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1112 Episode 3 [$4.99/HD] is the latest addition to the graphical mystery adventure game series from Agharta Studio. It's also the best of this ongoing series, as it delivers more: More game-play, more puzzles, more characters, more locations and a whole lot more mystery.

We first meet the games protagonist, Louis Everett the antiques dealer, in Episode 1 [$4.99/Lite/HD]. Louis bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp, but he's having bad dreams, marital issues and work stresses. As you help him complete his daily tasks, it becomes apparent that something weird and mysterious is going on. There's a gap in his memory which Louis can't explain, and the number '1112' seems to keep recurring in his life. This game is about solving that mystery, but don't expect a final outcome yet, as each episode concludes with a cliff-hanger ending, to entice you into the next release.

After a long wait, Episode 2 [$4.99/HD] was released in 2010. It resumed the same storyline and continued in a similar fashion, but with a few more characters, locations, and puzzles, including the addition of three suduko puzzles as mini-games, which sent some players off to find online sudoku solvers.

Episode 3 opens with a brief recap of the first two episodes, which is a useful reminder if you played it years ago, but wouldn't really enlighten a newcomer about the storyline and atmosphere of this game. You could easily play this series starting with Episode 3, but that would be like starting with the third Harry Potter book. If you want the full experience, we recommend starting at the beginning.

Episode 3 features the same high-quality graphics and music that we've come to expect. Each object in your inventory is presented as a 3D rendering, which you can rotate or zoom with your fingers to examine more closely.  Like any graphical adventure game, the goal is to find, use, give and combine objects to solve problems and progress the storyline.

You also need to converse with various characters, for clues or to reveal the next objective. This involves tapping on any green words in their (unspoken) subtitles to collect "conversation starters". Alternatively, you can use a keyboard interface to enter certain words manually, such as answering riddles, or just try entering "1112" to see what various characters think of the games mysterous title.

Prior to release, we were told Episode 3 would contain a longer campaign than the first two episodes combined; and that has eventuated. It's considerably longer and more involved and could easily take 10+ hours to complete. Despite the longer storyline, the English translations are much improved this time around.

One of the main changes from earlier episodes is that specific objectives are now listed and ticked off once accomplished, which prevents players from getting lost within the longer plot and larger game-world. Fourteen Game Center achievements have also been added and are listed without descriptions, to avoid spoilers.

This game will be a challenge for most people to complete without some assistance. There's a lot of returning to previous places and people, even though you may think you've already covered them off, which requires patience. But don't fret, as there's plenty of hints from the developer in our forums, plus step-by-step walk-thrus for each episode are easily located via Google, so you won't get stuck for long.

If you're not ready to purchase this game, consider checking out the lite version of the first episode, as 1112 is easily one of the better quality adventure games on the App Store. This series is getting better, but since it takes the small development team at least a year to produce an episode, this intriguing mystery may not be resolved for a few more years; but we'll be waiting.

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In speaking with a representative with Big Blue Bubble, we get the sense that the studio’s follow-up to Burn the Rope [$.99 / HD], Burn the Rope: Worlds, is a blow-it-out-of-the-park iteration, as opposed to a “well, we need to do this so let’s just improve what we can” kind of sequel. A lot of thought has been put into the actual value proposition, and as a result, you’ll get more Burn the Rope classic content, fun twists, and even some bonuses.

A new teaser trailer for the upcoming title seems to confirm what we’re gathering. According to it, the follow-up will boast a total of four worlds, 100 new levels, four new kinds of flames, and an added “Endless Mode,” which bears a mechanical resemblance to Snake, but obviously adds a little something extra to an overall package that seeks to change up the formula a hair or two while still giving fans more of what they want.

You can check that trailer out right here:

We’re also being told that new worlds will be added via DLC down the road and daily puzzle players will be able to play daily in any world of their choice — two decisions we can really get behind. Sadly, we’re still not quite sure when Worlds will see the light of day this September. I mean, it’s not like the wait is going to be long, but still. We would like our fix, please.

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Last month we posted news that DotEmu would soon be bringing retro classic Rod Land: A Fairy Tale [link] to the App Store as the fifth game in their Jaleco series. The game has just been released and we've got a closer look to share.

Originally released to the arcade in 1990, Rod Land is a colorful platformer that challenges you to help a fairy rescue her mother who has been trapped in a tower by an evil force that's building a mobile fortress with which to wreak havoc upon the land. Gameplay involves clearing each screen of baddies using your magic wand (or rod), collecting bonus items along the way for points. Your wand captures an enemy in a magic field that merely stuns them if released, or can be used to destroy them by bashing them to and fro against the ground, resulting in a power-up that can be used against other enemies. You also have the ability to place one ladder (only one at any time) on the platforms to help access different areas. A level is complete when all enemies have been wiped out, but you'll want to collect every bonus item along the way, in order to get the max three-star rating for any level.

As mentioned in our earlier preview, I had no experience with the original Rod Land two decades ago, so I grabbed the Amiga version and spent some time with it — several hours, it turned into… The game is a whole lot of fun and really draws you in. The various arrangements of the platforms and enemies roaming about them makes for some challenging timing puzzles that have you spending quite some time perfecting each level in order to get those three stars, which is an added feature of the iOS version. Another difference between the arcade and Amiga versions and the iOS release is the use of a virtual D-pad with two action buttons, which is, of course, never as nice as a physical stick, but at least the control positions can be adjusted. Support for the iCade / iControlPad would be a nice update addition.

Rod Land features 60 levels in all, with three different game endings. There is a Story mode which is progressive play, unlocking level after level, while a Survival mode gives you just five lives and straight play from beginning to end. Game Center, OpenFeint, and Facebook are integrated, with scoreboards and trophies to unlock along the way.

Rod Land for iOS is a universal application (for iPod and iPhone) and runs the original arcade game under modified emulation and is localized in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. It's the fifth release in what will ultimately be the 17-game Jaleco series of arcade conversions. The game follows Avenging Spirit [link], Earth Defense Force [link], 64th Street: A Detective Story [link] and P-47: The Phantom Fighter [link] into the App Store (and in celebration of its release, the existing Jaleco titles are on sale for $0.99).

See the arcade version of Rod Land in action:

While the lovely pixel art graphics and bouncy '90s soundtrack are retro, and no mistake, the unique platform gameplay is anything but dusty and faded and should appeal to the typical platform gamer, not just those dreamy-eyed sorts longing for yesteryear. The only real negative to speak of is the virtual D-pad, which is hard to get around in retro titles such as this, but it's been implemented here as well as anywhere. Earlier versions of Rod Land were well reviewed and the game has gathered a dedicated following, and with good reason. I urge readers to have a look at this enjoyable title.

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Don't ask me how this is even a possibility, but before I got my hands on Food Chain [Free], I had never played a single moment of Tetris Attack. Not even a second. Which is basically a crime, since I do love Tetris, but I guess I was sleeping under a rock at the time or something.

Anyway, after I went back and got schooled on what Tetris Attack actually was, I got down to playing Food Chain so it could see how well they used the same formula. For those of you who have never played either title, both are puzzle games that share a few common mechanics: falling block puzzles, and the ability to only move them in two directions. Unlike a puzzler that allows you to scoot blocks up and down, Food Chain will only allow them to be moved side to side to make combos of three or more matching pieces.

Food Chain's story mode will pit you against six different opponents, each with varying levels of difficulty. For each of their fights, your puzzles will have their own type of food, so at least you get a change of scenery as you go from one baddie to the next. In the actual match, you'll see your opponent in the bottom right of the screen, and you even get a peek at his board so you can see what you're doing to it as you make matches and score combos. Controls are accurate here, and you should be able to swipe your way through each level with no problems.

I wasn't crazy about the dialogue each of these bosses spit at you before the levels started, but hey, you didn't come here for the world's finest banter, right? The levels themselves are fun to play and a bit of a challenge for beginners, although I don't think a Tetris Attack master would get much out of it (ahem). Since I didn't have experience with this style of puzzler before this, I found later bosses to be a real challenge and was forced to improve my game to beat them, which made the overall experience of playing Food Chain that much more enjoyable.

Once you knock out Story Mode, you can also check out a timed mode and a multiplayer, which gives the game plenty of replay value. Considering it's free in the first place, you're kind of getting a deal there. It's also Game Center compatible, and considering how I couldn't stop replaying the levels to try to beat certain bosses, I feel sure people will get a lot out of checking out each other's high scores.

There's something about Food Chain that's a little rough around the edges, but that doesn't keep it from being fun. The restricted movement gives it a twist that makes it more challenging than average puzzlers, and I found myself going back again and again when I had a tough time beating the bosses in Story Mode rather than giving up. I suspect that puzzle fans will get a lot of fun out of this one … not to mention, free is free!

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One of my most favorite puzzle games that I played while growing up was Lemmings. Sure, there were plenty of games before that required thinking and coordination, but there was something about being in charge of a group of characters and having to lead them across maps of perilous obstacles that I loved.

BridgeTheGap [$0.99], a pirate-themed puzzle game, attempts to recreate a portion of the classic Lemmings formula while infusing it with even more strategy and precision than its spiritual predecessor. While BridgeTheGap certainly brings some good ideas to the mix through its bridge building mechanics, atrocious controls and poor execution prevent it from being little more than a subpar puzzler.

Your mission in BridgeTheGap is simple: a group of pirates need to get from one end of the level to the other. In your way are a variety of gaping chasms that require bridges to be built over them. The only tools you have at your disposal to build said bridges are barrels, which act as your weights, and bamboo rods, which allow your pirate buddies to cross those gaps. In addition, littered throughout each level are gold coins which can be collected by your pirate crew and typically require more complicated bridges in order to reach them. As you get towards later levels, you will also encounter ‘natives’ which will attack your pirate companions unless you take them out first with your pistols.

BridgeTheGap can be separated into two different phases. In the building phase, you have twenty building supplies (either rods or barrels) to work with. Once you feel you have a legitimate path to the end goal, you activate the movement phase which has your pirates start moving forward indiscriminately (a la Lemmings). The only commands you can give them are to jump or shoot their pistol. Otherwise, they’re going to keep moving forward. I would have really preferred the option to continue building during the movement phase, as it would allow players to make on the fly adjustments and possibly bring more excitement to the overall game.

Initially, levels are extremely easy to get through. However, they quickly become harder and more complicated, especially if you’re trying to get to the gold coins. Considering that those gold coins are necessary in order to unlock future levels, you quickly learn that they’re less of an optional quest and more of something you have to take into consideration if you want to be able to play through the whole game.

Overall, BridgeTheGap manages to create a decent bridge building game. The later levels require some pretty complicated designs in order to collect all the coins. Thankfully, there’s an adequate tutorial, along with some instructional screens showing some recommended bridge designs (although I hate the fact that you can’t access these designs in-game). There’s definitely a feeling of accomplishment once you manage to get all your pirates safely across all obstacles in a level.

Unfortunately, what little enjoyment BridgeTheGap provides is outweighed by a multitude of design blunders throughout the game. First off is the use of a virtual gamepad for moving about the level during the build phase. I would have much rather have seen a two-finger scroll or some other multi-touch gesture, as the virtual pad definitely gets in the way when you’re trying to do some precise bridge placement. Relatedly, the button placements during the build phase just seem to get in the way of the action. I can’t count how many times I was trying to place a bridge and then I accidentally hit the ‘Ready’ button in the bottom corner. Since there’s no confirmation dialog, my pirates would just start moving and I’d have no choice but to reset the entire level and try again, which becomes increasingly annoying due to load times that really shouldn’t exist in a game like this.

There are also a few other annoying minor issues, such as the main menu being a blob of selection choices without much organization and the fact that the game won’t even automatically reset once all your pirates are physically unable to reach the finish line.

These design issues are really a shame, considering how much potential the underlying game actually has. Unfortunately, in its current state, I can’t recommend BridgeTheGap for anyone other than the most diehard of puzzle fans that are willing to look past all the problems. For everyone else, it’s best you steer clear.

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Our ratings for games we reviewed in August are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.

5 Stars

Jetpack Joyride, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This is our favorite game of the month, as this endless power-up packed single-button flying game is responsible for sapping days of productivity across the entire TouchArcade staff. There are so many hooks to keep you playing that you can do "one more game" for hours through achievements, missions, unlockables, and all sorts of cosmetic customizations.

SPY mouse, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Firemint has managed to de-throne Angry Birds from the #1 position on the App Store with this line-drawing-powered stealth game. Collect cheese, evade cats, use various tricks, and even fight bosses. All the gameplay elements go together incredibly well, and Firemint even managed to remove a lot of things that have historically annoyed us about stealth games in the process.

EDGE Extended, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – We thought the original Edge was incredible, and Extended somehow takes that same game formula, applies a substantial layer of awesome, then knocks it out of the park. Clever platforming mechanics combined with fantastic music really just create an experience that you can't miss.

iBlast Moki 2, $0.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This game sets the standard of what gamers should expect of sequels. It's got familiar puzzle-centric physics mechanics of the original with tons of new features that add complexity and all kinds of new ways to solve puzzles. Additionally, a perfectly integrated solution system can show you how your friends completed a level if you get stuck.

The Last Rocket, $2.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Retro-inspired games are fairly common on the App Store, but The Last Rocket is one of the best examples we've seen of a modern-day title that could have easily passed as an absolutely fabulous NES game. The Graphics and music are all delightfully 8-bit, but even without all these retro trimmings the gameplay could stand on its own.

Anomaly Warzone Earth, $1.99 / HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Who knew that turning tower defense in reverse would make for such an incredible game? If you're even vaguely interested in anything to do to tower defense, Anomaly: Warzone Earth needs to be on your iOS device. The mechanics are solid, the atmosphere is cool, and it'll leave you wanting for a sequel.

4.5 Stars

Contre Jour, $0.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – If you take the environmental modification mechanic found in Bumpy Road and combine it with a stupidly cool amount of style, you've got Contre Jour. Chillingo is on a serious streak of releasing incredible games, and Contre Jour fits that description in every way.

Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun!, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Who knew that putting out fires could be so much fun? In Sprinkle, you've got to control a crazy fire hose to complete various physics-centric water puzzles. As an added bonus, the water looks and behaves beautifully and how well this mechanic is done makes Sprinkle worth picking up even if you're not normally that crazy about physics games.

Rogue Sky, $0.99 / HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This balloon flying and fighting game has fantastically simple controls, both for flying as well as firing your cannons. Great graphics and a cool mood greatly add to the overall experience, and collectable in-game coins do a good job of making the game as difficult as you want it to be. Collectables can be ignored, or hunted down for an additional challenge.

Fractal: Make Blooms Not War, $1.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – It seems that the best puzzle games evoke an argument amongst our community as to whether the game is fun or frustrating, and Fractal certainly has spurred that kind of discussion. We had a great time with it, and loved the ambient soundtrack. This is definitely one game you'll want to play with the sound on.

Mega Mall Story, $3.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Kairosoft's winning simulation formula, this time applied to a crazy multi-level shopping mall. This both seems significantly deeper, and comes packed with a building mechanic that seems to make significantly more sense to us Americans than previous offerings.

Silverfish MAX, $2.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – We had a great time with the pocket-sized iPhone version of Silverfish in our review, but the game really comes alive on the iPad especially when paired with the iCade. A real joystick turns this game into an action-packed arcade experience that makes us glad that the coin slot on our iCades doesn't actually require quarters.

Kickin Momma, $1.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Many developers have tried to duplicate the Peggle formula, but it seems like few if any have had much success. Somehow Hothead Games seems to have broken this trend, and created a game that feels just Peggle-y enough to seem familiar, but different enough to be totally enjoyable on its own.

Special Mention

Pocket RPG iPhone Edition, $0.99 / HD – [iPad Review] – [Forum Thread] – Launching last month as an iPad exclusive that we had a great time with, Pocket RPG iPhone Edition brings the same entirely randomized dungeon-crawling gameplay to the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch.

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS, $15.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – After a wait that felt like an eternity with how fast the App Store moves, Final Fantasy Tactics landed with a bang. Hardcore fans will likely overlook all of the game's shortcomings, but the fact remains that this is an incredibly lackluster port with many technical issues that prevented us from having anywhere near as much fun as we wanted to with it.

Full Deck Hold’Em, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – While it's a little difficult to get excited for another poker game, Full Deck Hold'Em feels like a game that should come pre-loaded on every iPad 2. Sporting in-game video chat with up to four friends in real-time multiplayer, it makes playing games without video feel archaic in comparison. Alternatively, if you don't have an iPad 2, you can give Word Chat [99¢] a spin with any iPhone 4 or 4th generation iPod touch to see similar video chat magic.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

For more of our favorite iOS games, check out our "Best iPhone Games" category which includes all of these monthly posts as well as other special compilations of the greatest games the App Store has to offer:

• So You Just Got a Verizon iPhone… Let's Get You Up To Speed!
• So You Just Got an iPhone 4 – An App Store Gaming Guide
• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2010 Buyer's Guide
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Eli
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Blake
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Brad
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Jared
• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2009 Buyer's Guide

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RedLynx's original DrawRace [$2.99] sucked up a large amount of my time, so when DrawRace 2 [99¢ / HD] was first announced, I had a small panic attack thinking of the amount of time it would kill in my day. Turns out, the attack was well warranted, because the sequel steps it up in every way imaginable.

The first game introduced us to the mechanic and it hasn't changed much this time around. You draw a line around a track, moving your finger quickly or slowly depending on how fast you want to go during that time, then you watch your car try to follow the line. The only difference is an added turbo button, which helps keep you engaged while you watch.

Like its predecessor, DrawRace 2 is all about momentum, but just like the first game, and even RedLynx's Trials HD, this is more of a puzzle game than a racing one. You draw your lines not for efficiency in distance, but in response to the physics of driving a car. At a fundamental level, it's a math equation wrapped in a casual title. Simply tracing a line on inside of the track won't get you far and you have to reason with the future tense in plotting your path.

Which isn't to say it's not easy to pick up and play, because it is. It's still challenging though, and by the time you reach the Pro and Champion sections of the campaign you'll be wrecking your brain to get things right.

The campaign itself is massive. You'll have 180 different challenges on 36 different tracks to complete, with each race having three separate gold medals to earn depending on how many racers you're up against. New to the mix is a good amount of vehicle variety — each with its own handling style and each suited for the variety of different track types. Many of the tracks don't let you pick which car to use, but the ones that do force you to think about the environment and the track style while making your choice.

There are also several types of multiplayer built in. There is a single device, pass-and-play multiplayer, where you pass your device back and forth among friends. There is also a friend challenge, where you can race on a track and send your friends your time through Game Center to see if they can beat you. Finally, there is a World Championship mode where you'll log your best times and race against ghosts from players around the world. Each time you level up, you advance a tier and go up against better players.

DrawRace 2 also manages to completely change the look and feel of the original. Where the first game felt like a fun, pocket game with a simple look, the sequel rounds out the already full package of content with visual flare that isn't just pretty on the eyes, but adds to the overall experience. The menu screen is cleaner and easier to understand and even the line drawing mechanic is tightened up to better represent what you're doing both visually and aurally. Obviously the track and car graphics have been updated to 3D models and look great.

DrawRace 2 is not without its issues, though. Some might justifiably find the lack of any real feedback disheartening, because, as mentioned before, this is more about the tactics of racing than actually racing. Because of that, there is a dullness that settles in when you're stuck on a track and aren't able to figure out how to complete it. You will get stuck, but the madness that follows will only serve to help you down the line once you figure out what you're doing wrong. It can be frustrating to watch your car drifting out of control and not being able to help it, but it teaches you how to better approach the style of turn in the future.

This isn't a manic, balls-to-the-wall racer, it's a calculated, slow puzzle game. While the mechanic of the original is intact, the rest of the game sees updates in every single category and its absolutely bursting with content and game modes. It quickly moves from a casual distraction to a painfully difficult obsession, so be weary if you think you can play in bursts.

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If you've ever played a puzzle game on iOS, you're probably familiar with the three-star ranking systems that plague the genre. Is plague too harsh a word? Certainly some games benefit from being able to offer a scale of difficulty, especially physics puzzles. But other games use them as a way to reward failure. Sure, you did the puzzle wrong, but you tried, and that's what matters. Here's a participation ribbon. Feel good about yourself.

Whenever I completed a puzzle in Punch A Hole [$0.99] with one or two stars, I felt that patronizing head pat. I might as well have pressed a level skip button (absent here, but also unneeded), because I certainly didn't solve the puzzle correctly. Played for one or two stars, Punch a Hole is a lifeless thing, barely able to hold my interest long enough to punch the necessary holes. Play for three stars and it comes to life, a mind-bending challenge that kept me captivated beyond any distraction while I tried and retried single levels over and over, knowing the solution was just out of my reach.

Players will certainly start in the right mindset — it's virtually impossible to earn fewer than three stars for far too many levels. Punch a Hole holds your hand too tightly while it teaches you the basic mechanics of the game. You play on a top-down billiards table, with the goal of moving colored balls into matching holes. Swipe a ball in the four primary directions and it will travel in that direction until it encounters something, like another ball, the edge of the table or a hole. You can fail by knocking it off the table or into the wrong hole, but you can always tap undo to go back as many steps as you need.

You can also punch holes in the table to stop the ball from moving, which is where the challenge comes in. Each level has a set number of holes you can create for the best ranking, the fewest that can possibly be used to solve the puzzle. When the game's difficulty eventually kicks in it requires large doses of lateral thinking. You'll need to punch a hole here so that you can bounce this ball off of that one, knocking the other over there, and…you get the idea.

Obstacles are introduced as time goes by. Balls of different colors get in each other's way, they bounce off blocks and slide through tubes. You can even paint them. Figuring out how to best use or avoid each obstacle is great fun, and what works in one level will rarely make the next much easier. There are a few epiphanies to be had, though.

Beyond the lack of conviction in ranking players' performance, Punch a Hole stumbles a few times. The difficulty curve is messy: levels are too easy for too long, and even once the challenge ramps up you'll occasional run into levels that are dead simple. The Game Center achievements are a disappointment. All of them can be earned by playing the game normally, except those for completing with three stars. Those ones can be completed by playing the game correctly. I will note, however, that while the art style and interface look overly utilitarian in screenshots, they're pleasantly simple and clean in action.

When Punch a Hole is bad, it's boring. But when it's good, it's frustrating in the best possible way. I feel well-rewarded for working my way through the slow bits when I'm free to experiment in the hardest of the levels. I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, but on the whole I've enjoyed my time with the game. I'll certainly be watching for releases from its developer, Bartosz Ciechanowski, in the future. If you decide to jump in too, let us know what you think in our discussion thread.

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Big Blue Bubble’s Burn the Rope [$.99 / HD] made a big splash last December when it debuted on the App Store. Droves of consumers and critics ate up its simple, yet distressingly engaging fire mechanic and over-the-top puzzle design. And while I’d imagine a healthy population of its base is still trying to burn all the way though the title, it’s time to look to the future of the franchise and its forthcoming sequel, Burn the Rope: Worlds.

On our message board the other afternoon, Big Blue Bubble announced the new game iteration alongside a few images, stating that it will bring “totally new and unique” mechanics to the series without sacrificing the original vision. Naturally, Worlds will continue to use the ever-upwards burning and tilt mechanic and wrap that around some neat-looking puzzles.

Our information on Worlds is slim and I’m guessing that’s by choice. The creator says a video is coming soon while the launch is slated for the second week of September. We’re in process of reaching out to Big Blue now and hope to bring you so more information in the near-ish future.

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The “Engineer Update” to Trainyard [$.99 / Free] creator Matt Rix was teasing earlier this month is out now and available as a free download for owners of the title. The big ticket item is the addition of a level editor, but the update also brings a bunch of new stuff to the table including Universal support for those of you with an iPad, Game Center, fresh puzzles, and “hundreds of other bug fixes and improvements,” according to Rix.

Focusing on the level editor for a second, you can see it in action in the video embedded just below. It looks like the natural evolution of the puzzle game that we expected it to be when we reported on the fact that the update was happening earlier this month. Games like LBP have taught me that I should never, ever try my hands at level design, but I think I’ll give this a try. Basically, I just want Matt to smile and say encouraging words to me.

Trainyard is one of those games that really took off when it was released. The really cool part of that particular story is that it’s a solid and inventive game that deserves its time in the spotlight. If you still haven’t checked it out, definitely give our review a read and see if that changes your mind.

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