Hot
Words With Friends

As the most successful word game on the App Store, Words With Friends puts a social spin on Scrabble. Players can either join in a game with friends or match-make words instantly with random gamers. The app’s speed keeps the game play streamlined and the graphics elegant. Its “Push” feature allows players to notify opponents when it’s their turn. The game’s real “push” to connect is in its Facebook feature, allowing gamers to network with friends playing the game too.

Lukewarm
Angry Birds Rio

Revamping the classic Angry Birds, this game cages up the canaries and ships them to the exotic city of Rio de Janeiro. The birds must escape the captors to save their friends, Blu and Jewel, two macaws who are also the stars of the new Fox picture “Rio.” While the new version of Angry Birds still features the challenging demolition game play that requires logic, skill and relentless force, the feature-film twist takes away from the game’s appeal. The bombardment of advertisements may boost star ratings for the motion picture, but it’s not winning over the game’s loyal followers.
Not
Pickin’ Stix Classic

Though this Apple app displays a nice spectrum of digital screen colors, it’s merely simplistic. Pickin’ Stix is an easy point-and-choose style game, where players select sticks one by one from an intertwined stack, earning points along the way. But the game’s use of penalty seconds hardly satisfies strategic players. Graphics-wise, the game keeps with the theme and stays true to its vintage roots.