Glu mobile has recently released a Lite version of their time-management game Build-a-Lot. Build-a-Lot Lite [App Store] offers an abbreviated version of the full game with the following features:
6 levels in 2 unique neighborhoods
Construct, buy, sell and upgrade different types of buildings and homes
Earn rent to purchase blueprints
Enhanced graphics augment the beautifully rendered animated backgrounds and sleek user interface
We quite enjoyed the full version of the game when we reviewed it:
I never would have expected a simple game based around renting and flipping houses could be as hectic as a good tower defense game, and although Build-a-Lot has questionable replay value once you beat the 35 included levels, it’s great fun the first time through. If you’re looking for a unique time management simulation game, we recommend giving Build-a-Lot a try.
Chance to Win Full Version
Glu is offering 10 TouchArcade readers a chance to win the full version [App Store] which is currently on sale for $1.99. Here's how to enter the giveaway (U.S. Residents only):
1) Download and Play the Lite version of Build-a-Lot
2) Send an email to buildalot-iphone@glu.com with the answer to this question: "Name one goal from level 4"
3) Send the email by Friday May 1st at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
4) Winners selected at random from pool of correct answers and will be announced in this article.
Don't look at the all time Flight Control leaderboards if you want to keep thinking you're an great Flight Control player. The highest recorded score is 3155 planes landed in a single session.
Yes, Flight Control's 1.1 version update went live yesterday and now offers CloudCell integrated online leaderboards. Flight Control is, of course, Firemint's massively popular flight time-management game that remains one of our favorite iPhone games.
Aside from the global scores, the update also provide a save/resume feature and some minor bug fixes. Firemint will follow with additional updates that add new airports and aircraft to the mix.
Meanwhile, the team at Firemint has publicly released sales numbers for Flight Control after it's first month and a half on sale. Firemint had committed to releasing numbers well before they knew what a huge success the game would be.
A summary of results is provided here:
Sales during the report period: 587,485
Sales to date (6 March to 27 April): over 700,000
Graph of global sales per day
Total sales per country (57% of sales in USA)
Peak sales days (over 35,000 sold on best day) and sales trends over time
Highest daily sales per country (19,164 in the USA)
And a detailed PDF can be downloaded from their blog entry.
Firemint has today announced details of coming updates to its charming little airspace management game, Flight Control [App Store, $0.99].
The first update, which should appear in the App Store by April 24, will bring:
Online highscores – by far the most requested feature, Flight Control will receive online leaderboards with a simple but clever design, to cater for many of the different ways people are playing. Firemint will use its cloudcell.com technology to go beyond a simple list of names and high scores and offer location based leaderboards and a skill based ranking system. Cloudcell.com has already been used in I-Play’s Fast & Furious game and will also be used in Firemint’s upcoming title Firemint Real Racing.
Save game – if the app exits mid-game (for example, closing with the Home button or receiving a phone call) the player will be able to pick up exactly where they left off.
Firemint will follow with additional updates that add new airports and aircraft to the mix.
We took a look at Flight Control shortly after it's release and found it to be an incredibly fun game offering easy, pick-up gameplay that's hard to put down. It remains one of our all time favorite iPhone games.
Flight Control is currently the #1 paid app in the iTunes App Store and Firemint CEO Robert Murray indicates the company has no intention of letting the game fade.
As long as people keep buying the game and loving it, we will keep supporting it. We’re putting in place a framework that will allow us to add new content more quickly in the future.
Last week Glu released Build-a-Lot [App Store], a port of a PC casual strategy game that takes place in the high stakes world of real estate development. The iPhone version comes packed with improved graphics and animations, as well as an interface optimized for touch input. The game features 35 challenges in Career Mode and 8 different neighborhoods to build up in Casual Mode, which should keep most people busy for quite a while.
The meat of Build-a-Lot is in Career Mode and the challenges that the local mayor issues to you at the start of each level. The first few objectives seamlessly serve as a tutorial for how to play the game where you learn about buying and selling property as well as building and upgrading houses. Moving on, the game introduces the player to the various special buildings like banks and workshops. These different buildings offer small sets of perks — banks allow you to earn interest on your money while the workshop allows you to train workers at a reduced price. These different building tools all go together to meet timed objectives such as “Reach $25,000 Monthly Income”, “Own 4 Tudor Houses”, etc. Casual Mode takes the same game play mechanics and removes objectives and timers in favor of a simple target dollar amount to accumulate.
The strategy of Build-a-lot comes in how you manage your time and resources while meeting the goals in either Career or Casual Mode. Houses and buildings are constructed with workers and materials with each structure requiring a different amount of each. The Rambler, for instance, is the least expensive house to build and requires the time of 1 worker and 75 building materials. When completed, a Rambler will earn you $750 a month in rent and be worth $50,000 when resold. To maximize your monthly profits, houses need to be upgraded.
Another vital part of the game is buying houses and lots which periodically go up for sale to then decide to either upgrade the existing house or demolish it and build a higher-level structure. Properties only stay on the market for a brief period of time, so if you’re trying to earn a gold star for a level you may be forced in to buying and demolishing an expensive house instead of waiting for a Rambler or open lot to go on the market. Also, building materials are cheaper when bought in bulk which adds yet another complexity to the mix in deciding to hold out to get more for your money or just building now to start collecting rent.
In Career Mode, balancing your work force and materials stockpile, along with deciding whether to build cheaper houses early to get a revenue stream started or to just hold out for houses which yield higher rent income can get surprisingly frantic for such a simple game. Each level comes with a time limit and a secondary time goal which you can meet to earn a gold star, a task easier said than done once you get beyond the tutorial levels.
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this game. When I was first read about it, I admit I wasn’t that interested since managing only two types of resources seemed rather simple compared to many other simulation games. (And really, Career Mode is pretty easy if you’re not going for gold stars.) Trying to meet the secondary time goals, however, will have you replaying levels, refining your strategy, crossing your fingers that something cheap goes up for sale, and hoping you can get your houses in need of repair fixed before rent gets collected.
I never would have expected a simple game based around renting and flipping houses could be as hectic as a good tower defense game, and although Build-a-Lot has questionable replay value once you beat the 35 included levels, it’s great fun the first time through. If you’re looking for a unique time management simulation game, we recommend giving Build-a-Lot a try.
There’s no lite version currently, however there are demos available for both the PC and Mac versions of the game that will give you an idea of what you’re getting yourself into.
This gameplay video shows some of the mechanics of the game, and this discussion thread shows a positive reaction to the game by our forum members.
Build-a-Lot exceeded our expectations. What appears to be a simple time management game actually is a fairly intense strategy game based around buying, developing, and selling houses.
Eric Haines of Starscene Software recently announced his upcoming iPhone maze game Realmaze 3D in our discussion forums.
Not just another 2D maze game dressed up in 3D graphics, this is an actual 3D maze (or, rather, a nearly unlimited number of them) where you have to climb up and down ladders too. Wow your friends with the unprecedented on the iPhone (as far as I know) dynamically created 3D lighting effects.
Realmaze 3D features either accelerometer control, touch control, or a combination of both. The game comes with five different map sizes ranging from "Tiny" to "Insane" to match challenge with player skill. An optional on-screen compass can be used to help get your bearings, and there's even a "trail of breadcrumbs" mode if you really get lost.
The main objective of the game is to finish each maze size in the shortest amount of time in order to rank highest in the time list.
Realmaze 3D has been submitted to the App Store and should appear sometime in the next week or two at a price of $0.99. Eric indicates that he has a few ideas for future updates, such as some form of online competition, so there's more to come following the initial release.
As mentioned earlier, the game is being discussed in our forums and readers seem rather excited about this one.
Last week, gaming developer Firemint released their newest iPhone game into the App Store called Flight Control [App Store]. Yes, the same Firemint that has been hard at work on the impressive Real Racing iPhone game due later this year. For their first self-published release, however, they focused on a simpler time management game which involves routing incoming airplanes to their proper landing strips.
While the game seems incredibly simple on the surface, the company has managed to hit upon the winning balance of easy pick-up gameplay, ramping difficulty and tickling the need to try "just one more time".
Flight Control presents you with a single map with two runways and one helipad. Airplanes and helicopters fly onto the screen and your job is to simply direct each plane to their respective landing pads (designated by color) while avoiding mid-air collisions.
Airspeeds vary by aircraft type. The large red airplanes travel the fastest which can cause some timing issues when coordinating landings with the small red airplanes.
The intuitive controls of the game, however, are what tie everything together into an addictive package. By simply swiping a path from the plane, you can quickly redirect a plane. You may choose a longer or shorter path depending on the desired timing, and planes can be redirected at a moments notice.
The developer provided gameplay video shows how it works:
While we're big fans of the game, we should be clear that this is a rather simple package with a single map, 4 types of aircraft and a single goal. Still, as always, gameplay is king and we feel it's easily worth its $0.99 introductory price.
Those looking for a more in-depth Air Traffic Control experience could consider the other two options in the App Store: iATC [$1.99] and ATC 4.0 [$2.99] — as they try to offer more depth but with arguably less of a "fun" experience.
Digital Chocolate, Inc released their time management game Chocolate Shop Frenzy [App Store] tonight. This is another in a series of time management games that have invaded the App Store.
These games are well suited for the iPhone's screen and involve juggling the defined tasks typically involving customer service. In Diner Dash, you take orders, deliver food, collect checks and bus tables while managing a growing line of customers. While these games may not appeal to everyone, they do seem to be a very popular genre.
Today's Chocolate Shop release is also accompanied by a free demo version which limits you to the first month of the game's story mode. Worth a try for those unfamiliar with this type of gameplay:
Glu mobile has recently released a Lite version of their time-management game Build-a-Lot. Build-a-Lot Lite [App Store] offers an abbreviated version of the full game with the following features:
Eric Haines of 
