Lory Gil

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

Union lets you stack, blend, and superimpose images together for great effects

Pixite, the creator of Tangent, LoryStripes, and Fragment, two of which made it to our top-ten best photography apps of 2013 list, has been working hard for the past year to bring some pretty interesting photo effects apps to iOS.

Union is the latest release from the app maker. It is an image blending program that lets you mask, edit, and merge multiple images into one. Plus, you can import photos from Tangent and Fragment with the original image and shapes on separate layers to create interesting effects…

Space Shooting: how long can you survive in this game?

A few months ago, we took a quick look at the adorable arcade shooter game Hopeless: The Dark Cave. The cute glowing Blobs won my heart when they shook with fear as the incoming onslaught of monsters would terrorize the gun-toting puffs.

Hopeless: Space Shooting is the sequel to the first adventure starring the marshmallow-like Blobs. This time, they’ve found themselves fighting aliens in outer space. Don’t worry, though. They are still huddled together in a dark cave, hopeless as ever…

Find out what it would be like to clone yourself with Instantion

There is an episode of Futurama in the sixth season called “Benderama” where Bender makes half-sized copies of himself to do his work. While the inevitable world-destruction antics ensue, it does make one wonder what it would be like to have a few clones hanging around to help out with the chores.

Instantion is a platform game that emphasizes puzzle-solving action. Players create clones that stand on buttons, activate bridge functions, and fall to their death so we don’t have to…

Shatter Alley is a music-driven brick breaking game

Back in 1976, The Woz created a brick breaking game based loosely on the concept of Pong. Breakout would go on to spawn an immeasurable number of similar games, as well as the popular Super Breakout sequel.

Shatter Alley is a brick breaking game that takes the original concept and incorporates a music playlist so you can boogie down to the beat while you blast away descending blocks…

SideSwype mixes the mechanics of ‘Threes’ and the match-three genre

When you look at the picture above, your first thought may be, “this looks like another clone of Threes.” I know that I thought so when I took my first glance at the game. Although the basic mechanics are the same, the game is not a clone.

SideSwype is a match-three game that doesn’t act like it. Unlike traditional gem matching puzzles, players don’t have nearly as much control over what matches are made or when…

Knights of Pen & Paper turns an RPG into a tabletop adventure

Have I told you yet that I play Dungeons & Dragons? I have a group of friends that introduced me to the game back in 2002 and we’ve managed to keep the group together for 12 years through moves, marriages, kids, and everything else that might normally destroy a good gaming group.

Knights of Pen & Paper is a satirical role-playing game that lets you play a tabletop adventure, complete with dungeon master and unhealthy snacks. In this version, you want the cat to jump on the table. You’ll get a power buff…

David. brings minimalist platformer gaming to iOS

When I think of platformer games, the last thing I am thinking about is minimalism. However, it appears that there is a new trend in mobile games and it comes in the form of cubes and blocks. Last week, we told you about Sometimes You Die, which does not follow any traditional platform game rules.

David. is a similar game that doesn’t look like it’s supposed to, but still employs game mechanics you are familiar with. The game’s developer describes it as a mix between Limbo, Shadow of the Colossus, and Angry Birds…

All.Notes review: the Notes app that iOS should have been

Apple’s Notes app isn’t all that bad. It is easy to access and simple to use. It gets the job done. However, it is sort of the “unnoticed stepchild” of iOS apps. It doesn’t do anything particularly special.

All.Notes makes up for what the Notes app lacks. It comes with lots of bells and whistles and even syncs with a compatible Mac app. Apple is going to be jealous when they find out…

Mextures 2.0 comes with new features including full photo editing, shared formulas and more

Last May, we took a look at Mextures and found it to be one of the best filter apps for adding subtle effects and layered textures to your photos. The app uses “Formulas” that are similar to what you might see in a photographer’s dark room. Mextures has also made an appearance on a multitude of our photography-related app lists, and was named photo app of 2013 by Apple.

Today, Mextures received a major update with a plethora of new features, including formula sharing, photo editing, new Formulas, and more. The app also received a user interface redesign and is now faster than ever at processing and exporting images…

Apps of the week: Rollercoaster Tycoon 4, Trials Frontier, Carousel, and more

If someone told me that I wouldn’t be able to use my iPhone and iPad for a whole week, I might fall apart. It's not that I need to stay connected to friends and family (although I do care about their well-being). The real problem is that I am a little bit addicted to finding new apps and games to check out.

Because I love testing new apps and games so much, it makes it easier for you to decide what to pick up. If you are looking for a fun title to pass the time, or maybe need to organize all of your Dropobox pictures, we’ve got a list of apps and games you may like this weekend…

R.B.I. Baseball 14 hits a homerun in the App Store

Fans of the greatest baseball game of the late-1980s can finally get a chance to play the MLB’s modernized version of R.B.I. Baseball on the iPhone and iPad. Instead of trying to sell you on an overpriced port, or letting you download it for free only to hit you with a pay wall a few games later, MLB.com has revised the game for a new generation of baseball fans with a reasonable price tag and no in-app purchases.

R.B.I. Baseball 14 has been “reimagined” with modern day graphics, touch screen controls, and an old-school aesthetic that will take you back to your childhood, but not bore your kid to tears wondering where the action is…

Flashout 2 review: race in a future with flying cars and rockets

Racing games all have pretty much the same game mechanic. Drive fast, beat your opponent, and sometimes upgrade your car. No matter how many different versions of the game I play, I love every one of them. Racing is fun. Especially when you can blow your opponent to smithereens.

Flashout 2 is a racing game set in an utopian future where cars can fly, money litters the streets, and it is legal, in some cases required, for you to destroy your opponent…