Best Board Game Apps For the iPad

May

2010

Robert Workman, iPadNewsDaily Contributor
05:40 PM ET

When you were younger, chances are you played board games with either your family or friends, be it "Chutes and Ladders," "Sorry!" or even a nice, simple game of checkers. Well, now you can relive those days with several great board games for the iPad. There are plenty to choose from, but here are our top recommendations.

“Game Table” (Label Interactive, $.99, released May 12)

Probably one of the best bargains available for the iPad , “Game Table” is an absolute winner – even if you lose. It features several games to choose from, such as Reversi, Poker, Chess and Checkers, all of which you can play against a friend. They interact just like real games would, as you move pieces and cards around with a simple drag on the screen. What’s more, the game automatically saves where your pieces are placed, should you need to exit the App to check your email or do something else. It’s perfect for on-the-go visits to the park, and you’ll never lose any pieces.

“Scrabble for iPad” (Electronic Arts, $9.99, released April 1)

“Scrabble for iPad” replicates the original board game almost perfectly, right down to shuffling your letters and setting up word scores. What’s more, it also includes a Teacher Feature, which helps educate you with word suggestions as you play. And if you’ve got friends, you can play in classic Pass n’ Play fashion, hook up with four buddies in Party Play, or hop on Facebook and see who’s playing. No matter which way you go, this game spells nothing but G-R-E-A-T. (What’s more, EA is also working on Yahtzee and Boggle.)

“Moonlight Mahjong” (Midnight Martian, $.99, released April 6)

Mahjong is a traditional Chinese tile game where you need to discard whatever’s in your hand to set up four or five melds (pairs) before overloading yourself with unneeded ones. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re patient and smart enough for it, you’ll want to download “Moonlight Mahjong”. This is a faithful adaptation of the game, with an easily viewable interface, alternate tile sets (we’re fans of the classic Alphabet one), and a Scramble mode, where you’ll need to work fast to win. You can go at it solo and set up your own layouts, or take on a friend in Wi-Fi action. Either way, it’s an intriguing game that’s definitely worth a look, especially for a buck.

“Hangman RSS HD” (Finger Arts, $2.99, released April 13)

Remember the good ol’ days when you used to play Hangman by drawing on a piece of paper? Well, “Hangman RSS HD” takes that formula to the next level. In the game, you have to guess the correct letters to a word puzzle before you completely draw out the hang man, with his arms, legs and head. The catch here, however, is that you’re not just looking up typical words. You in fact look up real-time headlines taken from the New York Daily News, ABC and other news sources . Once you complete each phrase, you have the option to keep playing or continue on to the reports to read more. It’s an informative tool tied in with a great childhood game, and one that works surprisingly well – despite the mildly depressing return to reality for some stories.

“WordFlick” (Everyday Apps LLC, $4.99, released May 13)

Since the classic Hasbro game Boggle isn’t available for the iPad (yet, anyway), we have the next best thing – Everyday Apps’ “WordFlick”. In this game, your job is to score points by dragging letters over to form words. It sounds similar to “Scrabble”, but it’s much more exciting, with various backdrops and word challenges. The touch interface works surprisingly well for this game, and the ability to compare your score with other “WordFlick” players through online leaderboards is a nice touch. This one’s a winner, no matter how you spell it.

“Ludo Board Game” (SIS Software, $1.99, released April 2)

Last but definitely not least, we have this slick, neon-brightened clone of the Hasbro favorite "Sorry!". In “Ludo Board Game”, you need to move your four game pieces strategically around the board, avoiding being swept off and eventually making it home. The game can be played against both AI opponents and other players, with up to four taking part in a match. Although it may not look like much from the screenshots, “Ludo” is surprisingly fun no matter what your age. It’s also dirt cheap, going for just under two dollars. Keep an eye out, though. SIS Software drops the price on occasion to free, which is an even better deal. No reason to feel Sorry for that.