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GDC pretty much threw everything for a loop this week, and that’s what I’m sticking with as my excuse for forgetting about this week’s free app roundup until now. To make up for it, please enjoy an Xtra-Large edition of Free App Roundup — a motley collection of games that, at the very least, will leave you thinking, “Hey, at least I didn’t spend money on this.”
This week’s free releases include demo editions of WordJong and Wild West Guns, along with free full versions of Bottleneck’d and Mugen Pop Pop.
- geoDefense Lite (Critical Thought Games)
It’s a tower defense game, sure, but this one actually looks interesting — it’s a 3D action-strategy take on the genre. It’s earned a pretty decent App Store reception so far, too, so it could be worth a shot.
- BrickGame 5in1 (Readdle)
BrickGame 5in1 simulates the crappy LCD handheld, watch, and keychain games that your well-meaning grandma may have bought you at some point in your childhood. It’s thanks to her that you first learned what disappointment felt like. Included are extremely simple versions of Snake, Breakout, Pong, Quarth, and…uh, Breakout Again. I love the concept, personally. It’s only free until March 31st, though, so you’d better hurry up and download it if you’re at all interested.
- WordJong Lite (Gameblend Studios)
Months after its release, this word game/Shanghai-styled mahjong hybrid keeps me coming back for more. I’d give it more than a perfect score if I could. Just play it already, seriously.
- KenDama (PowerBEANS)
Don’t you just hate those ball-and-cup toys? So do I. This is an accelerometer-controlled version, and it still looks like I’d hate it. Still, it’s worth a mention, if only because PowerBEANS is the best company name I’ve ever heard.
- Bottleneck’d (Movile)
It’s a pathfinding puzzler that looks a whole lot like Blocked. But this one’s got a traffic motif and a level editor, and it’s free to download for a limited time. Worth it? Sure, why not.
- Mugen Pop Pop (Bandai)
You know those little keychains that simulate the noise bubble wrap makes when you pop it? This is an officially licensed digital representation of that. Download this while you contemplate how many layers of abstraction it takes to make something completely pointless and unenjoyable. Perhaps you might also enjoy burning .mp3 files to a CD, ripping it, and then reencoding the tracks at a low bitrate.
- Kitty (Alcomi)
“Want to have tame kitty in your Apple device? No problem. Now you have a great opprtunity to own pretty black cat. Simple and nice application by the name Kitty will help you to spend free time funny or.. to train your kid to love living creatures, that is not the least of the factors in upbringing.” I don’t know if this is worth downloading or not, but that description is just too precious. I do indeed need help in spending free time funny.
- Wild West Guns Lite (Gameloft)
The WiiWare port of this Wild West shooter left me unimpressed, but I’m willing to bet it’s much more appealing on a platform that, honestly, should have a lot more light gun-styled shooters than it does.
- Family Restaurant Game (FamilyTimeFun)
Free for a limited time, this collection of minigames is meant to be played at a restaurant while waiting for your food to arrive. Sure beats talking to your family, I guess.
- Pacman (Taihoo Technologies)
Taihoo Technologies spins an interesting tale in the App Store description here, claiming that they’re the real creators of Pac-Man, and therefore, the modern video game. You know, like how that one lady secretly invented both The Matrix and The Terminator, or how Chubby Checker invented rock’n'roll by covering The Twist. Belligerent insistence seems to have worked in this case, though, as Taihoo’s version of Pac-Man has somehow avoided a cease-and-desist notice for more than a week now. Nice job, guys.
- Virtual Villagers 2 Lite (LDW Software)
App Store reviews for this one are all over the place, but it seems like a neat little tribe management simulator all the same. Looks like it’s pretty popular, too.
- Sway Lite (Illusion Labs)
This swing-based action-puzzler had a lot of good ideas and certainly looked pretty enough, but ultimately couldn’t provide consistent enough controls to make it worth playing for long periods of time. I didn’t like it, personally, but here’s your chance to see whether you have the patience for it or not.
- The Odyssey: Trail of Tears (Joshua Cuppett)
I’ve covered it before, but The Odyssey warrants way more attention than it’s received so far. I just love the idea of a homemade FMV game. It’s like public access meets the Sega CD, and it’s totally something I would try to make if I had more free time.
- Connect 5 (Savy Soda)
It’s a simplified version of Go, where the object is to connect five pieces of your color in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. I’m sure that someone out there is specifically looking for this, and is glad that a free version exists.
[...] Free Game App Roundup, March 19th – 27th Edition “This week’s free releases include demo editions of WordJong and Wild West Guns, along [...]