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NAYA’S QUEST (BROWSER)

By Terry Cavanagh

Before the advent of polygons, isometric graphics were the unfortunate workaround for creating games in three-dimensions. A fine idea, but they made simple stuff such as judging distances and walking around far too tough. That means it’s ripe for revival by Terry Cavanagh, who has a brilliant knack for wringing impulsive replays out of the ruinously impossible.

Perfect for: questioning quadrilaterals, using your illusion, people with highly evolved hands

Playtime: a few hours

STRATA (iOS)

By Graveck

Strata exemplifies the kind of game today’s mobile landscape makes possible: A simple, elegant, engaging experience that’s accessible but challenging, a slight-looking puzzler that’s dense as shag carpet. The goal is to layer colored ribbons atop one another to create a pattern. Yep, and Tetris is about forming lines with blocks.

Perfect for: Stitch & Bitch’ers, touchscreen gymnastics, Match-3 burnouts

Playtime: over 150 patterns, from seconds to hours each

CAPTAIN BUBBLENAUT

By Dean Tate and Owen MacIndoe

We’d love to see the feature-length film of Captain Bubblenaut, about a young astro-bubble who invades a flat square called ERF all in the name of pleasing his hardened, militaristic father who looks like a watermelon. But we’ll settle for the game, a slide-the-ground strategy-action technicolor dream sequence with hilly terrain like Tiny Wings and sound from the ears behindGone Home and Canabalt.

Perfect for: fans of parabolas, Nyan cat addicts, insecure sons of domineering fathers (with a sense of humor)

Playtime: a bus-ride downtown