加载中...
News
2 Comments

Anki Drive gets a software update for the real world

Anki Drive received an app update recently that brought new upgrades, support items and weapons to the real world video game that uses iOS devices to control miniature cars. The software update brings new racing options to the track like Reverse Drive, which allows cars to make 180 degree turns, and Kinetic Break, which allows cars to come to a dead stop. The new EMP weapon will provide virtual damage to other racers as you pass. "Because Drive is software-based, we can evolve the gameplay throughout the life of the game, to keep it fun and engaging — no matter how long you've been playing," a post on the official Anki blog reads. For more on Anki's real life video game, be sure to check out our interview with Boris Sofman and our hands-on impressions of the Anki Drive hardware and...
Opinion
30 Comments

Duet is my game of the year (and why minimalist games are often ignored in these lists)

No matter how simple you find the graphics or how basic the mechanics, if you are having fun playing a game, someone or a series of someones spent an unreasonable amount of time planning, designing and tweaking it to make sure that fun took place. But are critics biased toward scope and complexity? I think so. Games like Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag seem to be designed for Game of the Year awards. They are beautiful, they are huge and they take days, if not weeks or months, of play to see everything. They seem to be the promise of modern gaming: Dozens of systems working together in concert to awe you in terms of interactivity and visuals. There are plot twists, there is a boat that you get to captain across the seas and there is meta-commentary about the state of the video game...
News
10 Comments

Wikipad announces detachable mobile controller, Gamevice

Wikipad, the company behind the 7-inch Android tablet of the same name, is working on a detachable gamepad for mobile devices called the Gamevice, the company announced today. The Gamevice brings controls akin to a console gamepad or dedicated gaming handheld — dual analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons and four shoulder buttons — to smartphones and other mobile devices. As seen in the product image above, the device sits in the center of a shell with the controls split to either side; the shell expands and collapses to wrap around the device. Wikipad is producing two different versions of the Gamevice, one for Android devices and another for Windows 8 devices. As for a model that supports iOS, Wikipad president Fraser Townley said, "We have not forgotten other important OS...
News
5 Comments

Knife That Guy developer releases dystopian puzzle game Pill Popper for free

Mobile game developer Flyover Games has launched its second title Pill Popper for free on iOS and Android devices. The arcade puzzle release puts you in the shoes of a doctor working for the dystopian Mood Moderation Ministry, tasked with treating patients with apparently dangerous emotions. The studio is best known for its mobile release Knife That Guy, which you can check out in Polygon's mobile round-up.
News
2 Comments

Farm Heroes Saga makes the move from Facebook to mobile

Facebook success Farm Heroes Saga is now available for free on iOS and Android devices, casual games company King announced today. The game synchronises with Facebook to allow players to progress between both Facebook and mobile versions of the game; however, its iOS and Android counterpart includes slightly different gameplay mechanics, including new ways of playing a match-three puzzle and other game features. Farm Heroes Saga has players switching and matching rows of three or more characters across 100 levels. You can find it on Google Play and the App Store.
News
17 Comments

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Test Season 2 delayed until further notice

Test Season 2 for Blizzard Entertainment's free-to-play Warcraft card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, will be delayed until further notice due to issues found during a recent closed beta maintenance. According to the Battle.net post by community manager Christina Sims, the duration of Test Season 1 will be extended until a clean transition is ensured. Player ranks will not be affected when servers come back online from maintenance. Currently in closed beta phase, the game was originally slated to enter open beta last month, but was pushed back to a 2014 roll out "to make sure it's ready for wider testing." At the time, production director Jason Chayes wrote that the "highest priority is that Hearthstone has an awesome launch when all gates are lifted and everyone can...
Top Games
All Games
News
13 Comments

Pinball Arcade dev details 2014 plans, including season 3 tables

The Pinball Arcade developer FarSight Studios has big plans for 2014, and the company provided a full list of them in a post on the Pinball Arcade Fans forum yesterday. The third season of downloadable pinball tables for The Pinball Arcade will consist of 10 tables, which will all come out between December 2013 and September 2014. Individual table packs will cost $4.99, while the Pro versions will go for $7.99 each. The full Season Three Table Pack with all 10 tables costs $29.99, and the Pro version is available for $39.99. Its first piece of content, Table Add-On Pack #21, is already available on Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Mac, Ouya and Windows PC; it is slated for release on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in March, and FarSight is aiming to keep the PlayStation 4 version's...
News
12 Comments

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed featuring Shenmue's Ryo now out on mobile

Racing title Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed is now available on iOS and Android, publisher Sega announced today. The mobile iteration of the 2012 title features an additional character: Ryo Hazuki of the Shenmue series. Ryo comes with a new vehicle, a video game arcade cabinet that transforms into a car, plane and other modes of transportation depending on the terrain. Sega notes that the mobile version of Racing Transformed includes the same adaptable vehicles and multiplayer matches as the console versions, 75 events across 13 courses and a new World Tour racing mode. The mobile version also allows for local four-player matches and both asynchronous and synchronous online multiplayer. Facebook and Game Center functionality is integrated with the title, as well as iOS 7 and...
News
1 Comment

Physics puzzler Feed Me Oil 2 now available on iOS

Feed Me Oil 2, the follow-up to HolyWaterGames' well-received physics puzzle game, launched today on iOS for $2.99, publisher EA Chillingo announced today. The sequel adds new tools to move oil with, such as windmills and fans, and brings the action underwater to show off different fluid interactions in its upgraded physics engine. Feed Me Oil 2 contains four chapters of oil-feeding puzzles, each with a score from one to three stars. Feed Me Oil 2 can be purchased in the iTunes App Store. A launch trailer is available above.
News
8 Comments

Monument Valley and the art of visual trickery

ustwo Games' latest title is a puzzle game built on the pillars of architecture, geometry and illusions. Or, as designer Ken Wong calls them, magic tricks. Monument Valley is what the developer imagines Escher would create today: a world of surreal landscapes that "make your brain kind of backflip." The touch-based title uses 3D elements in a 2D world to create gameplay that defies the laws of physics. We spent time with the Monument Valley beta, which is currently taking testers. The game's purpose is simple enough: navigate protagonist Ida to the end of each level. But moving Ida through a world of broken platforms requires both foresight and a little experimentation. Sidewalks can be spun with the swirl of a finger, or entire towers lowered and raised with a swipe. Enemies that...
News
0 Comments

House of the Dead: Overkill - The Lost Reels now free-to-play on iOS

The House of the Dead: Overkill - The Lost Reels, the mobile follow-up to The House of the Dead: Overkill, is now free-to-play on iOS, publisher Sega announced yesterday. Originally released for $4.99 on iOS and Android this past April, The Lost Reels throws waves of zombies at the player in both Story and Survival modes. The story takes place in three different worlds, while the Survival mode goes on for as long as the player can stay alive. Users can play with tilt controls or virtual buttons, or unlock a "Frenzy Tap" control method. The Lost Reels also offers unlockable weapons and special abilities that can be upgraded with Ka$h, the in-game currency. Interested parties can check out the newly free iOS version of The Lost Reels on the iTunes App Store. The Android version remains...
Report
25 Comments

The 50 gaming newsmakers who shaped 2013

Festooned with the launches of two major consoles from Sony and Microsoft, 2013 was always going to be a memorable year for gaming. But it wasn't just the machinations of massive corporations that shaped the last 12 months. Much of the news last year was drafted on social media, around creative individuals who have managed to make wondrous things that have become popular by force of public will, rather than via marketing might. Change has also been wrought by diversity movements that have found a way to forcefully express themselves and so garner wide support for important issues, previously dismissed wrongly or maliciously by those wielding power over communication channels, as niche. As in all years, there were also unique examples of triumphant creation and exertion as well as of...
News
16 Comments

Startup bringing FPS-like features to real-world paintball games

Startup Innovis Labs is looking to bring technology used in many first-person shooters to the paintball and airsoft fields with Project Overwatch, a mobile app that will integrate GPS tracking features and voice chat into real world games. Project Overwatch is currently seeking funding through Indiegogo with a $50,000 goal. Using Overwatch, players will attach their iPhones to paintball and airsoft guns and use the app to track real-time movement of teammates and enemies similar to the way minimaps are used in many military first-person shooters. Overwatch will utilize the live GPS radar as well as a voice chat feature that includes the ability to jam opponents' communication radar. Players can also fake out their location to lead opponents astray. According to Innovis, the app can be...
News
4 Comments

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Shooters mobile battler hitting next year

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Shooters, a mobile spin-off of fighting title Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, is heading to iOS and Android devices in 2014, according to information on the game's official website. In Stardust Shooters, players will work through storyline focused on the extensive Jojo family line. Combat against enemies is done using "striker" medals, each of which represents one character and their ability set. Like some card battler games, players must take into account a medal's available health and special attacks as well as take advantage of combo systems that will chain stronger attacks together. In addition to battle segments, Stardust Shooters will include animated sequences featuring Jojo and his crew. Check out the video below to see the title...
News
5 Comments

Team Meat releases second track for Mew-Genics

Mew-Genics developer Team Meat released the second track, "Dirty Mittens," for its upcoming cat-breeding game. The game's music is being produced by two-man band Ridiculon. "Dirty Mittens," is an upbeat, brassy track available to download for $1 via Ridiculon's Bandcamp page. According to Team Meat co-founder Edmund McMillen, the song is one of 12 "jukebox" tracks that will loop through the game. "They change with the weather, so when it starts to rain it will cue up the slow moody tracks, or when it gets really hot the more fast paced tracks appear," McMillen wrote. You can listen to the track above. Team Meat released the first song from the game's soundtrack, "The Ballad of D. Claude," earlier this year. Mew-Genics is currently being developed for Android, iOS and Steam. A...
News
5 Comments

Where’s My Water? 2 drops energy system

In response to player feedback, Disney has axed the energy system previously present in mobile game Where's My Water? 2, according to a recent post on the iTunes App Store. The energy system required players to either break and wait for their meter to refill after several consecutive tries or to pay real-world currency to reload it immediately. With version 1.1.0, however, that restriction is no longer in place. "We took your feedback to heart and removed the energy system in this update," the post reads. "Yep that's right. Now play as often and as much as you like! For those who purchased the expanded energy meter, you will receive 2 Monster Bundles for free!" For more on Where's My Water? 2, check out our hands-on preview and interview with developer Tim FitzRandolph.
News
3 Comments

Angry Birds Rio receiving free updates for movie tie-in

Angry Birds Rio will receive four free episodes as a nod to the upcoming animated film, Rio 2. Rio 2 follows a family of exotic birds journeying through the Amazon rainforest. In Rovio's Angry Birds-themed take on the movie, players must rescue the film's macaw stars, Blu and Jewel. The first update, Rocket Rumble, adds 26 new levels and is available for iOS and Android devices. Angry Birds Rio was released in 2011. Rio 2 is expected to hit theaters in 2014.
Video
0 Comments

Lost Orbit trailer helps a stranded astronaut home

A new trailer shows Pixelnauts' upcoming "vertical platformer" Lost Orbit in action. The trailer's narrator, who seems to be some kind of mysterious entity (perhaps representing the player), tells the tale of a maintenance worker named Harrison whose spaceship is destroyed in an accident. The narrator isn't quite sure what made him help, but he knew that poor Harrison wouldn't stand a chance alone against the void without his ship. The trailer shows how the title's gameplay works, as Harrison ricochets around asteroids and above blazing stars. The player is able to control Harrison's trajectory with his jetpack, but it has limited fuel reserves. Lost Orbit is scheduled to hit Windows PC, iOS and Android in summer 2014.
Opinion
30 Comments

There's no right way to write a best-of list

You know them even if you've never actually read them. They're the tacit terms-of-service contracts we blindly agree to the first time we speak in superlatives. The first rule is not to write the rules, so I will begin by breaking that one. I plan on ignoring them all anyway. Now, I'm speaking about games here, but the given medium can be interchanged with anything, really: movies, music, installation art, salt shakers, gaping head wounds. With that, I humbly present the rules of annual best-of list making: The video games on your list must have been released for the first time within the calendar year The video games on your list must be finished products, preferably cast in carbon or another element with a comparably long half-life The video games on your list must be true video...
News
0 Comments

Street Fighter mobile card battler coming to Japan

Street Fighter: Battle Combination, a mobile card battling game centered around the Street Fighter series' classic goal of chaining together powerful attacks, is on its way to Android and iOS devices in Japan, according to the game's website. The game allows players to duke it out in five-on-five combat against each other, tasking them with stringing together moves from series favorites like Chun Li, Akuma and Ryu. In this way, the game plays much like a typical round of Street Fighter, but each character card represents only the signature move of that fighter. Players must play the cards in the right order to chain single attacks into Street Fighter-like combos, and the damage dealt is calculated by a number of factors including the team's overall health. Playing each card will also...
News
2 Comments

QuizUp studio receives $22M in venture capital funding

Plain Vanilla Games, the studio behind popular mobile trivia app QuizUp, received $22 million in series B venture capital funding round today, the company has announced. According to Plain Vanilla, QuizUp has exceeded five million downloads since it launched for iOS last month. The company reports that the app boasts more than five million active users, 22,000 of which have registered to help create trivia content and questions for the app. The $22 million round, led by Sequoia Capital and including investments from other major companies like Tencent Holdings, comes after a successful $1.2 million seed round, $2.5 million series A round and $2 million extension round earlier this fall. In QuizUp, plays answer trivia questions spanning a variety of topics. Users can purchase...
X
Log In Sign Up

use Yahoo! or OpenID

forgot?

Forgot password?

We'll email you a reset link.

If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.

Forgot password?

Try another email?

Almost done,

Spinner

Authenticating

Great!

Choose an available username to complete sign up.

In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.