Fifth place: Warped Kart Racers (Apple Arcade)
When it comes to mini racing adventures, there’s still plenty of space on the podium for other competitors – that is, besides the popular «Mario Kart». And the Apple Arcade game «Warped Kart Racers» is gunning for just one of those spots – by sending characters, courses and items from four more or less well-known cartoon series into the race. A total of 20 protagonists from «Family Guy», «American Dad», «King of the Hill» and «Solar Opposites» line up to race each other on 16 courses. True to the genre, it’s all about driving skills, including drifting and short-cuts, but also about using accumulated items skillfully and in a targeted way. Whether you show your skills in single player mode or online with up to eight players: «Warped Kart Racers» is a really entertaining and amusing racing game – especially when you play it with a controller. Apple Arcade subscribers who are eagerly awaiting the next wave of the «Mario Kart 8 Deluxe» booster pass should definitely give this game a go.
Category: Cartoon Card Mashup
Developer: Electric Square
Fourth place: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
We’re quite used to games with weird names, but «Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion», which was published last year for other platforms, is playing in a whole other league. A turnip boy who evades tax? And that’s supposed to be fun? Oh yes, it’s actually tons of fun. The game is an action adventure similar to «Zelda», with a charming, pixelated look and its own sense of humor. As such, the story is quite something as well: basically, the onion-shaped mayor is throwing you out of your home because you apparently haven’t paid your tax. So you head out as Turnip Boy to complete tasks and pay off your tax debts. All this happens in a classic 2D top-down view, as you’ll remember from early «Zelda» versions. The game also includes elements that you’ll be used to from the series, like puzzles and items that allow you to move to the next level. The characters and dialogues are really funny, but at the same time the story certainly has some deeper themes to offer and will entertain you for a total playing time of four to five hours. So, if you’re looking for an action adventure with a lot of charm, you should get cracking on «Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion» right away, especially since you can download and test the game for free and then unlock the rest if you like it by making a one-time payment.
Category: Root veg adventure
Developer: Plug In Digital
Apple: Download «Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion» from the app store
Android: Download «Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion» from Google Play
Platz 3: Chloe Puzzle Game
Granted: The developers of the «Chloe Puzzle Game» didn’t really go wild with creativity when it came to the name. Then again, you know right away what you’re getting, namely a puzzle game in which you get the protagonist, Chloe, through the levels. The game is round-based, and you have to get to the finish and gather any collectibles along the way. But that’s easier said than done, since there are enemies roaming on certain paths, cannons triggered by floor slabs, and many other traps that will have you sweating and planning ahead. This often involves taking detours to get to the right place at the right time, or using traps against your opponents to succeed. Although the «Chloe Puzzle Game» is nothing revolutionary in the gaming world, it is really well made and manages to delight thanks to crazy and funny puzzles spread out over 72 levels. If you want to feel smarter one level after the other because you’ve managed to outwit the game again and again, you should definitely take on an adventure with Chloe.
Category: Round-based pixel puzzle
Developer: Rojeh Maher
Second place: Apex Legends Mobile
Battle Royale Shooter is a relatively new genre, but it has experienced an unfathomable boom in recent years that has brought in billions for its publishers. So it’s not surprising that EA is now taking the leap from PCs and consoles to smartphones with «Apex Legends Mobile». Of course, as an iPhone user, you’ll have to tolerate certain limitations and adjustments compared to its big brother. But the pocket version of «Apex Legends» with touchscreen controls also works amazingly and offers a lot of scope. The basic aim of the game is very fun with players spread out on a large map having to fight each other until only one is left – and there are other modes and ideas to ensure enough variety. Of course, hardcore gamers will probably continue playing on their PCs or consoles, but there’s nothing wrong with downloading «Apex Legends Mobile» for free now and simply giving it a go. Battle Royale on your iPhone or iPad works really well, at least in this case.
Category: Battle royal shooter for your Pocket
Developer: Electronic Arts
First place: Voodoo Detective
Anyone who was already gaming in the 1980s and 1990s, experienced the golden age of adventure gaming. The heroes of the day were Guybrush Threepwood or Larry Laffer, and the very thought of the variety of high-quality games from developers like LucasArts or Sierra still puts a sparkle in gamers’ eyes to this day. After that, adventures led a pretty shadowy existence for a long time, but fortunately the genre was revived a few years ago after being presumed dead for a long time. This category also includes «Voodoo Detective» – and it makes a point of being old school. Of course, the optics are in HD, but hand-drawn and in 2D, and the game brilliantly exudes the flair of the past. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you’re on an island similar to «Monkey Island», and you can look forward to puns every minute, just like in the original. The game and audio are great, and the story surrounding the investigator on an island now overrun by tourists is superb – as are the puzzles. In short: Even though «Voodoo Detective» is a relatively short bit of fun, every single minute is enjoyable. An absolute must-play for fans of the genre whose English is good enough, and our 2022 iOS summer winner.
Category: Adventure throwback
Developer: Short Sleeve Studio