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Show HN: Weird iOS, a list of the weirdest, most artful or unexpected apps

136 points by kennywinker 12y ago

kennywinker 12y ago
App suggestions welcome! Would love to hear from app developers, too.
- davepeck 12y ago
  Fun list so far! I'd vote for Not YYZ, which will only make sense to Rush fans and morse code freaks.
  - DerekL 12y ago
    Looks interesting. I just bought it. YYZ is what I called my unfinished, unreleased Z-machine implementation. I was thinking about using it in an iOS app, so I wrote it in Objective-C, though I found that language wasn't a big improvement over C. I did get it far enough to start running Zork I, but I didn't implement saving and loading yet. I noticed that some of the many Z-machine interpreters were named after magic words appearing in Zork, and I like Rush, so I picked a word that was reminiscent of "xyzzy". (The Z-machine is the virtual machine invented by Infocom for running text adventure games. http://teladesign.com/tads/authoring/articles/small-machine.html http://teladesign.com/tads/authoring/articles/small-machine.... )
- ctdonath 12y ago
  My first app purchase was iBonsai. Beautiful app "grows" a painted bonsai tree. Wish it were kept up to date.
  - kennywinker 12y ago
    When the app store first launched I would go searching for weird things, as time went on the amount of weirdness I would come across has gone way down. That's part of why I started the blog, to get some of that back.
- xauronx 12y ago
  I think my crazy weekend hack qualifies (and might even be more weird). A game based on the unique adventure of peeing with no lights on :) https://itunes.apple.com/tc/app/peeindark/id711900905?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/tc/app/peeindark/id711900905?mt=8
  - kevinwang 12y ago
    Jesus christ that's brilliant
    - xauronx 12y ago
      Thanks! I think it could be an awesome game/concept if I spent a little more time on it. As it is... it's just an oddity.
- masklinn 12y ago
  I'm not sure robick (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robick/id417016186?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robick/id417016186?mt=8) qualifies, it might deserve a look. Games which probably qualify: * One Dot Enemy: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/one-dot-enemies/id306930506?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/one-dot-enemies/id306930506?... * Passage: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/passage/id300702040?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/passage/id300702040?mt=8 * Uzu (iPad only) and Little Uzu: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uzu-generative-design-playground/id376551723?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uzu-generative-design-playgr... and * Kometen: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/kometen/id371244586?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/kometen/id371244586?mt=8 * nobynobyboy: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/noby-noby-boy/id355479163?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/noby-noby-boy/id355479163?mt... * Kura Kura Maze: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kurakuramaze/id447017018?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kurakuramaze/id447017018?mt=... Ridiculous Fishing may not be weird enough to qualify
Uehreka 12y ago
Thanks a bunch! This made my day.
gprasanth 12y ago
When the site has more content and good traffic: Kenny.sendMessage Apple app store has an affiliate program.
- kennywinker 12y ago
  Already in place. It's nice for the stats, but unfortunately most of the apps are free, so it's unlikely to be a big earner regardless of traffic.
  - qzervaas 12y ago
    You'll get a kickback on IAPs if the free app is downloaded against your affiliate ID.
whiddershins 12y ago
I really loved upgrade soul! Haven't tried any others yet. Since you asked for suggestions, my shameless plug: the (gr)album app has some explorations of app-as-medium by musicians and visual artists http://gralbumcollective.com/ http://gralbumcollective.com/ hit me up if you want a promo code for The Book of Sarth, the rest are free.
shaunpud 12y ago
Yo
fennecfoxen 12y ago
Five a Day. http://killscreendaily.com/articles/reviews/bullish-stupidity/ http://killscreendaily.com/articles/reviews/bullish-stupidit... (Also, for something a little more serious in terms of gameplay but still zany: Grid Runner.)
nicholassmith 12y ago
This is great, I love that for every big budget weather app there's something like RapMushi just doing their own, weird thing.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
diegoloop 12y ago
This is also a great weird app: I made this app, which tells you where to find the seat with more shadow for your trip, when you are traveling by train, car or bus! https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/sunny-boy/id587098423?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/sunny-boy/id587098423?mt=8
jgv 12y ago
Anything by Quikding http://quikding.com/games.htm http://quikding.com/games.htm
jonifico 12y ago
Quite an interesting list! Some of them are so absurdly specific it just cracked me up. It's insane how obsessed we are with our phones and connecting them to our daily lives at every moment. Hell, there's even apps for when we sleep!

136 points by kennywinker 12y ago

kennywinker 12y ago

App suggestions welcome! Would love to hear from app developers, too.

davepeck 12y ago
Fun list so far! I'd vote for Not YYZ, which will only make sense to Rush fans and morse code freaks.
- DerekL 12y ago
  Looks interesting. I just bought it. YYZ is what I called my unfinished, unreleased Z-machine implementation. I was thinking about using it in an iOS app, so I wrote it in Objective-C, though I found that language wasn't a big improvement over C. I did get it far enough to start running Zork I, but I didn't implement saving and loading yet. I noticed that some of the many Z-machine interpreters were named after magic words appearing in Zork, and I like Rush, so I picked a word that was reminiscent of "xyzzy". (The Z-machine is the virtual machine invented by Infocom for running text adventure games. http://teladesign.com/tads/authoring/articles/small-machine.html http://teladesign.com/tads/authoring/articles/small-machine.... )
ctdonath 12y ago
My first app purchase was iBonsai. Beautiful app "grows" a painted bonsai tree. Wish it were kept up to date.
- kennywinker 12y ago
  When the app store first launched I would go searching for weird things, as time went on the amount of weirdness I would come across has gone way down. That's part of why I started the blog, to get some of that back.
xauronx 12y ago
I think my crazy weekend hack qualifies (and might even be more weird). A game based on the unique adventure of peeing with no lights on :) https://itunes.apple.com/tc/app/peeindark/id711900905?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/tc/app/peeindark/id711900905?mt=8
- kevinwang 12y ago
  Jesus christ that's brilliant
  - xauronx 12y ago
    Thanks! I think it could be an awesome game/concept if I spent a little more time on it. As it is... it's just an oddity.
masklinn 12y ago
I'm not sure robick (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robick/id417016186?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robick/id417016186?mt=8) qualifies, it might deserve a look. Games which probably qualify: * One Dot Enemy: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/one-dot-enemies/id306930506?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/one-dot-enemies/id306930506?... * Passage: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/passage/id300702040?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/passage/id300702040?mt=8 * Uzu (iPad only) and Little Uzu: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uzu-generative-design-playground/id376551723?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uzu-generative-design-playgr... and * Kometen: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/kometen/id371244586?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/kometen/id371244586?mt=8 * nobynobyboy: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/noby-noby-boy/id355479163?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/noby-noby-boy/id355479163?mt... * Kura Kura Maze: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kurakuramaze/id447017018?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kurakuramaze/id447017018?mt=... Ridiculous Fishing may not be weird enough to qualify

Uehreka 12y ago

Thanks a bunch! This made my day.

gprasanth 12y ago

When the site has more content and good traffic: Kenny.sendMessage Apple app store has an affiliate program.

kennywinker 12y ago
Already in place. It's nice for the stats, but unfortunately most of the apps are free, so it's unlikely to be a big earner regardless of traffic.
- qzervaas 12y ago
  You'll get a kickback on IAPs if the free app is downloaded against your affiliate ID.

whiddershins 12y ago

I really loved upgrade soul! Haven't tried any others yet. Since you asked for suggestions, my shameless plug: the (gr)album app has some explorations of app-as-medium by musicians and visual artists http://gralbumcollective.com/ http://gralbumcollective.com/ hit me up if you want a promo code for The Book of Sarth, the rest are free.

shaunpud 12y ago

fennecfoxen 12y ago

Five a Day. http://killscreendaily.com/articles/reviews/bullish-stupidity/ http://killscreendaily.com/articles/reviews/bullish-stupidit... (Also, for something a little more serious in terms of gameplay but still zany: Grid Runner.)

nicholassmith 12y ago

This is great, I love that for every big budget weather app there's something like RapMushi just doing their own, weird thing.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

diegoloop 12y ago

This is also a great weird app: I made this app, which tells you where to find the seat with more shadow for your trip, when you are traveling by train, car or bus! https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/sunny-boy/id587098423?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/sunny-boy/id587098423?mt=8

jgv 12y ago

Anything by Quikding http://quikding.com/games.htm http://quikding.com/games.htm

jonifico 12y ago

Quite an interesting list! Some of them are so absurdly specific it just cracked me up. It's insane how obsessed we are with our phones and connecting them to our daily lives at every moment. Hell, there's even apps for when we sleep!