Our 5 favourite new Windows Phone apps of the week
’Tis the season to be appy, and we’re certainly happy with this week’s fine selection of apps, games, and updates!
After a long week of tirelessly playing with a ton of fun and fantastic new apps and games, we’ve found five that we think you’ll be just as happy with as we are. So gather ‘round and read on, because we just can’t wait to share these goodies with you.
The Snowman & The Snowdog 2014
What is it: the official The Snowman game
Why we love it: There’s nothing better to get you into the seasonal spirit than exploring the animated 3D world of holiday film classic The Snowman. In this updated version, you’ll glide through the air on a journey to the North Pole, collecting snowflakes along the way. New locations to explore include London, San Francisco, Japan, China, and Australia. The game includes Ilan Eshkeri’s iconic music from the original film, making it a perfect holiday experience for $4.49.
Who it’s perfect for: festive film buffs
Pet Shows
What is it: a virtual pet managing game
Why we love it: Pet Shows is fun for the whole family, but children will especially love having the chance to create their own team of animals and watch them grow. The free game offers over 300 different animals such as cats, dogs, and even rodents that can be trained and outfitted with a variety of accessories. Once your pets are trained, your pets can compete against other teams in ball catching and obstacle courses.
Who it’s perfect for: kids that love animals
Minecraft – Pocket Edition
What is it: a block-building adventure game
Why we love it: Minecraft is a hugely popular for good reason – it’s fun, immersive, and completely addictive – and we’re totally jazzed that it’s finally available for Windows Phone users. Now you can build and explore until your fingers go numb, checking out infinite worlds in both Survival and Creative modes by yourself, or with friends in multi-player. Fans will tell you that the $6.99 price tag is a small price to pay for endless hours of gameplay.
Who it’s perfect for: adventurous souls and creatives
Cyber Dust
What is it: a self-destructing messaging app
Why we love it: You might be thinking to yourself that we don’t need yet another messaging app, and it’s a fair point. However, Cyber Dust takes some of the best features from Snapchat and WhatsApp and combines them in one cool official app that is worth checking out. Features include fully-encrypted self-destructing messages, media sharing, one-to-many messaging, drawing, notification of screenshots, the option to follow friends and celebrities, and more. Only time can tell whether Cyber Dust catches on or not, but the app itself is nice and easy to use, so it just might be worth a try.
Who it’s perfect for: anyone looking for an official self-destructing messaging app
Office Lens (update)
What is it: the document- scanning app we know and love
Why we love it: Office Lens got a pretty nifty recent update that now allows you to scan business cards. Of course, many of us were already using it for that purpose, but the app now lets you select “business card” as your mode, scan it, and then send it over to OneNote where your new contact’s information will be nicely displayed with clickable links. You can also export as a VCF file, importing directly to Outlook or your phone’s contact list. It works best with English-language cards at the moment, but there are plans to improve the function in the future.
Who it’s perfect for: people with a shoebox filled with business cards
Did these five favorites put you in a jolly mood? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, please feel free to share your own picks.
Image credit: Leo Reynolds