Games

Apple’s free app of the week: Mimpi Dreams

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Mimpi Dreams. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the critically-acclaimed puzzle-platformer for free on both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $2.

Mimpi is a lazy dog who likes to take naps and dream about being a super hero. Players are tasked with helping him save his friends by solving puzzles and manipulating environmental objects as they work their way through originally-illustrated levels.

Bvddy, Radar, WalletHub and other apps to check out this weekend

In this week's installment of our Apps of the Week roundup, we've put together a list of unique apps and great games for you to check out over the weekend. Looking for a gym partner or tennis buddy? Bvddy can help. Going on vacation soon? Grab Radar for tips on the best places to visit. Keep reading for the full rundown.

Apple’s free app of the week: Give it Up! 2

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with Give It Up! 2. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular rhythm-based platformer for free for both iPhone and iPad, saving yourself a buck.

As the title suggests, this is the sequel to the hit game Give It Up, which garnered more than 10m downloads worldwide. In this installment, you're tasked with helping Bob and his friends navigate a surreal grayscale world full of deadly spikes.

Modern Atlas, Lemon, VUE and other apps to check out this weekend

Whew! What a long week. Apple held its annual WWDC keynote on Monday, where it unveiled new versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS, and we spent the rest of the week following up on those announcements. But now it's time for the weekend, and we plan on kicking back and relaxing with some of our favorite new apps and games, which we've listed for you below.

Apple removes Game Center app from iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas

Apple has removed the Game Center app from the first betas of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. The change appears to be permanent, according to the iOS 10 Preview release notes. Although it's still available in Settings, “the Game Center app has been removed,” reads the document.

That doesn't mean that developers can no longer use the Game Center service or implement Game Center features—quite the contrary—it's just that the user-facing Game Center app is no longer available.

Apple TV games are no longer required to support Siri Remote

Apple has dropped the requirement for tvOS games to use the Siri Remote, according to a refreshed version of the official Game Controller Programming Guide. With this change in place, games for the fourth-generation Apple TV are now permitted to require a 'Made for iOS' (MFi) controller without needing to also support the Siri Remote.

Bumpers, Winnie, BitCam and other apps to check out this weekend

It's going to be a long weekend for Apple fans, as we anxiously await the company's big WWDC keynote on Monday. But never fear, we've picked out some great apps and games to help you pass the time. These include a new audio recording and sharing app, an old school camera app,  and of course two great new games.

Apple’s free app of the week: Drop Flip

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Drop Flip. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular physics puzzler for free on both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $2.

For those unfamiliar with the title, Drop Flip is a delightful game chock-full of silly physics contraptions. Players must move, flip and manipulate obstacles of every shape and size to force the ball into a bucket. It's a lot harder than it sounds.

Check out the top 40 user-created Badland levels

The original Badland game is still one of my favorite atmospheric puzzlers on any platform. Although it's two years old now, there's nothing quite like it on the App Store. That's because its creator, Helsinki, Finland-based Frogmind Games, has made a smart move of building a level editor into the game.

As a result, you get more levels to play than you could bargain for. But, with 2000+ levels created each week, small wonder people are having a hard time finding ones worthy their time. Frogmen has thought of that: in its latest “Eternal Day” update, the game brings out a curated selection of the best 40 levels out of 70,000+.

Apple’s free app of the week: Sago Mini Road Trip

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Sago Mini Road Trip. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular children's title on both iPhone and iPad for free, a solid savings of $3.

In Sago, kids play as Jinja the cat as they set out on a road trip. There are more than 10 vehicles and 6 destinations to choose from, and no rules or time pressures to worry about. So kids can relax, hit the road and explore at their own pace.