LYNE

LYNE is , on the surface , a very straightforward puzzle game .

Shown you the grids of shapes , and you should link to it , triangle -to - triangle , square -to - square , by dragging your finger between them until the all the shapes are linked and levels , of which there are hundreds , are over . Complete a set of 25 levels and get access to the next , more difficult , set .

It is immediately easy to understand , and taught you a steady pace - LYNE never want to confuse you , or leave you angry and bemused while trying to understand a new mechanic . You are given a safe , easy space to get the hang of the new concept before you thrown in the deep end .

The deep end

And oh , what a deep end . The complexity increases fairly rapidly until you left staring at an array of shapes wondering how merry hell you are supposed to fit them together - and the onus is always on you , not the game . You have everything you need to succeed except , perhaps , a fully capable brain .

Morphopolis

Morphopolis is not quite like anything you've played before . This is a game where you add legs to a dying beetle before crawling into its shell shattered to transform your next incarnation , or use twigs to cast a stick insect and then use it as a bridge .

It is a beguiling , gorgeous mix of exploration , failure , and hidden things which blends together to create a game that delights and disturbs in equal measure . And while sometimes it is a little on the esoteric side , it is still engaging enough to recommend .

Change is good

The game tells the story of an insect , scuttling around on a gorgeous 2D world full of other insects , distractions - looking plants , and seeds . Each of the five levels are broken up into a number of different screens .

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star

It is a little known fact that Star Wars for every room of torture Death Star had a karaoke bar , and for every fighter stomping around there Ewok toy buying a pun - named toy shop .

Thankfully , it all comes to light in the Very Death Star , and Disney NimbleBit mashing together the Star Wars universe with Tiny Tower to create a twee simulator populated by familiar faces , races , and joke .

It all works pretty well , and while there are great additions to the formula Tiny Tower in - joke and references make the whole thing a bit of a joy . As strange combinations go , it is more than peanut butter and bacon jam and shoe polish .

Tower of happy

Essentially, the game is about playing on the side of the evil Empire . You create a Death Star , a weapon of unimaginable power that will one day destroy the entire planet . But the Empire ran out of cash , so you need to start achieving this by renting out rooms in the soon to be WMD .

Don't Fall in the Hole

Do not Fall in Hole be as accurate called Hole Push people . Or , to be even more precise , Use a Cannon to Reach people in the Hole .

In fact , if we 're going to be anal about it , it should be called Using Cannon to Reach People Know Hole .

This room is simplified both turn - based explosive not about blowing your opponent to pieces , but the use of weapons at your disposal to shove them off the playing surface . It's fun , it still gets very angry , and this is another solid addition to the burgeoning genre single- device multiplayer .

Halo: Spartan Assault

Halo : Spartan Assault is not enough to make you buy a Windows -powered device , no matter how much Microsoft wants it .

A game is never going to do that . What it is , however , is a fascinating , polished twin - stick shooter that gives Windows Phone and Windows 8 players something to crow about .

It was not a perfect game by , but it tickles the sweet spot that can be reached only the best top - down blasters .

Grow

It's a big bad world out there , full of mean creatures not hesitate manila weak . Grow when you play it is worth remembering that you are often one of them .

To grow you play as a fish constantly outgrowing a series of environments , from a jar in an aquarium in the abyssmal depths of the sea .

But over the course of your journey , one thing remains constant: you have to eat other fish . The goal of Growth is so, well , growing . It by munching away on fish smaller than you .

A World of Keflings

Proud of the RT -powered devices and a handful of features that should make them perfect devices to play - Windows 8 . You can sign in to your Xbox Live profile and earn achievements , for example , and play some games as your Xbox Avatar .

These features come to the fore in a World of Keflings , and create an environment of level console polish . May be an illusion , and an illusion is all too often spoiled by juddering framerates and uncomfortable controls , but the result is still an entertaining casual game strategy .

Shoot 1UP

The term ' bullet - hell ' is an unusual one . Under which conditions can be bullets flying over your head ever considered agood thing ? And what does bulletheaven look like , anyway ?

1up playing catch along the shoot - ' em - up to the convention itself drawing bullet - hell , there are swarms of glowing neon bullet around your fighter craft most of the time .

However , in some other respects the game lobs the rule book out the window . Then blasts it to smithereens for good measure .

Give it a shot

It is a solid 2D shooter where you drag your auto - firing craft around the screen , blowing up enemies , committed to the boss fights , and collecting bonuses .

The biggest twist in 2D shoot - ' em - up formula here is the 1up system - as you may have guessed from the title .

Skulls of the Shogun

Skulls of the Shogun takes the approach based on I and , to use a technical term , squishes it around a bit . The end result is an entertaining , funny cartoon romp through the afterlife with a bunch of skull munching samurai .

It may not quite have the depth and minute tinkering some devotees turn - based strategy crave , but it is a welcoming , enjoyable experience that is likely to appeal to those who do not usually take the time to consider the their tactical choices .

Adera

If The Walking Dead Telltale 's game taught us anything , it is that linearity is not as much of a chore if you push the narrative gameplay down the corridor is an entertaining one . In a way , Adera posits the same lesson but in the hidden objects instead of point - and click the form .

Although it is often quite happy to blur the distinction between the two genre , and it throws in some other puzzling set - pieces as well , before wrapping the whole package in an intriguing archaeological adventure .

Janksy

Janksy is very much a child at this time . It mixes simple slide - and - release gameplay with a sprinkling of physics , bite - sized levels , and a grading system that awards you three gold items if you get everything right level .

This is not a bad game , and fixes it adds meaning it is not just another Angry Birds clone , but occasional control problems and an uninspiring appearance means it is dedicated to muck around with mediocrity rather than soar to heights setting planet - hopping it suggests it will .

ilomilo plus

Odds and Sods fabric shop LittleBigPlanet looks inspired several imitators before it was released , its mix of cuddly characters and wonderful noises twee a chord in a place even in the darkest heart .

ilomilo is one such creation of post - Sackboy , and you can now play an enhanced version of your Windows 8 or RT tablet .

The game tells the story of Ilo and Milo , two beautiful creatures that you meet every day in the park . Unfortunately , the park was redesigned every day , so they need to find a new route to their rendezvous . And that's where you come in.

Wordament

No matter how complex and enthralling modern video game can be , it is unlikely that they ever need to eclipse the humble appeal of WordSearch .

A hangover from the pages of newspapers and idle days back in primary school , WordSearch game stimulate the primary language part of our brains while tapping into a primitive , competitive impulse as we try to beat our friends and classmates .

Wordament - which is available in Windows Phones for some time - builds both elements by adding an interesting new twist on competitive WordSearch puzzle game : Xbox Live integration .

spellbinding

Wordament gameplay is as simple as it is a challenge . Every game is a two - minute - long affair where you have a grid of letters from where you have to create as many words as possible .

Angry Birds Star Wars

Let me describe the exact moment I was sold on the idea of mashing together of Angry Birds and Star Wars.

A pig - dressed as a Stormtrooper , naturally - is shooting a laser blaster in the air . In a moment of experimentation to fire my Red Bird - playing Luke , with the signature mop - top hair cut - the impending fire , and an itty bitty Lightsaber swing .

The post laser bounces off my blade . One flies to the battlefield, rips through a pig , bounce off a steel plate , and hit a box of dynamite . The whole thing explodes , toppling a tower of Sand People Pigs in the process.