Gearburn picks: 5 Great social games for iOS

Social games: the end of hardcore gaming or its untimely saviour? Decide for yourself as we look at the top social games for iOS, which are all incidentally, free to play.

CityVille Hometown

Zynga, the kings of copying original titles, know how to reel the suckers in. CityVille Hometown, an updated version of FarmVille, offers little in the way of innovations, but has the same emotional hook which reels users in for that elusive “one more game”. Users or “residents” remain active by engaging with in-game characters, who just happen to be Facebook friends building their own neighbouring communities. Players are quickly introduced to the basic mechanics of the game such as building, decorating and naming the citizens of the town. Thankfully, the game remains fresh with a constant injection of quests dished out by the tiny characters within the title.

Buddy Rush

Buddy Rush is a rare find, a free title which doesn’t rely on the crutch of in-app purchases to alleviate “level grinding”. It’s 3D, filled with colourful characters and sidesteps basic RPG traditions in order to introduce a level of hand-holding which is never pandering to the user.  Essentially, Buddy Rush builds on the legacy which Diablo carved out. Kill, loot, rinse and repeat. As with the best social games, Facebook friends can be buddied up to tackle the toughest dungeons and missions. The title is regularly updated and available on every iDevice platform.