Emerging Free iOS Apps: Very Hungry Cat, Pinterest and Dreamland

Once again the free charts proved to be the most dynamic part of the App store, with lots of turnover and opportunities for new apps to rise to the top. Small and independent developers ruled the charts this week - Gadgetcrafts and Kotelock saw their latest games rise to the top of the store with support from their publishers IDevUa and AlphaWebs Plus, but there was room for bigger studios, with DeNA-owned Gameview Studios and Nevosoft also scoring hits. New Titles on the iPhone Free Apps List Very Hungry Cat - Once again a new app is at the top of the charts. This week it’s Ukrainian publisher IDevUa’s brand new game Very Hungry Cat that takes the #1 spot. The goal of the game is simple: a cat is asleep and dreaming of his next meal. Players must feed the cat birds, but avoid hazards like bombs and poison. Very Hungry Cat is ad-supported and includes a $0.99 in-app purchase that unlocks additional features. The game was developed by another Ukrainian studio, Gadgetcrafts and was released on November 22nd. ArcheryWorldCup - International developers score the #2 spot as well this week, with South Korean developer LitQoo seeing big success for ArcheryWorldCup. Released on December 1st, the game features simple, straight forward graphics and challenges players to overcome the wind, their nerves and even their own heartbeats to win an archery championship. Players can also compete with other players from around the world in Online Mode to rack up the best score. Army Wars Defense 2+ - Jumping down to the #22 spot we find Magic Cube’s Army Wars Defense 2+, a spin-off of Army Wars Defense. A blend of real time strategy and tower offense mechanics, in the game players must wear down defenders and manage their resources carefully to keep a constant stream of troops heading over enemy lines. The game features 100 stages per team, 56 different combat units and 10 different maps. The game monetizes by allowing players to purchase gold and bucks, which are used to create more troops. Army Wars Defense 2+ also supports online multiplayer and voice chat through Game Center. Snowy Farm - Next up we have Tap Fish developer Gameview Studios’ Snowy Farm. Currently sitting in the #24 position, Snowy Farm is a farming sim with a winter twist that doesn’t stray too far from the core farm sim mechanics. There are still crops to grow, manage and harvest, but players can also challenge themselves to make value added products like Wine, Cheese, Pies and bread. The game was last updated on October 4th and monetizes through in-app purchases. Pinterest - Last but not least, Cold Brew Labs’ app for the growing social network Pinterest makes a resurgence on the charts, rising to the #46 position. The mobile version of the Pinterest service allows users to browse, repin, like and comment on pins from people they follow and upload camera pictures to the app, allowing people to pin on the go. The app also supports geo tagging so other users can see where a pin came from. The app was last updated on August 5th. New Titles on the iPad Free Apps List [Update] The Merry Manor HD - This week’s new #1 iPad app is The Merry Manor, AlphaWeb Plus’ new farming sim. Developed by Kotelock, the game challenges players to turn a modest farm into a business empire, building up their crops and eventually adding food processing factories to their domain. The game is free to play and monetizes through in-app purchases of crystals and coins and includes support for Game Center. US Basketball HD - The pro Basketball season may be a write-off but people looking to for a hoops fix may find what they need with US Basketball HD. Credited to YOMEN and one-man developer Demis Mezirov, the game is free and monetizes through in-app upgrade purchases. US Basketball features three quintessentially US locations, uses a variety of different balls (each with its own different statistics), and has a multiplayer mode. The app was updated on December 5th and is currently the #3 free iPad app. Dreamland HD: Spooky Adventure - Russian publisher Nevosoft returns to our rankings after an absence with the aptly titled Dreamland HD: Spooky Adventure Game. Currently ranked #6 on the iPad charts, the game is set in an abandoned amusement park full of traps, broken rides and creepy atmosphere. Like Big Fish Games’ hidden object/point and click adventure games, Dreamland HD is free to play at first, but the whole game must be unlocked via a $2.99 in-app purchase. Users can also pay $0.99 for hints for the game’s puzzles. Cox TV Connect for iPad - Moving all the way down to the #31 spot we have Cox TV Connect for iPad, a standalone app developed by cable and internet provider Cox Communications. The app lets subscribers stream over 35 of Cox’s channels directly over Wi-Fi to their iPads. The app was released on December 1st, and its the second such app from a cable provider we’ve seen iPad charts in as many months. Toca Hair Salon: Christmas Gift - Swedish studio Toca Boca closes out the iPad charts this week with its #36 ranked app Toca Hair Salon: Christmas Gift, a seasonal version of its kid-friendly app Toca Hair Salon. The game lets young playersstyle Santa’s hair by adding new accessories, different styles and colors. As the app was developed specifically for children it doesn’t feature any third-party advertising, or prompt for any in-app purchases. While just released, the game has already been updated to version 1.01 on December 6th.

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Emerging Free iOS Apps: Very Hungry Cat, Pinterest and Dreamland

Kathleen De Vere

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Kathleen De Vere