Buzz
With so many games to choose from, iPad owners can easily lose track of time playing their favorite titles. The real challenge might be narrowing down your selection.Before the iPhone hit the market in 2007, mobile gaming was largely dominated by handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable. In the 90s, the Nintendo Game Boy ruled the scene, followed by the Game Boy Advance. The arrival of smartphones changed everything, offering a fresh platform for mobile games. iPhone games were shorter and simpler than their console counterparts, but their ease of access and the low price point ($1.99 or even 99 cents) made them perfect for quick, impulsive sessions.
iPhone developers quickly adapted by creating games that were ideal for short play intervals. These games relied on simple but highly addictive mechanics, often centered around achieving high scores. When the iPad came out in 2010, these games found a new home on a bigger touchscreen. Since then, countless titles have been optimized for the iPad’s larger display, offering an even more immersive experience. Here are 10 of the most addictive games you should definitely try on your iPad.
10: Peggle
PopCap Games, known for their captivating casual games, made a name for themselves with beloved puzzle games like "Zuma" and "Bejeweled," eventually hitting it big with "Peggle" in 2007. Drawing inspiration from pachinko, players guide balls through a playing field to clear pegs and score points. Completing a stage requires eliminating all the orange pegs, but PopCap enhanced the experience by introducing various Peggle Masters, each with unique abilities that grant the player exciting bonuses.
Take Bjorn the Unicorn, for instance, whose guiding line helps predict where the ball will land. Claude the Lobster, with his pinball-inspired flippers, sends the ball back into the fray. Meanwhile, Master Hu optimizes your shots to achieve "Maximum Zen," resulting in the highest possible points. "Peggle" brilliantly blends chance with strategy, and its vast array of levels and challenges ensures endless replay value. The competitive multiplayer duels only add to its charm.
Currently, "Peggle" is available for $2.99 in the iTunes App Store, as an app for both iPhone and iPad.
On Apple's "Plants vs. Zombies" preview page, iPad users can view screenshots, read user reviews, and explore the latest game updates. The page offers an in-depth look at the app's newest features.
At the "Plants vs. Zombies" preview section on Apple’s website, iPad users can check out screen captures, customer feedback, and details about what has been added in the most recent version of the game. Screen capture by Mytour staff.PopCap made a bold move in 2009, stepping away from their usual puzzle games to introduce the hugely popular tower defense game "Plants vs. Zombies." Over time, the game was released across several platforms, including the iPhone and iPad. In this game, players protect their gardens with various plants, such as Peashooters that launch pea bullets, Wall-nuts that block zombie attacks, and Melon-pults that fling large watermelons like catapults. The zombies come in all forms – from Pole Vaulting Zombies that leap over defenses, to Football Zombies that charge through, to Zombonis that plow through everything in their way.
"Plants vs. Zombies" is one of the most addictive tower defense games around, offering a more in-depth experience and longer campaign than typical mobile games. Priced at $7, it’s higher than most other mobile games, but for tower defense fans, few games offer as much charm. And if you're new to tower defense, this is the perfect introduction to the genre.
"Plants vs. Zombies HD" is available for purchase for $6.99 in the iTunes App Store.
8: Tiny Wings
"Tiny Wings" is the perfect example of a game that’s simple to learn, but challenging to master. Players control a small bird whose wings aren’t large enough to keep it airborne. By tapping the screen, the bird stays in the air, and holding the screen causes it to dive toward the ground. The game's twist comes from the hilly landscape, where players can use valleys and slopes to gain speed and launch themselves into the air. The goal is to outrun the sunset by maintaining speed and progressing from one island to the next.
Mastering "Tiny Wings" is a quick task, but the real challenge lies in perfecting the timing of when to dive and when to soar. This addictive gameplay keeps players coming back for more, striving to improve their scores with every attempt.
"Tiny Wings" was available for just 99 cents in the iTunes App Store as of August 2011.
7: World of Goo
For the latest updates on "World of Goo" and other games from indie developer 2D Boy, make sure to visit the company’s blog.
Screen capture by Mytour staff"World of Goo" is a truly groundbreaking game that played a significant role in bringing attention to the growing independent game developer scene in 2008. This physics-based puzzle game tasks players with building towers and bridges from goo balls to guide their goo family to an exit pipe at the end of each level. The only obstacles players face are gravity and the terrain itself – every stage in the game is a logic puzzle requiring creative, gooey architectural solutions.
"World of Goo" is brimming with style and charisma, and it even features a storyline that ties its delightful puzzles together. The main appeal lies in watching your fragile structures either hold up or sway precariously as gooey beams struggle to stay intact. While many levels of "World of Goo" can be completed in just a few minutes, it is far more complex, rewarding, and imaginative than the typical iPad game.
"World of Goo HD" is priced at $4.99 in the iTunes App Store as of now.
6: ChuChu Rocket!
As its title suggests, "ChuChu Rocket!" is one quirky game. Originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000, Sega's frantic puzzle game quickly gained a dedicated fan base. While many puzzle games require patience and strategy, "ChuChu Rocket!" stands out by offering a unique strategic single-player mode with 145 puzzles, plus a multiplayer mode filled with chaotic fun.
In the single-player mode, players place arrows on a small grid to direct a group of ChuChus (mice) from one side of the stage to the other. KapuKapus (cats) move predictably throughout the levels, and players must avoid them by strategically placing arrows. In the multiplayer mode, players simultaneously place arrows on the grid to guide as many ChuChus as possible into their rockets while trying to send KapuKapus into their opponents' rockets. "ChuChu Rocket!" supports up to four players wirelessly, or four players can compete head-to-head on a single iPad.
"ChuChuRocket! HD" is available now for only $4.99 in the iTunes App Store.
5: Fruit Ninja
The game title "Fruit Ninja" says it all. You slice fruit, just like a ninja. This engaging game involves quickly swiping across the iPad's touchscreen to slice through fruit, earning points for each piece you cut.
Cutting multiple fruits in one swipe will grant you higher scores, but miss three times and the game ends. "Fruit Ninja" adheres to the score-chasing tradition, offering brief yet intense sessions that bring players back for more. It includes both local multiplayer on a single iPad and online multiplayer.
"Fruit Ninja HD" is currently priced at $2.99 in the iTunes App Store.
4: Words With Friends
"Words With Friends" shares many similarities with the traditional board game Scrabble.
©iStockphoto/DNY59"Words With Friends" earns its place on this list because it's extremely addictive for many users who enjoy proving their word skills to their friends. Essentially a competitive version of Scrabble, its asynchronous gameplay allows you to engage in multiple matches simultaneously.
Players take turns placing letters on a game board filled with bonus tiles (like double letters, triple words, etc.) and can choose to take hours or even days between moves. Designed by Zynga, the same company behind "Farmville," "Words With Friends" knows how to keep you hooked. While it may seem like a slow-paced game, prepare for intense competition as you progress.
"Words With Friends HD" is priced at $2.99 in the iTunes App Store as of August 2011.
3: Geometry Wars: Touch
"Geometry Wars" launched with the Xbox 360 as a $5 Xbox Live Arcade download. Its success helped spark a resurgence of top-down twin-stick shooters, where one joystick controls movement and the other controls firing in 360 degrees. "Geometry Wars" combined this classic gameplay mechanic with a visually stunning graphical style, featuring vibrant explosions and simple geometric patterns. The background grid pulses and shifts with waves of energy, creating an entrancing visual experience.
Games rarely last longer than a few minutes, yet "Geometry Wars" remains so engaging that players return again and again to beat their scores. It also offers variety: Much like its Xbox Live Arcade counterpart, "Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2," the iPad version, "Geometry Wars: Touch," includes modes like Deadline, King, Evolved, Pacifism, Waves, and Sequence. Each mode presents a unique experience, making it enjoyable for both short and long play sessions.
Currently, "Geometry Wars: Touch" is priced at 99 cents in the iTunes App Store.
Board games are typically too lengthy and intricate to be as addictive as quick-paced puzzlers or shooters, but they offer strategic gameplay and multiplayer fun that shorter games can't replicate. Some of the best German-style board games, such as Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico, and Catan, have been adapted for the iPad, and they come at a much lower price compared to their physical counterparts. If you have friends to play with, either locally or online, these are essential titles for any classic game enthusiast.
2: Puzzle Quest 2
For fans of both puzzle and role-playing games, "Puzzle Quest" is a title that could be a dream come true.
Captured by Mytour staffPuzzle and role-playing games both have an uncanny ability to keep players hooked for hours. Puzzle games captivate with their endless pursuit of the perfect score, while RPGs draw in players with deep character progression and questing. The combination of these two genres is undeniably powerful, and may be best described as dangerously addictive.
"Puzzle Quest 2" blends classic "Bejeweled" puzzle mechanics (matching colorful blocks) with a rich fantasy world and integrates RPG elements like learning new spells and leveling up stats. Even if you’ve never played an RPG, if you enjoy puzzle games, "Puzzle Quest 2" could easily keep you engaged as you level up your character and improve your combat abilities. This game brings together the best elements of both genres, creating a time-sink that will draw you in for hours. And if you're looking for more, there's a multiplayer mode to enjoy when you've maxed out your character.
"Puzzle Quest 2" is currently available for $4.99 on the iTunes App Store.
1: Angry Birds
Watch out! Hitting the "Play" button for "Angry Birds" is almost like saying, "Yes, I'm ready to lose track of time."
©iStockphoto.com/Sean LockeIf you have an iPad, iPhone, or any smartphone or tablet, chances are you’ve played "Angry Birds." This globally popular mobile game, with over 200 million downloads by May 2011 [source: TechCrunch], is the very definition of an addictive mobile experience.
The game utilizes the touchscreen with ease: Players launch birds from a slingshot to create as much chaos as they can, moving on to the next level. Its simple physics mechanics, combined with the variety of birds, keep the gameplay fresh. With 120 levels, "Angry Birds" offers incredible value. For even more fun, players can explore "Angry Birds Seasons" and "Angry Birds Rio" to enjoy more levels.
By August 2011, "Angry Birds HD" was made free for iPad users via the iTunes App Store. However, "Angry Birds Rio HD" costs $2.99 and "Angry Birds Seasons HD" is priced at $1.99.
