Apps of the week: NPR One, Blood Bowl, 80 Days, and more

This week, we saw some major updates to popular apps and games, great new releases that some have been waiting for, and helpful launches that make our lives easier. The App Store was a-buzz with activity and that always gives me something to look forward to.

Whether you are looking to invest in a new product, want to relive your youth, or want to immerse yourself in a steampunk adventure, we’ve got a list of apps and games to entertain you this weekend.

Indiegogo

Similar to Kickstarter, Indiegogo is a crowd-funding service that enterprising upstarts use to get funding to help with their business ideas, inventions, goods, and services. If you think of yourself as an entrepreneur, you may have already invested in a variety of campaigns on the website. This app makes it possible for you to track your investments, find new campaigns to support, and keep track of funding for your own Indiegogo campaign. Get recommendations based on your previous activities, follow specific categories that interest you, and share your favorite campaigns with others. If you are running a campaign, get notifications when others contribute, manage comments, and post updates on the go. This app is available for free.

Crazy Taxi: City Rush

Fans of the 1999 driving game Crazy Taxi will be happy to know that the game’s original creator, Kenji Kanno, took part in the design of this newly reimagined version that was built specifically for the touch screen experience. Tap and swipe your way around city streets as you pick up fares and make a few bucks. Go on missions to unlock new drivers, upgrade your taxi, and decorate your ride. Buy additional taxis and hire drivers to keep driving, even if you are not. Go on mini missions for extra goodies, like driving a tank through town, crushing as many cars as possible. This game is available for free.

Blood Bowl

Whoever says that nerds don’t like sports doesn’t know any nerds. Warhammer is a decades-old role-playing tabletop strategy game that has destroyed friendships, drained savings accounts, and turned many dining tables into battlefields. Blood Bowl is a fantasy football game in the Warhammer world that first started as a complex board game in 1986. This is a perfect port of the PC video game and stars your favorite races of warriors. Compete in America football leagues as either Humans or Orcs as you train your team to win the biggest victory of all. This game is available for $4.99.

Reg the Roadkill

In this grotesquely funny take on the traditional game of Frogger, players try to help Reg, a nervous squirrel, make his way to the other side of the road before he lives up to his namesake. With his tiny legs, he doesn’t move very fast, but with your speed and agility, you could maneuver Reg across the busy dessert highway before he takes a hit from a car, crazy stunt driver, or lawnmower. As Reg runs along, he must keep watch on speeding cars or he may go “splat” and become dinner for the waiting buzzards. This game is available for free.

80 Days

It is nice to see a gamebook title get some special recognition in the App Store. This fantastic tale was selected as one of Apple’s Editor’s Choices for this week. Players take on the role of a valet to an eccentric traveler who has made a bet that he could make it around the world in 80 days, just like Jules Verne’s 1873 classic. You are tasked with discovering the fastest route from one city to another, managing the finances, and getting along with your boss, Phileas Fogg. In this choose-your-adventure style interactive gamebook, players select responses and actions that will affect the outcome of the story. This game is available for $4.99.

Clima

It has been a while since a new, good-looking weather app has come around. Maybe the trend is bigger during stormy seasons. If you’ve been itching to try something new, this Ombre-inspired weather app has a minimalist look with simple features that will help you keep track of the day’s temperature. Switch between the current weather, the three-hour forecast, and the daily forecast. Check on wind, precipitation, and humidity. Get notifications when there is a chance of rain so you won’t leave the house without a jacket when you need it. This app is available for $0.99.

NPR One

As much as I love and support my local public radio station, there are a lot of reasons I don’t listen to it for more than a few hours per day. I don’t like some of the local shows, the news segments replay too often throughout the day, and my favorite shows broadcast during times when I am unable to listen. This app lets you listen to streams of NPR shows and segments in a curated playlist based on things you like. You can search for specific shows and listen to what you want, when you want. Fast-forward shows you don’t want to listen to. Replay ones you want to hear again. You’ll always be able to listen to NPR the way you want to. This app is available for free.