New iPhone apps worth downloading: MindNode update, Burn the Rope 3D, Skulls of the Shogun

MindNode is a long standing and acclaimed productivity app for all creative types. It helps you map out your plans and ideas in an easy to read visual way, and it’s recently received a major update. Burn the Rope 3D continues the series blazing a trail in a new direction. Or should I say dimension? Finally, Skulls of the Shogun is a brilliant, simple, hilarious strategy game that just made the jump from your PC and Console to your iPhone or iPad, and it’s great.


Looking for even more mind-mapping apps? Try these.


MindNode update ($9.99)

What’s it about? MindNode is a slick mind mapping app that helps you visually organize your various ideas and make notes to remember how everything connects.

What’s cool? Whether you’re an artist, student, business person, or work in some kind of creative media, this app is supremely useful. With an intuitive drag and drop interface, you’ll create various nodes and branch out or connect them together, creating your own helpful web of ideas and important reminders, with the ability to share and export your maps to iCloud or Dropbox with ease. The latest 3.0 update brings an all new interface designed for iOS 7, along with a list of new features that’s nearly as long as the apps original description. Definitely worth a look if you’re very visually oriented in your thinking.

Who’s it for? Students, artists, business executives, and other professionally creative people of all kinds.

What’s it like? iFreeMind is another similar app that ought to get the job done.


You can find more games from Burn the Rope series here.


Burn the Rope 3D ($2.99)

What’s it about? The third entry in the Burn the Rope puzzle game series mixes things up with a new third dimension.

What’s cool? Burn the Rope is a simple and elegant puzzler in which you’re tasked with burning all of the winding twisting rope of a level using a single match strike, starting with a single flame. Flames only burn upwards, so you needed to rotate your device appropriately to keep it alive. Various creepy crawlies crawling along the rope would have cool effects, like changing the flames color. This hot new sequel brings the puzzles into 3D space. It may not seem like much, but that extra axis of rotation makes a world of difference in creating a brain busting puzzle.

Who’s it for? Puzzle fans. Pyromaniacs around the world.

What’s it like? Other puzzlers you might like include Twist n’ Catch or Sand Slides


Looking for even more strategy games? Try these.


Skulls of the Shogun ($4.99)

What’s it about? Skulls of the Shogun is a unique, easy to pick up and play turn based strategy game teeming with undead samurai.

What’s cool? If you want approachable yet challenging gameplay in your turn based strategy game, this is the one for you; especially if you like unique settings/situations and a heaping helping of humor to keep things light. You play as the undead samurai General Akamoto. You are in the afterlife, and it’s time to wait and be judged before you’re sent elsewhere. But the line is hundreds of years long, so instead you rally other undead samurai to your cause and wreak some havoc. The gameplay is excellent, and the only drawback is that, like in the Xbox and PC versions, it’s still hard to easily identify different units on the battlefield. Otherwise, it’s excellent.

Who’s it for? Strategy fans who would enjoy a light hearted romp.

What’s it like? Other great iOS strategy games include Hero Academy and Outwitters.

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