Also Out Now

Dragon Trials

Pit your fire-breathing beast against one to three other players via Apple’s Game Center with this free app. It strikes a nice balance between the accessibility of a game like Super Mario Kart with the complexity of dogfighting. Add a dash of Quidditch, and you have a good sense of what to expect. There are a few lingering bugs, but they should be worked out in upcoming updates.

Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider

It’s bullet-hell without all the pesky bullets. Instead, guide your photon through waves of energy with one hand and change color with the other. Be sure you match the color of the oncoming wave or risk annihilation. The science is questionable at best, but at the very least, you’ll leave with a better sense of the periodic table. My aging iPhone 4 stuttered from time to time, making difficult portions impossible, so test out the first 10 levels for free before paying to unlock the whole game.

Upcoming Releases

Loadout

This over-the-top, cartoony, third-person shooter prides itself on customization. Craft your own absurd weaponry, get your character looking tough (or distractingly dumb), and start shooting the heads off anything that moves. It’s really begging to have Wile E. Coyote as a playable character.

The Sun at Night

Promised to be the first in a three-part series, The Sun at Night stars an extraterrestrial dog named Laika who fights for an alternate Earth the Soviets have conquered. It’s a platformer with RPG elements and no shortage of charm.

This article appears in January 31 • 2014.