#grapefrukt games

[tomorrowedblog]

subpar pool is out today

subpar pool, the new game from grapefrukt games, is out today.

A whimsical adventure of playful pocket antics at the intersection of golf and pool, from the developer behind holedown, twofold inc & rymdkapsel.

[indiehangover]

Ball-bouncer games are one of my favorite genres for on-the-go gaming. When I heard about Holedown, a $3.99 mobile game that promised a lot of heart and a terrific ball-bouncing, block-destroying, precise-aiming experience, I was intrigued. I’ve only purchased a couple mobile games in the past – Gorogoa and Super Mario Run – but a polished game of this type sold me on the idea of purchasing my third mobile game. With so many free games like it available, I had to know if the polished graphics, upgrades, and planet delving made this worth the purchase.



Title: Holedown Developer: grapefrukt games Platform: iOS Game Version: Final Review Copy: Purchased by reviewer Interface: iPhone 5s Available on iOS and Android

Dig deep underground by shooting balls and breaking blocks, traversing your way to the planet cores. With limited shots per round and some blocks fixed firmly to the wall, thoughtfully strategize and aim for maximum impact. Knock down as many blocks as possible while collecting crystals for upgrades and getting deeper beneath the surface.

Holedown is a cute mobile game that puts some solid twists on the classic block-breaking, ball-shooting genre (seriously, there HAS to be a better name for them!). For those not familiar, these games typically lay out a screen with various blocks that have numbers on them. Your job is to break these blocks by hitting them with the slew of balls you’ve got. You aim where you want to fire and then let go, and each hit on a brick lowers the number on it by one; once it hits 0, the brick breaks. Each turn, the bricks move toward you, with a new row added behind them, and if they get to you the game is over. To make things even crazier, the new bricks typically have a number at least one higher than the number of balls you fire, so you need to rely on bouncing shots as much as possible each turn.

But Holedown is unlike many of the games I’ve played. Each level (aside from the black hole) has a definitive goal, and you have a limited number of shots to reach it. The challenge is not only to avoid crashing (by having a block come up to you) but also to clear the blocks as quickly as you can so you descend faster. This creates a unique balance where you’ll want to clear higher blocks as fast as you can, but also try to break lower ones so that you don’t get overwhelmed when you rush toward them.

Another major twist is that the blocks aren’t all independent of one another. If you take out a block, all of the blocks above it will be destroyed as well unless they have a screw in them. This blends bubble shooter mechanics in with a new genre, making a perfect shot against the bottom of the screen even more effective since a surgical strike on one or two blocks can clear the whole screen, rapidly boosting you deeper toward the core faster.

Finally, unlike every other game of this type I’ve played, the blocks aren’t all the same size. Some are regular squares, while others are all sorts of tetrominoes (Tetris shapes), and some are even more ridiculous. Typically, the bigger the block is, the higher the number on it will be. But bigger blocks are also easier to hit more than once in a shot, and because they all have rounded corners, it’s easier to make shots bounce like crazy.

As you clear levels, you’ll pick up crystals from some blocks, and these can be used to upgrade various stats. Unless you’re a ridiculously intelligent AI that can calculate every angle perfectly, you’ll need to increase all of these to progress through the game’s handful of levels. I’m a sucker for any game with upgrades, and there really is a terrific sense of progression. Going back to the first level after maxing everything out is almost hilarious, as even the worst shots can practically clear the screen.

However, I was really disappointed at how few levels there were in Holedown. Games of this sort usually have hundreds of levels, and I assumed there would be at least a couple dozen to get through here as well. Sadly, Holedown has only 6 (including the endless black hole), and the progression is wonky. Because there are so few levels, there’s a huge difficulty curve between them. If you’re upgraded enough to make it through the third level, for example, you’ll barely get anywhere at all in the fourth. You also don’t earn crystals any faster in harder stages, so it’s much easier to go back a level or two and grind there than it is to earn one or two crystals (if you’re lucky) in the most recently unlocked level.

Holedown reminds me of what I’d always heard about older online FPS games: sure there’s a campaign, but it’s basically there to get the player acquainted with the game before playing the “real game”. The difference is that, in Holedown, the “real game” is the black hole. The black hole is a limitless level where you dig deeper and deeper until you inevitably crash. Even after unlocking everything you’ll still collect crystals, but they don’t seem to have any purpose anymore. I’ve tried the mode several times after unlocking everything, but there’s not even a “revive for 50 crystals” option or “start 30 meters deeper for 20 crystals” or anything.

The lack of levels alone makes it hard to recommend Holedown when there are so many free games with hundreds of levels out there. It definitely has more polish than a lot of the free games, and they don’t have an adorable mole-like creature telling me to seize the means of production the way Holedown does. But unless the lack of ads is that important to you, or you want to support some indie devs who clearly put some heart (but not so much depth) into their game, it’s likely not worth dropping money on this one.

#indiegame Holedown from #indiedev @grapefrukt is a "ball bouncing spectacle" on iOS and Android, but is the charm, polish, and lack of ads worth the price for this mobile game? Ball-bouncer games are one of my favorite genres for on-the-go gaming. When I heard about Holedown…

[hermanwatts]

The wonderful Holedown is coming to Nintendo Switch

Grapefrukt Games

The charming mobile brick-breaker is making the jump from mobile

Continue reading…

The wonderful Holedown is coming to Nintendo Switch published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[mamaofthewildones]

The wonderful Holedown is coming to Nintendo Switch

Grapefrukt Games

The charming mobile brick-breaker is making the jump from mobile

Continue reading…

from Polygon - All https://ift.tt/2pBbQHT via IFTTT

[nvgotd]

Holedown

[ iOS, Android / 2018 / Grapefrukt Games ]

This mobile puzzle game is a modern take on the classic ‘Breakout’ gameplay formula, with players using bouncing projectiles to break through a wall of blocks. In Holedown, players fire their balls from the top, drilling down into the core of a planet. Strategy is required as players only have a limited number of shots and some blocks are permanently fixed in place, meaning players need to aim around them. As they progress, they earn crystals to spend on upgrades, such as more shots or greater crystal storage. The main campaign lasts roughly five or six hours, but there’s also an endless mode for those who want to fully master the mechanics. Unlike the majority of brick breakers available on mobile, this is a premium product rather than free-to-play - but it’s also much more polished and has a smoother difficulty curve that doesn’t funnel you towards microtransactions.

[waynekelton]

The Best RTS Games on Android & iOS

When it comes to the RTS, the mobile marketplace has big shoes to fill. From Age of Empires to Command & Conquer, the frantic blend of actions-per-minute with grand strategy, the macro- and micro-management required to play this genre at peak performance has inspired many a gamer.

What are the best RTS games on iOS & Android?

Company of Heroes

Bad North

Dungeon Warfare 2

Rebel Inc.

Element RTS

Kingdom Rush: Vengeance

Auralux: Constellations

Dominations

Iron Marines

Subterfuge

Rymdkapsel

Tropical Stormfront

Without further ado here are the best RTS games for android, iPhone & iPad to play in 2020:

Company of Heroes

Publisher: Feral Interactive Platforms: iPad Only Price: $14.99

I know when we first started creating these lists I said I didn't want to duplicate games across different articles if I could help it - but Company of Heroes is a good enough experience that it deserves to be in two places at once. Created by the geniuses at Feral Interactive, this is a smart adaptation of the iconic WW2 RTS to iPads. A touch interface is always going to be inferior to mouse when being adapted from the latter to the former, but Feral have done a pretty admirable job.

It's worth noting that, at the time of writing, the CoH port only includes the single-player campaign and 4v4 skirmish content from the vanilla game. The two expansions and multiplayer support are (hopefully) coming further down the line.

Bad North

Developer: Raw Fury Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

We knew Bad North would be perfect for mobile when we first heard about it back in 2018... it got waylaid some-what, beaching on PC first before finally setting sail for mobile a few months ago - it was definitely worth the wait. The PC version went through a lot of updates and changes, culminating in the free 'Jotunn Edition' update that elevated the game to a more 'definitive' state.

That version is what landed on mobile, and we really enjoyed it. As a 'micro' strategy game it personifies minimalist, simple design. Some of you might find it too simple at least but for those who aren't bothered by the very meagre, but raw tactical options, you'll find a game that's challenging and quite rewarding. It's got rogue-like elements where you can unlock improvements for later runs, and then you must command and nurture your army from island to island as you fight off waves of blood-thirsty vikings. New enemy types will warrant a change in tactics, provided you survive.

Dungeon Warfare 2

Developer: Jin Man Kim Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

We've been waiting for Dungeon Warfare 2 for what seems like a while now - it was on our list of 2018's most anticipated games for sure, but sadly missed its window and slipped into 2019. Still, as Richard can attest in this review, it was well worth the wait. The tower-defence genre has always been prone to to lazy or bland design, but in Dungeon Warfare everything is turned up to 11.

With over thirty distinct traps, this Dungeon Keeper-esque experience offers you a lot of variety and complexity with which to achieve what are still fairly basic TD goals. This game isn't completely unique in its theme, but nowhere else is it treated with so much passion - a must for TD strategy fans. 

Rebel Inc.

Developer: Ndemic Creations Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $1.99

Plague Inc. this is not, but Rebel Inc. still shares in its predecessor's excellent design pedigree. As the newly appointed administrator of a region that's just suffered a major war, your job is to try and help the population rebuild was also keeping local insurgents in check. It's full of tough choices and challenging tactical game-play as you struggle to pin down enemy insurgents and prevent them from doing too much harm.

Dealing with the concept of reconstruction is no easy feat, and the subject matter could be considered slightly controversial given the recent events that have inspired it, but Ndemic have treated the topic with as much care and attention as they can, even consulting with real-world experts on the subject. Rebel Inc. is a challenging and tense game, but just as rewarding, making this one of the year's best real-time strategy/simulations.

Element RTS

Developer: Flightless Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

One of the top RTS releases of 2018 to date, Element is a PC port that fits right at home on mobile. It's unique and streamlined design makes it a very accessible strategy game - you've got to balance the production of resources with the construction of units to either defend your base or attack your foes. The matches are short, and the AI is a pretty decent challenge, so you won't want to for entertainment.

It's just shy of being a 'must-buy' - the inclusion of a multiplayer mode would probably cement it as one of the best RTS games in mobile history, but we'd settle for an Android version. According to the devs, the game's been able to run on android devices for a while now, and they're just putting on the finishing touches before they announce a formal release date.

Kingdom Rush: Vengeance

Developer: Ironside S.A. Platforms:  iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

The latest entry in the acclaimed Kingdom Rush tower defence series has caused no small amount of controversy, which is likely to continue with it's inclusion in this list. It all depends how much you're bothered by the game's slightly-too-persistent micro-transactions. The only blemish on what is otherwise a stellar real-time strategy experience, these IAPs are completely optional and unnecessary, they're just a tad pushy.

If you're like Dick, who was a bit more forgiving in his review, then you'll find another excellent tower defence game, and one with plenty of humour and content to last you a decent amount of time - each level can take up to thirty minutes to complete. The way Vengeance handles towers as well is also fairly unique, requiring a bit more thought and planning. All in alll, unless you really want to take a stand against micro-transactions, there's a great game here waiting for you to discover and enjoy. Read our review for more.

Auralux: Constellations

Developer: War Drum Studios Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Auralux is generally brilliant and wickedly simple. Glowing orbs skip across the void of space to do battle over planets, which in turn spawn more orbs for the controlling player. Gestures are dead simple, tapping to select and dragging to assign. There is only one type of ‘unit’ and one objective: take over the entire map. From these givens, Auralux has some intense, hair-pulling and nail-biting levels where the odds are almost ludicrously stacked against the little player that could.

The ‘constellations’ in the title are simply clustered series of levels, each with a gimmick mechanic which must be understood and utilized to power through said levels. The game shows its age a bit, but it also demonstrates how a simple idea with excellent execution can stand the test of time. Another bonus is the variable speed setting, which makes the action go from hyper to sedate, depending on playstyle. Local multiplayer is a nice plus, but the game’s primary draw is solo play.

Dominations

Developer: Nexon M Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Dominations deserves to be loved and known for the quality of play it provides and its relatively tasteful monetization, but unfortunately the quickest way to worm its way into your heart and home screen are comparisons, so let’s get those over with. It’s Civilization meets Clash of Clans, with empires spanning the Iron Age to Space Age, wonders to build, raids to conduct, and all the usual trappings.

So, yes, there is a certain likeness to established powerhouses, but the devil is in the details, and Dominations gets those spot-on. Playing it to a satisfying endgame without shelling out serious dinero will take patience, but Dominations’ emulation of all of recorded human history and conflict is pretty satisfying to stretch out and play in pieces. Of course, human history never before ran on a timer...

Iron Marines

Developer: Ironhide Studios Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: $4.99

The Iron Marines are a space-trotting, world-saving team of elite squads tasked with putting out fires and defeating hostiles wherever needed. The elevator pitch for the game would be Starcraft...but not? There is a home-base which usually has to be fortified and defended, additional refineries to secure more resources, and just a handful of units. 

From these simple, intuitive elements, the game ekes out a good sense of micromanagement and delectable real-time tension. Its enemies have unusual abilities and synergies, and its difficulty is no joke, especially on the higher levels. Yet the game also retains Ironclad Studios sense of long-term planning and strategy present in its tower defense titles. Read our Iron Marines review for more!

Subterfuge

Developer: SnappyTouch Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Subterfuge is exactly as advertised: a subtle, long-term game of expedient alliances and stone-cold betrayals, filled with the irrefutable logic of hard numbers and the soft uncertainty of fog of war. A turn just means giving subs and bases a command which will take hours to fulfil, so while it is real-time like warfare is real-time, in Subterfuge the theatre of war sees its stage advance slowly.

Its scale is just grand enough to be deeply satisfying but be warned that it does take some time investment to get a game fired up. The leaders provide asymmetrical player powers, but even these super-units can be captured and bartered. Barring these modifies and special cases,  the bases and subs are more or less identical. The game is simply a question of position, resources and force, but these factors are always shifting because of the partial information and precarious alliances.

Rymdkapsel

Developer: Grapefrukt Games Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: $3.99

Rymdkapsel is about space-base-building and defense, mostly, but also includes some spatial puzzling a la Tetris and ‘exploration’. Its minimalism is more than just stylistic, going instead to the core of every action, options and goal. Perhaps the most satisfying bit is the constant packing problem for expanding the base.

New buildings can be any type and go any spot the player chooses, but also must have predefined dimensions. (all four unit polyominoes) A tightly knit base might come across as more defensible but reaching and researching the far-flung monoliths gives permanent global passive bonuses. The game is a logistics and timing puzzle with a really keen sense of efficiency and management for all its stripped-down design.

Tropical Stormfront

Developer: Noble Master Games Platforms: iOS, Android Price: $3.99

Island-hopping Tropical Stormfront pits the United Democratic Alliance against Order, Discipline and Obedience in a faux-historical struggle across the archipelago. The graphics are deliberately dated and the unit mixture, contrary to every other item on the list, is realistic and accurate. Missions scenarios range from the typical conquest to capture the flag and survival mode.

It’s like a real-time Advance Wars with pretty much no hand-holding, just sink-or-swim gameplay. The touch controls mean a bigger screen is practically a must, for while missing a swipe or tap in another genre would be merely inconvenient, in a game like this it is quite the setback. Still, Tropical Stormfront is a smartly realized real-time-strategy game with staying power.

More Excellent RTS Games on iOS and Android

We want to keep this list lean, so as new comes come into the lime-lite other games will get rotated out. We don't want to forget about them though, so we've added this hall of fame section so we can remember them forever.

Anomaly 2

Mushroom Wars 2

Plague Inc.

Teen Titans GO! Figure

Autumn Dynasty

Eufloria

Cosmic Frontline AR

Front Armies

Dereliction

A Few Minutes of Glory

What would your list of the best RTS games on mobile look like? Let us know!

The Best RTS Games on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[nintendo-town]

Holedown : le casse-briques annoncé et daté sur Nintendo Switch

Holedown : le casse-briques annoncé et daté sur Nintendo Switch

Après une sortie en novembre 2018 sur mobiles, Grapefrukt Games s’apprête à sortir son casse-briques holedown sur l’eShop Nintendo Switch. (more…)

[tomorrowedblog]

Holedown is out today

Holedown, the new game from grapefrukt, is out today.

Dig deep underground by shooting balls and breaking blocks, traversing your way to the planet cores. With limited shots per round and some blocks fixed firmly to the wall, thoughtfully strategize and aim for maximum impact. Knock down as many blocks as possible while collecting crystals for upgrades and getting deeper beneath the surface.

[trespeak]

Mobile puzzler 'Holedown' arrives on Nintendo Switch next Wednesday

Mobile puzzler 'Holedown' arrives on Nintendo Switch next Wednesday.

Holedown, a quirky puzzle title from one-man studio Grapefrukt, will bounce its way to Nintendo Switch very soon with a newly added co-op mode. The brick breaker-styled game launched on iOS and Android last year, and is set to land on the Nintendo eShop on November 13th.

Developer Martin Jonasson announced the Switch version today with a short teaser trailer on Twitter. Jonasson, whose…

[liputanviral-blog]

Red Dead Redemption 2 Borong Tujuh Nominasi Game Developers Choice

Liputanviral - Penghargaan bergengsi Game Developers Choice (GDC) akan digelar Maret 2019 nanti. Menjelang acara, panitia telah mengungkap daftar nominasi untuk setiap kategorinya. Dilansir dari Gamespot, Senin (7/1/2019), gim besutan studio Rockstar, Red Dead Redemption 2 memimpin perolehan jumlah nominasi terbanyak. Gim ini memperoleh tujuh nominasi, termasuk Best Audio, Best Design, dan Game of the Year. Selain itu, dua gim besar lainnya, God of War dan Marvel's Spider-Man, masing-masing mendapat enam nominasi. Gim Indie yang sedang hangat dibicarakan, Celeste dan Return of the Obra Dinn juga mendapatkan beberapa nominasi, salah satunya Game of the Year. Untuk lebih lengkap, kamu dapat melihat setiap nominasinya berikut ini. Best Audio Celeste (Matt Makes Games) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) God of War (Sony Santa Monica/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair/Enhance) Honorable Mentions Beat Saber (Beat Games) Wandersong (Greg Lobanov/Humble Bundle) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope/3909) Battlefield V (EA DICE/Electronic Arts) Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Studios) Best Debut Polyarc (Moss) Mountains (Florence) Nomada Studio (Gris) Villa Gorilla (Yoku's Island Express) Sabotage (The Messenger) Honorable Mentions Beat Games (Beat Saber) Digital Sun (Moonlighter) Two Point Studios (Two Point Hospital) Okomotive (Far: Lone Sails) Best Design Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Celeste (Matt Makes Games) Into the Breach (Subset Games) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) God of War (Sony Santa Monica/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Honorable Mentions Frostpunk (11 bit studios) Minit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann/Devolver Digital) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope/3909) Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment) Monster Hunter: World (Capcom) Best Mobile Game Alto's Odyssey (Snowman) Florence (Mountains/Annapurna Interactive) Reigns: Game of Thrones (Nerial/Devolver Digital) Holedown (Grapefrukt Games) Donut County (Ben Esposito/Annapurna Interactive) Honorable Mentions Furistas Cat Cafe (Runaway) The Room: Old Sins (Fireproof Studios) Pocket Run Pool (Zach Gage) Alphabear 2 (Spry Fox) Twinfold (Kenny Sun) Innovation Award Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive) Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo) Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909) Honorable Mentions Minit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann / Devolver Digital) Celeste (Matt Makes Games) God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Moss (Polyarc) A Way Out (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts) Best Narrative Florence (Mountains/Annapurna Interactive) God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) Honorable Mentions Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft) Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Celeste (Matt Makes Games) Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix) Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Dim Bulb Games and Serenity Forge / Good Shepherd Entertainment) Best Technology Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft) Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios) God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) Honorable Mentions Sea of Thieves (Rare / Microsoft Studios) Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft) Battlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts) Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909) Best Visual Art Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital) Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment) God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909) Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) Honorable Mentions Battlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts) Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance) Dragon Ball FighterZ (Arc System Works / Bandai Namco Entertainment) Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft) Below (Capybara Games) Best VR/AR Game Budget Cuts (Neat Corporation) Beat Saber (Beat Games) Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance) Moss (Polyarc) Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Honorable Mentions Jurassic World Alive (Ludia) In Death (Sólfar Studios) Tendar (Tender Claws) Firewall Zero Hour (First Contact Entertainment / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Deracine (FromSoftware / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Game of the Year Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909) Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Celeste (Matt Makes Games) God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Honorable Mentions Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco Studios & Sora / Nintendo) Into the Breach (Subset Games) Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft) Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive) Monster Hunter: World (Capcom) Penghargaan GDC ini dijadwalkan berlangsung pada 20 Maret 2019 di San Fransisco, Amerika Serikat. Selain penghargaan GDC, pemenang Independent Games Festival 2019 pun akan diumumkan 20 Maret nanti.     Read the full article

[williamsjoan]

Red Dead Redemption 2 Leads 2019 GDC Award Nominations with God of War and Spider-Man Following Closely Behind

It’s the early part of 2019, which means GDC is right around the corner just a few months from now. As such, that also indicates that the GDC Awards are also coming up and as of today, we know which games from the past year have now been nominated.

I’m sure to the surprise of few, Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 is leading the pack this year with the open-world sim earning 7 different category nominations. Following closely behind is a pair of Sony first-party titles in God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man each of which received 6 nominations each. All three of these aforementioned games are also nominated for the highly-coveted Game of the Year award, with Celeste and Return of the Obra Dinn rounding out the category.

Once again this year, Double Fine’s Tim Schafer has also been announced host the show. Additionally, former Naughty Dog director Amy Hennig is planned to be honored with GDC’s Lifetime Achievement award for her past work and contributions to the industry.

GDC 2019 will take place in San Francisco from March 18 through the 22nd. The GDC Awards specifically will happen on March 20 at 6:30 PM. If you’re at the conference and have a GDC pass, you can attend the show yourself.

The full list of nominees for the 2019 GDC Awards (excluding honorable mentions) can be found below.

BEST AUDIO

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

BEST DEBUT

Polyarc (Moss)

Mountains (Florence)

Nomada Studio (Gris)

Villa Gorilla (Yoku’s Island Express)

Sabotage (The Messenger)

BEST DESIGN

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Into the Breach (Subset Games)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

BEST MOBILE GAME

Alto’s Odyssey (Snowman)

Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)

Reigns: Game of Thrones (Nerial / Devolver Digital)

Holedown (Grapefrukt Games)

Donut County (Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive)

INNOVATION AWARD

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)

Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)

Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

BEST NARRATIVE

Florence (Mountains/Annapurna Interactive)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

BEST TECHNOLOGY

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey  (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)

Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

BEST VISUAL ART

Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

BEST VR/AR GAME

Budget Cuts (Neat Corporation)

Beat Saber (Beat Games)

Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)

Moss (Polyarc)

Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

GAME OF THE YEAR

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The post Red Dead Redemption 2 Leads 2019 GDC Award Nominations with God of War and Spider-Man Following Closely Behind by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Leads 2019 GDC Award Nominations with God of War and Spider-Man Following Closely Behind published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

[terryblount]

The ins and outs of bouncing balls in the joyful brick-breaker Holedown

We speak with Martin "grapefrukt" Jonasson, developer of the finely made Twofold Inc. and Rymdkapsel, about his latest mobile game--the highly-satisfying Holedown. ...

The ins and outs of bouncing balls in the joyful brick-breaker Holedown published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[generousladygalaxy-blog1]

Best Buy Shares Tumble On Weak Holiday Sales, Margin Forecast

Best fiends hack for nothing. Generate a lot of resources as you want.

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The Best RTS Games on Android & iOS

When it comes to the RTS, the mobile marketplace has big shoes to fill. From Age of Empires to Command & Conquer, the frantic blend of actions-per-minute with grand strategy, the macro- and micro-management required to play this genre at peak performance has inspired many a gamer.

What are the best RTS games on iOS & Android?

Bad North

Dungeon Warfare 2

Rebel Inc.

Element RTS

Kingdom Rush: Vengeance

Auralux: Constellations

Dominations

Iron Marines

Subterfuge

Rymdkapsel

Tropical Stormfront

Without further ado here are the best RTS games for android, iPhone & iPad to play in 2019:

Bad North

Developer: Raw Fury Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

We knew Bad North would be perfect for mobile when we first heard about it back in 2018... it got waylaid some-what, beaching on PC first before finally setting sail for mobile a few months ago - it was definitely worth the wait. The PC version went through a lot of updates and changes, culminating in the free 'Jotunn Edition' update that elevated the game to a more 'definitive' state.

That version is what landed on mobile, and we really enjoyed it. As a 'micro' strategy game it personifies minimalist, simple design. Some of you might find it too simple at least but for those who aren't bothered by the very meagre, but raw tactical options, you'll find a game that's challenging and quite rewarding. It's got rogue-like elements where you can unlock improvements for later runs, and then you must command and nurture your army from island to island as you fight off waves of blood-thirsty vikings. New enemy types will warrant a change in tactics, provided you survive.

Dungeon Warfare 2

Developer: Jin Man Kim Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

We've been waiting for Dungeon Warfare 2 for what seems like a while now - it was on our list of 2018's most anticipated games for sure, but sadly missed its window and slipped into 2019. Still, as Richard can attest in this review, it was well worth the wait. The tower-defence genre has always been prone to to lazy or bland design, but in Dungeon Warfare everything is turned up to 11.

With over thirty distinct traps, this Dungeon Keeper-esque experience offers you a lot of variety and complexity with which to achieve what are still fairly basic TD goals. This game isn't completely unique in its theme, but nowhere else is it treated with so much passion - a must for TD strategy fans. 

Rebel Inc.

Developer: Ndemic Creations Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $1.99

Plague Inc. this is not, but Rebel Inc. still shares in its predecessor's excellent design pedigree. As the newly appointed administrator of a region that's just suffered a major war, your job is to try and help the population rebuild was also keeping local insurgents in check. It's full of tough choices and challenging tactical game-play as you struggle to pin down enemy insurgents and prevent them from doing too much harm.

Dealing with the concept of reconstruction is no easy feat, and the subject matter could be considered slightly controversial given the recent events that have inspired it, but Ndemic have treated the topic with as much care and attention as they can, even consulting with real-world experts on the subject. Rebel Inc. is a challenging and tense game, but just as rewarding, making this one of the year's best real-time strategy/simulations.

Element RTS

Developer: Flightless Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

One of the top RTS releases of 2018 to date, Element is a PC port that fits right at home on mobile. It's unique and streamlined design makes it a very accessible strategy game - you've got to balance the production of resources with the construction of units to either defend your base or attack your foes. The matches are short, and the AI is a pretty decent challenge, so you won't want to for entertainment.

It's just shy of being a 'must-buy' - the inclusion of a multiplayer mode would probably cement it as one of the best RTS games in mobile history, but we'd settle for an Android version. According to the devs, the game's been able to run on android devices for a while now, and they're just putting on the finishing touches before they announce a formal release date.

Kingdom Rush: Vengeance

Developer: Ironside S.A. Platforms:  iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

The latest entry in the acclaimed Kingdom Rush tower defence series has caused no small amount of controversy, which is likely to continue with it's inclusion in this list. It all depends how much you're bothered by the game's slightly-too-persistent micro-transactions. The only blemish on what is otherwise a stellar real-time strategy experience, these IAPs are completely optional and unnecessary, they're just a tad pushy.

If you're like Dick, who was a bit more forgiving in his review, then you'll find another excellent tower defence game, and one with plenty of humour and content to last you a decent amount of time - each level can take up to thirty minutes to complete. The way Vengeance handles towers as well is also fairly unique, requiring a bit more thought and planning. All in alll, unless you really want to take a stand against micro-transactions, there's a great game here waiting for you to discover and enjoy. Read our review for more.

Auralux: Constellations

Developer: War Drum Studios Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Auralux is generally brilliant and wickedly simple. Glowing orbs skip across the void of space to do battle over planets, which in turn spawn more orbs for the controlling player. Gestures are dead simple, tapping to select and dragging to assign. There is only one type of ‘unit’ and one objective: take over the entire map. From these givens, Auralux has some intense, hair-pulling and nail-biting levels where the odds are almost ludicrously stacked against the little player that could.

The ‘constellations’ in the title are simply clustered series of levels, each with a gimmick mechanic which must be understood and utilized to power through said levels. The game shows its age a bit, but it also demonstrates how a simple idea with excellent execution can stand the test of time. Another bonus is the variable speed setting, which makes the action go from hyper to sedate, depending on playstyle. Local multiplayer is a nice plus, but the game’s primary draw is solo play.

Dominations

Developer: Nexon M Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Dominations deserves to be loved and known for the quality of play it provides and its relatively tasteful monetization, but unfortunately the quickest way to worm its way into your heart and home screen are comparisons, so let’s get those over with. It’s Civilization meets Clash of Clans, with empires spanning the Iron Age to Space Age, wonders to build, raids to conduct, and all the usual trappings.

So, yes, there is a certain likeness to established powerhouses, but the devil is in the details, and Dominations gets those spot-on. Playing it to a satisfying endgame without shelling out serious dinero will take patience, but Dominations’ emulation of all of recorded human history and conflict is pretty satisfying to stretch out and play in pieces. Of course, human history never before ran on a timer...

Iron Marines

Developer: Ironhide Studios Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: $4.99

The Iron Marines are a space-trotting, world-saving team of elite squads tasked with putting out fires and defeating hostiles wherever needed. The elevator pitch for the game would be Starcraft...but not? There is a home-base which usually has to be fortified and defended, additional refineries to secure more resources, and just a handful of units. 

From these simple, intuitive elements, the game ekes out a good sense of micromanagement and delectable real-time tension. Its enemies have unusual abilities and synergies, and its difficulty is no joke, especially on the higher levels. Yet the game also retains Ironclad Studios sense of long-term planning and strategy present in its tower defense titles. Read our Iron Marines review for more!

Subterfuge

Developer: SnappyTouch Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: Free (IAPs)

Subterfuge is exactly as advertised: a subtle, long-term game of expedient alliances and stone-cold betrayals, filled with the irrefutable logic of hard numbers and the soft uncertainty of fog of war. A turn just means giving subs and bases a command which will take hours to fulfil, so while it is real-time like warfare is real-time, in Subterfuge the theatre of war sees its stage advance slowly.

Its scale is just grand enough to be deeply satisfying but be warned that it does take some time investment to get a game fired up. The leaders provide asymmetrical player powers, but even these super-units can be captured and bartered. Barring these modifies and special cases,  the bases and subs are more or less identical. The game is simply a question of position, resources and force, but these factors are always shifting because of the partial information and precarious alliances.

Rymdkapsel

Developer: Grapefrukt Games Platforms:  iOS, Android Price: $3.99

Rymdkapsel is about space-base-building and defense, mostly, but also includes some spatial puzzling a la Tetris and ‘exploration’. Its minimalism is more than just stylistic, going instead to the core of every action, options and goal. Perhaps the most satisfying bit is the constant packing problem for expanding the base.

New buildings can be any type and go any spot the player chooses, but also must have predefined dimensions. (all four unit polyominoes) A tightly knit base might come across as more defensible but reaching and researching the far-flung monoliths gives permanent global passive bonuses. The game is a logistics and timing puzzle with a really keen sense of efficiency and management for all its stripped-down design.

Tropical Stormfront

Developer: Noble Master Games Platforms: iOS, Android Price: $3.99

Island-hopping Tropical Stormfront pits the United Democratic Alliance against Order, Discipline and Obedience in a faux-historical struggle across the archipelago. The graphics are deliberately dated and the unit mixture, contrary to every other item on the list, is realistic and accurate. Missions scenarios range from the typical conquest to capture the flag and survival mode.

It’s like a real-time Advance Wars with pretty much no hand-holding, just sink-or-swim gameplay. The touch controls mean a bigger screen is practically a must, for while missing a swipe or tap in another genre would be merely inconvenient, in a game like this it is quite the setback. Still, Tropical Stormfront is a smartly realized real-time-strategy game with staying power.

More Excellent RTS Games on iOS and Android

We want to keep this list lean, so as new comes come into the lime-lite other games will get rotated out. We don't want to forget about them though, so we've added this hall of fame section so we can remember them forever.

Anomaly 2

Mushroom Wars 2

Plague Inc.

Teen Titans GO! Figure

Autumn Dynasty

Eufloria

Cosmic Frontline AR

Front Armies

Dereliction

A Few Minutes of Glory

What would your list of the best RTS games on mobile look like? Let us know!

The Best RTS Games on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[symbianosgames]

The long-running Nordic Game Awards held its 11th annual ceremony this week in Sweden, and Playdead stood out among the nominees by taking home Game of the Year and a few other awards for its 2016 game Inside. 

Notably, Inside (which used a real human skull for sound design) also received awards for  Best Audio, Best Game Design and Best Art. Meanwhile, IO Interactive (which is currently up for sale) received the Best Technology award for its hit game Hitman, while Art in Heart was awarded Best Debut for its 2D roguelike GoNNER.

Bridgeside Interactive won the Best Fun for Everyone award with its cooperative rhythm game Clapper and Grapefrukt Games' Twofold Inc. was named the Nordic Game of the Year -- Small Screen, while D-Pad Studios' long-in-development Owlboy earned a Special Mention at the discretion of the awards jury.  

You can read more about the nominated devs and the awards show, which aims to highlight the work of game developers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark,  over on the Nordic Game Awards website.

[noombean-blog]

Game Mobile on Android and Ios

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This is a game lets you build your own Vault as a post-nuclear strategy and sim experience. You'll need to build a number of rooms, oversee your own Vault Dweller community and protect them from the dangers of the Wasteland. Players can download typically the app and view their particular team's announcements, schedule, and scores all from their mobile phones. Players can even get force notifications and be alerted in relation to games, such as scores, catégorie, schedule changes, cancellations plus much more. Play a cool, interactive, 2-player chess game on your cellular phone, tablet, laptop or computer! 3D Hartwig Chess Arranged Master is a visually-striking online chess game (for a couple players only) where you can carry out friends, work associates or even family members in a regular chess match on a futuristic, Minecraft-style 3D chess board. Just as rymdkapsel was Swedish designer Grapefrukt's interpretation of real-time strategy, Twofold Inc will be its interpretation of corresponding. Like rymdkapsel, you really have to play it to understand the idea (although the trailer really should give you an idea). Basically, you have to draw lines to sign up the blocks to make way up numbers. There's a sort of Threes-ish feel to it thanks to typically the exponentially increasing numbers, blended with Grapefrukt's lovely minimalist model.

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