Not since Bookworm has a word 
puzzle game been this engrossing. WordsWorth is less cartoony than the PopCap Games classic, but offers more diversity and (seemingly) a deeper vocabulary. Single player is fun, but the ability to play competitively with other players — via WiFi, Bluetooth, or 99 Games’ own online community — adds another layer of fun.
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On paper, Maya Pyramid sounds like 
a so-so premise. Match cards up to add to 11, revealing other cards and then repeat. In actuality, it’s a nail-biting good time. The game is fast-paced and exciting and younger players won’t realize they’re building strong math skills in the process. It’s a wonderful example of the “easy to grasp, difficult to master” philosophy that makes for a good game. With a variety of levels and fun, but unnecessary, bonuses (like the game’s background reflecting what time it is when you play), Maya Pyramid is a satisfying time waster that is well worth the money.
The Price is Right has always been 
a show about subtle advertising, but it’s not something you have to pay to watch. Paying a few bucks for an app that then proceeds to bombard you with commercial placements is a bit extreme, though. While the game is well-paced and offers a variety of unlockable mini-pricing games and play modes, it’s not entirely stable, sometimes crashing without warning (though this will likely be fixed in updates). Playing with a friend in multiplayer mode is more fun than playing by yourself.
InCrowd is a useful social media tool that hopes to make use of 
Facebook’s new Places functionality, but it faces an uphill climb. Foursquare is the reigning king of the location-based app hill and users of that platform don’t have a lot of reason to make a change. On its own merits, though, InCrowd is a different enough take that it will likely find a substantial audience. Its clever use of rewarding players who constantly check in and penalizing people who don’t (you lose popularity points if you don’t check in at least once per day) makes it a compelling game. Also, users can have fun customizing their avatars. Figuring out how to post your location is incredibly easy and user reviews and comments about those venues can act as a good filter. For example, if you’re unsure about a restaurant, you can quickly access the thoughts and experiences of people who have been there — both friends and strangers (though there are more established ways to do that, as well).
Building simulations often run the risk of becoming repetitive, 
but Vacation Mogul HDavoids this by peppering in a decent story and a pair of mini-games that are woven well into the story. The game holds players’ hands through the early stages to make sure you grasp play concepts, but not in an annoying manner. Novice players won’t feel any pressure to hurry – and there’s no “losing” a round, since there are no time limits. Veteran players of the genre, though, will enjoy the challenge of winning gold cup rewards for finishing within a time limit.
Touch-based maze puzzles seem like a great idea for products like the iPhone 
and iPod Touch, but in order to be fun, the touch sensitivity has to be flawless. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with TOUCH MAZE. All too often, the screen will fail to keep up with users’ finger drags, taking players’ minds off of the solution and focusing it on getting the on-screen marker moving again. That’s a problem when playing a time-based game. The iPad two-player version of the game is a nice twist — and adds to the enjoyment of the app, but ultimately suffers from the same flaws.
Marine HD is chock full of information about the sea. Unfortunately, 
none of that information is new or original. Every entry appears to be lifted word-for-word from Wikipedia pages, which are free to anyone with a web browser. What’s more, the app actually makes it more difficult to get information available online. Marine HD presents the information as huge blocks of text that are very difficult to read. The little text that’s not lifted from the free web encyclopedia is littered with misspelled words and sentences that, frankly, make no sense.
For example, the sentence that greets you upon opening the app begins, “Life is not merely around us, there is life even in the most inospitos of our beautiful planet earth, as marine life, a world in which there is also an ecosystem, evolution, biology…” You get the point. If you want Wikipedia pages, don’t pay for the pretty background and information that won’t be updated. Just open a web browser.
Yertle the Turtle might not be the best-known 
book in Dr. Seuss’s catalog, but this app is made with loving reverence to the story. The voice acting is better than many other books that Oceanhouse Media has brought to the market — and the inclusion of a few hidden sound effects in the app make it even more fun. (Touch the illustrations of beleaguered turtle Mack burping or Yertle’s descent from atop his turtle throne and kids will get a giggle.)
While there’s nothing new about hidden object games,
Little Things brings a sense of freshness to the genre by tucking those objects inside clever collages. The hundreds of tiny objects on screen will force you to slow down and be methodical in your search, though you’re rewarded for speed with puzzle pieces that unlock new collages. It’s a fun combination of incentives. What’s best about the game, though, is it is infinitely replayable. There are a limited number of collages, but the search list is randomly generated and each collage is made up of so many items that you may never run out of puzzles.
Despite its funny name, Science Quiz ? is a good basic 
science teaching tool for grade school kids. It’s a good looking game as well. Developers have taken the time to put a little polish on what is often a dull interface. Questions are written with younger users in mind — although a few might aim a bit lower than necessary. It’s an eclectic mix of questions, ranging from identifying which animals are omnivores to whether a doctor wears a white coat or white pants. The game also makes good use of sound to keep kids playing. They won’t get a big head start on their SATs with this, but kids may learn a thing or two as they play.
Chris Morris: Journalist 