Do you remember Words With Friends?  Sure you do!  You’re still playing games inspired by it to this very day -- and I’m not necessarily talking about word games, either.  Draw Something, Song Pop, Hero Academy; despite their wildly different play mechanics, all of these games share a common bond: push-based multiplayer.

It turns out that when you reverse a side-scrolling space shooter, you get a Guitar Hero-like rhythm game instead. If you based your purchase of Retro/Grade on the screenshots alone then you might well be initially disappointed, then rather curious, and soon after, rapidly satisfied.

Say what you will about Insanity, the new Facebook social RPG from Playflock, but you can't deny that its heart isn't in the right place. Consider, for instance, that it wastes no time in filling your screen with the sight of a nurse in bloody digs that have to be breaking some kind of dress code, or consider its creepy piano music that sounds like it'd be at home in the creepy PSP thriller Corpse Party. All this, mind you, before the loading screen has even finished its business. It's a pity that most of its potential is mired in gameplay that's better suited to Mafia Wars than today's flashier options, and its oversimplification of horrific action bores more than its scares.

Know what I miss? Arcade-style racing games. It seems like these days everyone’s focused on realism and simulations. That’s why it’s fairly refreshing to jump into Nitro and blaze through a few laps; it’s not exactly brimming with power-ups or cartoon characters, but it’s less focused on the real world and much more interested in slightly wacky fun. And chibi cars.

In the summer of 2012, we dove into the world of Adelantado Trilogy: Book One, and found that the game’s complexity was only really marred by its overly lengthy levels. Now the second book in the trilogy is available to complete, as Adelantado Trilogy: Book Two has been unleashed on gamers everywhere. The game still contains the incredibly long levels, but there are some interesting tweaks that make this experience top its predecessor.

The heyday of the arcade has long passed. But when the arcade still ruled the gaming world, there was no better candidate for its king than PAC-MAN. The little yellow circle man became a household name, and people flocked to their local arcade to compete with one another to get their name on the top of the high scores. NAMCO BANDAI has revived that arcade feel with PAC-MAN + Tournaments, a free-to-play game that reignites the competitive spirit.

Few of us think of gardening as a strategy for getting rich quick, but that's the idea behind flora-themed time management game, Gardens Inc.: From Rakes to Riches. This zippy little title encourages you to get your hands dirty, demanding not only that you manage your time effectively, but your resources as well. Except for a few instances where the interface hinders rather than helps you do this, Rakes to Riches is an absorbing horticultural diversion. 

When we first heard the name "Epic Battle Fantasy," we can't exactly say it grabbed us, as it doesn't sound like the name of a game with very high aspirations for quality or innovation. On the other hand, if there have been three others to date, then there must be something going for them, even if only a stubborn developer, right?

The Croods is an animated family movie from Dreamworks. One of its main characters is Grug, a prehistoric patriarch who is terrified by the new world that’s evolving beyond the mouth of his cave. Despite the bouts of paranoia he suffers through the film, Grug looks completely happy and at ease in Rovio’s game adaptation of The Croods. That’s because The Croods for iOS is as unimaginative and unchanging as a social farming sim gets.

Go Home Dinosaurs is a cute little game that channels a serious Plants vs. Zombies vibe into a more conventional tower defense setting. It doesn't have quite the refinement of its world-famous predecessor, but its blend of simple gameplay and family-friendly styling make it worth some attention, especially if you're after some light digital entertainment for your kids that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Video games occupy dozens of niches, and interactive Japanese novels is as niche as games get. Either you instantly fall in love with these text-heavy mystery titles, or you raise an eyebrow after ten minutes of play and sweep your mouse cursor towards the “Uninstall” button. Café 0: The Drowned Mermaid for iOS is an interactive novel that subscribes to most of the genre’s clichés. If you’re into similar fare you’ll appreciate that the game exists, but it has enough issues to fill up a swimming pool.

It's a good old fashioned archaeological adventure in Relic Quest, a hidden object game sprinkled with a simple museum simulation. After six months in the hot desert working for the OMNI archaeological group, you stumble across a strange blue crystal in the sand. It turns out a group of smugglers is out to steal this and other relics, so you spring into action to secure the museum and find the remaining artifacts first!

Although point-and-click adventure games seem to be making a comeback recently, with stellar entries like the Deponia series and The Silent Age combining modern aesthetics with classic gameplay, we have yet to hit upon another Renaissance of the genre.  Fester Mudd: Curse of the Gold recognizes this with its opening directive and acknowledgement: “This game is a tribute to the golden era of adventure gaming,” which is hardly a reference to 2013.

Admit it—we’ve all had the same thought from time to time: “Why oh why can’t there be a match-three puzzle game that combines the stripped-down brilliance of Bejeweled with the evolutionary excitement of Pokemon?” Seriously…it’s been a major problem since the dawn of games. Well these concerns can finally be laid to rest thanks to developer appxplore’s (Sporos) newest release, Alien Hive. 

Are games art? Am I pretentious for asking that question? The answer, on both accounts, is yes. And while I’d much rather avoid the topic altogether, it can’t really be helped with Fetch, a point-and-click adventure game for the iPad. It’s currently part of a featured exhibit at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), where people can get a glimpse into its development cycle and other behind-the-scenes goodness. Take that, Roger Ebert!

While secret clubs and organizations might seem like things of the past, in The Secret Order: Masked Intent you’ll play as Sarah, the daughter of the leader of the Order of the Griffins. After receiving a phone call from your father explaining that one of their own has turned traitor, you’ll need to dive into an adventure of epic proportions to stop the traitor and save your father before it’s too late.

Danger Boat sounds exactly like the kind of rip-roaring good time you'd expect to have with a B-movie featuring scantily-clad women, rugged adventurers, and a shark. Or something like that. Or a bizarre James Bond-like vehicle that suggests you're about to be in for a bad time. Instead, it's a very pedestrian endless runner set amongst the bluest waters of the ocean. Your job is to bob and weave through rocks, sets of incoming missiles, and other obstacles that serve as swift ends to your journey. In short, it's a pretty tame romp whose name doesn't feel very appropriate -- you're hardly experiencing any "danger" here.

I live in a city with some of the most complete Roman ruins outside Italy. People come from all around the world to see them, and inconsiderately get in my way when I’m shopping or trying to get to work. The fascination with ancient Rome remains undimmed, and manifests itself in many peculiar ways, not least with games such as Legion.

One of my favorite parts of Legend of Dungeon comes right at the beginning of a fresh round. Emerging from the video game aether through double doors at the top of the screen, your pixelated hero or heroine descends a stone staircase into the hearth of a cozy tavern. A fire crackles invitingly in the corner, adventurers of all stripes mill around the common area, and apples and ale line two central tables. It's here, for the first and last time in the game, that I feel totally safe. 

Slam Bolt Scrappers is one of those video game experiences that you can sense is definitely onto something special with its core concept, but unfortunately fails to capitalize on the idea fully.