Apps of the week: Microsoft Office, Goblins, Little Big Adventure, and more

This week, the App Store was given a treat. Fans of Microsoft’s productivity software can finally use a full-featured version of Office on the iPad. While this may be the biggest release ever for iOS users, they aren’t the only apps in the sea.

Whether you want to get some after-hours work done, or you would prefer to hone up on your poetry skills, we have a list of apps and games to keep you motivated this weekend… 

The legendary 1990s role-playing, point-and-click adventure game has finally been ported to iOS. Now, you can go back in time to help Twinsen escape his prison cell and find his true destiny among the stars. This updated version has been redesigned to work with touch screen gestures. Tap to walk, double tap to run, and hold your finger on Twinsen to see the angle and distance you can make him jump. Zoom in to see the action. Zoom out to see the entire level. The game is defaulted to show you where important items may be hidden, but you can turn off the hint feature if you want to explore without help. This game is available for $3.99.  

I’m sure I’ve spoken of my love of the land of Westeros. I know I’m not special in my obsession, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that George R.R. Martin’s epic tale is so popular.This game lets players immerse themselves in the land inside The Wall. Create a character and enter Westeros to choose a lineage, hire sworn swords to help you, become a bannerman to your favorite House, build resources, and even create your own family banner.  As the HBO show, Game of Thrones continues, new quests will be added to the game that coincides with the story that unfolds through the T.V. series. This game is available on the iPad for free. 

I kind of hated the original cell phone game of Snake. It frustrated me to no end. I was asking a friend just the other day whether he remembered playing the game. He had never even heard of it. In his defense, he didn’t get his first cell phone until about three years ago. This game is an updated, “extreme” version of the classic game. Players chase a dot around on the screen with their snake. Instead of clumsily moving around on the screen with a boxy line of pixels, players control a snake with more circular movement. This game is available for $0.99.