Darklings for iOS: Beautiful graphics combined with easy, yet addictive gameplay for all ages

Darklings for iPhone and iPad is a new action adventure game that is completely gesture driven. There are no controls to remember or weapons to throw. Instead, you'll need to think fast and draw shapes over the Darklings in order to possess and conquer them. Sound easy? Think again!

Aside from unique game play controls, Darklings doesn't carry your typical storyline either. In this adventure, it's a battle between light and dark and you'll need to be fast in order to possess and overcome the dark. Each Darkling carries a shape and you have to trace it correctly on the screen in order to possess it. If a Darkling touches you, you die and have to start the level over.

Throughout battle, possessing Darklings causes stars and special boosts to show up on the screen. Drag them to your character in order to collect them. Stars and boosts serve different purposes but you need to collect starts in order to keep time on the clock. The two ways the level ends are if you get touched or if time runs out, so be sure to collect stars as you progress.

Each level ends with a boss which may throw different challenges at you depending upon the level. Some may throw items at you in which you need to draw the shape before it hits you or the ground. That's really only the beginning of Darklings since it features endless game play that rotates between several landscapes and enemies.

The good

  • Eery, yet beautiful and unique graphics
  • Endless gameplay
  • Easy enough for older children to understand and enjoy but addictive enough for adults to get hooked too
  • Unique controls that are different than anything you've ever played before

The bad

  • Shapes can be hard to draw on the smaller screen of the iPhone

The bottom line

If you're looking for a game that you can pick up and play over and over again, Darklings is sure to become one of your favorites. With pretty much endless survival gameplay, it's a great game with gorgeous graphics at an extremely reasonable price. If you happen to pick up Darklings, let us know what you think of it!

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.