Great simplistic iPhone games to kill time
This posting focuses on iPhone games that you can pick up at any time without investing large blocks of time. These all are challenging games that incorporate strategy, realistic physics and/or fast reflexes with memorization. All of these games with the exception of the last listed have a free demo lite version to try before buying the full version.
Angry Birds
Quite possibly the most widely known and popular mobile game available. Angry birds takes a quirky idea and runs with it. Your goal is the launch various types of birds, each with their own special launch abilities, to assault the evil swine that made off with their eggs.
The game features precariously stacked structures that you have to destroy with birds to defeat the pigs. Various physics components are present that make the toppling of these structures somewhat believable and challenging.
Cut the Rope
My personal favorite in this list requires the player to feed candy to a small green monster. This is accomplished by using various tactics such as cutting the rope(s) that suspend the candy in place. Additionally, later on bubbles are introduced to allow the candy to float, various hazards in introduced such as electric current, candy stealing spiders and spikes. Beating each level is simple enough, but the true fun and challenge emerges when you try to collect the three gold stars in each level; as each requires an intricate set of steps and timing to do so.
A very well polished game that took a great and simple concept and built upon it as the difficulty level progressed onward. I eagerly await further updates for this game to see what new wacky element is added to spice up the game play further.
Finger Physics
A physics puzzle game that covers an impressive level of variety in game play. There are four different level types that show up that I am aware of so far:
- Stack all the shapes they give you to create a stable building that reaches a target goal height. The higher you stack the more better rating you receive.
- Use all the shapes to create a stable building, height doesn’t matter but you are awarded a higher ranking based on how fast it is accomplished.
- Guide an egg into a basket somewhere on the level. Also on this one merit is based on speed.
- Stack an infinite amount of blocks until it ultimately tumbles. More points are awarded for each block added.
Now take those game types and add in the other elements the game has to offer. This includes magnetic blocks, exploding contact blocks, various odd shapes, and under water scenarios.
The Impossible Game
Before I start, this game is not for someone that gets frustrated easily. Your only control in this game is to tap or hold the screen to make a box jump obstacles to get to the end of the level. It may sound simple but this requires lightning fast reflexes and a good memory to get past this tricky fast paced game. Each level is approximately two minutes long which seems appropriate after you realize how difficult it really is.
A killer soundtrack also accompanies the game for each level when not playing in “Practice Mode”. Trying to beat each level without being in “Practice Mode” is where this game really shines as an addicting/frustrating game simultaneously.
iBlast Moki
Out of all the games on the list, this one is likely the most polished. The best way to describe it is to reference the Rube Goldberg machine. Your goal is to use ropes, metal poles, balloons, gears and bombs which are all properly placed and timed to get Moki creature(s) to the goal. This game is all about precise timing and chain reactions to perfect each level and offers hours of fun game play. At $2.99 USD it may seem a little steep to some, but it is worth every penny.
