Top 10 hidden gems from Casual Connect 2013

Thanks to the Indie Showcase at last week's Casual Connect event in chilly Hamburg, smartphone and tablet game developers were given a chance to shine.

With more than 60 titles available to sample at the showcase, I was kept more than busy in Northern Germany.

But rather than exhaustively blether on about each and every one of them, I thought it best to perform a bit of public service and big up the ones that really caught the eye.

Some are coming soon, several have already been released, and all are good.

The Silent Age
By House on Fire - coming soon to iPad

Point-and-click adventure aficionados everywhere should put House On Fire's upcoming iPad effort on their 'Most Wanted' list. Yesterday.

Although its simple mechanics hark back to the '90s, The Silent Age stands out by virtue of its unique visual signature and dystopian time-hopping narrative.

Sometimes, all a game needs is great writing and an interesting hook - this qualifies on both counts.

Sure, it's been out since September. Sure, I hear you.

Noodlecake Games's colour-the-blocks puzzler is, perhaps, one of the most elegant, intuitive brain breakers around, though.

And with its rousing game show soundtrack, the sense of drama is almost comical. It's horribly addictive, and thoroughly deserving of your loose change.

Apple stuck this one in its "Best of 2012 Hidden Gems" round-up, and now it's our turn to remind people of the existence of this arty, earnest 2D platformer.

Like a paranoid Lenny Kravitz, you're always on the run in Nihilumbra. And the game is fond of reminding you that you'll never escape the void.

You may, however, beg to differ. What's for certain is that you will rather enjoy its endearing mechanics and learn-by-failure approach.

Haunt In The House
By SFB Games - out on PS Mobile and Vita

Seeing as literally two people in the world appear to be buying PlayStation Mobile games, we'll hazard a guess that this hilarious scare-a-thon has passed you by.

The premise is simple: guide a poltergeist around a mansion and scare the residents witless by meddling with the furniture and electrics. And guess what? It's brilliant fun and looks great.

We never got around to reviewing this excellent brain trainer. If we had, we would have almost certainly cooed over its creator's ability to coax mental dexterity out of our sleepy synapses.

Given A Clockwork Brain's stylish visual signature and sharp puzzle design, fans of Kawashima-style tests should sign up forthwith.

Rotational puzzlers have crept into our gaming lexicon thanks to the awesome And Yet It Moves and, more recently, Lazy Raiders. And for good reason.

With Freeze!, Frozen Gun Games tries similar tricks (to the designers of the above pair) with similar success, albeit in a more stripped-down form.

Addictive mechanics and tight controls make our thumbs stand on end - see if the same thing happens to you.

SpeedRunner HD
By DoubleDutch Games - no plans for a mobile version yet

Yeah, yeah, it's only out on PC and Xbox Live Indie Games, but make enough noise and maybe DoubleDutch Games can be persuaded to bring this teeth-gritting platform racer to smartphones and tablets.

With its Bionic Commando-esque grappling hook, you have to race to the finish line, while busting out your best acrobatic moves. It sounds simple, but the chaos that ensues makes it perfect quick-fix fodder.

It's a pinball game that thinks it's a puzzle adventure, starring a flying squirrel that enjoys being swatted around with flippers.

The 'ball' physics aren't quite there, but there's still something satisfying about batting around a cheerful Sciurdae in the name of entertainment.

And whaddya know, it's out now on iOS.

Boo, it's not out on phones or tablets yet.

It's surely only a matter of time, though, before this cute and enjoyable form-changing puzzler leaves its current home on Kongregate for sunnier pastures.

Keep an eye out for it.

Let's be honest: the world's not short of 2D platform-puzzlers. Saying that, the water-to-ice mechanics prove sufficiently enjoyable and interesting in Super Sub Hero to lure you in and melt the heart of even the frostiest cynic.

Currently, it's only playable in Flash on Ticklebot's website, but don't be at all surprised if it flies onto your phone and tablet in the not-too-distant future.

File under 'fiendish'.