All posts tagged games

Weekend Distraction: Can Knockdown 3 for iPhone and iPad

I enjoy a game that requires little or no learning curve, and something I can dip in and out of without any thought or fuss.

Can Knockdown 3 is a game that meets these criteria.

You are given three baseballs and your job is to knock down some cans. Simple, right?

It is simple at first, as you are given the opportunity to learn how to toss the ball, and get comfortable with the ‘weight’ of the ball, and figure out the best tosses to get it to your target.

But as you move along, the cans (of course) grow in number, and are stacked creatively, making it more difficult to knock down the batch. Continuing on, you’ll come across more challenges, such as swinging obstacles, or special switches. There are cans that blow up and cans that score you an extra ball.

This is a physics puzzler, and it’s up to you to figure out the best spot to place your shot in order to tumble the most cans.

It’s a good go-to when you have a few moments of time to kill. But be warned… you may find yourself spending far more time tossing balls than you expect!

Can Knockdown 3 is 99¢ in the iTunes Store and works on both the iPhone and the iPad

6 Comments

by sharechair on May 17, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, iPhone, iPad, Puzzle, Games, Weekend Distraction

Tagged boomers, seniors, iPhone, iPad, games, puzzle, apps

Posted by sharechair on May 17, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/weekend-distraction-can-knockdown-3-for-iphone-and-ipad/

Weekend Distraction: Van Gogh Tiles and Monet Tiles for iPad and iPhone

Last weekend, I suggested a tour through an art museum as a “Weekend Distraction.” This weekend I’m continuing the “art” theme as I share two puzzle games: Van Gogh Tiles (and Monet Tiles).

One of my readers, Christine, suggested that I try Monet Tiles. (I love to get recommendations!) I downloaded it at once, along with it’s companion app, Van Gogh Tiles. Same game, just (obviously) two different artists.

You are given 3 different ways to solve the puzzle of a scrambled painting. Easiest to hardest. That’s 3 different puzzle approaches to EACH painting. And there are many paintings to solve in each app.

The easiest puzzle presents you with a tiled picture, and you must rearrange the tiles to solve the puzzle. Just tap two tiles to swap their positions. As you work, if you need a peek at the actual painting, just touch the “view” button on the bottom right side of the screen, and the painting will appear so that you can develop your plan to solve the puzzle.

Here (below) is the screen view of the full painting after tapping “view”. Just tap the picture again, and it returns to your puzzle.

The “medium” puzzle requires you to rotate the tiles. Again, you can always tap “view” to give yourself clues.

And finally, the hardest puzzle form is a combination of both rotate AND swap the tiles.

This is a lovely, relaxing puzzle game. (My only ~~objection~~ disappointment is that when you initially open the game, you are greeted with an advertisement that you have to close. Not a big deal, but, note-to-developer: it seems to me that if you are paying for a game you should not have to close an ad.)

Van Gogh Tiles is $1.99 in the iTunes store.

Monet Tiles is $1.99 in the iTunes store.

5 Comments

by sharechair on May 3, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, iPad, iPhone, Puzzle, Weekend Distraction

Tagged apps, beginner, boomers, games, iPad, iPhone, puzzle, seniors

Posted by sharechair on May 3, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/weekend-distraction-van-gogh-tiles-and-monet-tiles-for-ipad-and-iphone/

Weekend Distraction: Skill Game for your iPad and iPhone

I enjoy games that have a short tiny itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny learning curve. This game is one of those. Just download it and start to play.

The only problem is that you may find yourself sucked down a rabbit hole. You may plan to only play for a few minutes and suddenly you find that a great amount of time has passed.

The challenge? Connect the dots.

That’s it.

Connect the dots in numerical order.

Here are the rules:

Sounds simple, right?

It is surprisingly challenging. I’ve been stuck now several times, but I always want to go back and try another.

As you can see on this screen, I am not in a very good position to connect to dot number 7. Some forward planning is important as you tackle each challenge. Clearly I didn’t give this one enough thought.

Here I took it a little further. I got to the number 7 …. but now, getting to number 11 looks daunting. I think I’m going to abandon this game and start again (with a little ~~more~~ planning).

This is a great go-to when you have a few minutes to pass while you wait for something going on in your real life.

Rated with 4 1/2 stars in the iTunes store with over 2 million downloads.

Skill Game is currently FREE in the iTunes store.

6 Comments

by sharechair on April 19, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, iPad, iPhone, Weekend Distraction

Tagged apps, boomers, games, iPad, iPhone, puzzle, seniors

Posted by sharechair on April 19, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/weekend-distraction-skill-game/

Apple Adds a Cautionary Warning for Apps That Allow In-App Purchases

Several weeks ago, the internet was buzzing with the story about the little fellow who downloaded over $2500 of in-app purchases on his father’s iPad. Although this was an extreme case, it has been a problem, and now Apple is responding with a new “alert” on the purchase-app page.

For those who don’t quite understand all this ‘in-app’ purchase stuff, let me take a moment to explain: Typically, when you buy an app, it’s a done deal. Once you buy it, your new purchased app appears on your device, ready to enjoy. There are no other fees required beyond that which you paid for the app.

But SOME apps are designed to encourage more (and more) purchases as you use it. (Greedy? I think so.) For example, a simple painting app may give you a few colors and brushes to use to create your masterpiece. But soon you find you are presented with options. Options to buy MORE brushes (shapes) and/or MORE paint colors. $$$$$

If the naive user is painting or playing with this app, they might unwittingly purchase a new brush or color. $$$$$

Many apps offer in-app purchases of some sort.

Now Apple has taken a small step …. but at least it IS a step …. to help consumers be aware when they are purchasing an app that offers in-app purchases. This is especially important if you are loading a new app for your children or grandchildren.

Here is Apple’s new message. Watch for it, and make your choices wisely!

Look for “offers in-app purchases.”

12 Comments

by sharechair on March 24, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, Beginners, iPad, iPhone, My Thoughts About Things, News

Tagged apple, apps, beginner, boomers, games, iPad, iPhone, my thoughts, newbies, seniors

Posted by sharechair on March 24, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/apple-adds-a-cautionary-warning-for-apps-that-allow-in-app-purchases/

Weekend Distraction: Word Mess

If you enjoy words, this is a goodie.

The learning curve is close to zero. Just download it and start playing.

You can select “Quick Play” or “Challenge”. I like “Challenge” because, well, I like a challenge.

You will be presented with screens to find words, but always with a bit of a different spin. Perhaps you’ll be asked to find a particular word among many others. This screen (below) asks you to find the word “walk”, and tells you that there are 10 of them. That pencil you see across the top is a timer, and as you move up in levels, some bombs appear on the timer and when they explode, your screen scrambles the words as you search to beat the clock.

Another screen will ask you to find words in a certain category. This sample (below) asks you to find kinds of noodles. Notice “angel hair” in the upper left corner? That’s one! There are 10 on this page. You must tap them all before the time runs out. And yes, those pesky bombs will be mixing things up.

Another screen asks you to find words that rhyme with ?. In this screen (below) you need to find words that rhyme with “bin”. This is the one complaint that I have with this game (as do others, as you can see in the reviews) …… sometimes the “rhyme” that they are looking for simply doesn’t. Rhyme, that is. Extremely annoying. But if you are alert for it, you can work around it.

Aside from the rhyming error-at-times, this is a fun game to pull up as a bit of a distraction when you want to kill a bit of time.

Word Mess is $1.99 in the iTunes store.

9 Comments

by sharechair on March 22, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, Beginners, Games, iPad, iPhone, Weekend Distraction

Tagged apps, beginner, boomers, games, iPad, iPhone, seniors, wordgames

Posted by sharechair on March 22, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/weekend-distraction-word-mess/

How to Turn Off In-App Purchases on your iPad, and Avoid a $2500 Bill

Last week the Kitchen family in the UK got a shock: A bill from Apple for approximately $2500.

No, they didn’t buy 5 iPads. They merely handed the one they had over to their 5 year old son.

Apparently, Dad downloaded a ‘free’ game for his son, and gave him the iPad to play with for just 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes, the little boy managed to tap an in-app purchase button enough times to rack up the huge bill.

You can read more about this story, here.

Many apps use the “free, but with in-app purchases” approach. Sometimes this just means free-to-try for a while, and if you like it, you can buy it from within the app. Other apps charge you for ‘things’ within it. A painting app might charge you for new brushes, while a gaming app might charge you for new levels or tools to use within the game.

Personally, I don’t mind the type that lets you try before you buy. But I tend to stay away from the apps that encourage “extras” from within. Just seems a bit greedy to me.

Anyway ….. if you are an adult who finds himself/herself handing over your iPad occasionally to your child, your grandchild or any other child who wanders into your life, you should fix the settings so that you do not find yourself opening a surprise bill in your inbox.

Here is how you fix your settings to prevent in-app purchases:

Go to Settings > General > Restrictions. (if you have not tapped on restrictions before, you will be asked to enter a pin. Remember this!!) and then slide down to where you see “In-App Purchases”

Tap the button to turn it OFF.

Happy ending for this family. Apple refunded the parents. But if your iPad finds its way into the hands of a child, it would be very wise of you to make sure the in-app purchase ability is switched to ‘off’.

12 Comments

by sharechair on March 3, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, Beginners, How to's, iPad, iPhone, Tech Tips

Tagged apps, beginner, boomers, games, iPad, iPhone, newbies, seniors

Posted by sharechair on March 3, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/how-to-turn-off-in-app-purchases-on-your-ipad-and-avoid-a-2500-bill/

Weekend Distraction: Jar of Marbles for iPhone and iPad

This is a special kind of game.

You don’t have to think.

You just kind of zone-out. Seriously. I often play this on my iPad before I go to sleep. It’s downright relaxing. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Not boring. Relaxing.

The basic premise is that you are given a jar full of marbles, and presented with one marble at a time to drop into the jar. Every time you click three marbles together, they drop out of the jar. Your goal? Empty the jar. Yawn, right? Surprisingly addicting!

There are LOTS of options, of course. Difficulty level, free style or timed … and the shapes of the bowls can be altered, also, to make it a bit more challenging.

This is a Big Fish game, and those who are familiar with Big Fish know that they are known for excellent graphics and solid design.

Jar of Marbles is a free download in the iTunes store. There is an in-app purchase (if you like it) to unlock the entire game for $1.99. This works on the iPhone or iPad.

13 Comments

by sharechair on February 22, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, Games, iPad, iPhone, Weekend Distraction, Zen

Tagged apps, big fish game, boomers, easy, games, iPad, iPhone, seniors, zen

Posted by sharechair on February 22, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/weekend-distraction-jar-of-marbles-for-iphone-and-ipad/

Weekend Distraction: The Great Gatsby for iPad

As much as I enjoy games on the iPad, I actually spend very little time with them… just scraps of time here and there. I don’t get absorbed. I just drop by and spend a few moments on this or that.

Hidden picture games are perfect for my drop-by style, because they are mindless and easy to go-to for just a few minutes. But most of them are pretty ordinary, nothing to get too excited about.

However … a while back I learned about “The Great Gatsby” for iPad. The full version gets a bit pricey for a game (I think), but after playing the free part, I was hooked and took the plunge.

I just finished the game and I do feel that it was worth the $. In my own way, I played a scene or two a day, and it was (almost) like reading a book.

The scenes are lovely, very visually appealing, and often there is a bit of movement within the picture, bringing it to life.

There is a plot (duh…it’s The Great Gatsby!) and it is presented as a loose storyline throughout the game. Periodically, as you are busy finding items in a scene, the characters will suddenly start having a conversation with each other. Or the scene will change a bit. Delightful. In this scene below, for example, the characters have a conversation while you are finding things, and eventually some of them leave.

There are some moving scenes and a few other challenges that break up the typical “find this” as you go along.

And turn on the volume because the game is accompanied by a very pleasant soundtrack appropriate to the era.

Good fun. Take a look at the Preview, here. You’ll see more examples of scenes and some excellent reviews.

The Great Gatsby for the iPad is Free, but if you like it and want more, the full version is $4.99

10 Comments

by sharechair on February 1, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Apps, Beginners, Games, iPad, Weekend Distraction

Tagged apps, beginner, boomers, games, great gatsby, iPad, puzzle, seniors

Posted by sharechair on February 1, 2013

http://sharechair.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/weekend-distraction-the-great-gatsby-for-ipad/

How to Stop Annoying Game Center Pop-ups on the iPhone and iPad

Chances are you’ve seen it. You launch a game and before you can start, up jumps a green screen from “game center” asking you to sign in or invite friends or some other game-center-type thing.

Let’s be clear, here. I have NEVER used Game Center. I don’t know exactly what it does. I don’t want to know. I just don’t want to see it pop up all the time. It is annoying.

Over time, I tried several things to make it go away, but nothing worked and I resigned myself to tap-tapping that nasty little screen with ‘no’s’ and ‘disables’ until it vanished ….but only temporarily. It is a determined little fellow and it always popped back.

Now I think I have found something that works. At least it works for me. Perhaps it is dependent on other settings, I just don’t know.

But for me, for now, I am delighted to say that I have NO MORE game center pop ups popping up.

I hope it works for others, although I certainly can’t guarantee it. I can only hope it works for you as it has completely eliminated the pop ups on my iPhone and iPad.

Here is how I disabled the game center pop-up:

Go to Settings.

Tap on General.

Look down to Restrictions.