The new standard for games on phones
The developers behind Republique aim to bring console-quality gaming to the small screen. And they’ve largely succeeded, with this jailbreak story that asks players to help free a girl from the stronghold of a dystopian surveillance state. It sets the scene with stunning graphics, simple but exciting game play and a story line that will grab you. Strong writing and voice acting bring the title home — not to mention that it’s just good, sneaky fun. The game is expensive for an app at $4.99, and folks might balk at the fact that you get only a few hours of game play at that price. (Further chapters of the game will come later, at an additional cost.) But it certainly sets a new benchmark for mobile game quality. $4.99, for iOS devices.
Skim current events
Maybe you’re not quite maintaining your normal news diet as the year winds down. Or maybe you’re trying to get a jump on a New Year’s resolution to keep up with current events. In any case, people looking for bite-size takes on the news should consider Circa. The app’s team pulls the most basic info from news stories and puts them in easy-to-read cards. Users can also flag a story line to follow if they sign up for an account. And, of course, you can always opt to go to the full stories linked off the summaries. This isn’t an app for the news-obsessed, but if you just want a daily digest, Circa News is worth a download. Free, for iOS and Android devices.
Keep tabs on your air travelers
FlightAware is one of the best websites for keeping tabs on the important air travelers in your life. Although its apps aren’t quite as good as the site, they let you look up flights by route, flight number or tail number. The apps lack some useful features, such as the ability to check in on the weather around the country — although you can see a weather overlay on your map, if you have the patience to let it load. Still, if all you’re looking for is a quick, easy way to look up flight information, FlightAware‘s Flight Tracker is worth a download. Free, for iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry 10 and Symbian devices.
Hayley Tsukayama, The Washington Post
