The iPhone’s built-in accelerometer has opened up a new world of mobile
gaming, introducing fun, engaging, and interactive applications from virtual golf to racing games, mobile beer pong, and
more.
Here are over 100 free and paid apps that are worth checking out, especially if you’re
looking for ways to waste some time, say in line at the grocery store, or in the car on your way
to some holiday festivities this year.
Tell us about your favorites in the comments.
Free Apps
You can get these apps for free, no strings attached. You can also find some “lite”
versions of some paid applications.
Top Rated
Cube
Runner (4.5 stars) – In this game, you “fly your ship across a
landscape whilst avoiding the many treacherous cubes which lie in your path.” It’s
like a flight simulator where everything is made of cubes.
PapiJump
(4 stars) - Tilt your device to move Mr. Papi to the left and right to get him higher and higher
towards the goal.
Touch4
(3.5 stars): Remember Connect 4? Here it is in all its iPhone/iPod glory. It’s multi-player
and works over Wi-Fi. Okay, so the only accelerometer feature is shaking out the pieces, but
that’s a game in itself, right?
JellyCar
(3.5 stars): Possibly one of the hardest but addicting games that uses the accelerometer. In this
game, you guide a little squishy car through squishy worlds trying to reach the exit.
Pretty Cool
iGolf
(3 stars): Swing your iPhone like a golf club and the accelerometer gauges how fast you swung and
how far your shot will travel.
Snowball (3
stars): Tilt your device to slide a penguin across some ice to keep him alive. The goal is to
collect as many snowflakes as you can.
Space
Path (2.5 stars): Use the accelerometer to stay balanced on the “space path”
while you watch out for space junk and meteorites.
Scroll
Driver (2.5 stars): Navigate your car along a straight road while avoiding obstacles
– without crashing. The car points in the direction of the tilt when moving
forward.
Square
Jams (2.5 stars): Use the accelerometer to guide balls into hills. The description says it
will “test your surgeon-like skills and patience.” Now that’s
marketing!
Oh
My Egg! (2.5 stars): Use the accelerometer in this game to guide a fat little chicken named
Jack who can’t jump or fly and needs to collect eggs.
Silkworm
3-D (2.5 stars): Steer a silkworm using the accelerometer so that it can eat apples before
the silkworm gets too long. Similar to the TiltSnake app, but with better graphics and more
challenges.
iThrown
(2.5 stars): The “game” in this app is trying not to destroy your iPhone while
testing how fast you can throw a ball. Just hold onto your iPhone for dear life and throw a
pitch.
Two-Up
(2.5 stars): Gamble like the Australians when you use your device to toss two coins in the air
and bet on the results.
Fire
Tail (2.5 stars) - Capture different parts of your game “territory” to win in
this game. Use the accelerometer to move or use the touch screen.
Worth a look
PocketHoops
(2 stars): This is a simple physics-based basketball game that uses the accelerometer to
influence gravity and bounce your ball off walls and perform trick shots.
Apache
Lander (2 stars): Use the accelerometer in this game to land your helicopter safely on a
heli-pad before you run out of fuel.
TiltSnake
(2 stars): Modeled after the time-proven arcade game “Snake,” the accelerometer is
used in this game to pilot a snake that needs to eat food in order to grow. As the snake gets
bigger, you have to move faster, you remember the game.
Handy
Snake (2 stars): Another “Snake” app. You use the accelerometer to control a
snake who’s trying to catch rabbits while avoiding spiky creatures and a hungry mongoose.
iSKBan3D
(1.5 stars): You are a cube of smiling ice in a space-world. The goal is for you to use the
accelerometer to move along a path and push stones to where they belong on the path.
Beer Pong
PRO (1.5 stars): This game utilizes the accelerometer to capture your arm motion when
throwing the ping-pong ball. It’s multi-player too, so who needs a ping-pong table and
plastic cups when you can just flick your wrist and take a swig from the bottle?
Apocalypse
(1.5 stars): You are Go Go, an eye creature who must collect crystals while flying around
avoiding falling enemies (by tilting) on his hoverboard.
Paid Apps
These apps range from $0.99 to $9.99. Most of them have free equivalents, but look out for the
ones that have a “lite” version.
Top Rated
HupplePupple
(5 stars): Tilt your device to guide a jumping smiley face around different worlds trying to
collect hearts to bring to his girlfriend.
Shock
Ball (5 stars): Protect your “Energy Orb” from obstacles and hazards by tilting
your device and dodging “Shock Balls” to survive
Crazy Egg
Jump (5 stars): You’re an egg and you must tilt your device to navigate your way into
empty flying nests.
Python
(5 stars): One of several “Snake” replicas for the iPhone where you use the
accelerometer to move your snake around while eating fish and avoiding your own tail.
2079
(4.5 stars): This spaceship shooting game plays like the famed “Geometry Wars” and
uses the accelerometer for movement.
Gaia
(4.5 stars): Rotate your device to eliminate blocks that come into your way while playing through
20 hand-illustrated nature themed puzzles
Zone
Warrior (4.5 stars): Part space flight, part arcade action, use the accelerometer to guide
your spaceship in this game.
Scoops
(4.5 stars): Stack your cone high into the sky by tilting your device left and right, catching as
many scoops as you can and avoiding falling vegetables.
iTexun
(4.5 stars): Navigate a 2-D environment by tilting your device to guide your ship through space
while avoiding fiery pursuers.
Dashball
(4.5 stars): Destroy colored blocks by controlling a bouncing ball with your accelerometer.
iSnake
(4.5 stars): Tilt your device to play the classic “Snake” game that has graphics with
a little more pizazz.
Bubble
Bang (4 stars): Tap 2 or more bubbles of the same color that touch each other to let them
explode. Re-sort and stack the bubbles by tilting the device.
Hairball
(4 stars): Guide yourself as a hairball through an endless clogged pipe trying to keep pace with
a continuous onslaught of filthy sludge.
Block
Breaker Deluxe 2 (4 stars) – This brick breaking game lets you use the
accelerometer to re-arrange and rotate brick formations by tilting the device.
Crash
Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D (4 stars) - This is a 3D kart-racing game where you tilt your device
to get through 12 different tracks.
SolarQuest
(4 stars): A space game where you “explore, duck and dodge” your way around to escape
the planet’s gravitational pull.
Alien
Attack (4 stars): Defend the earth from alien invaders by tilting the device from left to
right in order to move your spaceship.
Asphalt
4: Elite Racing (4 stars): Use your device as a steering wheel to become the “ultimate
VIP of urban racing”.
Kitten
Jump (4 stars): Tilt your device to help a kitten jump from cloud to cloud while eating up
butterflies and counting stars. Yup, I’m not kidding.
Beer Pong
U (4 stars): A beer pong game that uses the accelerometer for aiming and throwing to
“play beer pong on the go.” Because that’s what beer pong was made for, right?
De
Blob (4 stars): Using the accelerometer, you can swoosh around as a blob and grow in girth,
weight and speed as you devour paint pellets. Then use the pellets to paint the monochromatic
world in bright colors.
Pass the
Pigs (4 stars): This is a dice game using pigs as the device. Using the accelerometer, you
can “shake shake shake” and roll your pigs as you try to reach 100 points
3-D Vector
Ball (3.5 stars): Battle your way through an electronic labyrinth and use your accelerometer
to serve, deflect and spike your way to glory.
Spore
Origins (3.5 stars): Also available in a free “LE” version, you can tilt, turn
and twist your custom-made creature through 30 levels of primordial ooze with the accelerometer.
Super
Monkey Ball (3.5 stars): Guide a little monkey entrapped in a plastic ball to the goal by
tilting your iPhone/iPod in the right direction and while collecting bananas though a variety of
slopes and turns.
Blue
Skies (3.5 stars) – Also available in a free “lite” version,
you can use the accelerometer in this game to pilot your helicopter and out-maneuver enemy tanks,
planes, helicopters, blimps and mines.
SuperBall
2 (3.5 stars): Also available in a free “lite” version, this pong-type game uses
tilt controls to maneuver the ball in 23 different levels.
iFroggy
Prince (3.5 stars): A mix between Frogger and Labyrinth, use your device to tilt your way
through levels to challenge both your reaction time and your brain.
Matrix
(3.5 stars): Guide a tiny little man through a maze by tilting your device in the direction you
want him to go.
Ball in a
Cup (3.5 stars): Tilt your device left or right to fling a ball into a moving cup.
Draconis
(3.5 stars): Tilt your phone to move and play this 2D/3D shoot-em-up space game through 5
different levels.
FlashRiders
(3.5 stars): Race your flash cycle against a computer opponent and stay alive by using the
accelerometer to turn your cycle and avoid the “Flash Trails,” obstacles and outer
walls.
Eat Bunny,
Eat! (3.5 stars): Tilt your device to move a bunny and catch falling carrots while avoiding
falling cans.
iNCLINE
(3.5 stars): In this space-racing game, you use your accelerometer to guide yourself through
space trying to pick up things and make it to the end.
Stellar
Blaster (3.5 stars): Fly a ship through space while avoiding and/or vaporizing asteroids.
Tilt A
Sketch (3.5 stars): This game uses the accelerometer to draw on a canvas using the constant
pressure of gravity to ruin your work. Hard and extreme levels make it harder and harder to
complete a picture.
TouchSports
Tennis ‘09 (3.5 stars): Use your device as a racket and play tennis in this 3D sports
action game.
AstroTilt
(3.5 stars): This “Breakout”-type game uses the accelerometer in “tilt”
mode to move the ball towards the blocks you want to break.
Aqua
Forest (3.5 stars): Also available in a free “lite” version this is a very neat
physics-based app where you can use the elements of nature, like water and heat to create
realistic scenarios (like adding fire to water to create steam). It also has games where you use
the elements to reach the end of a maze. Watch the YouTube video for a better look. It’s $7.99 but probably one
of the better apps I’ve played around with.
Tilt
Fighter (3.5 stars): This Galaga-style arcade game uses the accelerometer to maneuver your
space ship past asteroids and through enemy fire.
Topple
(3.5 stars): Stack and balance shapes and use the accelerometer to tilt your device and keep the
blocks from tipping over.
Bubblets
Tilt (3.5 stars) Arrange colored bubbles in a row to build your score before the bubbles
reach the top. Use the accelerometer to tilt your screen to re-shift your bubbles into new
groupings.
Plank
(3.5 stars): Balance marbles on a log and try to match colors using the accelerometer to win in
this game.
Virus
(3.5 stars): Also available in a free “lite” version, this game utilizes real-time
physics, blood-flow simulation and depth of field to defeat “viruses.”
Tilt
Me (3.5 stars): Tilt your divide to roll some balls around mazes while making music as the
balls collide with the walls and floor.
Shooter
(3.5 stars): Shoot flying objects passing through day to night in different place, cities or
landscapes using the accelerometer.
Pretty Cool
Cow
Hunt (3 stars): This hunting game uses the accelerometer to aim at different types of cows
which include army cows that parachute down, ninja cows, and cows with forcefields.
Cube
Runner II (3 stars) – Much like the original free Cube Runner, you
“fly your ship across a landscape whilst avoiding the many treacherous cubes which lie in
your path,” except this time, the accelerometer also accounts for how fast you’re
going by either tipping forwards or backwards.
Hooked:
Pocket Fishing (3 stars): Catch some fish with this game that uses the accelerometer to cast
and catch fish.
twistedBugs
(3 stars): Try to kill as many bugs as you can within 60 seconds while the accelerometer moves
bugs around.
Space
Truckers (3 stars): Another space game, if you can really believe it. Fly your deep space
transport ship “Betty” through congested space lanes by tilting your device and try
to deliver your cargo.
Spacemania
(3 stars): Classic arcade space shooter that takes place in the year 3043 and utilizes the
accelerometer to navigate through space.
Serpents
(3 stars): Tilt your device to block opponents and force them to collide with each other in an
explosion of flames.
iSoccerFor2
(3 stars): Foosball for your iPhone! Control the handles with your fingers, but use the
accelerometer to cheat the match.
Ninja
(3 stars): Tilt your device to move a little ninja around while trying to avoid any obstacles.
The goal of the game is to live as long as you can.
My
Little Tank (3 stars): Choose accelerometer mode to move a tank and experience some miniature
military mayhem.
MarbleMash
(3 stars): Also available in a free “lite” version, you can race a marble against
time in 150 different mazes using the accelerometer to guide your ball into a hole.
PAC-MAN
(3 stars) & Ms. PAC
MAN (2.5 stars) - Also available in a free “lite” version, dodge pesky ghosts by
tilting or rotating your phone in Accelerometer Mode.
Armado
(3 stars) – Also available in a free “lite” version, Armado is
from the developers of Spore Origins for the iPod and iPhone. The accelerometer in this game
guides Armado (an armadillo) as he rolls, jumps and crashes his way through this 3-D game with
pretty impressive graphics.
Venger
(3 stars): Also available in a free “lite” version, Venger is a 3-D space shooter.
The accelerometer is used to steer your spaceship through trenches, tunnels and asteroid fields.
Moto
Chaser (3 stars) – This is a motorcycle game with turns and jumps all
steered by the accelerometer. Reviews claim that the accelerometer is “spot on.”
RhinoBall
(3 stars) - Play as Rhino the hamster from the new Disney movie “Bolt.”
iFish
(3 stars): A fishing game where you can catch over 50 different types
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and reject those that you are not interested in
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