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Here are 7 Philly-made mobile games for your evening commute

Kill some SEPTA time with a few of these local titles.

Technically Media intern Rachel Zydyk giving Knight Strike a try. (Photo by Roberto Torres)

Technical.ly's Editorial Calendar explores a different topic each month. The July 2016 topic is gaming. See gaming coverage from all five of our East Coast markets here.

Correction: Flyclops' Domino! has been downloaded about 6 million times, not 1 million, as was previously reported. (7/27/16, 3:14 p.m.)

Between SEPTA’s ongoing regional rail woes and the 50,000 guests we have in town this week during the Democratic National Convention, chances are your transit commute is going to take a bit longer than usual.
So if you’re sick of finding lame Rattatas and Zubats on Pokémon Go as you pass through SEPTA stations, we lined up a few Philly-made mobile games to keep you entertained on your way home.
Just like in our overview of games from D.C., Brooklyn and Baltimore, Philly devs have something for everybody: puzzles, action and … pushing a wheel with a stick?

1. Flyclops’ Domino!

One of Philly’s biggest mobile game success stories, this high-paced dominoes game has been downloaded nearly 6 million times (3.1 million on Android, 2.7 million on iOS), according to Flyclops co-owner Dave Martorana.

The game was launched in 2011 by the Old City-based game studio, and has been continually been building an audience over the years. In fall 2014, an updated version was released, featuring three different game modes and an overhauled iOS interphase.
Download for iOS
Download for Android

2. Cipher Prime’s Monster Want Burger

People looking for kid-friendly games might not think immediately of Cipher Prime, the makers of the explosive, hellfire-ish Tailwind. And yet here’s a perfectly adorable game sure to keep kids entertained until the train gets to its station (and then some).

This minigame, published in June 2015, is only available for iOS.
Download for iOS

3. Ghost Crab Games’ Drive to Hell

This addictive, fast-paced game lets you ride through an army of monsters to take revenge on this Demon King guy who sounds like a real moron.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

4. Dumb And Fat Games’ Sling It!

Before indie game dev Greg Lobanov left Philly for Vancover, he made this fun physics-based game, where a “slingship” tries to destroy Pollutnik robots in a bid to end the endless winter they started in the first place.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

5. Semag Studio’s Hoopity Stick

Push an old-timey hook with a stick? Seriously? This insane premise seemed so bogus when I heard it first at Philly Tech Week 2016 presented by Comcast that I just had to download it.
Big mistake. It’s very addictive.

(My current record is at 245, which is totally lame, btw.)
Download for iOS
Download for Android

6. PHL Collective’s Knight Strike: Knightfall

Old-school PS1 gamers, might be reminded of MediEvil and that first Spyro the Dragon when playing this game. There’s also an old-timey feel to the two-thumbs control mechanism. Good luck fending off the waves of pesky enemies that seem to reproduce Gremlins-style.

Download for iOS
Download for Android

7. Space Whale Studios’ Railblazer

Keep a train from running into a mountain as you drop five different tiles to keep the steamer on a roll. Be careful not to overstep your own path.

Looks easier than it actually is.

Looks easier than it actually is. (Screenshots)


Download for iOS
Download for Android

Companies: Philly Game Forge / Cipher Prime
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