Our favourite 5 new Windows Phone apps of the week
It’s another brand spanking new year, which means another 52 wonderful weeks of awesome new, and updated, Windows Phone apps action.
To kick off 2014 in style, we’ve been busy downloading the latest new recruits to the Windows Phone Store and because we don’t want to work you too hard, we’re easing the year into action off with a game-heavy load. So, grab your Nokia Lumia and get your fingers at the ready.
From Cheese
What is it? A puzzle game
Why we love it? It’s an actual cat-and-mouse game: you have to guide the mouse through a room to a chunk of cheese by tracing out a cheesy-smelling trail with your finger. It gets complicated when the cats and rats arrive, and when you have to spring switches to lower barriers, and avoid others that will set off traps. This game start out very easy and then (once you get (past the trial levels) gets a lot more challenging (though it’s still one for the kids, really). Cartoony graphics and smooth controls add to the experience.
Who it’s perfect for: Younger gamers
Microsoft Mahjong
What is it? A mahjong game (shocking, we know)
Why we love it? Well, hey, we like the classics. If you haven’t played before there’s a useful tutorial you can run through, but (to massively simplify) it’s a strategizing matching game – harder than it looks and sounds and very addictive. The Microspft graphics are nicely detailed, and if they’re a little hard to decipher at times you can always zoom in for a closer look. Big thumbs up.
Who it’s perfect for: Traditional games fans
Into The Dead
What is it? An infinite running zombie game
Why we love it? It’s almost too realistic… Your mission is to stay alive, running through a dark, foggy field full of zombies. You can swerve to avoid them or attack them (if you can find a weapon) and all the time it’s just you, alone, panting and listening to them shrieking in the near distance. The sound effects are awesomely horrible and we love the different control options (tapping in different configurations or tilting your phone to move from left to right).
Who it’s perfect for: Adult gamers
PicsArt
What is it? A photo-editing app
Why we love it? We’re not short on picture apps round these parts, but this is a nice new addition to the portfolio – it lets you edit photos using all the usual tools (crop, red-eye, lomo…) as well as create collages and add effects to your images using a pen tool, stickers, text effects and graphics. All of which means it’s both a useful basic editor as well as a fun way of jazzing up your images in a more playful style.
Who it’s perfect for: photographers of all abilities
Subway Surfers
What is it? An infinite running game
Why we love it? Okay, it’s another infinite runner, and there are dozens of these in the Windows Store, and this one isn’t even brand new, but we’re cheating a little to include it because it’s got such jaunty, festive-looking graphics, and because, really, who hasn’t wanted to try train surfing at some point?
Who it’s perfect for: Adrenalin game junkies