Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds

With many weapons and attack stances, this role-playing game gives kids enough autonomy to feel like their decisions matter -- although the scant instructions may leave them with questions. In Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds, kids play characters who have been blessed, giving them special abilities to fight demons who, along with shadow monsters, reportedly attacked and now rule the world. The game's look is very dark: The color palette involves a lot of blue and black, and the demons, at times, look like shadows. The battles can be fierce. Kids face off against demons as they try to make their way to the end of the scene. It's not uncommon for multiple demons to appear in short succession, or for some to pop back up after they appear to die, requiring additional hits. They'll earn hit points (HP) and other items when they win.

In the early levels, many game elements are unclear, leaving kids to try to figure out which move will have the biggest impact. At least having more than one option during fights gives kids a chance to strategize. Kids can also advance in more than one way. They can earn Campaign Keys, which they need to gather to enter a dungeon as a reward, or they can buy keys by exchanging diamonds they've earned for another type of currency -- which is a refreshing change from games that reach a point where it feels like you have to buy something or beat impossible odds to continue. The lack of a backstory, aside from what's mentioned in the App Store description, may bother kids who'd like more context and a better sense of what their ultimate goal is. Providing detailed instructions early in the game would also give kids a better understanding of what actions would be best in battles. They'll need to experiment to find what combination of moves will defeat enemies -- which is a structure that ultimately helps keep Shadow Hunter: Lost Worlds from feeling like an overly repetitive or dull place to be.