What do I do while waiting on things to dry?  Why, I play games, of course!  Lately I’ve been playing a lot of iOS games on an iPod.

For those just visiting or not familiar with what I do: I work as a game designer of what’s known as “freemium” games – that’s a game you can download and play for free, typically on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or Android, that offers in-game stuff or advantages for purchasing with real money to enhance your experience.  It’s not everyone’s favorite kind of game, but I love mobile games and since this is the big trend right now, I’m happy to dive in.

Here are a few of my favorites right now.

Quest Runner: Hilarious dialog and simple, quick-paced gameplay that’s n00b friendly.  I’m  36 or so levels in and I’m still having a ton of fun.  I especially like that gameplay isn’t limited by an energy meter (worst game design trend, ever.)  Also, the complete lack of a “pay wall” (the point at which you can’t progress without buying something with real cash) is a huge win.  Trident3D, you guys rule.

Lumby, I love you.

Socktopus, I love you.

Hatchi: Similar in presentation and spirit to the Tamagotchis and knock-offs of the late ’90s.  Wy is now 30 days old, and going!

Who’s my widdle babby? You’re my widdle babby!

Monster Galaxy: Simpler than Pokemon (only one attack type per “moga”, instead of several) but similar in design.  Collect monsters, train them, fight them against other monsters, repeat until you’ve caught ’em all.   The monsters are adorable, and I love naming them.  My Leviathan is named “OMG”, and I never get tired it, lol.

An unexpected delight in this game are its cutscenes and characters.   Monster Galaxy and Quest Runner both just crack me up.

Tiny Tower: Imitators are flooding onto the market but my heart still belongs to the original. 135 floors now!

If you want to friend me on GameCenter, I’m “Ungoddess”!