Lory Gil

Writer of all things app related, traveler of the space-time continuum, baker of really great cookies. Follow me @appaholik

Mooncast adds the current moon phase to Notification Center

Lory Gil ∙ November 6, 2014

In general, most of us take the moon for granted. It’s always there. All we have to do is look up at night to see it (depending on the time of the night and the moon’s phase). Some people claim that it has an effect on how we act.

Mooncast is a simple app that displays an image of the moon in its current phase with a few additional bits of information about its status in the night’s sky. The app recently received a major update that adds the moon’s phase to your Notification Center’s Today view.

BricksItOut provides mindless fun while waiting in line for your coffee

Lory Gil ∙ November 5, 2014

The casual game genre on mobile devices is something to be reckoned with. Some might even argue that it has changed the face of gaming forever. Now, a retired grandparent can spend just as much time playing a video game as a teenager and no one questions the coolness of either party.

BricksItOut is one of those casual games built simply for mindless fun. You don’t need fast action or puzzle solving skills. You just need a few minutes of time and a desire for distraction.

Woah Dave! will scratch that old-school arcade game itch

Lory Gil ∙ November 4, 2014

Retro games are a big deal in the App Store. I personally love those fantastic 8-bit games from my childhood. I know that technology has made it possible for our video games to look like movies now, but I have a spot in my heart for those pixelated power ups that I grew up on.

Woah Dave! is a retro style game that pays homage to the classics. Not only does it look like it came out in 1982, but the choppy, blips and bleeps of the soundtrack really take you back a few decades.

UniChar Picker is an iOS keyboard for Unicode characters and symbols

Lory Gil ∙ November 4, 2014

We’ve seen dozens of colorful keyboard apps that don’t do a whole lot. We’ve tested a handful that have incredible features, but are still basic keyboards, nonetheless. We’ve even seen keyboards that let you access GIF memes so you don’t have to write actual words. How about something very unique and useful to coders?

UniChar Picker does just that. It features more than 500 Unicode characters across six different categories. Set it as your default keyboard to type in any app, or copy and paste symbols in the app to create just the right text.

Night Sky Pro delivers a seriously in-depth stargazing experience

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

I live in a metropolitan area where I’m lucky if I can look up at night and see the stars. It’s just too bright and the air is too congested. Stargazing apps have made it possible for me to actually see deep into the night sky without having to head for the hills.

iCandi Apps, the makers of The Night Sky and The Night Sky 2 have just launched their third in the stargazing series. Night Sky Pro is thick with lots of new features on top of the plethora of features already available on the previous two apps.

Grave Matters review: it’s like Minesweeper for steampunks

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

At this point in the year, I’ve filled my brain with as much horror movie content as possible. For the entire month of October, I’ll watch nothing but scary movies or television shows. Because of that, I am hyper aware of anything relating to images of death, monsters, or the undead.

When Grave Matters popped up in the App Store, I was drawn to it like a magnet. This necropolis themed puzzle game has all of the elements for a spooky good time. We have a full game review of Grave Matters for your reading pleasure.

Apps of the week: Haunt the House, Run Sackboy Run, and more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

This week produced a whole bunch of scary titles. I know that Halloween is over, but there is no reason not to continue the spooky celebration for a little while longer. If I could, I’d keep Halloween going all year long. My costume might get a little gross after the first few months, though. If you are holding onto that creepy feeling just a little bit longer, or maybe want some help with your finances, we’ve got a list of apps and games to get you through the weekend.

Zero Age review: use blocks to build new paths to enlightenment

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Puzzle games on the iPhone are no longer a casual affair. They’ve gone from relaxing to complex in just a few short years. With games like Monument Valley gracing our mobile screens, we are now forced to decide whether to solve the next puzzle, or finally go to work.

Zero Age is a puzzle game that on the surface seems simple enough. Move a block, climb it, move another. However, the devil is in the details. How can you get a block across three rows when it can only move along a single column? We’ve got a game review of Zero Age to help you understand the game a bit further.

Tilt to Live: Gauntlet’s Revenge is harder than ever

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

The game development team at One Man Left is known for creating fast-pasted, action-packed arcade style games. You may be familiar with their previous titles, Tilt to Live and Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous. Well, they are back with a new game for your cramped fingers to try out.

Tilt to Live: Gauntlet’s Revenge is the third installment in the series and is proving to be, if you can believe it, the hardest of them all. We’ve got a hands-on game review of Gauntlet’s Revenge for you today.

Felllice turns cell life simulation into a minimalist affair

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

There is a handful of interesting games that involve production and duplication of cell-like organisms. Games like Osmos provide a relaxing arcade game that requires you to be ready to attack anything smaller than you, but lets you drift through life in a tranquil environment as well.

Felllice (yes, with three Ls) is similar to the cell generation game genre, but features a stark black-and-white minimalist design. Collide with cells that are smaller than yours to grow big and earn achievements.

Miika review: a perspective puzzle game with a platformer look

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

The perspective path puzzle game has certainly been a hit on iOS. For example, earlier this year, Monument Valley turned heads for its visually striking graphics and complex puzzles.

Miika could be called a simpler, cutesier perspective puzzle game in the same vein as Monument Valley. Players must rotate the screen around in order to reveal the right path to take in order to get to the end of the line. We’ve got a full game review of Miika for you today.

Black Tower Enigma cuts role-play gaming down to just the puzzles

Lory Gil ∙ October 28, 2014

For years, role-playing adventure games have captured the hearts and minds of gamers around the world. Whether you were catchin’ them all with Pokemon, helping Link rescue Zelda, or bringing back light to the world of Final Fantasy, the games all shared a deep storyline and epic adventure.

Black Tower Enigma has the same deep story development, but instead of traveling across dangerous lands to rescue the damsel in distress, players face riddles and puzzles in a tower of never-ending floors. Solve the puzzle to reveal the stairs to the next level. Eventually you will find your damsel.