APPS
Peak Brain Training
iOS/Android, free
Already a hit on iOS, this slick brain-training game is now available for Android devices too. It gets you to play a set of simple, fun mini-games every day, and tracks your performance over time, letting you know you’re (hopefully) improving.
Do Button by IFTTT
iOS/Android, free
Do Button could be one of the most useful apps you have on your homescreen, with its ability to provide quick two-tap access to three of your regular actions – from tracking water consumption to emailing a loved one when you leave work.
iA Writer
iOS/Android, £3.99
Minimalist word-processor iA Writer has been a top app for writers on iOS since 2010, but now it’s on Android too. With minimal clutter, it helps you concentrate on your writing – complete with a “focus” mode to fade out everything bar the current sentence.
LinkedIn Connected
iOS/Android, free
Business-focussed social network LinkedIn may hold your online CV, but how can it be more useful on your smartphone? LinkedIn Connected is a stripped-down tool for keeping up with your contacts, and also for genning up on whoever you’re meeting next.
Glow Nurture
iOS/Android, free
If you’re trying for a baby, Glow Nurture is one of the most polished apps for tracking … well, just about everything: weight, activity, notes on medical appointments and so on. It’ll also show you charts, health tips and store those all-important bump photos.
Anorak App
iPad, £2.99
In its print form, Anorak is a beautifully crafted magazine for children that focuses on stories rather than plastic covermounts. Its app is just as nice, with stories, word searches and comics designed to spark your kids’ creativity.
Hop – Email Messenger
iOS/Android, free
If you’ve ever wished email could be a bit less like email and a bit more like instant messaging, Hop is worth a try. It turns email conversations into threads more like a messaging app, taking in photos, live chat, documents and voice calls.
The Noise App
iOS/Android, free
Suffering from noisy neighbours? The Noise App is a tool for recording whatever’s keeping you awake, and then sending noise reports to your council or housing association. More than 100 are already accepting reports from it.
Prezi
iOS/Android, free
Prezi is one of the most popular online presentation tools – a cloud version of PowerPoint, essentially. Its companion app for mobile devices lets you browse your presentations and deliver them too – a feature at its best if using a screen equipped with Google’s Chromecast device.
ASAP54
iOS/Android, free
ASAP54 is one of a growing number of apps aiming to take the strain out of high street shopping by using your phone. Aimed at women, it enables you to search by keyword or images, see what fashion hounds are wearing, and keep a wishlist of garments.
GAMES
The Doctor and the Dalek
iOS/Android, free
This is the work of the BBC: an official Doctor Who game for children, based around battling the Cybermen. The twist is that programming challenges are spread throughout the game, designed to get children interested in coding.
Evoland
iOS £3.99, Android £3.49
If you love roleplaying games (RPGs), on any device, this is an essential purchase. It is a tour of the genre’s history in a single game, starting with a simple, monochrome setting and progressing through to a fully-3D, modern title. Clever, and really
fun too.
Alto’s Adventure
iOS, £1.49
It might not have whizzy 3D graphics, but Alto’s Adventure is the best-looking game this month – an endless, side-on snowboarder that makes stunning use of lighting and scale as you swoop and jump. Goals, combos and new characters keep it fun.
Transformers: Battle Tactics
iOS/Android, freemium
You can spend up to £79.99 a time on Transformers: Battle Tactics’ in-app purchases, so this is best left to adults, not children. Longtime fans of the robots in disguise will enjoy it though: a rich, tactical game of battling bots.
Auro: Monster-Bump Adventure
iOS/Android, £2.29
If you’re looking for something original to play this month, Auro is definitely worth a look. It is a fantasy game where you wander through dungeons fighting monsters – and as the title hints, you’ll be literally bumping them off to progress. It’s inventive and interesting.
Midnight Star
iOS, freemium
A lot of people have tried to make first-person shooters for touchscreens and failed. Midnight Star has its flaws, but takes an innovative approach, as you focus on shooting rather than moving. It has neat controls, strong graphics and a not-too-aggressive system of in-app purchases.
Magazine Mogul
iOS £3.99, Android £2.99
These are tough times for the print magazines industry, but not in this addictive strategy game, where you have to lead your town’s mag to fame and fortune. If you’ve played developer Kairosoft’s previous games, you’ll know that this is a real time-sucker.
Jolly Jam
iOS/Android, freemium
Are we bored with match-three puzzle games yet? Angry Birds maker Rovio hopes not: Jolly Jam is one of those, albeit with fruit jellies rather than sweets to swap. It’s colourful and fun, with some twists on the original formula.
Agent Alice
iOS/Android, freemium
Agent Alice is a “hidden object adventure game” blending crime-fighting storyline with scenes where you pick out objects. There are also puzzle mini-games, with new scenes and puzzles to be added every week. Polished and playable.
Motorsport Manager
iOS/Android, £1.99 + IAP
True petrolheads only need apply for this engrossing management simulation, which sees you hiring drivers and building a car for your own racing team. There’s considerable depth to its strategy, from pitstops to car technology.
