Warhammer 40K: Carnage is an intense side-scrolling action game from Roadhouse Interactive set within the futuristic Warhammer 40,000 universe. It rings up a bit on the expensive side at seven dollars, but gives players a lot of bang for their bucks with two separate campaigns, alternate versions of every level, and endless loot with which to equip the playable space marines.

Scratch that two campaigns part. Now the game has three, thanks to today's Dark Angel Content Update. The update introduces a third playable character the turquoise-suited Dark Angel. Along with the new character and campaign come a new gun type, more loot, and other fixes. The game just got a lot bigger, but unlocking the new content might be a problem for some players. Find out more with our detailed look at the update.

Team of three

In Warhammer 40K: Carnage's main campaign, players take on the role of a blue-suited Ultramarine. The second campaign stars a red-clad Blood Angel. The Blood Angel unlocks after reaching 75 stars in the main campaign. Players receive can earn up to three star per level, depending on factors like completion time and damage taken.

With the new update, the Characters tab appears on the title and map screens even if you haven't unlocked the Blood Angel yet. The Dark Angel now appears in the center of Characters menu along with a brief description of his origin.

Unchained and ready for revenge

In the new story, some enemies called the Fallen have kept him trapped in a pit for many years. At last, our new hero breaks free from his chains and embarks on a quest of vengeance. Like the other campaigns, this story is delivered in an offhand manner as simple pre-mission text blurbs. Don't expect it to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Still, the Dark Angel's levels are actually quite cool. They take place on the same map as everyone else's, but the layouts and challenges differ greatly from previous levels. Our new hero must safely jump across plentiful pits and navigate falling platforms as he hunts down his oppressors.

The most significant new element of Dark Angel's levels is arena combat. Instead of constantly running and gunning, the new hero will often find himself locked on a single screen for parts of a level. Enemies will swarm in from both sides, forcing players to rely more heavily on melee attacks and blocking than in the other characters' campaigns. After killing enough enemies in an arena, the Dark Angel can proceed onward.

The Dark Angel starts with a Plasma gun, the new weapon type that all characters can use. Plasma Guns are essentially burst-fire versions of the Plasma pistols that were already in the game. Holding down the fire button with either type of Plasma weapon will charge up a devastating shot. The new guns can fire more rapidly than Plasma pistols. They also ignore armor, meaning that enemy armor has no impact on the damage they can do.

The final addition in this update is the ability to buy Supply Caches with gold. These caches provide a random mix of loot, with the more expensive caches offering better equipment. After buying a cache, players can toggle between the mission cache (items discovered during the previous level) and the premium cache.

Unlocking the Dark Angel

The new character costs 30 gold to unlock, which could prove contentious. Gold is the game's premium currency. Players will unlock some gold by reaching different star milestones in the two existing campaigns, so it's certainly possible that you could earn enough gold to unlock the Dark Angel without paying. But it's also possible for a player to have spent all of that gold and run out of ways to earn it.

Gold is not a renewable resource, but it can be bought with real money. If you find yourself without enough gold to unlock the new campaign, you can go the in-app purchase route. A pack of 50 Gold sells for the odd amount of $4.57.

Warhammer 40K: Carnage is a long and challenging mobile take on the Warhammer universe. I consider it well worth the $6.99 asking price… Just be sure you don't blow your gold on anything else before you unlock the Dark Angel!

• $6.99 - Download now

A cryptic teaser video has been released by AMC depicting an upcoming Walking Dead game for mobile called No Man's Land. It promises to bring some great-looking graphics to the table and the hard decision-making that we're used to from the Telltale games. There aren't a lot of details to run on, but here's what the press release says.

The game, titled The Walking Dead: No Man's Land, will allow players to experience the world of the iconic show through gameplay exclusively developed for smartphones and tablet devices. Developed by Next Games in close collaboration with AMC, the game will feature themes familiar to the TV series, where characters fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic, walker-infested world. A recurring theme of choosing the right survival strategy and making the most human choices possible is at the heart of the first-of-its-kind game.

I'm reminded a little bit of the yet-to-be-released war survival game coming from 11bit called This War Of Mine, and I'm curious to see which one comes out first, and how similar they end up being. Telltale's game was dramatic and hugely successful, while there was a run-and-gun title called Assault which wasn't quite as compelling. With any luck, No Man's Land will be just as more about strategy than anything.

No Man's Land is launching in early 2015, alongside the mid-season premiere of the TV show. What would you guys like to see from the next Walking Dead game? Are you up to speed on the TV series? What did you think of the previous Walking Dead Games?

Source: Next Games

Plants vs. Zombies 2 has had another content update, continuing on the original Dark Ages update we saw back at E3. Dark Ages Part 2 introduces a new boss battle, a new Arthurian challenge, two new plants (magnetshroom and peanut), 10 new levels, and both a wizard zombie and a king zombie who are bound to make your life difficult.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 continues to offer a rich and (mostly) balanced take at freemium strategy. Players have to pick a selection of plants, gather sunlight, and find just the right time to drop super-powering plant food on their defensive lines. There are also gesture-based power ups if you need a hand with the particularly tough stages. Other stages will drag you out to the far future, the pirate seas, and other exotic eras where the zombies get to dress up all fancy-like.

How far into Plants vs. Zombies 2 are you? How did you find Part 1 of the Dark Ages content?

• Free, IAPs - Download now

After having landed on the iPhone and iPad, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is now ready to bring her "khaos" to Apple's Mac with an OS X version of the famed fame game. As with the iOS version, the goal of the game is to take on the persona of Kim Kardashian and help your own aspiring celebrity "rise to fame and fortune."

Whether this game is a welcomed installation on your system or a vapid virus that is infecting your computer is your own judgment call to make.

Though the game is free, be wary of in-app purchases to win fame. In order to rise to prominence, users must either outfit their inner divas with clothes, find a hot date to increase their fame, or appear in promos.

• CREATE YOUR OWN STAR and customize your look with hundreds of style options, including Kim Kardashian's personal picks!
• STAR in a huge interactive adventure as you encounter other celebs, dedicated fans, persistent paparazzi… and even hang out with Kim herself!
• RULE THE RED CARPET as an A-list movie actor, cover model, fashion designer and more – what you do is up to you!
• TAKE OVER L.A. in a virtual world complete with exclusive clubs, upscale boutiques, and luxury homes! Travel to New York City and Miami!
• DATE AND DUMP CELEBS at the best parties and hottest clubs! Flirt and become the next huge celebrity power-couple!
• BRING YOUR FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE RIDE using Game Center and Facebook – help each other rise to fame, compare styles, send gifts, and see who can be the biggest star!

But with ratings that include "Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes" as well as "Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity," hopefully your celebutard won't have to leak a Kim Kardashian sex tape redux to win this game.

The highly addictive game for iOS is believed to net Kim Kardashian about $700,000 per day through in-app purchases.

Are you ready to unleash Kardashian onto your Mac? Let us know.

• Free - Download now

Superhero Workout is a new game for iPhone and iPad that uses motion recognition from the device's camera to track your exercise and frame it as a game. In it, you're a heroic power armor pilot and you have to quickly switch between exercises in order to power up the Aegis Battlesuit systems, avoid incoming projectiles, and unleash attacks of your own.

There are 20 missions all told, relying exclusively on body weight - that is, you don't need any equipment to enjoy these, only steely resolve.

Superhero Workout comes from the same developer as Zombies, Run!, which was an innovative running tracker that used audio of the undead to keep you moving.

• $4.99 - Download now

Though you may not be able to run as fast as Bruce Jenner in his glory days, TwistedRun hopes to transform your fingers so you can take on the race tracks with agility in this new virtual running game. The game is like an obstacle course where your fingers guide and control the runner through different tests and hurdles.

The graphics are great and SplitCell, the creator of the game that's also known for [HexSweep](http://www.imore.com/tag/hexsweep, notes that the game is optimized to bring "blistering fast performance on all devices."

Vault, jump, duck and sprint, but don't get knocked off the track in this surreal game. TwistedRun will test your reflexes, skills and concentration as you try to go farther and run faster. The blockers are relentless. The speed is blistering. The challenge is immense. Take a run, and maybe you'll fly.

To control your runner, you can use simple swipes or turn on the D-Pad.

And like a real run, you can also keep track of your best runs and personal records. The best part: after an intense "cardio" workout, you won't be sweating after playing TwistedRun.

Let us know what you think of the game.

• $0.99 - Download now

Clash of Clans strategy guide: How to work (and cheat!) your way to faster, bigger, and better wins in Clash of the Clans for iOS!

Gird your loins! Collect your elixir! You call that an upgraded wall? Clash of Clans brings the brazen aggression of Scottish warfare to the addictive and simple mechanics of casual gaming. It's insanely popular, and we’re here to make sure your camp is the toughest to break through, that you're rolling in gold, and that you're climbing the leaderboards.

For those unfamiliar, players in Clash of Clans build forts with gold and elixir resources. Buildings are dragged and dropped however players like, and resources are collected and stored whenever you hop into the game. Over time, they build an army of various troop types. They can be taken on single player missions to raze the villages of nearby goblins, or on raiding parties of neighboring villages. Similarly, other players can raid your town, but don't worry, nothing is permanently destroyed (though they can snatch some of your gold and elixir). Players earn and lose trophies through their multiplayer raids, and band together in clans in order to concentrate their attacks.

It sounds simple, but there's a lot more to it.

Originally published October 2013, updated September 2014 with two bonus tips for Clan Wars

1. Be patient, save your gems

The biggest caveat with any casual free-to-play game is the premium currency system. Just about everything is on some kind of timer, and as you progress, those timers get longer. Don’t cave and spend your precious gems on speeding up production - save them for something important that you get to keep. Make a point to complete missions and clear natural obstacles to build your gem count. Maybe it’s a building that’s only available for a limited time. Maybe it’s your next builder’s hut. The point is, you need to save the gems you earn from missions and terrain clearing for stuff that’s more than just a convenience. You shouldn’t even spend the gems they suggest you do during the beginning tutorial session.

When you do have enough gems, think long and hard about what’s important to you in the game, since if you want to get through this without paying dime, it’ll take awhile before you make another major purchase. On the flip side, you’ll have a hard time getting through the competitive end-game content without spending some cash.

That said, if timers have got you down, play a few other games and cycle through them. Candy Crush Saga and Tapped Out are both solid options. A top-ranked Clash player actually went out and made his own similar game, Samurai Siege, and Gameloft has a Rome-themed knock-off called Total Conquest.

2. Offense is the best defense (and vice versa!)

Your upgrade and build order will vary significantly based on if you want to sit back and collect resources, or take the fight to other players. Odds are you'll regularly be bouncing between these two. If defense is your primary interest, your first upgrade should be your town hall, then walls, then defensive structures - first mortar, then archer tower, then cannons. Mortar and air defense are your most important towers, so make sure they’re close to the middle and have lots of protection. After that, start working on your various resource production buildings, and make sure they’re fully upgraded. Some players intentionally leave a few elixir gatherers and mines outside the walls so other players can farm them without destroying everything they have, though it’s often practical to leave lower-priority buildings like those outside your walls so you can make sure the important stuff is better-protected with overlapping fields of fire rather than covering a wider area.

Also, remember that players with higher level town halls earn less from raiding lower-level players - don’t be in a rush to upgrade your town hall if you’re playing defensively. Just because you're playing defensively means you should neglect your barracks - in fact, you can queue up troops to train there, and then get a refund on those in the queue later on, turning your barracks into a kind of temporary, unraidable elixir storage.

If you’re getting aggressive, the order is similar. First build up your town hall, then get your elixir production up and running so you can start stockpiling resources right away. Then get your barracks and camps upgraded so you can get started on building an army. Neither of those structures provide resources to raiders, so feel free to plant them outside your walls. After that, flesh out your defenses with walls and cannons.

The only things left would be the laboratory for upgrading troops, spell factory for added offensive power, and gold mines for upgrading structures.Since matchmaking is based on trophy count, some players intentionally keep theirs low so they can clean up against lower-level players, so be careful about which fights you pick early on. That said, if you want to farm players that are lower level than you, intentionally lose trophies by raiding with a single unit.

3. Shields up!

Getting attacked can suck, but luckily if 40% of your town is destroyed, or your Town Hall comes crumbling down, you’ll have a 12-hour shield. If 90% of your base is wiped out, you’ll get an extra four hours. How do you best make use of this time? Well, don’t go out and start attacking right away, that’s for sure. That will cancel out your shield immediately.

The safety time is valuable, so use it to your advantage - take some time to figure out how you can improve your economy, build up your army, upgrade towers (since they don’t fire when upgrading) or simply stockpile and spend resources before the pain train comes rolling around again. Shields are useful enough that you may even want to voluntarily move your town hall out into the open; you'll lose trophies and some resources, but often the amount of safety time you get out of it is worth it. If you get really itchy for battle, remember that Clan Wars don't affect your shield timers at all.

4. Learn the lay of the land

The core strategic mechanic of Clash of Clans combat is to have as many walls between your resources and the outside as possible. To do this, you’ll want to make sure there are no gaps in your perimeter, and definitely make sure that there are no spawnable tiles within your base. You’ll want to make sure that structures are tight together, so cannons and other defensive structures can cover as many of them as possible.

Putting your buildings into small compartments formed by upgraded walls is vital to slowing an enemy's advance. You’ll also want to have your most powerful defenses positioned more closely to the center of your base; provide as much of a buffer zone with other buildings and walls as possible, so attacking troops have to take longer chewing on other stuff to get to the guns.

5. Pick your targets

When finding opponents, there are a few things you want to take into account before you start dropping troops. First, look at their Town Hall level - if it’s far lower than yours, you’ll be getting a smaller cut of the spoils. You’ll get to see exactly how many resources are available for plundering. At the very least, you want to be able to earn back the resources you spend on troops. If resources are all you're after, it's often more profitable to send in a handful of goblins than a full-blown assault.

Before you deploy your first troop, be aware of which resources you’re going for. If you’re going for trophies to climb the ranks, you’ll need to be investing a lot of troops to get two or three stars on your raid. You’ll also want to tap elixir reserves if you want to replenish (or earn back) resources for troops. Once you've done that, it's simply a matter of targeting the most powerful defenses for those resources.Use giants to draw fire from towers initially, then wall breakers to breach, then more giants to mop up defenses. Barbarians, wizards, and archers can chew on structures once areas have been cleared of cannon and mortar fire, while goblins can bee-line for resources. Be mindful of how many troops you drop in, though. You want to be able to pull off a win while burning through as few as possible.

Remember that you have no direct control over your troops - know what the unit’s favorite targets are and deploy accordingly. Barbarians will run head-first at the nearest building, which isn’t great news if there’s a well-defended mortar just a little further in. Send the wall breakers and giants in first to take care of that first. Smart players will create bases that funnel troops right into areas with a ton of traps, which can blunt your offensive very quickly.

6. Get raiding buddies

Once you’ve maxed-out your village level, gone through the single-player levels, and rebuilt your castle, you’re probably pretty hardcore about the game and ready to start getting into organized clan play. Not only are these great ways to socialize in the game, but coordinated attacks can help you bring in some pretty good hauls, too.

Keep in mind that although you can use clans to call in back-up, you’ll be expected to contribute troops too - it’s a team effort, after all. Communicate regularly about what you’re up to, get advice from senior members when you’re trying to figure out what to do next, and have fun! Your clan may have aspirations for competitive league play, which can get pretty intense.

7. Punch your weight in Clan Wars

Attack unstarred villages first, since you and your clan have the most to gain from attacking them. When picking targets for the first time in Clan Wars, let the game's matchmaking figure out a good opponent for you. If you end up succeeding against tougher opponents, your lower level allies may have a hard time dealing with an equivalent increase in challenge. If you go for easy ones, then you're taking away good opponents for those lower-level allies, forcing them into battles they can't win. Punch your weight, and the whole clan wins.

8. Tailor your armies in Clan Wars

You've got a whole day to prepare before war kicks off. Use the scout function for your target enemy encampment to get a lay of the land, and build your army around defeating it. If the walls are low level, go land. If the air defense isn't upgraded, go air. Make specific requests in your clan chat for the types of troops you want to send in. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of who you are attacking will help you build the best army to take it on.

9. Your top Clash of Clans tips, tricks, and cheats!

For a casual game, Clash of Clans has a surprising amount of depth. If you've got any personal strategies for winning bigger, faster, and better, leave them in the comments, or sing out for help with particularly tricky situations.

Netmarble is South Korea's largest mobile game publisher, but they've never had much of a US presence – until now. The newly-formed Netmarble US has just released its first game: Animals vs. Mutants. It's available for free on both Android and iOS.

Sure, Animals vs. Mutants is a different name for a game. But not that long ago, you'd have said the same about Plants vs. Zombies. The concept is sound – an evil scientist has started experimenting on woodland critters, turning them into malicious mutants. Only the player can rescue the remaining animals, by fighting it out on foot and summoning animal helpers to aid in the battle.

Battles in Animals vs. Mutants work much like Glu's Samurai vs. Zombies. Your male or female hero runs around the battlefield, automatically attacking any mutants who get too close. Players can summon a variety of animals to fight as well, all with unique attacks and powers.

Besides the fun of acquiring new animals from each of the 60 stages you beat, this game also offers tons and tons of loot to collect. You'll outfit your character with unique weapons and armor, and even equip various animal mounts. The mounts level up too, changing their appearance and effectiveness.

Animals vs. Mutants features a truly unique Asian art style. Kids will love the colorful artwork and cutesy characters, but adults will enjoy the loot hunting and variety of missions to complete. Give it a try and stop those mutants from encroaching on the peacefulness of the forest.

• Free - Download Now

2K's official NBA game launched today on iOS. NBA 2K15 offers substantially improved graphics while playing on the basketball court, and a new MyCareer mode that has players work through a storyline by doing stuff like answering questions at press conferences and training their custom-made character. The soundtrack is curated by Pharrell Williams, which should keep gameplay moving nicely.

It looks like hardware controller support is in the mix here too which is always a great addition. NBA season officially starts on October 28, so this is a great warm-up.

If you're really into NBA, be sure to check out our top basketball apps for iPhone and iPad, though we'll definitely be updating that in time for the 28th. How many of you guys are basketball fans? Anyone interested in snagging NBA 2K15?

• $7.99 - Download now

Console gamers everywhere have been enthralled with Shadow of Mordor, an action-heavy game based on the universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien. While we don't have a mobile version of Shadow of Mordor to play, Kabam and Warner Bros. Interactive released a Middle-Earth game of their own – Lord of the Rings: Legends of Middle Earth.

Legends of Middle Earth is a free to play character collecting strategy game in which players assemble a team composed of characters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and do battle against teams sent by Sauron. While very light on strategy, the simple controls and hordes of characters to collect should appeal to fantasy fans looking for something simple but engaging to play.

Lord of the Rings: Legends of Middle Earth features include:

Are you ready to return to Middle-Earth for some quick and easy battles?

• Free, IAPs - Download now

The sequel to classic strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown is now available in the App Store. XCOM: Enemy Within features the same excellent turn-based gameplay and long-term squad progression, and lathers on new story, more aliens to blow up, more tech to research, and the ability to upgrade your troops with cybernetics and gene mods.

Here's a quick break-down of the game's features.

• New Soldier Abilities: Build new base facilities to unlock unearthly new capabilities for XCOM's soldiers. The Genetics Lab will allow soldiers to receive powerful genetic modifications, and the Cybernetics Lab allows soldiers to use devastating mechanized cybersuits in battle;
• New Weapons and Equipment: Give operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from the engineering team in the Foundry;
• New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from two new alien types and a deadly new organization known as EXALT;
• New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield, research a new technology to unlock its power, and use it carefully back at base to unlock new upgrades and weaponry;
• New Multiplayer maps, units, and abilities: Create custom squads from a wider array of options and dominate opponents in intense, one-on-one, turn-based matches via Google Play and Apple Game Center only.

XCOM: Enemy Within is available for $12.99, which may be a bit steep for those who are used to freemium games, but if the last XCOM port is any indication, this should be a high-quality title that stays surprisingly true to the original game.

• $12.99 - Download now

Nobody likes flies. I mean, David Cronenberg's movie The Fly, sure. But real flies, we instinctively want to swat them. When you hit one, it's just so satisfying. Why not make a game about hunting those pesky flies then?

Flyhunter Origins is a 3D platformer from Steel Wool Games and Ripstone in which a team of alien flyhunters travels through space collecting valuable insects. Something goes wrong on their ship, letting loose a cargo of bugs on the unsuspecting earth. With cartoon-quality story sequences and plenty of bugs to squash, kids and platforming fans will want to give this paid game a look.

Official description:

Somewhere in Earth's orbit, while the heroic Flyhunters are deep in cryo sleep; The Frog's cargo of super-important, exotic insects from the latest hunt is mysteriously jettisoned into Space, crash-landing back on planet Earth! It seems that clumsy Janitor Zak is the only one around to save the day.

Can this accidental hero swap his Sweeping Brush for a super-cool Fly Swatter and take on the role of daring Flyhunter? It's a good job Zak's is used to cleaning up – because he's in a huge mess! Hurry! Help this little dude complete his mission, before "The Investors" find out their expensive bugs are missing!

Zak the Flyhunter is actually a very small alien, so the flies, spiders, and other bugs he battles will frequently be just as large as him. Luckily, his flyswatter is more than capable of squishing them as he runs and jumps through each level. Simple touch controls (swipe left and right to walk, plus jump and flyswatter buttons) make exploration a snap.

Flyhunter Origins costs $2.99. If you're looking for a cheerful mobile platformer with strong production values, give it a try.

• $2.99 - Download now

The movie Reel Steel might have been fairly forgettable, but the two mobile games based on it have enjoyed a fair little following. The team leads from the mobile Reel Steel and Total Recall titles have left Reliance Entertainment in order to form their own studio, Play Motion. And Play Motion's first game sticks with what they know: robots punching other robots.

Ironkill has just launched on Android and iOS as a free to play title. Players can collect and upgrade a wide assortment of stylized robots, and then journey across a post-apocalyptic map to battle it out against other robot trainers. With solid graphics and simple controls, Ironkill promises plenty of fun robot-on-robot violence.

In the world of Ironkill, the world has been devastated by war. Most of the surviving population lived in slums. Robot fights are the popular pastime of the apocalypse, and training a successful robot fighter is the player's best chance at achieving a better life.

To start with, you'll buy a large-and-in-charge robot called Sumoist. The next step is to take him to new locations on the map and earn money from the fights you win. As you level up and reap riches, you'll unlock new robots to buy and fill out your collection.

The battle mechanics are easy to learn. You'll rely primarily on quick attack, heavy attack, and block buttons. String together your two attacks to deliver strong combos. When your special move meter fills up to the max, hit the special button to unleash it. Sumoist's special dizzies the enemy, giving you the chance to score some free hits.

IronKill is easy to play on phone or tablet, and seems to offer lots to do and collect. Check it out and see whether this robotic boxing game beats up the competition.

• Free - Download Now

Anybody remember Heyzap? It was a social networking app for gamers that allowed users to socialize about games and discover new games. The Heyzap team recently pulled its iOS app however, switching focus to their targeted ad SDK. That pretty much left Raptr as the only social networking app for Apple gamers.

Now a new player has entered the field: GameLoop. The GameLoop app is free and allows users to discuss the games they enjoy while also discovering new games to play. With the ability to detect all of your iOS, Xbox, Playstation, and Steam games, GameLoop is poised to be a serious and more mobile-focused competitor for Raptr. Read on for full details!

Getting started with GameLoop

GameLoop is targeted at social networking-savvy gamers. In fact, you don't manually create a new account as you would with many other services. Instead, players have the choice of signing in with Twitter (my preference), Facebook, or Google+. Once you've linked one of those accounts, you're ready to go with GameLoop. That said, users can sign in as a guest without linking an account. Maybe see how you like the app before laying down your existing networking details, I don't blame you.

Having linked up and created an account, GameLoop will automatically detect the games installed on your iPhone or iPad and add them to your gaming library. If you play games on other platforms, you can also add most of those to your library as well by linking Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and Steam accounts. Notably absent is Google Play syncing, but that could be due to technical restrictions on Google's part.

Using The Loop

Now that GameLoop knows what games you play, it can create a custom live feed called The Loop. This is the main portion of the app, where you'll see posts relating to the games you have in your library. You'll also see posts from people you follow, posts you create, and posts about new games. The idea is to share and discuss games you already care about, plus get exposure to different games that you might enjoy. The feed can be sorted in several ways: by platforms, by games, trending games, and My Games.

Creating a post of your own is called "Looping It." First you pick a game, and then write a short Twitter-length comment about it. You can attach a screenshot if you like, as well as tagging specific people in the same way you would tag someone on Twitter. Conveniently, you can also share posts directly to Facebook and Twitter as well. Who wants to retype the same message on all the networks they use?

What will people post on GameLoop? You can share memorable moments, high scores, or recommendations for a game. Or ask for solutions to puzzles, lives in Candy Crush Saga, or recruit new clan members in Clash of Clans and Cloud Raiders. There are lots of practical applications. As the developers put it, "GameLoop is all about gaming expression."

Friends and profiles

A big part of social networking is communicating with your existing friends and meeting new people as well. GameLoop allows users to invite friends to use the app, search for specific existing users, and find new users.

The "Find" feature will list users by proximity to your location, allowing you to hook up with local players. Curiously, the app displays the distance of other players from your location, but not their actual locations. I guess it's a safety or privacy thing, but I'd have preferred the option to display city and location names as with Facebook.

When viewing other users' profiles, you'll be able to see what platforms they use. GameLoop also displays a breakdown of the game genres someone plays (31 percent action, 14 percent puzzle, etc.). The idea is to meet players with similar (or different) tastes in games. You can also chat asynchronously with the people you follow.

The Loop begins

GameLoop is off to a great start so far. The app's ability to sort through your iOS games and allow you to post about them is really quite handy. It also features a clean and well-designed layout that keeps everything easy instead of bogging things down with clutter.

The GameLoop social network does face some challenges, however. First off, GameLoop exists solely as an app at present. You can't sign up or take advantage of the platform's features through the website ( GameLoopApp.com, not to be confused with the other Gameloop). A social network needs to be ubiquitous, no matter how mobile-focused it might be. And speaking of mobile, an Android version and Android game tracking would also go a long way towards connecting gamers.

I'm sure the developers at Loop Unlimited are already working towards some of those ideas. They've launched with a fine iOS app. If things take off, we'll certainly be seeing more features and platforms for GameLoop in the future.

• Free – Download now

For decades, the video game cartridge was the staple of home video game play, and even a vital component of many early home computer systems. Interestingly, the companies that developed the first videogame cartridge and brought it to market are largely a forgotten footnote in the annals of early game development. Writing for Fast Company, Benj Edwards has documented the early days of cartridge development at Alpex and Fairchild:

If you've ever used one, you have two men to thank: Wallace Kirschner and Lawrence Haskel, who invented the game cartridge 40 years ago while working at an obscure company and rebounding from a business failure. Once the pair's programmable system had been streamlined and turned into a commercial product—the Channel F console—by a team at pioneering electronics company Fairchild, it changed the fundamental business model of home video games forever. By injecting flexibility into a new technology, it paved the way for massive industry growth and the birth of a new creative medium.

I was a kid in the 1970s and envied my friends who had video game systems, especially the beloved Atari 2600. I wouldn't get one until much later, when Coleco introduced the ColecoVision in 1982. But there's no question that video game cartridge systems would have an enduring and significant impact on the way generations of kids and their families played video games for decades to come.

Source: Fast Company via The Loop

A new survey of mobile gamers conducted by the NPD Group says that they are playing, on average, over two hours a day on their devices. The survey, conducted in late 2014, indicates a 57% increase in the average play time for mobile gamers, compared to just 80 minutes a day in 2012.

NPD's report is based on an online survey of 5,566 individuals ages 2 and older. It states:

Kids ages 2 to 12 are spending the greatest proportion of their device time on gaming versus other activities. This age group is also playing more games (average of 5 games), as well as more games that were paid for (average of 3 games). The average amount of money spent by this age group over the past 30 days on new games, and in-game purchases is also one of the highest, second only to mobile gamers in the 25 to 44 age group.

Tablets are the mobile devices that are used the most for games, according to the survey. Tablet gamers also are more likely to pay for games and to spend more money on average than smartphone gamers. However, just one in five players that were surveyed play games exclusively on smartphones and tablets; the rest also play games on other devices and platforms.

Be sure to check out our recent looks at gaming on the iPhone and iPad, including the best iPad games and the best iPhone games.

Source: NPD Group

Last Inua, a side-scrolling adventure game that was first released for the PC in December has now made its way to the Mac platform. It's now available on the Mac App Store for $7.99.

The game was developed by Glowforth and is being published by Wired Productions. Here's a quick look at its premise:

Last Inua is designed for both young and old, mixing classic platform genres as it tells the tale of an Inuit family's fight for survival against a fearsome demon and the harsh Arctic elements. As the demonic trickster Tonrar has awoken to spread his darkness over the north the father and son team of Ataataq and Hiko are the only hope to restore balance in the world. Ataataq relies on brute strength to overcome obstacles as he guides Hiko, his physically weak but supernaturally gifted son who possess magical abilities, along their epic journey. Together, Ataataq and Hiko must traverse the arctic landscape and visit The Trinity of the Mythical Creatures to help defeat the malevolent Tonrar.

• $7.99 Download now

The Oakland, Calif.-based Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) opens a new playable exhibit entitled "Women in Game Development."

Despite its (sometimes well-deserved) reputation for being a boy's club, women developers have always played an important role in the creation of video games. Now they're being recognized by the MADE in a new exhibit that opens this weekend.

This Sunday from 12-6 P.M. is the premiere of the exhibit, which highlights the work of women throughout the history of video games. Here's a list of the women being recognized, along with the specific games they're being recognized for:

• Roberta Williams - King's Quest 1
• Carol Shaw - River Raid
• Reiko Kodama - Phantasy Star
• Yoko Shinomura - Street Fighter II
• Danielle Bunten Berry - Seven Cities of Gold
• Amy Henning - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
• Corrinne Yu - Anachronox >Kim Swift - Portal

More details about the new exhibit have been posted to The MADE's web site.

The MADE's opening is free to the public, all ages are welcome. The MADE is located at 610 16th St., Suite 230 in Oakland. More details and directions are available online.

The MADE has been open since 2011 and focuses on the preservation of video and computer games; it offers free programming classes and playable exhibitions, lectures, tournaments and more. It's open weekends from 12-6; admission is free.

Want to rock a game controller for your Apple TV games? Here's the deal.

Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV offers an App Store chock full of third-party apps for you to enjoy—including, yes, games. To expand the gaming universe further, the Apple TV is supporting Apple's Made For iPhone (MFi) standard for third-party controllers, which means you'll be able to game with a Siri Remote and Xbox-style controller alike.

So, how do third-party controllers work in the wide wonderful world of tvOS? We'll walk you through it so you can start gaming in no time.

What can I use to control an Apple TV game?

Currently, you can play games with three different devices: the Siri remote, MFi controllers, and your iOS device.

Games have to support the Apple TV's Siri remote

Many tvOS games are supporting MFi controllers to allow for more detailed interactions inside gameplay. But you don't have to worry about being locked out if you don't have a fancy controller: All games still have to support playing via the Siri Remote.

Apple does this by requiring developers to support multiple controller profiles: The Siri Remote offers a limited controller set, through which the core tenets of the game should be playable. Switch to a third-party controller, and you'll gain access to the extended control layout, which supports multiple buttons, shoulder and trigger buttons, multiple thumbsticks and a directional pad, and more.

For the end-user, this means that you won't be locked out of an awesome tvOS game if you choose not to buy additional hardware, but a third-party controller will add more complexity and a range of extra options for play.

All MFi game controllers work with the Apple TV

Apple may be primarily advertising the SteelSeries Nimbus Wireless Controller for the new Apple TV, and for good reason: The controller feels great in the hand and charges via Lightning cable. But you don't have to buy the latest and greatest controller to game on your Apple TV—any MFi-approved game controller that works on iOS will also connect to the new set-top box.

iPhone and iPods work as game controllers, too—if your game supports it

You're not just limited to a Siri Remote or third-party controller: The new Apple TV can use your iOS device as an additional controller if the game you're playing supports it. Typically, you'll see iOS controller support for games that have an iPhone or iPad counterpart, like SketchParty.

How do MFi game controllers interact with the Apple TV?

Connecting an MFi controller is as easy as turning it on and pairing it from the Apple TV's Settings app (just go to Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth). Once that controller's connected, however, there are a few things you might want to know.

Game controllers work as remotes, too

Everything your Siri Remote can do, your game controller can do, too: Just like you might navigate your Xbox with an Xbox controller, you can use third-party controllers to move through your Home screen or any other apps. The D-pad and left thumbstick both work to navigate through menus, while the A button works as a click, and the B button as a back option.

On the Nimbus, you also have a "Menu" button which, in addition to working as a back button, also allows you to pause games and movies alike.

Sadly, no: There's no way to get voice control in your games just yet. You can't trigger Siri except via the Siri remote.

You can only have two controllers (and a remote) hooked up at any time

Don't get too excited for four-player mayhem just yet: Unfortunately, you can only link two MFi controllers to your Apple TV at a time. That, plus the Siri Remote, seems to indicate a total of three possible players at a time (unless the game in question also offers iOS controllers, as well.)

Third-party controllers don't have accelerometers

If you're opting for a controller over Siri Remote or iOS device, be prepared to give away some more creative functionality: Standalone controllers don't currently support accelerometer tilt or motion controls.

How do I know if my game supports a third-party controller?

All games on the tvOS App Store offer a helpful indicator on their app pages in regards to controllers: If your game offers third-party controller support, you'll see Game Controller Optional below the description.

I do find that wording interesting—"optional"—given that, currently, Apple prevents tvOS games from requiring a game controller. It might be worded in such a way to open up the possibility controller-required games in the future... or it just might be a random word choice on the part of tvOS App Store staff.

How the Siri Remote works as a game controller

If you're planning on using the Siri Remote to play games, here are a few things you'll want to know.

You can hold the Siri Remote in either portrait or landscape, depending on the game—most controller-type games will require landscape, while point-and-click games should be fine in portrait mode.

When you hold the remote sideways in landscape, the touchpad should face to the left, with the Lightning port (and optional connected wrist strap) to the right.

The touchpad works as a D-pad; click the touchpad to hit the "A" button equivalent. The Play/Pause button becomes the "X" button, while the Menu button becomes the pause function to bring up the game's menu. The volume buttons, Siri button, and TV On/Off button remain mapped to their original functionality.

The Siri remote will recognize basic motion data while playing, but don't expect anything overly complicated: It currently can't determine precise altitude or rotation of the remote.

How third-party controllers work in games

When you connect a third-party controller, you have access to the full expanded controller layout. That means iOS games can incorporate any and all of those extra buttons.

Many games won't, of course, leaving you the traditional A/B button + D-pad controls to work with. But for those that do, you may gain access to the X and Y buttons, shoulders, triggers, and thumbstick controls.

Questions about game controllers?

Drop 'em in the comments and we'll try to dig up some answers.

Now that you've got your new iPhone or iPad, it's time to fill it with great content.

Getting your first iPhone or iPad is just the beginning. Thousands of developers have made over a million apps and games that can totally transform the device your holding in your hands. With each new app it can become your constant Facebook friend, your gateway to Snapchat, a tool to learn new languages, a way to brush up on math or science, your ticket to car services, a personal scanner, a way to edit documents on the go and, of course, an incredible portable gaming console. All you need to do is get started!

• How to search for apps and games in the App Store
• How to download apps and games from the app store
• How to update apps and games from the App Store
• How to automatically download apps and games you buy on one device onto others
• How to automatically install apps and game updates

How to search for apps and games in the App Store

The first thing you need to do is find the apps and games you want to add to your collection.

1. Open the App Store app.
2. Tap the Search icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Enter the app name that you are looking for.

4. Tap Search on your keyboard.

Search by Top Charts

You can also just browse the app store for interesting apps. One way to find popular apps is by tapping Top Charts at the bottom of the screen, which shows a list of the top Paid, Free, and Grossing apps in the App Store.

Search by category

You can find trending and spotlighted apps by selecting a specific category. Tap Categories in the upper left corner of the App Store screen. Then, select a category to view popular and noted apps within it.

How to download apps and games from the app store

OK, So, you've found the perfect app or game, or maybe you just found something that looks interesting. Now it's time to download and install it on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Tap the app or game you wish to purchase or download for free.
2. Tap Get if it is free, or the Price of the app if it is paid.

3. Tap Install or Buy when the icon switches.

4. Enter your Password or use Touch ID when prompted.
5. Wait for the download to finish.

6. Press the Home button to go back to your device's Home screen.

Once the app or game download and installation is complete, it will appear on your Home screen. Tap it to open and begin using it.

How to update apps and games from the App Store

After a short time in the Apple ecosystem, you'll discover that a lot of apps and games get regular updates. Sometimes, they are fixing bugs and glitches, other times, they are adding new content. You can find out about apps that need updating in the App Store app.

1. Open the App Store app.
2. Tap Updates in the lower right corner of the screen.

3. Tap the Update button next to an app or game that needs to be updated.

The update works similar to downloading a new app or game. It will download and install onto your iPhone or iPad. When the installation is complete, you can tap the app or game to open and use it.

How to automatically download apps and games you buy on one device onto others

If you own more than one Apple device, like an iPhone and an iPad, or an iPad and an iPod touch, or all three, you can automatically download apps and games onto all of them if they are all under the same Apple ID. Well, you can't download iPad-only apps onto an iPhone or iPod touch, but that is the only restriction.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap iTunes & App Store.

3. Under Automatic Downloads, tap Apps to toggle the switch on.

You can also turn on automatic downloads for music, iBooks, and audiobooks the same way.

How to automatically install apps and game updates

Apple gives you the option to have app updates take place automatically. That way, you don't have to keep checking to see what needs an update.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap iTunes & App Store.

3. Under automatic downloads, tap Updates to toggle the switch on.

When enabled, app updates will automatically take place every day.

How to disable app updates over cellular

If you have concerns about using up too much of your cellular data, it is a very good idea to disable downloading updates over cellular, especially if you have automatic updates turned on.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap iTunes & App Store.

3. Tap Use Cellular Data to toggle the switch off.

Anything else?

Do you have any questions about downloading apps and games from the App Store? If so, let us know in the comments section.