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The long-awaited space-based strategy game Tharsis is now available on the App Store

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
The long-awaited space-based strategy game Tharsis is now available on the App Store

After an exceedingly long wait, the iPad version of turn-based strategy game Tharsis is finally set for launch on the App Store. This one originally released all the way back in 2015 for PS4 and PC, and it was met with a fairly warm reception thanks to its layered dice-based decision making and high level of challenge. The idea is that you’re in charge of humanity’s first trip to Mars. Surprising precisely no one, the trip takes a turn for the worse, and soon you and your crew are racing against the clock to keep everyone alive. Big news! Tharsis is coming to iPad on 6/27 (AKA this Thursday)! This has been a long time coming and we thank you all for being so patient! https://…

Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 5

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 5

On now to the 5th instalment of our list of developers we’d love to see on Panic’s Playdate. So far we’ve put together quite the line-up, including Lucas Pope, SWERY 65, and even Platinum Games. This time around, we’ve got one sensible pick and another, well, not so sensible one. Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto, developer of 2015’s gunshoe-blasting Downwell, could certainly bring some rapid-fire platforming goodness to the Playdate. Fumoto’s striking visuals would translate well to the black and white display, and I’d love to see how he’d make use of that crank. Following up Downwell would be no easy task, but a similarly fast-pa…

K-Pop sensation BTS releases BTS WORLD, a boyband management game for iOS and Android

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
K-Pop sensation BTS releases BTS WORLD, a boyband management game for iOS and Android

BTS WORLD, a story-based game that lets you become the manager of K-Pop boyband BTS, is now available for download over on the App Store and Google Play. As someone who has almost no knowledge of the band’s music or history, I don't exactly fall into the target demographic for BTS WORLD; but, admittedly, the trailer featured in an article over on Metro has actually impressed me a fair bit. You can receive text messages from the boys, take video calls, help them with their very busy schedules, and even manage their social media. The various decisions you make throughout your management career will seemingly have an impact on the way the narrative plays out. And, on top of all that,…

Wholesome dating sim Dream Daddy comes to mobile tomorrow

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Wholesome dating sim Dream Daddy comes to mobile tomorrow

Game Grumps’ wholesome dad dating sim, Dream Daddy, is finally headed to iOS and Android tomorrow, June 25th, with a Switch version set to launch on July 2nd. The game’s development started all the way back in 2016, after members of the popular YouTube channel Game Grumps were inspired by the success of Hatoful Boyfriend to make their own dating sim.  It’s a visual novel that sees you playing as a single dad. Most of your time will be spent sifting through text, spending time with your daughter, and going on dates with the game’s many goofball dads – all of who come with their own mini-games and multiple potential endings to their story. There are 7 dad…

Unbroken Soul serves up a gauntlet of action-platforming brilliance

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Unbroken Soul serves up a gauntlet of action-platforming brilliance

Upcoming platformer Unbroken Soul is one of 2019’s most promising mobile games. It comes to us from developer Chorrus Games, the minds behind The Quest Arena and Colour War. At first glance, it’s hard to kick the feeling that there’s perhaps something a little off about its pixelated visuals, though the gameplay shown in the trailer below appears fast, fluid, and tricky – just what we like to see from our hyper-challenging platformers. We also get a quick glimpse at some of the bosses, including a flame-spewing knight, a stone golem, and a giant slug. It seems like the whip will be an integral part of getting around the game’s various spike-filled hellscapes…

Valve’s strategy battler Dota Underlords springs up on the App Store and Google Play

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Valve’s strategy battler Dota Underlords springs up on the App Store and Google Play

Valve’s streamlined take on Auto Chess, Dota Underlords, is now available for download over on the App Store and Google Play. It’s being described as a “strategy battler” where you collect and upgrade heroes to take on other players in strategic PvP matches. The general idea is that you optimise your crew to create unique alliances. Stacking your team with allied heroes means stat-buffs, which in turns means an easier win. There’s also a story here that involves a gritty city and a fight for control, though surely nobody’s playing Auto Chess games for their narrative, right? It’s a crossplay and cross-progression title, meaning you can play with…

Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 4

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 4

Here we are now on the fourth part of our list of developers we’d love to see make something for Panic’s Playdate. We’ve already included Asymmetric, thatgamecompany, Lucas Pope, SWERY65, Robert Yang, and Platinum Games. Next up, we’ve got a developer with serious storytelling chops and a team that specialises in horror. Giant Sparrow Despite only having put out 2 games, Giant Sparrow has cemented itself as one of the best storytellers in the medium. Both the Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch are short, deeply moving titles that use basic gameplay hooks to explore themes of childhood, loss, mental health, and insidious families. Much like the best vig…

Classic puzzler Professor Layton and the Diabolical Book has launched for iOS and Android

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Classic puzzler Professor Layton and the Diabolical Book has launched for iOS and Android

Layton: Diabolical Box in HD, the remastered version of DS classic Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, has just now popped up on the App Store and Google Play. Diabolical Box originally released all the way back in 2007. It was the second entry in the beloved Professor Layton series, following on from Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village. They were acclaimed shots of story-driven puzzling that hailed from Japanese developer and publisher Level-5. They’ve actually held up really quite well thanks to their simple anime-style visuals and accessible logic-based puzzles. They all follow Layton and his pal Luke on their mystery-solving adventures – think a more relaxed Ho…

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite takes the Pokémon Go formula in a wild new direction

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite takes the Pokémon Go formula in a wild new direction

Niantic’s highly anticipated Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is set to launch on iOS and Android on June 21st. Niantic is of course the studio behind the impossibly popular Pokémon Go and the hugely influential Ingress. This latest game sees the team bravely bringing its genre-leading augmented reality tech to a very niche series called Harry Potter. The AR market has been flooded with Pokémon Go copycats since its online discourse-dominating launch that, if you can remember back that far, saw everyone and their nan heading out to nab themselves a Squirtle. Despite its barebones state, Go provided one of the silliest, most memorable summers in recent memory. The worldwide…

Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 3

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 3

On now to part 3 of our list of developers we’d love to see on Panic’s much-anticipated Playdate console. So far, we’ve had Asymmetric, thatgamecompany, Lucas Pope, and SWERY65 pop up. This time around, I’ve selected two developers that appear to be popular opposites of one another. Robert Yang Yes, Robert Yang – creator of Hurt Me Plenty, The Tearoom, and Cobra Club – was likely the first developer to jump to everyone’s mind when the Playdate was announced, but that’s only because he’s such a perfect fit for the platform. I struggle to think of any creative better at taking a basic, outwardly silly concept and using it to thoughtfully…

Hello Hero All Stars launches on iOS and Android

Preferred By AppSpy Staff, 4 years, 9 months ago
Hello Hero All Stars launches on iOS and Android

Known for their previous games Hello Hero and Hello Hero Epic Battle, Fincon’s latest title allows you to grow and manage your eccentric little mobile heroes even when the game is switched off. As a fantasy idle RPG then, Hello Hero All Stars doesn’t need continuous input from the player, instead, it allows you to progress when you’re focusing on other important stuff, like watching the latest drama on Netflix or doing the washing up. Ok, scratch that last one. The basic premise of the game is to defeat enemies, rescue heroes and to advance further along the road. Over time you’ll collect shiny new items and gear to enhance your heroes so they can combat tougher f…

Best mobile games of the year so far: Flappy Fighter

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Best mobile games of the year so far: Flappy Fighter

My next pick, the first fighting game on the list, seemingly came out of nowhere. Its intensely silly premise caused a sudden spike in chatter, spurring us all on to give it a go, with many at the time treating it as something of a goofy curiosity. That being said, the real surprise with Andrew Baxter’s Flappy Fighter, a mashup of 2013’s Flappy Bird and Street Fighter, is just how polished and smartly designed it is – so much so that it has the potential to become one of the best games of its type on mobile. Right now, with only 1 playable character and no online PvP, you could argue that it feels more like a demo than a full game. But, in the heat of battle, these conc…

Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 2

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 2

This here is the second part of our list of developers we’d love to see on Panic’s upcoming Playdate console. Our first two picks were West of Loathing developer Asymmetric and Flow, Flower, and Journey developer thatgamecompany. These next two are slightly, well, stranger, though still totally suited to the Playdate’s niche appeal. Lucas Pope So far, both the Playdate’s actual line-up and my proposed line-up have been full of developers who specialise mostly in funny, family-friendly games. I figure we need to level that out a bit by throwing in someone like Lucas Pope, the man behind Papers, Please and last year’s Return of the Obra Dinn. His games are enjo…

Best mobile games of the year so far: Tropico

Feature By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Best mobile games of the year so far: Tropico

So here’s something slightly different, a strategy game, to mix things up. Honestly, I’ve lost count of what entry we’re on now – 10, maybe? 11? I don’t know. But what I do know is that 2019 has already been so packed with good games that I could easily keep this whole thing going until we’re bringing in the New Year. I won’t, probably, but I could, maybe. Tropico, everyone’s favourite dictator-simulator, launched on iPad last year, but only recently became available for iPhone. Like most strategy games, it’s all about long-term planning and weighing up the dozens of options given to you at any one time. Want to be a fairly progressive d…

Cosy Majora’s Mask-like puzzler 'Minit' comes to iOS on June 27th

News By Cameron Bald, 4 years, 9 months ago
Cosy Majora’s Mask-like puzzler 'Minit' comes to iOS on June 27th

Developer JW, Kitty, Jukio, and Dom’s nostalgic hug of Zelda-lite puzzling, Minit, finally has an iOS release date of June 27th. This one first saw the light of day on PS4, Xbox, and PC back in April 2018, so it’s been about a year-long wait for the inevitable mobile port. The idea here is that you have a mere 60 seconds to explore your pixelated surroundings and work out how to break the curse laid on you by a magic sword. After your minute is up, you die – booting you back to the start of your quest. Sadly, for me at least, it’s the type of indie that’s mostly content to cater to those nostalgic for the games of yore – who could have guessed that in thi…