Brain-trainer Elevate and addictive puzzler Threes! are the winners of Apple’s coveted Best of 2014 titles this week. Though lacking the pomp of a traditional awards ceremony, the accolades are both prestigious and lucrative, as the titles get thrust into the spotlight during a time when millions of people are soon to be unwrapping brand new iPods, iPads and iPhones.
Elevate focuses on improving memory, focus and general cognitive abilities through a set of 25 mini games that focus on everything from language skills to math. The app is free to play, with a monthly or yearly subscription model opening up all the content.
Threes! is notable both for its addictive gameplay and its controversial story arc, as the premium game ushered in an ecosystem of pretenders, leading to a very public discourse on the sanctity of original ideas. It is still the best version of the original, with a brilliantly simple design and lots of depth.
The app runner-up is Instagram’s Hyperlapse, which is still exclusive to iOS, and game runner-up the immensely enjoyable Leo’s Fortune, a humorous platformer with excellent touchscreen controls.
Other best-ofs include Yahoo News Digest, Monument Valley (which won the best iPad game), Pixelmator for iPad, Storehouse, Hitman GO, SwiftKey Keyboard, 1Password, Camera+, XCOM: Enemy Within, Smash Hit, CBC’s amazing Wild Canada, Wayward Souls, lululemon, Airbnb, Buzzfeed, Yummly Recipes, Rovio’s RETRY, YP.ca, Godus and more.
[source]App Store[/source]
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
