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Best iPhone and iPad Games of January 2014

TouchArcade Rating:

appthumbWe’re turning over the first page of our Angry Birds 2014 Calendar (I actually had the 2013 iteration of this!) to the month of February, which means it’s time to round up all the reviews we posted in January. Again, these are not necessarily games that were released in January, but rather, merely the best games we reviewed in January. Also, our scoring system isn’t representative of any traditional measure like graphics, sound, fun-factor, replayability, or anything like that. Rather, we just rate games based on how much we recommend you download them.

Despite being a relatively slow month for both game releases and news, January was home to some incredible iOS games that everyone should have on their devices.

5 Stars

Bardbarian, Free [Review] – We first discovered this game on our Twitch stream, and our incredible first impressions turned out to continue throughout the entire game. Bardbarian mixes elements that are straight out of castle battle games, with an almost Snake-like control method where your band of merry men follow you around killing monsters. Practically everything in the game is upgradable, leading to so many “OK, just one more time"-s that it’s impossible to put down.

Castle Doombad, $2.99 [Review] – Adult Swim’s triumphant return to paid “premium" games came with a massive splash as Castle Doombad hit the App Store. It plays a little like Plants vs Zombies in that you’re defending your castle from swaths of invaders and leans heavily on Dungeon Keeper style traps that you set up for your defenses. If you were disappointed by the free to play actual release of Dungeon Keeper, this is more than a worthy alternative for some similar feeling gameplay.

Hoplite, $3.99 [Review] – Folks on our forums have describe this game as “Roguelikes meet Chess" which seems like an incredibly apt comparison. It has all the permadeath elements of your favorite roguelikes with the remarkably strategic turn-based nature of Chess. You have a limited set of character abilities to deal with threats, and enemies are largely predictable. Putting this all into play to get to the bottom of the dungeon and making it out alive is remarkably difficult, which plays perfectly into what fans of this genre of game are often looking for.

Jet Car Stunts 2, Free [Review] – The original Jet Car Stunts was an incredible game that blurred the lines between racing and puzzle platforming. Jet Car Stunts 2 basically takes everything about the original and makes it bigger and better. Additionally, it’s now totally free to try, and you’ll get more than a big enough taste of the game without paying to decide if you want to unlock additional content. If you do, spring for the pack that unlocks everything as I can’t imagine just being satisfied with a single level pack without wanting to go back for more.

The Room Two, $1.99 [Review] – The Room blew our collective minds when it was released, with the only drawback being how badly we wish there was more. The first game felt very short, and was over just when you found yourself totally absorbed by it. The Room Two is similarly fantastic, and manages to remedy this problem with significantly more involved puzzles that make the game feel much more substantial. If you’ve never heard of The Room, stop what you’re doing and play both games. Right now.

4.5 Stars

Battle Supremacy, $4.99 [Review] – If you love tank combat, this is about as must-have as it gets. While Battle Supremacy isn’t as complicated as the developer’s other series, Sky Gamblers (Yet, anyway!) it’s a highly approachable World War II era combat sim that features both an impressive singleplayer campaign as well as a full online multiplayer mode. If you do play online, be sure to change your name in game, as it defaults to the name of your device in game. Getting killed by “Eli’s iPad" is a little silly.

MovieCat 2 - The Movie Trivia Game Sequel!, $1.99 [Review] – Movie trivia buffs need to download this game right meow. While the sequel offers the exact same gameplay format as the original, we still had just as much fun plowing through a seemingly endless supply of cat-themed movie trivia. If nothing else, the sequel is worth picking up solely for the updated library of questions which cover much more recent film releases.

RHYTHM THIEF & the Paris Caper, Free [Review] – What’s a rhythm game without a ridiculous premise? Rhythm Thief & The Paris Caper is about as crazy as it gets, with beat-centric gameplay revolving around unraveling a mystery that not only involves your dog but also the resurrection of Napoleon Bonaparte. Originally released for the 3DS, if you’re into music games, this is a must have. Just keep in mind, there’s a ultra-crazy online requirement, so if you’re not around WiFi on the reg’, this might be one to skip, unfortunately.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Free [Review] – Continuing this month’s trend of “Hey the original was great and the sequel is even better" is Sega’s Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. It’s another cart racer, with everything that a sequel should have including controls that feel a bit better. It has some IAP, although it seems entirely optional, especially given the fact that earning said currency is super easy while you’re just going through races for fun anyway.

Super Splatform, $1.99 [Review] – It’s always interesting to see developers solve the problems of controls on iOS devices in an interesting way. Also done before by Bean’s Quest and other games, Super Splatform is a platformer that removes the jump button, and instead just has you continually bouncing. While it might sound like this is stripping an important gameplay element, clearing levels and doing well actually involves doing it in the least amount of b ounces, introducing an oddly unexpected puzzle element to what otherwise might initially seem like a pretty simple platformer.

Additionally, we reviewed a bunch of other games last month. As always, you can dig into all of our reviews by clicking here. Alternatively, you can hit up specific scores by using these links:

  • MovieCat 2 - The Movie Trivia Game Sequel!

    The sequel to MovieCat!, the winner of 148apps.com's Best Trivia App Ever Award, is finally here!

    Bigger and be…
    TA Rating:
    $1.99
    Buy Now
  • Castle Doombad

    “Nails everything I could want in a 'defense' title…simply a blast to play." 5/5 Stars –TouchArcade "One of the be…
    TA Rating:
    $2.99
    Buy Now
  • The Room Two

    The much anticipated sequel to ‘The Room’, Apple’s Game of the Year 2012 and recipient of a BAFTA award, is here a…
    TA Rating:
    $1.99
    Buy Now
  • Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

    Sonic & All Star Racing Transformed is now FREE! If you previously bought the game you still have the VIP Pass for F…
    TA Rating:
    Free
    Buy Now
  • RHYTHM THIEF & the Paris Caper

    -Important- Service Closure Notice

    Thank you for playing Rhythm Thief & the Paris Caper.

    We are so…
    TA Rating:
    Free
    Buy Now
  • Jet Car Stunts 2

    Sequel to the award winning Jet Car Stunts. WARNING: This game will challenge you. - Crazy stunt driving on outlandish…
    TA Rating:
    Free
    Buy Now
  • Battle Supremacy

    Launched as EDITOR'S CHOICE on the AppStore! Unleash the full power of your iOS device in Battle Supremacy, a WWII tank…
    TA Rating:
    $4.99
    Buy Now
  • Super Splatform

    In 2002, Splatform started the jumper genre of games, even if nobody knew it. Now, Super Splatform, a challenging platfo…
    TA Rating:
    $1.99
    Buy Now
  • Bardbarian

    NOW FEATURING MEATBOY, ISAAC, OCTODAD & SHELLRAZER!

    ”The game is just amazingly fun to play.“
    - Tou…
    TA Rating:
    Free
    Buy Now
  • Hoplite

    "Blanket recommendation for this one." - Pocket Tactics (5 stars) "It's very simple to learn, but there's a huge amount…
    TA Rating:
    $3.99
    Buy Now