Stuff UK — June 2017

TEST APPS

App:roved

● Popcorn

Popcorn applies the Tinder
formula to movies: rather than
ogling people in their swimsuits,
you can unearth interesting films.
So you browse lists like ‘best
movies set on boats’, ‘Nordic
noir films’, or even the ‘17 worst
Adam Sandler movies’, flicking
cards left to mercilessly discard
them, or right to hurl them
at your watchlist. Embedded
trailers help when you’re being
indecisive, making Popcorn a
fantastic alternative if you’re
sick of standard charts.

Stuff says ++++,
£free / iOS

●Isolad

If you ever looked at Monument

Valley and thought you could do

better at fashioning Escher-like

faux-3D worlds that make your

eyes go funny, this is your app.

With a drawing system not unlike

dragging elastic bands across

pins, Isolad feels very different

from its competition. It’s also

very stripped back, to the point

that you might feel hemmed

in. Still, selection and layer tools

are on the way, and what’s there

already is enough for anyone to

create an isometric masterpiece.

Stuff says ++++,

£2.99 / iPad

● Euclidean Lands

To describe Euclidean Lands as

a mind-bending puzzler doesn’t

do it justice. This gorgeous game

uses the best bits of Hitman

GO’s turn-based ‘clockwork’

puzzling and insta-deaths as

a foundation, slaps on the same

Monument Valley aesthetic as

Isolad, adds quite a lot of stabby

violence, and wraps the whole

lot around a Rubik’s Cube in

space that’s frequently struck

by lightning. Despite the obvious

nods to other games the result is

a unique, intoxicating adventure.

Stuff says +++++

£3.99 / iOS

● The Escapists

This mobile port of the PC prison-

break game requires a great deal

of patience, brainpower and wits

if you’re going to perform a great

escape. After a quick tutorial,

it dumps you in its cell-block

sandbox to work out what to do

next. Over time, you learn prison

routines, opportune moments to

pilfer things, and that a cup, some

chocolate and a lighter make for a

surprisingly vicious weapon. Just

don’t get complacent or you’ll be

shivved in the shower and duffed

up by guards.

Stuff says ++++,

£3.99 / iOS, Android

FOR

FUSSY

FILM FANS

FOR

DAZZLING

DESIGNERS

FOR

CUBOID

COMBAT

FOR

YARDBIRD

YEARNERS