The App Store is running a feature called ‘The best games you’ve never played,’ which is a nice way to promote games that may have slipped under your radar. One game in particular caught my eye: Open Bar by Gingear Studios, which was originally released in early 2016 and went on to win a PAX East Indie Showcase Award.

Open Bar is a classic iOS puzzle game involving color and shape matching on an irregularly-shaped grid. The goal is to form bars of matching colors that reach across the entire board. Bars cannot be finished with just the pieces on the board, however. You have to place pieces from the bottom of the screen onto the board too. What’s tricky is that when you move a piece that is already on the board to another spot, the next available piece on the bottom of the screen automatically takes the original position of the piece you moved.

That may sound a little complex, but it isn’t. Open Bar does an exceptional job of introducing each of the rules of the game gradually through a series of simple levels. If you get stuck, there’s a hint system built in that requires you to spend in-app currency. It isn’t currency bought with an In-App Purchase, though. Coins are earned by completing puzzles and can be used to buy hints or new color themes. Because the coins you earn are limited, it pays to keep some in reserve for when the levels get harder.

Open Bar’s design is excellent. The color schemes are loosely based on classic cocktails. Bubbles rise in the background of each level behind the board that seems to pop off the screen thanks to drop-shadows that create a layered effect among the game’s elements. The visuals are complemented by entertaining animations and sound effects that remind me a little of similar touches used in Letterpress.

Gingear Studios keeps Open Bar fun and low-stress by not telling you how many levels there are in the game. You can go back and retry levels, which is one way to earn coins for hints if you run out, but you can’t skip forward. Each level can be completed in just a few moves, so it’s also the kind of game that can be played in short sessions when you’re bored, which I also appreciate.

There are a lot of puzzle games on the App Store, but Open Bar strikes a unique balance between smart gameplay and a fresh design that makes it stand out from its peers. Open Bar is available on the App Store for $1.99.

Island Delta is an action-packed puzzle game from indie development studio Mantisbite and Noodlecake. The game follows heroes Zoe and Baxter who are on a mission to save Zoe’s robot, Harold, from the evil Dr. Gunderson.

The universal app looks great on an iPad where the high-resolution graphics and silky-smooth animations can be appreciated to their greatest extent. You are Zoe or Baxter depending on which level you’re playing. In all, the three-fourths perspective game has thirty levels spanning five chapters. Although there is an ‘iCloud save’ setting, which I assumed saved progress and synced it to multiple devices, I was unable to sync progress from my iPad to my iPhone.

The game starts on Dr. Gunderson’s island stronghold, which is protected by robots, lasers, and other defenses. You must solve a series of puzzles to advance through the levels while avoiding Gunderson’s minions. The primary tool for interacting with your surroundings is an anti-gravity gun. Tap on something to pick it up, then tap again where you want to throw it. You can toss enemies to defeat them, batteries into power panels to activate doors, and boxes onto platforms to trigger switches. The anti-gravity gun is fun to use and a nice touch that sets Island Delta apart from similar games.

The controls for moving around each level are probably the weakest aspect of Island Delta. You have a virtual joystick under your finger that you drag in the direction you want your character to move. It works but can be frustratingly imprecise at times.

Island Delta’s storyline is engaging, and the pace was comfortable. There are no timers or other mechanics that force you through levels, which I appreciate. The game also includes collectibles throughout that open up secret areas in the game and are an incentive to explore and enjoy each level thoroughly.

Island Delta is one of the best-looking iOS games I’ve played recently. The game is infused with lighthearted humor and a soundtrack that give it a retro-futuristic spy vibe. It’s fun and exciting without the stress of gameplay mechanics that force the pace. Although the controls for navigating levels could be better, the puzzles, artwork, and other aspects of Island Delta make up for those shortcomings.

Island Delta is available on the App Store for $2.99.

2016 was a good year for iOS games. The trouble is, great games can be hard to find because there are so many released every day. That’s why we started the weekly Game Day column, which is dedicated to combing the App Store for fun and interesting games.

We have covered 28 games since Game Day began in May. Looking back over that collection, there are certain ones that stand out more than others. Here are our six favorite games from the past year.

Read more

LVL, by Ankara-based SquareCube, is a clever synthesis of 3D and 2D puzzles. Each puzzle is solved in two dimensions, but requires you to consider three. Shapes are laid out on the sides of a cube divided into a three-by-three grids like a Rubik’s cube. Some of the squares on one side of the cube are occupied by colored shapes. The other squares are transparent so you can see the squares on the opposite side of the cube. Your job is to complete a grid of one color by moving the pieces on the opposite sides of the cube. As with similar puzzle games, the object is easy to grasp when you see it, but hard to describe. The best way to understand the mechanics of LVL is to watch this short trailer:

Pieces can be moved up, down, and laterally on each side, but not rotated or moved to a different surface of the cube. A puzzle is completed when the combination of moves on opposite sides positions the pieces in such a way that they form a solid grid of one color when a side is viewed head-on. The game is enhanced by it’s clean, simple, and colorful design and a spacey, mellow soundtrack.

In all, there are over 50 levels with over 150 total puzzles. LVL also incorporates Game Center leaderboards based on the number of puzzles you solve.

I’ve enjoyed some more fast-paced, frenetic games lately, but I also appreciate this sort of game where I can play short sessions at my own pace. Puzzle games like this are perfect if you need a little down-time and are looking for a fun distraction.

LVL is available on the App Store for $1.99.