John Voorhees

5410 posts on MacStories since November 2015

John is MacStories' Managing Editor, has been writing about Apple and apps since joining the team in 2015, and today, runs the site alongside Federico. John also co-hosts four MacStories podcasts: AppStories, which covers the world of apps, MacStories Unwind, which explores the fun differences between American and Italian culture and recommends media to listeners, Ruminate, a show about the weird web and unusual snacks, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about the games we take with us.

Game On: Papers, Please Milestones, Netflix Eyes TV Gaming, Vampire Survivors and Rolando News, Plus an RPG for the Weekend

Lucas Pope’s critically acclaimed dystopian puzzle game Papers, Please celebrated a big milestone this week. As reported by Engadget, the game just passed its 10th anniversary and has sold 5 million copies, which is huge for an indie title. Of course, the game is on every platform imaginable these days, but if you still haven’t checked it out after all of these years, you can pick up Papers, Please for just $1.99 on the App Store for a limited time.

Netflix's Game Controller app.

Netflix’s Game Controller app.

Netflix released an iOS app called Netflix Game Controller this week with a UI that consists of standard onscreen versions of game controller buttons and a message that the app can be connected with games on your TV. As TechCrunch’s article on the app points out, though, there are no Netflix games that connect to it yet. An in-app message notes that Netflix Games on TV are currently in beta, and the app’s description simply says the games are coming soon. Netflix declined to comment about the app to TechCrunch.

Vampire Survivors.

Vampire Survivors.

Next week, Vampire Survivors will introduce a co-op mode on all platforms, including iOS. The highly addictive 8-bit style monster shooter that beat Elden Ring, Cult of the Lamb, and God of War: Ragnarök for a BAFTA game of the year award has an extensive FAQ covering how co-op mode will work if you’re interested in learning more.

Also on the horizon, according to TouchArcade, is a Steam version of Rolando that will be compatible with the Steam Deck. Rolando was a sensation on the early iOS App Store, disappeared with the transition to 64-bit apps, but triumphantly returned in 2019 as Rolando: Royale Edition. If you’re interested in videogame history and preservation, Andrew Hayward has a fantastic article on Polygon about Rolando’s 2019 comeback.

Stone Story RPG.

Stone Story RPG.

Finally, I want to leave you with a game recommendation for the weekend: Stone Story RPG. This isn’t a new game, but it was new to me, and I was so impressed with its all-ASCII artwork that I wanted to pass it along.

The game, which is available on iPhone, iPad, and other platforms, is a classic RPG with incredible art throughout, as well as an excellent soundtrack. An AI handles most of the action, leaving you to strategize your next move and craft items to help you on your quest. If you’re looking for something a little different to play on your iPhone this weekend, Stone Story RPG is a great option.


Game On is a periodic roundup highlighting the biggest news in gaming on Apple’s platforms. From the iPhone and iPad to the Mac and Vision Pro, we’ll cover the big-name games on Apple devices, along with notable industry and developer news.


MacStories Unwind: The Beanie Baby Craze

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps
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22:12

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps


This week on MacStories Unwind, we chat about Universal Control, update listeners on the status of our OS reviews, and I recommend The Beanie Bubble on Apple TV+.

  • Kolide – It ensures that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta. Watch the demo today!

Universal Control

John’s Pick:

MacStories Unwind+

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AppStories, Episode 346 – Why The Way Apps Are Made Has Changed

This week on AppStories, we look at how making apps has changed along with the evolution of Apple’s hardware lineup and what that means for the future of apps on those platforms.

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On AppStories+, all’s well that ends well. Federico reports on how he managed to connect a no-name brand Bluetooth lightstrip to HomeKit.

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Söka: An AI Assisted App to Track Your Bucket Lists

Just before I hopped on a plane to head to WWDC, I noticed a new app called Söka, an iOS and iPadOS bucket list tracker by Roddy Munro. I didn’t have time to dig into the details or test it, but there was something about it that caught my eye, so I made a note to revisit it later in the summer. I’m glad I did because it’s one of the best integrations of artificial intelligence that I’ve seen in an app.

Söka takes the friction out of building travel bucket lists with the help of AI. I’ve been using Söka as a way to create travel lists of places I want to visit in North Carolina and Italy, for example. Whether it’s for travel like Söka or media like Sofa, there are a lot of apps built on the idea of creating ‘someday’ lists and tracking your progress. What makes Söka unique is the way it uses AI to remove the friction from the list-building part.

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Callsheet Provides Movie and TV Details with an Uncluttered Native Interface

Today, Casey Liss released a brand new app called Callsheet for looking up cast and crew information about movies and TV shows. The app, which works on the iPhone and iPad, has a lot in common with movie and TV show tracking apps that I’ve covered, except for one very big difference. Callsheet isn’t a tracking app. Instead, it’s an app front end for The Movie DB, a website that offers a crowd-sourced movie and TV show database and an API for developers.

That’s an important distinction to understand. Callsheet is designed for those times that you want to know more about the people behind a movie or TV show but find the ads in apps and on websites, like IMDb, frustrating. If that resonates with you, and you’re not interested in tracking what you’ve watched, Callsheet offers a better experience for finding cast and crew information.

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Why The Way Apps Are Made Has Changed

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

AppStories Episode 346 - Why The Way Apps Are Made Has Changed

0:00
29:12

AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

This week, Federico and John look at how making apps has changed along with the evolution of Apple’s hardware lineup and what that means for the future of apps on those platforms.

Read more


Interesting Links

The demise of Van Moof shined a spotlight on what happens when expensive hardware like electric bicycles are dependent on their makers for proprietary parts and apps. (Link) The Verge’s Chris Welsh got a scoop about the Sonos Move 2, which he says is coming in September and will feature an impressive 24 hours of...



App Debuts

[[John]] Razer Nexus Last fall, I reviewed the Razer Kishi V2 for iOS, a game controller accessory for the iPhone. I loved the hardware but gave the edge to the Backbone One, a similar device because its software was much nicer. This week, Razer updated Nexus, the companion app for the Kishi V2, and it’s...