If you are on your iPad, they will download directly, if you are on another system, they will save to the cloud and you can download them to your iPad later.
We also encourage you to check out Issue 0 of Grab It Magazine. It's free, and you've never seen a mag like it before.
$20 – Type:Rider for $1 – This brilliantly conceived title from Cosmografik takes players on a journey through the history of typography in the form of a haunting platformer. The way each level encapsulates an era is impressive. Grab the game here and also Check out the full Type:Rider review in our free Issue 0 of Grab It Magazine.
$19 – Fieldrunners 2 for $1 – This fast-paced tower defence title is jam-packed with content, and takes a creative spin on the genre by allowing you to build the enemy attack paths you must defend. Grab it here.
$18 – Bastion for $1 – A console-like adventure with a richly detailed world, deep gameplay, great controls and a truly unique storytelling approach. The experience is told by a narrator as gameplay unfolds, detailing your every move as the adventure expands. Grab it here.
$17 – Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP for $2 - It’s an adventure/puzzle game at its core, but Sword & Sworcery presents so much more than that, from mind-bending puzzles to unforgettable characters, ancient mysteries and everything in between. Grab it here.
$15 – Fruit Ninja HD for $1 – If you haven’t checked out Halfbrick’s famous Fruit Ninja yet, now is your chance. A simple arcade game, its addictive swipe-to-slice-fruit mechanic is a quintessential example of pick-up-and-play gaming. Grab it here.
$14 – Civilization Revolution for $1 – Sid Meier, the godfather of the strategy genre, has taken to iOS in a big way in recent years, and his iconic Civilization series makes the move with aplomb. The type of one-more-turn game your partner will be cursing at 1am in the morning. Grab it here.
$13 – Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light HD for $1 – Ditching Tomb Raider’s over-the-shoulder 3D adventure gameplay for an isometric, puzzle-heavy action game works hugely in favour of Lara Croft’s first foray into downloadable gaming. Grab it here.
$12 – LostWinds for FREE – In this delightful sidescroller, you control the wind, providing gusts of air with a swipe that can lift hero Toku through an artfully constructed world filled with puzzles, obstacles and the odd enemy. Grab it here.
$12 – Bit.Trip.Run for $2 – The auto-runner gets a huge splash of retro flair in Gaijin Games Bit.Trip.Run! Buoyed by a fantastic soundtrack, it’s full of creative touches that’ll keep you hooked. Grab it here.
$10 – Deus Ex: The Fall for $1 – Far from a simple spin-off of the main console series, this is a genuine standalone entry with a full story that unfolds in fully realised 3D world. Grab it here.
$9 – Star Command for $1 – An involving space simulation/strategy game that has you exploring the galaxy, levelling-up your ship and crew, dealing with alien scum and unravelling a story of political intrigue, all with delightful 8-bit visuals. Grab it here.
$8 – Anomaly 2 for $1 – There is plenty of fun and a stack of content to be had in this visually gorgeous tower offence game, where you must guide your troops through perilous pathways laden with enemy defences. It includes a multiplayer mode. Grab it here.
$7 – Epoch for FREE – Third-person shooters have had a troublesome start on touchscreen devices, but Epoch shows exactly how it can work with simple and effective controls, bringing visually rich and fun gameplay to life. Grab it here.
$7 – Ms. Splosion Man for $1 – A platform-puzzle experience where the main “special move" of the hero is to explode – yes, it’s as funny as it sounds. But it’s also a lot of fun thanks to its charming aesthetic and increasingly more difficult, fast-paced levels.Grab it here.
$6 – Indigo Lake for $1 – It looks like a first-person shooter with some puzzle/adventure elements when you first see this game, but the unsettling atmosphere and genuine scares ensure this is one of the great horror games to found on iOS. Grab it here.
$5 – Pivvot for $2 – This brilliantly conceived twitch-puzzler will test your reflexes and your brain juice in some of the most rewarding manners possible on the iPad. Pivoting a ball on a string as you head through an obstacle filled maze in search of checkpoints of a high score is deeply engaging. Grab it here.
$3 – Echo Prime for $1 – It takes a little while for this brawler to get going, but as you unlock new combat abilities and school yourself on the various strategies they unfold, you can start blasting and cutting away enemies with addictive glee. Grab it here.
$2 – Frozen Synapse for $1 – A wonderfully executed strategy game that offers cat and mouse gameplay in both single and multiplayer varieties. It’s turn-based, and concocting a winning plan is satisfying rewarded with bloody results. Grab it here.
$2 – Wave Trip for FREE – Fans of endless sidescrollers like Jetpack Joyride should check out this musical trip. The game starts off in near silence, but as you collect objects moving through each level you build a delightful soundtrack. Thankfully, this stylistic gimmick doesn’t come at a cost to fun, tight gameplay. Grab it here.
$1 – Shardlands for $1 – A visually rich adventure game where you must help an explorer escape from an alien warren of caves. The game sets itself apart by avoiding traditional combat, with puzzle heavy gameplay where stealth, setting traps and effective touch-based exploration win the day. Grab it here.
First Reserve – In Case You Already Own One
Reserve – Star Wars Pinball 2 for $1 – Thanks largely to developer Zen Studios, Pinball has made a solid comeback in recent years, and its Star Wars themed tables offer plenty to feast on for fans of a galaxy far, far, away. Grab it here.
Don't forget to check out Issue 0 of Grab It Magazine. It's free, and you've never seen a mag like it before.
