Three free games for you — that’s what we’ve got for in today’s Download Discounts, and they’re a little something for everyone. Rogue Runner fills your 2D, side-scrolling, endless running fix; Shoot to Kill is a turret-defense style shooter that has you fighting demons; and UniTris is an addictive, challenging and unforgiving Tetris-like puzzler. Check them out below.
Rogue Runner (iPhone) Free (was $0.99)
There are a lot of side-scrolling, endless-run type games out there, in which you control a character that is continually dashing from left to right, attempting not to fall off cliffs or slam into walls and die. Rogue Runner is one of those, except that it mixes in arcade shooting concepts to go a step beyond the standard side-scroller.
You pilot a vehicle that has to plow through various enemies as it goes endlessly to the right, jumping cliffs and obstacles along the way. Instead of just jumping or firing a simple gun at simple enemies — although you will be doing that — you’ll be taking on lots of enemies using weapons including machine guns and missiles. Rouge Runner adds emphasis to combat as well as the frantic need to dodge potential dangers.
Shoot to Kill: Addictive as Hell (iPhone) Free (was $0.99)
Shoot to Kill is something of a turret defense game. You’re surrounded by demons with only your trusty gun to protect you. From a top-down viewpoint, you’ll hammer away at enemies as they close in on you. Tapping enemies aims and fires your gun, and you can power-up your weapon by facing pillars of light to charge you up — but you can’t divert your attention from battle for too long.
You aren’t able to move in Shoot to Kill, but that’s part of the point. The game is about fast-twitch reactions rather than avoidance. You’ll have to keep up the spray of bullets if you want to make it through each of the four survival modes. The app also includes Game Center and multiplayer support.
UniTris (iPhone, iPad) Free (was $0.99)
When it comes to this app, think Tetris, but kind of in reverse. In that game, you have to use interlocking blocks to form complete lines from one side of the screen to the other without any gaps to score points and eliminate the line. Same thing in UniTris, except the blocks compound from the top of the screen, and they are all missing pieces. You have a tool box filled with different pieces of blocks, and it’s your job to fit the correct piece into the damage blocks in order to complete the line.
Trouble is, if you drag a puzzle piece onto the board, you have to use it. If you release it, it’ll fly up and snap into place along a straight line where you let go of it. But if you release it below the wrong block on the receiving end, you’ll have to use a bomb to clear it, which drops the ever-growing pile of block lines closer to the bottom of the screen, and defeat. UniTris therefore makes you move fast but requires clear thinking and precision — like Tetris, you’re putting the puzzle together, but on a smaller scale, where the penalty for a mistake is severe.
