Apple’s Game Center, new with iOS 4.1, lets users connect with their friends to play games and compete against each other. Adding games to Game Center, however, isn’t exactly straight forward.
The games on your iPhone or iPod touch need to be Game Center compatible, which means there’s a good chance updates are already out or at least on the way. You can also find a list of Game Center-compatible apps by tapping the Games button in Game Center, then tapping Find Game Center Games.
The App Store lists Game Center-compatible games
Once you have some Game Center-ready games on your iPhone or iPod touch, you’ll have to play each game once before they’ll show up in your Game Center game list. Titles don’t automatically show up in your Games list simply because they were downloaded. You’ll know a game is registered with your Game Center account when you a “Welcome back” dialog temporarily slide in over the game screen.
Game Center lets you know when it registers a game
Compatible games you’ve played will appear in the Games list in Game Center. From there, you can tap game titles to see your stats and achievements, along with how you compare with your friends.
Tap a game to see your stats
Of course, your Game Center friends — or maybe even your boss — can see how much time you’re spending playing games, so be careful when and where you play.