The Trawler Report: The best free iPhone games on the App Store

Advert games have been clogging up The Trawler's nets for the past week or so. Last week, we pulled-in Fishlabs's Polo Challenge. It was a pleasure to gut and fillet, but the recent Walkers Crisps and BMW Z4 games really didn't hit the spot in the same way.

The most recent automotive freebie to land on the deck was Seat Cupra Race. It may not have made it into this week's exclusive report, but for a freebie it looks pretty great, even if it is a little tricky to control.

This week's winners aren't too concerned with realism though. Whether they see you serving food to scores of customers whose hair colour always matches that of their T-shirt, divesting zombies of their heads, or pushing a great big block around a desert island, escapism is the order of the day.

It's something you need living on the Trawler where, after a few weeks, all your clothes start smelling like brine.

The best free iPhone games on the App Store

Diner Dash Lite
By Playfirst Inc.
What is it? One of the original serve 'em up games
Type Demo

Diner Dash was one of the original serve-'em-up games and, since its original release, it has been ported over to just about every portable format. You have to direct customers to their tables, take their orders, serve them, then take their money. You need to juggle a restaurant's worth of customers, so once the pace builds-up, it becomes quite a workout for your fingers.

You get to play the first five levels of the game for free here. It may not last long for veterans of the genre, but for any newbies it'll give you an idea of what the main course would taste like. The game could do with some more optimisation on the visual front, but it does have the classic gameplay we've grown to love over the past few years.

Zombieville USA Lite
By Mika Mobile
What is it? It's a zombie-blasting extravaganza
Type Demo

When you want nothing more than an all-out gore-fest, zombies always make good subject matter. They never run out and their guts are always up for a good spilling. This cartoon Flash-like blaster lets you unleash fury on the zombie hordes as you pop into your (presumably deceased) neighbours' houses to stock up on supplies.

This Lite version is pretty simple, comprising a level that's just a straight suburban road. However, it's worth a download to check out Zombieville's funky art style and brain-splattering gameplay. You do get to wield a few different weapons too, including the trademark zombie-waster, the shotgun.

Payback Lite
By Apex Designs
What is it? It's first real GTA pretender on iPhone, warts and all
Type Demo

Payback didn't come out of our review process exactly smelling of roses. It's a title with a lot of problems, after all. In spite of it all though, it's an interesting idea, being the first of at least several GTA clones to arrive on the App Store. That alone means this lite version should be of interest to any hardcore iPhone gamer.

The demo lets you embark on a few missions, to give you a feel of Payback's 3D engine and gameworld. Car Jack City is due to arrive, guns blazing, on the App Store in the not too distant future, but at the moment Payback's the closest thing we have to a full open world, car hijacking extravaganza.

Diamond Islands Free
By Digital Chocolate
What is it? It's a smile-inducing desert island puzzler
Type Demo

An island-themed puzzler, in Diamond Islands you have to work across a multitude of islands with a gang of totem block-wielding islanders, collecting diamonds. It's harder than it sounds though, as there are all sorts of narrow corridors and obstacles you have to navigate your rectangular block around.

This free version lets you play through the first archipelago, made up of the first ten levels from the full game's 100+. It's a simultaneously relaxing and challenging game with some great, simple touchscreen controls. We loved it on mobile, so it's good to see it sunning itself on the App Store's shores.

Cameltry Lite
By Taito
What is it? It's a retro revival rotating maze game
Type Demo

You may not have heard of it, but Cameltry is actually a retro arcade game, originally released in the very late '80s. This version's been plumped-up with all new visuals and controls to suit the touchscreen and tilt controls of the iPhone and iPod touch though. It's a game where you have to rotate a maze in order to get a ball to the finish line before the time runs out.

For your 0p, you get to play through the initial Practice levels. Not all retro games deserve to be ported to the iPhone, but since games like Rock'n'Roll have proved the genre works on the platform, Cameltry's a welcome addition to the canon.

Time Crisis Strike Lite
By Namco
What is it? It's iPhone version of the arcade favourite on-rails shooter
Type Demo

When we reviewed Time Crisis Strike, we criticised it for its short length, especially considering its premium price. As you might imagine, then, you don't get a whole load of play time in this Lite version, but it's always worth highlighting high profile Lite versions, especially when playing them may determine whether you spend a handful of cash on a full version of one of these premium games.

If you're not familiar with the series, it's a lightgun shooter that replaces an arcade gun peripheral for the touchscreen of your iPod Touch or iPhone. You tap the screen to shoot, tilt to reload and press a button to cover from enemy fire.

Pick of the week

Edge Lite
By Mobigame
What is it? It's a fab, stylish puzzler - one of the App Store's best
Type Demo

One of the few iPhone games to win one of our ultra-rare gold awards, Edge has been picking up awards from all directions since its launch, and now you can try it out for free. You control a block, moving it around a maze while collecting things and looking for the exit.

You get five levels to play here, but once you've had a taste you're likely to be entranced by the liquid movement of your block, the minimalist art style and winning gameplay. At a relatively premium price point, we understand that investing without a first-hand go is often a no-go. Freeing-up the frugal, this freebie of the excellent Edge wins this edition's Pick of the Week award.

One to keep an eye on...

Simutrans
By ZodTTD
What is it? It's a free transpot sim - one in desperate need of tweaks
Type Full

The idea of Simutrans is enough to get any strategy geek excited. It's a transport simulator brought to iPhone by ZodTTD, who has earned royalty status on the homebrew scene, having brought the classic Transport Tycoon to a wide array of portable devices. Simutrans is a project of the same ilk.

At this point, the precision needed for the game's many tiny icons is just too much for the iPhone's interface. We want to love Simutrans, but at this point it feels more like a work in progress curiosity than a viable transport-centred alternative to SimCity.

We've got too much respect for ZodTTD and the Simutrans project to give this our usual Box of Shame award, but you may well find Simutrans unplayable at this point. Keep an eye on it though, as ZodTTD has done wonders on other platforms - and all for free.