iPhone/Android game developer, Com2uS, has announced today that they have won accolades in the 148 Apps’ Best App Ever 2011 awards. The company has picked up four different awards, with each award going to a unique title. The awards, and the games that won them, are:

Slice It!: Best Casual Game of 2011
Inotia 3: 2nd place in Best RPG (Android)
Homerun Battle 2: earned 2nd place in Best Sports game (iOS)
Heavy Gunner 3D: was 2nd place in Best Arcade game (Android)

The zombies mode has been one of the most well received additions to the Call of Duty franchise.  And when that mode came to iOS, it was just as sweet.  Now, Activision has made it even sweeter in a new update.

The new update adds the ray gun, in-app purchase abilities for points , and monkey bombs.  In addition, it is now possible to save and load games when you are in the middle of a game, for those times when the grocery store line moves at exactly the wrong moment.   We’ve all been there, right?

Check it out on the iTunes Store here.

Another day, another free iOS game, this time from Guild Wars developers NCsoft. Gem Keeper is the company’s first mobile game, and it will be part of the Free App a Day promotion for a limited time.

Gem Keeper is a highly rated tower defence game with 40 unique levels, 14 different towers and 30 types of gem crazy monsters! It will run on any iPad, iPod touch or iPhone running iOS 4.1 or later. You can check out the game’s website here, or if you don’t need any more convincing to drop exactly none of your well earned money, then click here to head straight to the App Store.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Scribblenauts Remix, a port of the NDS game has been downloaded over one million times on the iTunes App Store. And to celebrate this achievement, players will receive a brand new Valentine’s Day update as a reward.

However you won’t have to wait until February 14 to download, the update is available today giving players access to the Valentine’s Day themed playground. Players here can be inspired to create objects with a certain romantic theme, such as a “loving, polka-dotted charonosaurus” or “giant, pink, flying chocolate box.”

Scribblenauts Remix is available to download on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch for $0.99.

Thanks to the lovely people over at Daily App Dream and independent Canadian-based developer, XperimentalZ Games, the iOS title Don’t Run With A Plasma Sword is free – but for a very limited time.

The title has been well received by both players and critics alike – distinguishing itself by offering an astounding mix of game modes – featuring story mode and endless mode with four highly unique gameplay environments. With a retro sci-fi style, RPG elements, awesome boss fights, comics and plenty of humour this is a title you’re not going to want to miss.

If a free game wasn’t enough, XperimentalZ Games have added a few more potential bonuses. If the title makes it to 100k downloads, the game will remain free for a minimal period of one month. At 150k downloads, an additional game mode will be developed on top of the already scheduled updates. At 200k downloads, yet another game mode will be added! So download the game and sit back and wait for your soon to be developed updates.

Check out the retro-humoristic in-game user manual that has been updated and uploaded to Youtube below, and then click right here to download your free copy of Don’t Run With A Plasma Sword.

Here we are again, MasterAbbott is back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed out on last week’s suggestions, click on the links below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how my suggestions work, as I’m not going through the same old intro every week. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer)

What i’ve also introduced is video game play footage (if it’s possible) on some of the iOS games I’ve suggested, you can check this out at the bottom of the article. Currently video game play footage for this week’s suggestions is One Epic Game, check back in a few days there will be some more added. For now, if you jump into week 2 suggestions there are a few videos to check out.

MasterAbbott’s iOS Game Suggestions #1
MasterAbbott’s iOS Game Suggestions #2
MasterAbbott’s iOS Game Suggestions #3
MasterAbbott’s iOS Game Suggestions #4

Once again it’s been a great week on iTunes, so many amazing games were released, this week I’ve suggested well over my normal amount with a total of 24 great quality titles. As always for this week’s suggestions I’ve added a few old games into the mix as they certainly deserve a mention. But of course the focus is still on the newer titles that you should also take a look at to spend your hard earned iTunes cash / time on.

This week I’ve focused an both free games and titles over 99c as there were some awesome and unique games released. These titles are all well worth taking a look at. Now lets get down to business shall we.

For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES

	MASTERABBOTT’s FREE GAME Pick Of The Week Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - Price : FREE (with option to purchase more chapters) – Publisher – Capcom (In an obscure corner of the city, a single bullet takes your life, but that’s not all it takes. When you awaken as a spirit, you realize you have no recollection of who you are. Thus begins your search for the answers to these questions: “Who am I?”, “Who killed me?”, and “Why was I killed?”) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Half Breed - Price : FREE – Publisher - Tricasa (Half Breed is an action-packed game with awesome visuals, loads of unique weapons, a bunch of aliens, and epic boss fights! Your character is a man who seeks revenge on the people that created him as a military experiment. Half-man and half-alien, a Half Breed, use special powers to defeat enemy aliens and their bosses. Similar in theory to games like Prototype & inFamous.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Namco Arcade - Price : FREE – Publisher – NamcoBandai Games Inc. (Those gems of gaming that were so much fun back in the day are back, and are now available in the App Store! Namco’s arcade games, which turned the arcades of the eighties into centers of fun and thrills, have been completely restored for you to enjoy on the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad! Whether you’re an old school pro or a beginner, be sure to take this opportunity to play these classic titles, packed with a unique charm that seems both nostalgic and new at the same time!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Call Of Mini: Double Shot - Price : FREE – Publisher - Trinit Interactive Ltd (The small town of Lakeside is suffering from something even scarier than economic crisis: Zombies. You are an unwitting truck driver stranded in the middle of it all, forced to kill for your survival. In the face of deadly new breeds of bioengineered zombies, you and one buddy are the only two left to hunt down the source of the infection. With super high-tech weapons and totally unique armor, how long can you hold off the zombie hordes?.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Stop Those Fish - Price : FREE – Publisher - Eye Intertactive (Why should you Stop Those Fish? A league of hyper-intelligent fish is plotting our destruction from their secret lair at the bottom of the sea. You are the leader of a small band of bears fighting for the survival of all land dwellers. In this epic battle that pits bear against fish, do you have what it takes to drown the fish uprising before it’s too late?.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Pluto Learns Piano - Price : FREE – Publisher – Pluto Games Inc. (You’ll find tons of notes and fascinating animals as you guide Pluto through the ocean in your adventure to master the songs. Play all the correct notes, avoid the incorrect ones, and definitely stay away from the obstacles! Great game for kids, play songs and learn musinc along the way.  13 great songs included with options to purchase more.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Tires Of Fury - Price : FREE – Publisher – Ignotus Games. (Welcome to Tires of Fury Island! Here, you’ll race across a wide variety of environments against a rag-tag group of unique racing machines and drivers. Head to the garage and pick your ride from a line-up of monster trucks like you’ve never seen: Including pirate ships, laser tanks, space ships, and more! Each one has a unique balance of attributes that you can upgrade according to your preferences using your racing prizes. Also, three unique drivers each offer an additional boost to your stats.) runs on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	The Nightworld - Price : FREE - Publisher – Glu Games (Welcome to a world where sunlight is nothing but a memory, where resources are scarce, and only the cunning will survive. Emerge from the shadows and walk the wastelands as one of the last humans fighting for resources, to stay strong and most importantly to stay alive.) runs on both iPhone and iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Snoopy’s Street Fair - Price : FREE - Publisher – Beeline Europe. (Help Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the entire PEANUTS gang build and organize a street fair! In this taptastic adventure you’ll decorate Charlie Brown’s neighborhood and fill it with a wealth of wonderful stalls and attractions. Recruit your favorite PEANUTS characters including Sally, Linus and Lucy, just to name a few.While the rest of the gang is busy with the fair, Snoopy brings his own brand of mischief to the game.) runs on both iPhone and iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Battle Bears Royal - Price : FREE - Publisher - SKYVU Pictures Inc. (Equip your character with a massive array of powerful and hilarious primary/secondary weapons, melee weapons and amazing power-ups as you pwn your friends across 4 distinct multi-level maps including the HUGGABLE FACTORY! Produced in partnership with Recharge Studios, BBR is SkyVu’s most epic game ever.) runs on both iPhone and iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Terapets - Price : FREE - Publisher – TikTak Games (Teraland is a fantastic world where humans live together with some creatures called Terapets. They have always lived happily in harmony with nature and the inhabitants of Teraland. But, for some reason, not long ago, the Terapets have lost their melody and, therefore, their light and happiness… What’s the reason for this tragedy? They need somebody whose bravery and spirit will make possible the return of the melody to the Terapets. Could it be you? .) runs on both iPhone and iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
	Terra Noctis: Free Dreaming - Price : FREE - Publisher - Everplay Interactive (Relive the older school gaming days in this retro-inspired platformer reinvisioned for your mobile device! Run, Jump, and Solve Puzzles on your way to the goal! Battle devious baddies and collect many goodies across 4 epic worlds!.) runs on both iPhone and iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE

For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games

	MASTERABBOTT’s 99c Game Pick Of The Week Paper Monsters - Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Crescent Moon Games. (Dive into the world of Paper Monsters and watch a living world made out of paper, cardboard, and a few cotton balls unfold right before your eyes. Paper Monsters takes all of the classic 2d platforming elements, combines them with cutting edge graphics and then packs it onto your iPhone or iPad!) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
	One Epic Game - Price : $0.99 – Publisher - Chillingo Ltd (There’s only one hero who can save us all. Unfortunately, he’s busy, so it’s up to you instead. So now it’s time to protect the world from an alien invasion right in the middle of a zombie outbreak in a post-apocalyptic wasteland…full of all your favorite bad guys! ) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
	Legendary Wars - Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Liv Games. (Legendary Wars. Take command of your heroes. Build up massive armies to destroy the undead forces of the Netherworld! It’s time to fight back! Legendary Wars Campaign mode features 5 lands and over 50 levels each with unique gameplay and secret unlockable modes and Features a variety of gameplay styles including; castle defense, castle siege, ambush, side-scrolling, free build, and Hero control. ) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
	Desert Zombies Last Stand - Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Eighth Wonder Studios. (Arm yourself to the teeth and dive head-first into Desert Zombie: Last Stand, a high-octane, high-explosive action game powered by Unreal Engine 3! Desert Zombie delivers an immersive, action-packed warfare experience unlike any other! Fight to survive battling hordes of armed and dreadfully cunning zombies. Experience thrilling combat carnage and undead bloodshed complete with a full arsenal of modern weaponry, unlockable player perks, characters and achievements. ) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW

For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99

	MASTERABBOTT’S Over 99c PICK OF THE WEEK Warm Gun - Price : $1.99 (Publisher - Emotional Robots (World War III has been fought to the tipping point and ecologists long unheeded cries have been silenced by the grim truth of their predictions. To the last drop of oil have the worlds resources been depleted, and only sporadic traces of modern structure can be sifted in the dust. Time ticks forward, but humans must retrace their advancement back; through a history that has already been lived and to the Wild West for the second time. We have trampled ahead to the past in muddy boots, to the United States of late 19th century.) – runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
	Pocket League Story. – Price : $2.99 – Publisher - Kairosoft Co. Ltd ( From the same guys that brought us the highly addictive Game Dev Story, they are back and this time you can strap on those soccer boots and handpick players, train, and battle your way to the top of every league in this sensational soccer team simulation!  SHOOT… GOAAAALLLL!!) runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
	Super Monkey Ball 2 – Sakura Edition - Price : $2.99 – Publisher - SEGA America ( Super Monkey Ball is back. Everyone’s favorite monkeys keep the ball rolling with this exclusive version of the arcade to console classic for iOS. Roll around the Far East, as you tilt and steer one of four adorable monkeys through 125 themed mazes and a beautiful world of cherry blossoms. Just grab your bananas along the way to earn extra lives before time runs out. It’s so easy to play, even a monkey could do it!!) runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
	Call Of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land - Price : $4.99 – Publisher - Red Wasp Design (Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is a turn-based strategy/role-playing game based on the award winning Call of Cthulhu RPG. Set in the midst of World War One, the game pits your team of investigators and soldiers against an ancient enemy, one older than humanity itself… Can your team of investigators keep their grip on sanity long enough to stop these diabolical plans? The fate of humanity is in your hands..) runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
	Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials - Price : $6.99 – Publisher - MumboJumbo (A storm is brewing in Salem!!! Can you solve this Midnight Mystery? Explore 10 adventurous missions in stunning HD in this intriguing hidden-object adventure game. The famed writer Nathaniel Hawthorne has died during a freak snow storm, and his ghost has come to you, asking for help. There’s more to this case than first appears, and only you can help free his spirit..) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
	Awesome Land - Price : $1.99 - Publisher - Freakzone (Remember when console games were AWESOME? When the challenge was in conquering fearsome obstacle courses rather than getting through needless tutorials? Awesome Land will restore your faith in true gaming and whether you spent your childhood jumping on mushrooms, rolling around loops or even whipping skeletons, this game will give your nostalgia muscles a good workout without having to fork out big bucks in some dusty vintage game store..) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
	Hamlet! – Price : $4.99 Free with in App purchase option – Publisher – Big Fish Games (Mayhem and hilarity ensue when a scientist travels back in time and gets mixed up with characters from William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet! Guide the man from the future as he embarks on a mind-bending mission to save Hamlet’s girlfriend, Ophelia, from the clutches of the evil Claudius. Solve a variety of cunning puzzles and advance from one sidesplitting scene to the next as you defeat bosses and overcome mental obstacles in this fun Adventure game. .) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
	Bean’s Quest – Final - Price : $2.99 - Publisher - Kumobuis (Emilio has been cursed and his girlfriend kidnapped! Transformed by dark magic into a jumping bean, you must bounce your way to victory through 50 levels spread over 5 worlds. Can you rescue your one true love and find your missing pet axolotls? Bean’s Quest brings back retro platforming to your iPhone or iPad with super intuitive controls; touch left or touch right – it’s so simple!.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW

There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below, or join the discussion in the forums. Check out the link below :

Remember kids, Play Hard Or Don’t Play At All!

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Video Game Play

 One Epic Game

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Join the forum discussion on this post

The Sims Freeplay
Developer: Iron Monkey
Publisher: EA Mobile
Platforms: iTouch, iPhone and iPad (reviewed)
Release Date:
Price: FREE – Available Here

Overview

The Sims has always achieved a high amount of success over the years, ever since that first PC game. Each title is a sure fire hit (except maybe the furniture packs, but even then), so EA’s choice to let the latest release go for the low, low price of nothing at all is a surprising one. So is there a reason that they’ve let this one slip through free, or are they just being generous?

Gameplay

To start with, Sims Freeplay looks and feels like a normal Sims game, but it really isn’t. The biggest difference is the fact that it all happens in real time. No more lining up a bunch of actions and fast forwarding through them like normal. In fact, once you start on an action you better like what they’re doing because you may have to wait another ten minutes for them to finish. I don’t think I’d ever realised how long a minute was until I had to wait for one of my Sims to finish a social action.

The other big change is that instead of taking care of a family, you take care of a whole town. While this may sound intimidating, it’s actually not that bad, mostly because of the fact that everything is done in real time. At first getting used to the controls and switching between people and houses was bewildering, especially because it is just so different from other Sims games. Once you play it for a little while it becomes natural, and you forget there was ever another way of doing things.

However, there are ways around waiting for things to finish being done. You can spend life points (which are earned by completing wishes, as per usual) instead of your time, with the amount needed changing with the amount of time you’re saving. The life point cost doesn’t change if you’ve already completed half the task though, so if you’re going to bludge off something it’s best to decide so quickly.

You do have the choice of buying life points or Simoleons through as an in-app purchase, of course, which is Farmville-esque. So it’s up to you if you are willing to pay money to speed the game up, although that sort of defeats the point of this installment. For those who are having trouble adjusting to this way of playing it is an option.

Your game is measured by how much your town is worth, not really by how much money you have in the bank. While having money is useful because it means you can buy more buildings to raise your town worth, you can be basically broke and still have a decent net worth. Which I learned on a few occasions.

Something else I discovered was that your Sims don’t really die if they don’t eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, shower, and so on. Shortly after discovering this I took on a different form of saving money by one of my Sims only owning a toilet and a garden to earn some money. Not cruel at all.

I also had a full community feel by having most of the neighbourhood hanging at one of the houses, socializing and eating and whatnot. The way that the new app is designed means that it’s a lot easier for that to happen, with having full control of each of the neighbours and stopping them from staying over too long, or deciding they couldn’t be bothered to come over.

The careers part of the game is similar to what has happened in the past, with the exception that you have to actually build the work environments. As you go on in the game, get more Sims, and have them climb the work ladder, you will have more money and it will become fairly easy for you to pick them up as you go.

Instead of being a game that you can spend hours playing, it takes over your life far more subtly. In a way it’s like Farmville, you end up timing it and keeping an eye on the clock so you do certain things with your Sims after they finish their actions, or make sure to send them to work, or whatever else.

Visuals

As with the standard of Sims games that have already been released onto the market, the visuals are top notch and respond well to interactivity. Even though this app is far cheaper than it’s cousins, you won’t notice a difference in the performance of the app, and certainly not in the graphics.

Audio

Once again, you won’t find a huge deviation from the norm. Everything about the soundtrack screams the Sims, but that isn’t a bad thing in the least. I mean, I have a whole range of memories and nostalgia tied to that soundtrack, so I love the fact that it’s stayed pretty similar.

Overall

Considering the fact that the app is free, offers updates, and hasn’t at all skimped on the features and in fact offers something vastly different from what we’ve seen in Sims installments in the past. This is a definite must get, and not just for Sims fans.

Fly With Me, created by EA’s LA studio for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, is now available on the AppStore. With a simple tap-to-flap mechanic, you’ll be helping birds navigate through 45 levels in 3 unique settings. You’ll need to dodge hazards and trees, while gobbling up bugs to keep up your strength.

You can in-app purchase, or unlock the Robot Bird, which is immune to bad stuff you may run into in your flights. Or buy the Kid Mode to make everything easier for the little ones, giving you infinite stamina and 30 exclusive levels to play through.

Check out our review, or buy the game now!

Magpul Executive Field Case
Developer: Magpul
Compatible with: iPhone 4/4s
Price: $9.95 – Available Here

You probably have not heard of the Magpul. However Magpul is not a new company. If you play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, or any other modern day shooter then you have most likely already seen one of their products in action. Magpul is a company specializing in firearms accessories and designing concept firearms aimed at the military market. So what on earth are they doing making iPhone cases? Making great iPhone cases at an affordable price point. So is it mission accomplished for Magpul? Absolutely!

The Magpul Executive Field Case for the iPhone 4/4s is available in black, flat dark earth, foliage green, OD green, orange and pink and is made in the USA. We have the flat dark earth and the OD green cases here to review. The case is made from a rubber like plastic that is stiff yet flexible. Magpul says the material used to make their iPhone cases is the same material they used to make their first product, the Magpul loop. These loops are slid on the bottom of rifle magazines to allow the user to quickly draw magazines from pouches during reloads. Magpul loops are still used by soldiers around the world to this day and you can probably spot many video game characters sporting these on their rifle magazines. The material used for the case has some serious real word testing behind it. So what makes it so perfect for iPhone cases? The material is rigid enough that it will not lose its shape over time. It has a slight tackiness like rubber that makes it easy to hold onto even with wet or greasy hands but not sticky enough that it is difficult to take out of a tight pocket. The case itself has ribs on the edges that further aid in gripping the phone. The Executive Field Case is just thick enough to protect your phone from drops but thin enough that it will not add too much bulk to the sleek iPhone.

The case survives drops really well. I personally have dropped my phone a few feet onto concrete and tile a few times by accident without damage. I expected the case to be scratched up or damaged in some way along with a cracked screen after a particularly bad fall onto gritty concrete that landed glass corner down. Usually these types of falls are death sentences for the iPhone screen. But after dusting the grit off the case, I was surprised to find no damage on both the case and the phone.

Installation is a snap with this case, literally. Simply pop in your phone and it will snap right in. The phone fits in nicely with a little bit of wiggle room to make it easy to remove the phone. You may be doing this a lot as the case adds enough thickness to make it incompatible with most iPhone docks. Even with the slight room in the case, it will not come off without conscious effort to remove it. There is a slight lip on the front of the case that will help protect the screen from being scratched when laid on a table screen down.

The cut out for the camera works will with no flash problems. Be aware of first generation cases that have a camera cut out that look like a key hole as those have been reported to interfere with the camera flash. The cut out for the silent switch is big enough to be compatible with both versions of the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s. The rocker switch for the volume buttons is large and chunky. This makes it very easy to reach into a pocket and adjust the volume of the phone even with winter gloves on.

The headset jack hole is not very large. It will be compatible with cables designed for the iPhone such as the stock iPhone ear buds but others will require a headphone jack extension cable or adapter. Alternatively the plug on the cable can be carefully slimmed down with a knife. The sleep button is textured like the volume rocker switch making it easy to operate when you cannot see your phone. There are holes are cut for the speaker, microphone, and the 30 pin dock connector. The slot is big enough to accommodate the stock cable that Apple provides with the iPhone, but larger third party or older cables may need to be filed down to fit the case.

Should you purchase this case? Absolutely. For 10 US dollars this case is an absolute steal. The Magpul Executive Field Case can easily go head to head with similar cases several times its price and still come out on top. It may not be the flashiest or prettiest case, but it is extremely durable yet thin enough to be out of the way. I would easily pay up to 40 dollars for it, yet Magpul offers the case for a mere 10 dollars. If you are looking to upgrade from your poorly made case you bought for a few dollars to something better without breaking the bank, look no further than the Magpul Executive Field Case.

Quarrel
Developer: Denki
Publisher: UTV Ignition Games
Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade (reviewed), iPhone/iPad
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Price: $5.00 – Available Here

Overview

You know when you’re at a party, and there are always the really loud douchebags that demand your attention?

In the gaming world, we call them Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed and Elder Scrolls. And yeah, they’re good fun, but you can’t spend the whole party talking to them. Not enough people go talk to the quiet ones in the corner, who slipped in unnoticed amongst the big loud ones. They may not be so vocal about getting your attention, but that’s not to say they don’t deserve it.

Quarrel is one game that I would have missed had MasterAbbott not introduced me. It’s a very unique word puzzle game, blending an unlikely partnership out of mechanics from two popular board games: Scrabble and Risk.

So how can those two very different games be combined into a coherent whole?

Gameplay

Let me say straight up – Quarrel won’t be for everyone. If you’re not particularly good with words, or just don’t enjoy anagrams, there’s not really anything for you here.

But if you love a good game of Scrabble, or continually pester people for rounds of Words With Friends, then you’ll find Quarrel to be a fantastic expansion on the genre.

A standard match takes place between two and four people, with players battling each other with their word power, in order to take over territories. It sounds weird, but it actually works pretty well.

The territories of the battlefield are divvied up between players, and a certain number of troops are assigned to each territory. On a player’s turn, they can attack an adjacent enemy-controlled territory, and their chances of victory will vary according to the ratio of defending and attacking troops. It’s all very reminiscent of Risk.

The combat however, plays like Scrabble or Words With Friends. You and your opponent are given the same eight letters, each with a value attached, and are tasked with making the highest-scoring word out of them. The catch is, the length of the word you can make is based on the number of troops you have in that territory. So if you use a territory with five troops to attack a territory where an opponent has four troops, you can only make words up to five letters long, while they can only use four.

Your words are compared, and the highest score wins. In the case of a tie, the win goes to whoever was fastest.

If you outword the opponent, you send your troops into the newly-claimed land, leaving one behind to guard the previous area. If there’s another territory bordering the new one, you can launch another attack, and keep doing so until you lose a battle or decide to hold your ground.

If you lose a battle, you’ll be sent crying back to your own land with one troop left. But here’s the clincher: if you attack with more troops than the opponent, and lose, they will take some of your guys as prisoners, equal to the difference between your troops in the battle. So, say you send seven guys against an enemy’s four, and you lose, three of yours will defect to their team, effectively strengthening the defences of the land you were attacking.

Once you’ve decided to stand your ground, you can move troops between your neighbouring territories, and when you finally pass to the next person, you receive reinforcements in all of your held territories.

All up, it means you need to be good at both sets of strategies to succeed. Your prowess in the general strategies of Risk won’t get you far if you can’t handle anagrams. Having a seven-letter territory attack a two-letter territory may drastically increase your chances of victory, but won’t guarantee it. All the letters in the world won’t help you if you can’t make a word fast enough.

Inversely, maybe you can anagram like crazy, but don’t get too cocky. Try to attack too many in a single turn, and you’ll make the fatal Risk mistake of spreading yourself too thin, making it easy for opponents to come in and clean you up.

The game combines two sets of mechanics exceedingly well, and even fixes built-in issues in clever ways. One problem with Scrabble – and by extension, Words With Friends – is that often you’ll be lumped with something like four A’s, two L’s and a Q.  Those letters aren’t gonna help you, and you can only rid yourself of them slowly. Quarrel gives you a new set of letters each battle, and ensures that each set can always form an eight-letter word, meaning there are always plenty of possible words, regardless of how many slots you have. Make an eight-letter word, and you receive an extra troop, which can be saved up and called into any battle you need help with.

It also removes the traditional luck elements of strategy game combat: rather than a roll of the dice determining the victor, Quarrel ensures combat is skill-based, so having more troops is an advantage, but not an automatic duel-winner.

There isn’t much variation in how the game modes play, but it’s still good fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try it online, and it doesn’t offer local multiplayer. I can imagine that if you have fellow wordsmiths for friends, or  find someone around your own skill level via the random match-maker, it could be damn fun.

Sadly, playing against AI can feel unfair. I mean, how can our measly human vocabularies compete with a computer? You’ll often be bested by words you’ve never heard of, especially against tougher AI. Thankfully, there’s the welcome addition of having the definition of words scroll across the bottom, to silence cries of “But that’s not a word!”

Anyway, nothing balances a competition like human players, and although it’s understandable that you can’t have multiple players on one screen, same-room multiplayer is sorely missed. If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, it might be better to get the iOS version for the multiplayer.

Visual & Audio

Quarrel is wrapped in a neat little aesthetic bundle, with colourful graphics and cheerful music. In fact, it’s almost too colourful and cheerful.

The visuals are a little sickly-sweet, conjuring questions of who this is intended for. Kids? They won’t last five minutes against some of that AI’s brutal tendencies. But the diabetes-inducing sugary sweetness of it all might put off some of the more self-respecting wordplay lovers.

I actually quite like the characters though – their simple designs are distinct, yet they all have a theme. Sometimes your troops will be pirates, others they might be cavemen, ninjas, soldiers, robots, Vikings, or aliens, but they’re all based on the same big-headed character model.

The music melts into the background for the most part, although you will be subconsciously humming it later. The musical stings highlight key moments, such as when presenting your words, crushing (or being crushed by) your opponents, which all add a lot of drama to proceedings.

Final Comments

It wouldn’t take much to decide if you’d like Quarrel: essentially, if you love word games, and are tired of Words With Friends, this is a great next step.

Quarrel is fairly niche, but for those in that niche, it’s a Godsent game, albeit one that may be more cumbersome to play with friends over XBLA. It does an excellent job of honing the key mechanics of similar games, while expanding into a larger meta-game for why you’re playing with anagrams.

Oh, and did I mention it’s damn cheap? Five dollars for either the XBLA or iOS version makes it impossible for English language aficionados to pass up. Let yourself move beyond the sugary sweetness of its presentation and enjoy it for what it offers.