Andrew compiled a list of his favorite apps and games he used in 2019: Stardew Valley, Chronicle, Paprika 3, Jumbo, and Lockdown.
Christmas Aftermath, How-To Guides – TMO Daily Observations 2019-12-26
Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss setting up new gear and picks for those new iPhones and iPads.
Fortnite Sucks Island into Black Hole in Season 'The End' Finale
Called “The End,” the Season X finale for the world’s most popular game ended with the island that plays host to the game being sucked into a black hole.
Apple Arcade: High Quality Games at a Great Price
Developers and gamers alike can win with Arcade, and Bryan Chaffin thinks Apple will, too.
Apple Arcade: Mini Motorways Is an Addictive Strategy Game I Can't Stop Playing
It’s easy to learn and hard to master; each game takes roughly 20 minutes; it has a beautiful and mesmerizing music machine for a soundtrack; it absolutely has that just-one-more quality. In short, it’s a great game and a terrific reason to subscribe to Apple Arcade.
Roll a Variety of Dice Right From Your iPhone
Sometimes you want to play a game that involves a die you don’t have, or you might just need to roll a variety of dice in succession like for RPG characters. Enter Dice by PCalc, courtesy of James Thomson. For US $1.99 in the App Store, you can roll from a D4 to a D100, save presets, and on iPad use split screen to roll for another app. Choose your set of dice and the dark or light table and you’re all set for adventures, whether they include dragons, dungeons, demigorgons, or other things that start with D.
Heads Up Gamers: Civilization VI Expansions Packs are Free
Aspyr is giving gamers a fantastic deal for the holidays. The Civilization VI expansion packs will be free for the rest of December. There will only be a free pack every 48 hours though. This is only for the iOS app. Here’s the schedule:
- Dec. 20-22: Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 22-24: Vikings Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 24-26: Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 26-28: Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)
- Dec. 28-30: Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
- Dec. 30 – Jan. 1: Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)
Gone Home Game Will Launch on iOS on December 11 (Update)
The Gone Home game, the BAFTA award-winning first-person adventure exploration game from the Fullbright Company launches today, allowing even more players to experience the groundbreaking title. Published by Annapurna Interactive, the game retails for US$4.99 in the App Store. Gone Home previously launched on Nintendo Switch earlier this year in celebration of its 5th Anniversary, and is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux and PC. Critically acclaimed for its compelling narrative, Gone Home invites players to interrogate every detail of a seemingly normal house to discover the story of the people who live there, revealing the events of one family’s lives by investigating all they’ve left behind. App Store: US$4.99
App Sale: The Ocmo Game is Currently Free
Ocmo is an award winning ninja rope platformer that challenges even hardcore gamers. Fluid movement, physics based gameplay and tight controls create unique sense of freedom and flow. Survive the 80 dangerous levels including secrets and boss fights. Set new records and share speedrunning videos. Swing with tentacles through the levels using momentum to your advantage. Eat rabbits and discover the world. You are the monster of the forest. Features: Lots of dying, ragdoll rabbits, physics-based eating, unique and precise controls, hard to master, well crafted and diverse level design, loads of depth, designed for speedrunning, online leaderboards, beautiful world with a small but dark story to discover, and more. App Store: Ocmo – Free (usually US$4.99)
Pixel Starships for the Mac
Whilst procrastinating and surfing through the app store on my MacBook Pro I came across a new game Pixel Starships made by Savvy Soda. Unable to resist anything that is a) space b) pixellated and silly, I immediately downloaded. The premise is simple. You are the captain of a starship and you must conduct missions, earning rewards and building your ship and crew as you go. Pixel Starships is fun, silly and totally addictive. If you spent hours playing Clash of Clans or similar on your phone, you will enjoy this. Available in the Mac App Store for free (with in-app-purchases).
Pangea iOS Games Free for App Store's 10th Anniversary - Get 'Em!
The giveaway includes in-app purchases, too, and someone are already showing up free, a day early.
Grab Turn-Based Sci-Fi Strategy Game 'Xenonauts' Free at GOG
The folks over at GOG have just launched their “SummerGaming Sale” and they’re kicking things off by giving away a free copy of Xenonauts, a turn-based strategy game inspired by the classic X-COM series. The free download includes versions for macOS, Windows, and Linux and, like all GOG-distributed games, is DRM-free. The GOG sale is on until June 18th, but the free Xenonauts offer is only good for the next 48 hours.
Apple Blocks Valve's Steam Link for iOS from App Store Over Business Conflict
Don’t hold your breath for Valve’s Steam Link app for iOS because Apple rejected it from the App Store over “business conflicts.”
Check Out these 4 iPhone and iPad Star Wars Games for Star Wars Day
It’s May the 4th, which means today is Star Wars Day. We rounded up four Star Wars games for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to help celebrate the day.
Australia Expansion Comes to Civilization VI on iPad
Aspyr is bringing even the expansion packs to Civilization VI on the iPad. This week the company announced the Australia Civilization & Scenario DLC pack was available on iPad as an in-app purchase, joining Multiplayer, Vikings, and the Poland packs already out. I liked the Aussie pack, though I didn’t beat the Australia scenario. That scenario is economics only, involving growth and exploration. In multiplayer matches, Australia gets a bonus production rate at the beginning any defensive war, coastal cities get Housing bonuses, and Pastures can trigger a culture bomb that steals tiles from other civilizations. The unique unit is a Digger, which replaces Infantry, and its unique building is an Outback station Workers can produce. I enjoy the economic aspects of Civ VI, and the Aussie pack is a lot of fun. The right strategy can use their strengths to dominate the battlefield, too. All of the Civ VI expansions are $4.99 on iPad. The full game is $59.99, but it’s half price until May 17th. If you’re interested in Civ VI on iPad, get it before then!
Civilization VI: Rise & Fall Expansion Adds Golden Ages, Dark Ages, Loyalty, More
Aspyr has released the Rise & Fall expansion for Civilization VI on Mac and Linux. It’s a substantial expansion and refinement of the game including Golden Ages (along with Dark Ages), city Loyalty, Emergency Situations, and a lot more. There are also Historic Moments (a sort of visual history of your Civilization that ties into Golden and Dark Ages), as well as new leaders and civilizations. I’ve been playing Poundmaker of the Cree, a First Nations tribe in what is now Canada. Plus, new Wonders, including new units you only get a Wonder, and plenty of interface enhancements. For instance, there is now an animated element showing Religious pressure, and for the new Loyalty system. In the image below, two NPC declared an Emergency Situation against me after I took a capital. Against capable opponents it adds a time-pressure element to the game. There’s definitely a lot going on in this update. Civilization VI: Rise & Fall is $29.99 through Steam and as an in-app purchase in the Mac App Store. You’ll have to update Civ VI from the Mac App Store to see the in-app purchase.
OneCast Lets You Stream Xbox One Games to Your Mac
Check out OneCast, a service that lets you stream Xbox One games to your Mac. According to The Verge, OneCast’s engineers reverse engineered the protocol Microsoft is using to allow Xbox One games to be streamed to PCs. Which means it’s not an official Microsoft app, and you might want to think about that before paying the introductory price of $9.99 (there’s a 14-day free trial, too). Streaming games—in this context—means you’re running the game on your Xbox One, but using your Mac as the display with an Xbox One controller. It’s aimed at players who want to play their games remotely, or maybe don’t have access to their TV due to competition in the house. Microsoft offers this service to Windows users, but OneCast is making it available to Mac users. The consensus seems to be that it works, with some glitches, but that hyper-competitive twitch games may leave you with a disadvantage. I’d certainly try it before buying it.
The Spotify Platform Problem, Tim Cook Insights, and Apple TV Gaming - ACM 450
Bryan and Jeff talk about the Spotify Platform problem and the problems facing any independent music streaming service. They also talk about the things they learned from Tim Cook’s interview with Fast Company, and whether or not Apple is signaling a bigger play in Apple TV gaming.
Feral Interactive Bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider to Mac, Will Include All Downloadable Content
Feral Interactive is bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration to the Mac and Linux. Players will become Lara Croft, as she “seeks the lost city of Kitezh to recover the Divine Source, an ancient artifact with the power to grant immortality.” Like other titles in the franchise, players solve puzzles, avoid traps, and generally adventure through gorgeous maps. This game is being bundled with all the original downloadable content , including add-on adventures, different player modes, additional outfits for Lara Croft, and Expedition Cards. Pricing and availability haven’t been released, but Feral’s announcements tend to presage release by a few months. Screenshots for the game look amazing, as does the trailer, below.
4 iOS Puzzle Games to Confuse and Delight Your Brain
Puzzles are great games for those rainy days when you’re curled up with a blanket and a hot cup of tea.
