Schools of Magic, SwapQuest, Pool Pal, and more apps to check out this weekend

Some weekends are for stepping out and having fun. Some are for sitting around like a couch potato, hoping no one notices the food you’ve spilled on the shirt you’ve been wearing since yesterday.

If this weekend you are in the latter camp, you may need some content to help you pass the time. Check out our list of apps and games for your weekend enjoyment.

Schools of Magic

If you are tired of the same old military battle games, why not switch over to something a little more spellbinding. In this battle for supremacy, players compete against four powerful wizarding schools in real-time multiplayer duels. When you are not spell casting for the championship, you can work on improving your school’s infrastructure by researching, building, and recruiting. You can play against others in player vs. player mode, or follow the path to victory in campaign mode. Collect magical items and weapons to outfit your wizards and make them stronger. This game is available for free.

Overpaint

Spring is just around the corner. I think it is time we added a bit more color into our lives. In this simplistic puzzle game, players must drag colored squares over the top of matching dots so they will disappear. If you don’t have the right color, you can simply make a new one by overlapping squares. Drag the corner of a color to spread it out across the screen. When it overlaps with another, it will create the new color. Then wait for the moving dot to find its way over your square and disappear. This game is available for free.

Speak Text

Just last night I was wondering how to pronounce the word “caprese.” I’ve seen it written a hundred times, but didn’t know how to pronounce it. This simple utility app is perfect for those moments when you don’t actually know how to pronounce a word. There are 37 different languages to choose from, including five different English languages, so you can hear specific accents for certain countries. For an additional $0.99, you can unlock the speed option, which speeds up or slows down the speech, and have access to the history of words you’ve already looked up. This app is available for free.

Mr Jump

In this lighthearted jumping platformer, players must use their skills at precision timing to help a blockhead to get across the pond. The game runs on auto, so all you do is hit the jump button. However, it is harder than it sounds. There are often obstacles that get in the way of your jumps. Sometimes, the gaps between platforms are so small that you skip over two of them and land in the water. There are also dangerous spikes to avoid and other dangerous elements. On some levels, you can use mid-air jumping pads that allow you to get further across a wide game using double jump abilities. This game is available for free.

SwapQuest

If you enjoy puzzle games and role-playing adventures on equal levels, you have got to check out this game. Players embark on a journey of heroic proportions, not by slashing evil monsters or hacking up bushes to reveal hidden treasures, but by solving mini puzzles. Swap squares of grass to create a path for your hero to traverse. Help him find chests filled with loot, monsters to defeat, and hidden secrets under rocks. All the while a dark cloud is approaching. If you get lost on the path, the cloud may envelope you, so don’t take too long in creating pathways. This game is available for $2.99.

Prime

You can make your iPhone snapshots look like magazine spreads with this photo filter app. It was created in collaboration with top photographers from around the world. The app is designed to automatically detect the style of your picture and recommend a particular filter based on the content. You can copy and paste your edits onto a series of photographs. So, if the filter looks good on one picture, it will probably look good on the rest of the ones you took at that time. There are also a number of useful editing tools so you can fine-tune the look of your picture. This app is available for free.

Pool Pal

Caring for a pool is almost as complicated as caring for a pet. A friend of mine takes a sampling of water to his local pool supply store once per month to have them diagnose it for him. This utility app makes checking the balance of your pool’s chemistry easier. Users enter detailed information on the size of the pool to get the volume. Then, enter the chemical information and the app will calculate your levels and recommend changes. If your Ph level is too high, you will know how much Decreaser to add and when. This app is available for $1.99.

App Recaps

App Recap for March 16
App Recap for March 17
App Recap for March 18
App Recap for March 19
App Recap for March 20
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