TouchDeck ($1.99) is a very basic application for the iPad that allows you to play around with a virtual deck of cards. You can shuffle, flip and fan out cards any way you’d like. However, this app is seriously lacking in features and customization.
You’ll definitely want to start by watching the video tutorial of how the app works. There are several different things you can do with the cards, but it’s easier if you watch the video instead of trying to figure it out on your own. Simply tapping on a card will allow you to drag it anywhere on the screen. You can double tap to flip it over. You can also move entire stacks of cards by tapping and holding before you drag. Two fingers on one card will rotate it. You can gather a bunch of scattered cards by pinching around them. You can also fan out the entire deck by sliding two fingers around, starting at the top of the deck.
The only two games I can think of that would be even remotely possible to play with this app are Solitaire and War. These games don’t require you to keep any cards secret from an opponent. You can’t play games like poker because you can’t see your cards without the other player seeing them also.
The physics work well, except for the lack of momentum. It would be nice if there were an option to control the amount of momentum when a card is tossed across the screen. Also, there are absolutely no customization options available. You can’t change the background image of the screen or the deck of cards. Sounds effects are also absent.
The idea of a virtual deck of cards is intriguing. There are definitely some real possibilities for an application like this. Unfortunately, I don’t believe TouchDeck has succeeded in creating a useful virtual deck of cards for us yet. I’m sure in future updates more features will be added. But, with the 0.1 release, there is much to be desired.
