10. Roads of Rome
I love time management games and I love the Roads of Rome franchise. The first installment of the series, Roads of Rome is fun, challenging and highly entertaining. Help Victorius win the hand of Caesar's beautiful daughter, by building a network of Roman roads through hostile and impenetrable territory, as well as establishing new settlements and towns. You will encounter vicious hostiles, wild animals, earth quakes and more, but don't give up! A Brave new world is just a hammer away. Featuring beautiful graphics, smooth gameplay and 40 varied and challenging levels, Roads of Rome is a winner.
Download in iTunes now!
9. Be Rich
Be Rich is another time management game that has been beautifully adapted for the iPad. Featuring two modes - career and sandbox - this is a game that will keep you coming back for more. You are tasked with building, buying and selling real estate in cities and towns across America. In career mode, each level requires you to complete a series of tasks and reach a specific monetary target all within a time limit if you are to achieve expert status. Warning: some levels are super challenging and will require repeated attempts before you achieve expert status. Sandbox mode challenges you to use your creativity and imagination in creating thriving, bustling towns in unlimited game play. All in all, a fun addition to your iPad inventory.
Download in iTunes now!
8. World Series of Poker (WSOP)
This exciting, on-line, multi-player poker game from Electronic Arts (EA) is as addictive as it is fun. The fact that you play with real people makes it unpredictable and entertaining, especially if you get a table full of chatty, friendly players all trying to out-wit and out-play each other. You can choose to buy chips to play with (from $2.99 for 750 000 chips to $99.99 for 112 000 000) or you can play conservatively using the 15 000 free chips you receive when you set up your profile (as well as the free daily bonus chips all players receive). Boost your chip count by making lots of friends and sending them free chips every day. You automatically receive free chips in return when they accept your gifts! You can either sign on as a guest (and use an avatar and remain anonymous) or sign in using your Facebook account. Featuring two styles of poker - both Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha, WSOP is a free app that is beautifully designed and easy to use. For a full review and tips on how to attain PRO status, read my Gaming blog.
Download in iTunes now!
7. The Timebuilders - Pyramid Rising II
The Timebuilders - Pyramid Rising II is as cute and quirky as it's predecessor and just as much fun. Join Pharaoh Touti and Hapu the priest in building 8 fabulous temples to avoid the end of the world as foretold by a mysterious papyrus scroll. With 40 gorgeous levels, Pyramid Rising II features smooth game play, rich graphics and a new addition, The 12 labours - extra levels that challenge you to build your own Sphinx. Managing a series of building projects from simple homes to banks and temples, while dodging thieves and bartering with greasy traders, is all in a days work. Both challenging and entertaining, this game makes my list of all-time favourite iPad games.
Download in iTunes now!
6. Megaplex Madness 2
You guessed it, I'm a huge fan of time management games, especially as they are so perfectly suited to playing on an iPad. Megaplex Madness 2 is a sweet and often challenging game that requires you to build an ambitious Megaplex movie complex, featuring 5 themed movie theatres. With cinemas of the Sci-Fi, Action, Romance, Western and Horror genres, you will need to reach specific cash targets within a certain timeframe to attain three star status on every level. The greater the profit you make, the greater the upgrades you can install to help speed up your service and rack up the points. Running out of coins for upgrades? Take a break in the arcade and play one of 5 arcade games to earn extra coins. Serve customers with tickets, popcorn, soda, candy, nachos, arcade games and more before you lose customers or the clock runs out. This game has a lovely retro feel to it and while not as sophisticated as other games such as Roads to Rome and Pyramid Rising, it's still a welcome addition to any gamers collection.
Download in iTunes now!
5. Monopoly, Here & Now: The World Edition
A perennial favourite for gamers old and young, Electronic Arts' Monopoly has been seamlessly adapted for the iPad. It's great fun playing an animated, electronic version of the board game that I loved to play as a child. Choose from seven animated tokens (the car is my favourite), then choose your mode of play (from very easy to hard) and hit play. You will be transported around a board that features beautiful and exotic cities from all over the world. The game is packed with the usual features: Community Chest, Chance, houses, hotels, taxation and those ever-frustrating trips to jail. For a great trip down memory lane, and hours of gaming pleasure, Monopoly doesn't disappoint!
Download in iTunes now!
4. Duckers
It's amazing how the simpler the game, the more fun and entertaining it can be. And Duckers is no exception. The basic premise of the game is to propel a range of different Duckers down through the earth, avoiding various perils and collecting coins, gems, artefacts and treasures along the way. The deeper you go, the more booty your collect and the higher your score. Simply swipe your finger from your ducker to where you want to go and you'll soon be speeding through subterranean tunnels and caverns. Watch out for burrowing animals, electrical pulses and beams, spikes and rocks, all of which can end a life in an instant. The higher your score, the more credits you win to buy extra lives and upgrades in the store. Keep playing until you complete your collection of mystery artefacts and collectibles. This is a cute, engaging game that is far trickier than it seems.
Download in iTunes now!
3. Osmos
This has got to be one of the most challenging and creative games available on the iPad! With gorgeous graphics, beautiful music, and extremely smooth gameplay, Osmos is a sumptuous feast for those looking for a brain burning and entertaining gaming experience. The basic premise is to turn your sphere into the largest on the screen by absorbing orbs that are smaller than you. Involving physics, careful planning and cunning strategy skills, Osmos is addictive. And the higher the level, the more challenging and intense it becomes (and the higher your frustration levels!). Propel your sphere towards your target by tapping it in the opposite direction to where you want to go. This causes your sphere to eject matter into the atmosphere while moving you forward, so extreme caution and planning is required so that you don't end up becoming smaller than your prey who can in turn absorb you! With 72 levels and three modes of play - Odyssey, Arcade and new Multiplayer function - Osmos will keep you occupied for some time!
Download in iTunes now!
2. Kingdom Chronicles
I know! It's another time management game, but I just can't get enough of these absorbing, challenging and highly entertaining offerings. And Kingdom Chronicles has to be one of the cutest of the lot. It kind of reminds me of Asterix and Obelix, the comics I loved to read as a child. With druids, who magically appear to dispel obstacles (for a price, of course), busy workers bustling about as they saw wood, mine stones and gold, and build structures, and various traders who yell out to grab your attention, it's a visual and audio feast. An absolute winner with very rich graphics, great attention to detail, an engaging story, trophies and badges to collect, and 40 challenging levels (or "episodes") Kingdom Chronicles is a must for gamers who enjoy time management and strategy games. But be warned, play this game when you have plenty of time on your hands because once you start, you won't want to stop!
Download in iTunes now!
1. Where's My Water?
This marvellous offering from Disney is one of the most challenging, entertaining, clever, original, absorbing, beautiful and fun games that I have ever played on the iPad. And the fantastic thing is, that Disney keeps adding on the levels (at no extra cost) and have now created a series of mini-movies which you can view on YouTube. Your mission is to help Swampy the alligator, (and his nemesis, Cranky) to take a bath, but the pipes are blocked and the water just won't flow! You need to put your thinking cap on as you figure out the best way to route the water, through different pipes, past numerous obstacles and chemicals and using a variety of switches, valves, fans and other devices to get Swampy's water flowing as quickly as possible. Tri-duck every level and collect all hidden treasures to unlock extra mini-games. This a such a cute, quirky game that I simply can't stop gushing about it. No pun intended!
Download in iTunes now!
