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15 Best Algae Eaters for Freshwater Aquariums
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If you’ve dealt with algae overgrowth before, I probably don’t have to tell you how difficult is to remove it once it gets out of hand.
Even though algae can be beneficial to your tank, being a natural food source for many fish and invertebrates, often algae are a pest that should be promptly dealt with to prevent overgrowth.
Algae can change the color of the water in your tank, hinder the growth of aquarium plants by competing with them for resources, and even overtake an entire tank.
As with many things, prevention is the best cure when it comes to algae problems. And the best algae prevention? Algae eaters, for sure!
In this article, I’m going to introduce you to the best algae eaters for freshwater aquariums, so you can prevent algae overgrowth naturally.
But first, let’s see what are algae eaters and what you should absolutely know before picking an algae eater for your tank.
What are Algae Eaters?
Algae eaters known otherwise as the “clean-up crew” of aquariums are just what their name suggests – aquatic species that feed on algae either exclusively or as part of their diet.
Stocking your aquarium with these species will make sure that algae growth is kept under check and you don’t have to worry about algae getting out of control.
Not all algae eaters feed on all types of algae, some species enjoy a specific type of algae, other species may feed on multiple types of algae.
Things to Consider When Adding Algae Eaters to an Aquarium
When picking out algae eaters for your aquarium, you should consider:
- The type or types of algae in your aquarium;
- Tank parameters;
- Special algae eater requirements.
As I already mentioned, not all algae eaters eat all types of algae, therefore, you must figure out which algae is prevalent in your tank, so you can pick the exact algae eater that can target that specific algae.
There are hundreds of algae species, however, the most common ones that you may come across in a freshwater tank include:
- Green algae: This type of alga can overtake an entire tank and reduce the transparency of water;
- Green spot algae: Appears as green spots dotted on every surface of your aquarium. It’s usually caused by bright lights and it’s difficult to remove;
- Hair algae: Hair or thread algae appears as soft and loose green threads in your tank. Excess light or excess nutrients can cause it;
- Black beard algae: Often black or purple in color, this alga has a soft, slippery texture and grows mostly on the plants in your aquarium;
- Green dust algae: They mostly appear in tanks that are still undergoing the nitrogen cycle and form a slimy coat on the surfaces of the aquarium.
These are just some of the algae types that you may come across either during the nitrogen cycle, or long after.
When picking out the “cleaning crew” of your tank, you must also consider tank conditions.
Do your research and find out what are the water parameters enjoyed by your algae eaters and see if they match your current tank conditions.
Many algae eaters can’t live on algae in your tank alone, so you’ll probably need to supplement their diet with algae wafers, pellets or other foods they like.
Let’s see which are the best species to keep algae under control in your tank:
15 Best Algae Eaters for Your Freshwater Aquarium
The algae eaters below can be an efficient “clean-up crew” for your freshwater aquarium, helping to prevent algae overgrowth naturally:
1. Siamese Algae Eater
Although the Siamese Algae Eater is prolific at cleaning any type of algae, it has a marked appetite for black algae.
In fact, of all the algae eater species, they’re the fastest at cleaning up black algae. A small group of 4 to 5 Siamese Algae Eaters can get rid of black algae in a matter of few days.
Another thing that sets this algae eater species apart is its suitability for planted aquariums. The Siamese Algae Eater will gently clean off algae from plants without harming the plants.
I recommend them for beginners as a good option for a community aquarium to help keep algae at bay in new tanks.
They prefer tanks that are at least 30 gallons and they’re relatively easy to care for. Just to make sure to supplement their diet with algae wafers and pellets, if there aren’t enough algae in the tank.
They enjoy heavily planted tanks and usually stay in the lower parts of the tank. Make sure you pick substrate that agrees with their sensitive barbels and underbellies.
Siamese Algae Eaters are rarely aggressive, but they’re active and energetic swimmers, which means you should take care when keeping them with calmer species that may become unsettled by them.
2. Twig Catfish (Farlowella acus)
Twig Catfish require a bit more specialized care, so I don’t recommend them for beginner aquarists. They’re docile and timid creatures that are beneficial in controlling algae growth.
They feed on most types of algae, however, their diets require supplementing with other foods too.
They’re relatively small fish with a long thin body that reaches up to 4 inches. They don’t require large tanks and do best if they’re kept in pairs.
They also enjoy planted aquariums with lots of hiding spaces since they tend to be rather shy. Water parameters should be kept stable, since they’re sensitive to fluctuations.
Because of their sensitivity to water conditions it’s advisable to keep them in larger tanks, where stable tank conditions are easier to maintain.
They make good community fish provided they’re paired with peaceful species like tetras and livebearers but avoid aggressive species that might bully them.
Twig Catfish continuously graze on algae, but alga alone is not enough to sustain them. Make sure you add prepared food and lightly blanched vegetables to their diet.
3. Otocinclus Catfish
Otocinclus Catfish are one of the tiniest algae eaters, they don’t grow larger than 2 inches. They’re relatively easy to take care of and they’re peaceful fish that get along with other small bottom-feeders.
The Oto Catfish is an efficient algae-eater that will keep your tank clean along with any plants you may have. You can trust them with even the tenderest little plants.
Because they require clean water with stable parameters, I wouldn’t recommend them as a starter fish for beginners.
They enjoy being kept in groups of 5-10 and shouldn’t be kept with fish that might mistake them for food, or fish that are aggressive.
In the wild, the Oto Catfish feeds on algae and other organic substances. In captivity, their diet should be supplemented with special vegetable food, spirulina, flakes, and frozen bloodworm.
Steamed vegetables like lettuce, zucchini, squash are also a good addition to their diet.
Because of their small size, they don’t tolerate polluted water, therefore, I recommend having a good filter system and weekly water changes.
You’ll know your Oto Catfish are healthy by their high activity levels during the day and their tireless quest for soft algae in the tank.
4. Bristlenose Pleco
One of the smallest Catfish species, averaging at 3-5 inches, the Bristlenose Plecos is another excellent algae eater that you can add to your community tank of peaceful fish.
They’re recognizable after their flat, wide body and fleshy tentacles on their head. They’re available in several colors including green, gray or brown with yellow or white spots.
These fish enjoy foraging in the substrate for algae and detritus, which is good news for the cleanliness of your tank.
They’re easy to keep and they can tolerate a wide range of tank conditions, making them a beginner-friendly fish.
Because they’re nocturnal fish, you should provide shadowy areas and hiding spaces where they can retreat during the day.
Make sure you house them in a tank that’s at least 25 gallons – although the bigger the better – because they produce a lot of waste, which also means you should take care to not overfeed them.
Provide a tank that’s well aerated with moderate water flow.
They’re aren’t as avid algae eaters as other species in this list, but if your tank needs a little cleaning and you’re looking for an interesting species to add to your tank, this livebearer is a great choice.
Mollies, along with other livebearers, do very well in community tanks since they’re very peaceful fish that won’t cause trouble in your aquarium.
If you’re thinking about adding mollies to your community tank, make sure it’s large enough to account for the fry that will result from reproduction.
Mollies enjoy a well-lit tank with plenty of live plants that they can nibble at. They also graze on fresh algae growth, so you can count on them to keep your tank tidy.
Molly fish are omnivorous; therefore, you can feed them a variety of foods including artificial, live or frozen foods, but also foods with a large vegetable component.
The Molly fish adapts quite well to a variety of tank waters, but if you’re looking to create a perfect environment for them, you should keep temperatures around 72-78 F.
Mollies aren’t the only livebearers to graze on algae, Platies are another livebearer species that you can count on to do a little tidying up when it comes to algae.
Platies have been selectively bred to display various colors from shades of red to shades of black, green and silver.
This fish enjoys being kept in groups with others of the same species, but also with other species in a community tank. They prefer tanks in the temperature range of 72 to 77 F.
In terms of feeding, Platies are an omnivorous species, therefore, they’ll accept a variety of food: quality flake or pellets, spirulina algae, fresh veggies, brine shrimp, other fresh or frozen foods.
Because platies are capable of breeding every 30 days, make sure you’ve got enough space in the tank to accommodate the resulting fry.
You should also be careful with male to female ratio as male Platies tend to pursue females and stress them out. The best ratio is to add a single male to a group of 3 females.
Platies enjoy a densely planted tank with caves, driftwood, and rocks. They’re an excellent choice for a community tank and I recommend them even for beginners.
These are some of the best algae-eating fish species. And because fish aren’t the only algae eaters you can count on, let’s see which snails and shrimp are the best at eating algae:
7. Mystery Apple Snail
The Mystery Apple Snail is an algae eater that feeds on most types of algae, however, they have the best appetite for algae that grows on aquarium plants, glass and the substrate.
If you see a small Mystery Apple Snail, it’s most likely a baby snail, because they can grow to the size of a baseball once they reach adulthood.
This snail comes in a variety of colors; however, bright yellow is the most common color that you’ll find.
Because the Apple Snail enjoys eating plants too, it may not be the best choice for a planted aquarium unless you make sure to provide enough supplemental feeding for it.
Besides the algae that grows naturally in your tank, Apple Snails will accept all types of foods including vegetables, fish food pellets, and other fresh or frozen foods.
They’ll even feed on insects and dead fish, so don’t panic if you see an Apple Snail on a dead fish. The snail didn’t kill it, but it will feed on it since it’s there.
Although in adulthood it can fend for itself, while they’re still young, Apple Snail are an easy target for larger predatory fish or fish that like to bully other aquatic creatures.
8. Malaysian Trumpet Snail
The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a small algae eater that doesn’t grow larger than 1 inch. They’re easily recognizable after their elongated shells that have a pointed end.
Since this type of snail does not feed on plants, you can trust them not to harm your plants while they’re grazing algae.
They enjoy all types of algae and they’ll plow the substrate for uneaten food, being a step ahead of most algae eaters in the cleaning department.
They’re good eaters and have a great appetite, so they’ll happily eat anything from fish food, bottom feeder tablets, pellets, algae wafers, detritus, all sorts of debris, and edible plant matter shed by live plants.
Some consider Trumpet Snails pets because they reproduce quickly and in large numbers. If you want to limit their reproduction, you’ll need to limit their food intake on the long run.
You can house Trumpet Snails with others of their kind such as Mystery Snails, Red Ramshorn Snails, Nerite Snails as well as other algae eating species such as shrimps.
Algae-eaters like Amano Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp and Ghost Shrimp are all good options for tank mates. In terms of fish species, calm and peaceful fish like the Oto Catfish and Cory Catfish are good options.
9. Rabbit Snail
The Rabbit Snail is another large alga eating snail that can reach a size of 5 inches. Its shell is shaped similarly to that of the Malaysian Trumpet Snail.
Unlike Trumpet Snails, they don’t reproduce as quickly in home aquariums, so don’t worry about your tank being overrun by Rabbit Snails.
Except from the Java Fern, which hobbyists report that Rabbit Snails are interested in, they won’t bother your other live plants, so you can add them to a planted tank.
They graze on algae, decaying plant matter, detritus. Besides these, their diet should be supplemented with foods rich in Calcium, vegetables, algae wafers, and bottom feeder tablets.
Rabbit Snails get along great with other of their kind such as Mystery Snails, Ivory Snails, Nerite Snails, Ramshorn Snails, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails.
Besides snails, the Rabbit Snail can be house with several algae eating shrimp like the Amano or Red Cherry Shrimp.
If you’re thinking of adding them to a community tank with fish, choose fish that are not in the habit of bothering snails. Avoid rough species like Cichlids, Goldfish, Loaches, or Crayfish.
10. Nerite Snail
Nerite Snails are possible the most popular pick for algae-eater snails. They’re grow a little over 1 inch and their zebra-patterned shells make them instantly recognizable.
They’re hardy snails that can tolerate a wide range of water conditions and do well both in freshwater and saltwater tanks.
Because they need saltwater to reproduce, they won’t reproduce in freshwater tanks, so you don’t need to worry about their population getting out of hand.
Nerite Snails feed on all sorts of algae and they’re efficient even against green spot algae. They’re busy and active eaters searching for food everywhere they can.
They won’t hurt your live plants, so you can go ahead and add them to planted aquariums. In fact, they enjoy planted tanks best.
If your tank produces enough algae, you don’t need to supplement their diet. If supplementation is needed, you can feed them green vegetables or algae wafers.
Most invertebrates make good tank mates for Nerite Snails and even peaceful small community fish like the Oto Catfish or the Cory Catfish can be a good tank mate.
Avoid large fish or aggressive species that may eat, kill, or bully Nerite Snails.
11. Ramshorn Snail
While some tank owners buy them as pets, Ramshorn Snails can make their way into a tank by hitching a ride on plants that are added to the tank.
This type of snail remains at around 1 inch and it got its name because its shell resembles that of a ram’s horn.
Ramshorn Snails eagerly feed on all types of algae, plant matter, leftover food, preventing them from decomposing and causing troubles in the tank.
They’re 100% safe to be added to a planted aquarium as they’re not interested in eating the plants, only the algae that grows on them.
If you want to supplement their diet, calcium-rich foods, pellets, flakes and bottom feeder tablets, fresh vegetables are all good options.
This snail will also eat dead fish and shrimp, but make sure to remove any dead fish or shrimp to avoid ammonia spikes in the tank.
Due to its small size, avoid housing it with large fish or predatory fish that will pick at them. Choose smaller and peaceful fish as tank mates and you won’t have any issues.
Like many snail species, the Ramshorn Snail reproduces fast and in large volumes, so one way you can control their population is by limiting food.
12. Ghost Shrimp
Although not the most avid algae eater shrimp on this list, the Ghost Shrimp is nonetheless an interesting and useful addition to a planted tank as they will do some algae control.
Most aquarists buy them as feeders for their fish seeing how the Ghost Shrimp is inexpensive and a very nutritious source of food for fish.
However, their transparent bodies and small size (they grow to max. 2 inches) make them a peculiar addition to a planted tank.
They’re prominent scavengers and they’ll search the tank for leftover foods and algae, making your tank cleaning tasks a lot easier.
It can cope with most water conditions provided they remain constant. They’re not fussy eaters thriving on an omnivorous diet.
It’s best to keep them with their own kind and avoid fish tanks, since they lack proper defense mechanisms (except hiding away) to be kept with other fish.
You may try housing them with small peaceful fish, but even them will mistake the shrimp fry for food.
Ghost Shrimp are easy to breed, they have a low biomass and ecological footprint and they aid in keeping nitrate levels low.
13. Bamboo Shrimp
The Bamboo Shrimp is a popular species of freshwater algae-eating shrimp that grows to around 2-3 inches in length.
They are reddish-brown and feature a white stripe. They enjoy 20-gallon tanks or larger.
Like many other algae-eaters on this list, the Bamboo Shrimp enjoys a planted aquarium with lots of live plants.
They enjoy positioning themselves of the filter sponge and intercept food matter that would otherwise end up in the filter.
Like many other shrimp species, the Bamboo Shrimp lives 1-2 years, maybe a bit more if tank conditions are good.
In an established aquarium, this shrimp will feed on just about any food it comes across — micro-algae, plant debris, particles of fish food. As a food supplement, pulverized algae wafers are a good choice.
Bamboo Shrimp are very peaceful, they can neither attack or defend themselves. Compatible tank mates include small sized peaceful fish.
They can also live with a large variety of shrimp and snails including the algae-eater shrimp and snails that I discuss in this article.
14. Amano Shrimp
If you plan on setting up a planted tank, Amano Shrimp are a great asset if you’re looking to keep algae under control in a natural way.
The Amano Shrimp reaches sizes of 2 inches and it’s a powerhouse when it comes to feeding on algae.
They have a translucent light grey body, but shades of green, brown or even red are also common.
They do best in groups of 3 or 4 and you can add them to a peaceful community tank inhabited by smaller species.
Naturally, you should avoid housing them with large, predatory fish like Goldfish or Cichlids. You can keep them with other freshwater shrimp and snail species.
They have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years. They enjoy feeding on soft algae, edible plant matter, and other sources like shrimp pellets, fish food flakes, algae wafers, and green veggies.
They’re active eaters and they usually go about their business searching the tank for food.
They’ll feed on dead fish and dead snails too, however, make sure to remove any dead fish to avoid toxins getting released into the aquarium.
15. Cherry Shrimp
My favorite shrimp species, but also the most spectacular on this list, the Red Cherry Shrimp was named after its bright red color that contrasts exceptionally well with green plants.
I also enjoy them because they’re low maintenance and self-sufficient. Unfortunately, they only live about a year or so, so they’re not for everyone.
Cherry Shrimp graze on soft green algae or brown algae and pick up leftover food, preventing them from decomposing and keeping toxin levels low.
Other foods that they’ll eat include fish flakes, shrimp pellets, algae wafers, etc.
Since they’re small and have no way to defend themselves, keeping them with large, predatory fish is out of the question.
Although they do well with other shrimp species, I don’t recommend housing them with shrimp they can reproduce with because the resulting offspring will be weak.
If you’re planning on breeding Cherry Shrimp, make sure you provide plants with large leaves that can serve as a hiding spot for the shrimp fry.
If you’re considering keeping Cherry Shrimp, go with a species-only tank or add a few to a community tank with small, peaceful fish or snails.
And with this, I conclude my list of the best algae eaters that I recommend for freshwater tanks. Next, let’s see how else you can prevent algae from getting out of control.
Tips to Prevent Algae Growth
As you can see, each species of algae-eater has its own particularities and choosing one for your tank can depend on various factors – type of algae, tank conditions, and tank mates.
Algae-eaters shouldn’t be the first line of defense against algae, instead they should be part of a series of preventative measures you take to prevent algae from overtaking the tank:
- Keep the tank clean by doing regular water changes:
Weekly or bi-weekly water changes are necessary if you want to remove toxins and replenish water with healthy trace elements. This will help slow down algae growth in the tank.
- Adjust lighting conditions:
Sometimes, too much light is the cause behind excessive algae growth. Try cutting down on the amount of time you run your lights for and see if they’re any changes.
- Avoid overfeeding your stock:
Too much food that goes uneaten or overfeeding fish that produce a lot of waste can be another reason why algae can grow out of control in your aquarium.
A good way to keep algae under control is too look at your feeding pattern and cut down on feeding when it’s excessive.
I’m not saying you should ever starve your fish, just make sure they don’t regularly leave food uneaten in the tank.
If you regularly notice decaying food in your tank, try cutting down on feedings and see how it impacts algae growth.
- Invest in quality filtration:
If filtration is no good in your aquarium, don’t be surprised if you notice algae in your tank.
Make sure you choose the right filter for the size of tank you have.
The algae eaters I discuss in this article should be part of any aquarium as a means of algae prevention and control.
You shouldn’t view these species as miracle workers and you shouldn’t relax your tank cleaning habits just because you’ve added some algae-eaters to the tank.
With that said, I hope the advice in this article will help you keep your aquarium nice and clean, and you won’t have to deal with any aggressive algae problems.

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Art Madness Corporate Team Building in Cancun is a program for people with an artistic side. Certainly, here their abilities must be demonstrated by reproducing many paintings till a spectacular mural is formed! The results of establishing a team building program are highly favorable. That is to say important and valuable principles in the workplace are reinforced as attendees break out of their routine. Also have fun, and participate in an original and distinct activity!
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Stairwell in Scotland
Stairwell Books, a north of England publisher, based in York, is sponsoring their own Scottish Writing festival at the Scottish Storytelling Centre adjacent to the John Knox House Museum on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The festival features Scottish Writers or authors with books based in Scotland.
The event takes place on the Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th of September. On the Friday evening there will be talks and presentations from Rebecca Smith, whose Young adult Novel, Shadow Cat Summer is set in the Highlands, Yvonne Hendry, whose novel The Water Bailiff’s Daughter set in the Lowlands is gaining traction, and a guest spot, by accomplished poet Bob Beagrie who is based in Northumberland’s Teesside University.
On the Saturday, Stairwell has invited a number of Scottish and Northern publishers to share the Scottish Story Telling Centre with tables of their own books. This is a great opportunity for readers to see and buy a range of excellent books that which may not grace the shelves of the large retail bookselling chains.

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Meet the ITP 2011 Participants: Gao Cui
My name is Gao Cui. I am a Research Fellow at the research center of National Museum of China.
I was born in Beijing. After four year college life, I studied further and got a Master’s degree in World History in 2000. After graduation, I began to work for the National Museum of China. As a research fellow, I do research on the history of modern Sino-foreign relations and modern Chinese coins. As an editor, I am in charge of the editing journal of National Museum of China.
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On 22 December 1997, forty-five indigenous residents of the small Southern Mexican village of Acteal were attending a prayer meeting in their village church when they were slaughtered by unknown paramilitary forces. They were members of the pacifist group Las Abejas (The Bees), who were supporters of the revolutionary Zapatistas but renounced their violent methods. The investigation into their deaths quickly went suspiciously cold. Scottish documentary maker Nick Higgins, an expert on Mexican culture and politics and the author of Understanding the Chiapas Rebellion, attains unprecedented access to the place, the people, and the story behind a barely-reported atrocity.
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"It can be presented as a speeding arrow reaching its target or as an intimate conversation between spouses." That’s how R Visweswaran, veena maestro from Mysore describes naya or the rakthi raga Begada in his talk, "Classification of ragas as Ghana, Naya and Deshya ragas." He was speaking at Shabda an unusual performing arts event held recently at the Bangalore Gayana Samaja in Chamarajapet, recently.
Shabda came into being when three carnatic musicians T M Krishna, H K Venkatram and R K Shriram Kumar met at the Music Academy canteen last December in Chennai. While T M Krishna and R K Shriram Kumar live in Chennai, violinist H K Venkatram is from Bangalore south. Venkatram works for Intel Corporation as Director of Intel Architecture Group in India. He also heads the Vijaya College of Music, a premier music institution in Bangalore.
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The nonagenarian Bangalore musician and Padma Bhushan awardee R K Srikantan kicked off the second edition of Shabda. He demonstrated how the use of one musical note, the Sadharana Gandharam when interpreted in different ragas brought a whole new listening experience every time. Whether it was the grandeur of raga Thodi, the flatness of raga Dhenuka or the grace of raga Shanmukhapriya the same note had a different effect on the listener’s ear.
Two Bharata Natyam dancers Guru Bhanumathi and Guru Priyadarshini Govind talked about "musical compositions in dance as a group" and "visualizing a composition" respectively. In Guru Bhanumathi’s presentation the geometrical patterns presented by her students while executing the jatis had a vibrancy of movement and expressions. Bhanumathi runs a dance school in Jayanagar.
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In yet another video clip from the play "Sarpa Sutra" the notes of the raga Behag reflected the turmoil of the snake woman who is later annihilated by the forest fire initiated by the God of fire Agni. The event was rounded off by Bangalore musician Dr. T.S. Satyavati who spoke on the aesthetic appreciation of a musical composition.
Starting with the one classical note, the day’s journey through vocal rendition, theatre and dance, Shabda brought an eclectic collection of the performing arts to the audience present. More importantly, it is a worthy endeavor that brings a diverse audience to the arts, not merely confining itself to students of music, dance or theatre. The founders of Shabda have many projects on the anvil. For more information and upcoming events go to – www.shabda.co.in⊕


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Caryl Walls. Nail Ideas. August 30th , 2017.
Others definitely required some expert help. As soon as your order is shipped, you will obtain a tracking number by e-mail, which makes it possible for you to readily track your shipment and take note of the real day your order will arrive to your door. Once it is shipped, you will receive a tracking number by e-mail, which enables you to easily track your shipment and be aware of the actual day your order will arrive to your door. Please get in touch with us by telephone or e-mail as soon as you have placed your purchase and we can alter the system of shipping to include your selection of expedited delivery. You’re at the correct spot! In any case, some glitters will have the ability to create added spot of attention to the total appearance.
Nail art can be rather therapeutic. Nail art is the ideal invention in the beauty or makeup since it changes the appearance of nails drastically. No doubt, it has evolved. Today, there are lots of nail art designs that you can select from. This nail art is super simple and is an excellent option for someone who’s just beginning. This chic nail art is simple to recreate with just a little will and patience.
Nail art was used since many years to create nails appear beautiful and trendy. Nail art can be rather therapeutic. Nail art is appropriate for leg also. Drawings on nails will also alter the entire appearance.
The plan is offbeat and makes it seem good for anybody with long well-shaped nails. There are several easy and simple to do nail designs that you are able to be relevant to your nails. In the below image the nail designs is just half and it provides an attractive appearance to the person Pretty nail designs are amazing for party and wedding. Below you can observe a nail design which very simple to accomplish. When you would like a nail art design that will be appropriate for more or less any season then going with the gray shades is the perfect answer. If so, then have a look below and hopefully you will come across a custom made nail art design based on such an animal.
Finish off with a last layer of sheer polish and very clear coat then you’re as great as done! Make sure the glitter layer is totally dry before applying the last coat on top. In contrast to the preceding design, you’ll begin from the nail cuticle and painting to the center of the nails.
Scroll down the nail designs images to select your favourite design and fashion! When it is colors that you want, you are able to choose to get a design with nails painted in different or a combo of colours and added with crystal of unique shapes, sizes and colours. In modern nail art there are several fantastic pigments.
Plaid design can be completed in many colours. Below you can discover beautiful, elegant and easy design. Cool nail designs will reveal that you’re a cool girl. These easy nail designs for brief nails are ideal for those summer days on the beach!


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The rapid spread of a virus that, in the past, has mainly caused a low-grade fever, headaches, joint pain and rashes is raising more questions than there are answers. There is now active local transmission of the Zika virus in 33 countries.
Cage-free eggs, once a niche product for ethically minded (and well-off) shoppers, are suddenly a hot commodity with an unlikely customer: Big Food. Sonic and Burger King are the latest to join a slate of companies promising to ditch eggs produced by cage
The report, written by the Argentine group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), suspects that pyriproxyfenâEUR"a larvicide added to drinking water to stop the development of mosquito larvae in drinking water tanksâEUR"has caused the birth defects.
Coke has invested $17 billion in African markets between 2010 and 2020.The increased focus on countries such as India, Brazil, and others is the subject of a new report released Tuesday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest...
Each year, millions of of families are affected by cancer. Far too many Americans have felt the devastating pain that comes with this diagnosis. And far too many have watched as loved ones suffer and relentlessly fight to combat this disease.
Farm workers & consumers at greater risk! Dangers of 7 neurotoxic pesticides recently became even more alarming. Cesar Chavez' UFW & broad coalition of partners fighting to ban toxics, urge you to tell EPA to ban all uses of these 7 poison pesticides now!
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) is on its way to approve a licence application from PaxVax Australia (PaxVax) for the intentional release of a GMO vaccine consisting of live bacteria into the environment in Queensland, South...
Despite all the public hoopla, all the cases of microcephaly being discovered in Brazil have never been scientifically linked to the Zika virus. A group of doctors from South America are now saying the brain deformations the world is witnessing are caused
Chaga tea is a natural healthy drink which is very popular among Russian population especially in Siberia. The tea supports general health, strengthens immune system, detoxifies and energizes the whole body.
It is time to end this ridiculous murderous and outright criminal War on Drugs. To quote comedian and activist Joe Rogan, Prison is for Rapists, Thieves and Murderers! If you lock someone up for smoking a Plant that makes them happy, You are the Criminal!
Rowan berries have one of the highest levels of carotene, even more than carrots do. They are a source of vitamins C, B, E, sorbic acid, which is a natural preservative, disinfectant and anti-fungal agent.

domain: biology


Solenoid valves offering some of the most advanced features of all the products of their kind.
It stands to reason that the company responsible for developing and manufacturing the first solenoid valve is commercially available, after the weather more than a century in business, it will be improved every element of the core product to perfection.
‘Water solenoid valves’ (Also known as ‘น้ำโซลินอยด์วาล์ว’ in the Thai language), the same as all the solenoid valves, designed on the basis of the principles are very simple.
Do you take Asco solenoid valve pieces, the most interesting components that appear may be a coil of wire machine, with its cylindrical slug or armature, which is designed to fit in it, held either inside or outside the cavity of the coil?
Solenoid armatures always had springs attached, is positioned so as to balance the forces acting on the spindle snails, and slugs back to the starting position after activation.
Asco has been using them since 1910 when the first Asco solenoid valves go to market. A solenoid can also be used to perform functions such as switchboards tripping when the voltage is too high, or closing a pair of contacts which allows current to run from a car battery to the engine.
In the case of industrial applications, either, Asco solenoid valves utilize solenoids to open and close themselves. Basically, the solenoid is placed in a position such that it is the only thing keeping the pressure in the middle of the valve chamber is high enough to hold close the inlet valve diaphragm sealing the mid-space.


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Anyone afraid that throwing Transformers into the Angry Birds mix would result in a Michael Bay-level of childhood pillaging can rest easy. While Rovio’s famous fowls may be a 21st century staple, Angry Birds: Transformers wears its affection for the 80s on its sleeve. But is mere retro reverence enough to justify this crossover? We find out in this edition of It Came From Canada!
The opening video reveals how the classic birds we all know and love have transformed into birds disguised as robots in disguise. But aside from establishing the story, the lavish animated intro’s attention to Saturday morning detail, right down to VHS scan lines, might be the best part of the game.
Fortunately the gameplay itself, while about as simple as a typical Transformers episode, is also about as action-packed. Plus the animation isn’t as cheap. Angry Birds: Transformers eschews the physics puzzles the series is known for in favor of something resembling an on-rails shooter. As avian Optimus Prime or beaked Bumblebee constantly run from left to right, and players tap to shoot down Decepticon pigs in the background. Targeting weak points on fortresses to squish enemies more efficiently is about as close as the game gets to traditional Angry Birds strategies. Of course, since this is a Transformers game, players will also occasionally need to change their robots into vehicles to speed past collapsing columns.
As players blast more pigs they’ll open up more parts of the map, unlocking new characters with unique weapons like lasers or missiles. However, we weren’t able to access special Jenga levels since we didn’t have the codes. Between battles players can also upgrade characters to increase their strength and durability. Doing so gives players a close-up look at the bird bots themselves, and their colorful boxy models amusingly marry the aesthetics of both franchises while still maintaining what separately makes them iconic. And even better, there are barely any hints of ugly, cluttered ‘Bayformers’ in their designs.
Apart, Angry Birds and Transformers have already made all the money in the world. So we can’t imagine what they can do together – especially with Skylanders-style toy integration. Expect Angry Birds: Transformers to transform and roll out everywhere soon.
Nintendo characters on the App Store? Have they really gotten that desperate? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. While it may be strange and novel seeing Pikachu and company running around on an Apple product, the fact is the Pokémon Company has always had some degree of autonomy from its Mario masters. And now they’ve used that independence to bring the wildly popular Pokémon Trading Card Game to the iPad. We catch ‘em all in this edition of It Came From Canada!
If the smash success of Hearthstone has taught us anything it’s that card games work great on the iPad, and Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is no different. Dealing with digital decks is just so much more convenient than laying out physical spaces, shuffling cards, and keeping track of various pieces. Plus, having a computer present to teach and reinforce the rules is a lot more reliable than leaving it up to human error.
However, this really is just a straightforward virtual translation of the Black and White starter editions of the actual trading card game. Battle animations aren’t flashy and graphics are kind of flat in general; they’re not even as stylish as the beloved anime. Meanwhile, online is used for simple stat-tracking and basic multiplayer matches. Players should also make sure to register an account, because otherwise they’ll be forced to sit through the lengthy tutorial each time they launch the game.
But modest production values aside, there’s a reason why this game has been so popular for so long, and it’s not just marketing. It simply does a great job at capturing what’s fun about Pokémon RPGs in card game form. Arranging teams of monsters, evolving starters you’ve grown particularly fond of, and strategically unleashing powerful elemental attacks is just as satisfying here as it is on the screen of a Nintendo handheld.
Since Pokémon is a worldwide phenomenon, expect Pokémon Trading Card Game Online to launch everywhere soon. And while it’s not totally fair to use it as a litmus test for Nintendo’s future on the App Store, it’s at least interesting to think about.
I’m going to be straight you with folks. I don’t know much about MOBAs, and I’m certainly no professional. That means I don’t know how well Vainglory, the upcoming multiplayer online battle arena showcased in the most recent Apple keynote, compares to titans like League of Legends or DotA 2 in terms of depth and control. However, in this edition of It Came From Canada – Philippines Edition, what I can say is that it certainly has the ambition to be king of the mobile MOBAs.
Even to someone like me, the specifics of this gigantic genre have become pretty well-known by now. Two teams, in this case with three members each, attempt to destroy their opponents’ home base by making it through lanes full of powerful turrets and endless waves of disposable grunt soldiers. Players choose from a handful of heroes with their own personalities and moves to master – like the sadistic sword wielder Catherine, rambunctious catgirl Koshka, and shambling Monty Python-quoting zombie warrior Krul. Fast melee-focused characters obviously require different strategies compared to slow spellcasters, and forming those plans is where much of the tactical depth comes from.
Fortunately, the game is very accommodating to newcomers. The extensive tutorial goes over basics like what to buy at the shop and why it’s important to not die and give your foes a bonus. It also familiarizes players with the single map and important sites to capture like special monsters that strengthen minions once defeated. It’s a lot to take in, from knowing when to hide in the bushes to the concept of “the jungle,” and that’s before it even gets to character-specific traits. But since this is all the game is, it’s good that there’s a lot to it. Players can also practice at any time and discover how surprisingly nuanced the touch controls are – letting them set waypoints, launch strings of attacks, and tell heroes what spots to avoid.
Vainglory also just looks fantastic thanks to the new “Metal” iOS 8 API. Yeah, the art style still betrays the fact that this entire sub-genre descends from a mod of a Blizzard game, but the details, effects, animations, and smoothness of play actually do resemble a higher-end PC release from a developer of that caliber. Along with giving players new options to explore, unlocking characters from the marketplace also provides something new and pleasant to look at for a match.
Since Vainglory isn’t out in most territories yet, so finding a match was a little difficult. Although once it fully launches soon, that shouldn’t be a problem. Again, I’m not the one who can tell if it will succeed in the highly profitable but contentious MOBA space, but it’s definitely an impressive attempt.
Overkill 3 is like every trope of big modern gaming rolled into one. It’s a sequel to an action-packed military shooter. It’s flashy and scripted and flaunts its sophisticated graphics. And it’s a mobile game with a heavy emphasis on in-app purchases. But does it still manage to forge its own identity within that sea of marketing points? We find out in this edition of It Came From Canada!
In its biggest break from past Overkill games, Overkill 3 is a third-person shooting gallery rather than a first-person one. Movement is automatic, so players just aim and decide when to pop in and out of cover. But now they can see their vulgar, macho, soldier hero with his scarred Mohawk head instead of just imagining him. The shift also provides a slew of new tactical options. Firing down the sights, from the hip, or from behind cover each has its own balance of safety and effectiveness. More indirect assaults, like grenades and explosive barrels, also take on new dimensions for players and their enemies alike.
But the real benefit of the pulled out camera is the wider variety of moments it’s able to present. Players get a better look at the game’s graphically detailed and impressively lit environments from desert Shanty Towns with secret Windows 95 jokes to vaguely futuristic cities. Calling in airstrikes or firing off rocket launchers also becomes more exciting when seen in their full glory. The game’s levels bounce between standard missions, wave-based survival modes, and even turret sequences for those that miss the first-person feel. But nothing justifies the new perspective more than the occasional quick-time events where players swipe the screen, causing their hero to dramatically leap out of the way of sniper fire. It’s bombastic and ridiculous in the same blockbuster action movie way other AAA games are. And given its content and fall release, Overkill 3 definitely wants to be in that company.
Developer Craneballs says the limited number of levels in this soft launch version will be expanded during later releases, but players can still get more from the experience by buying and experimenting with different tools. Equipping new armor, lovingly rendered guns, and side weapons can really change a fight, and players can level-up via repeated playthroughs to give them access to even more goodies.
The past generation of games proved people can’t get enough of modern military shooters, but will this generation prove that players have now had their fill even on mobile? Overkill 3 will have to find that out for itself when it fully launches later this year.
In some way or another, most Japanese RPGs owe something to Final Fantasy. But with Terra Battle, the now-common mix of Western medieval fantasy with Eastern anime aesthetic feels earned. After all, its developer, Mistwalker, was founded by the Final Fantasy mastermind himself, Hironobu Sakaguchi. While this upcoming strategy game is definitely more modest than its ancestors, it’s still worth noticing when a company with this pedigree flexes its muscles. So that’s what we did in this latest edition of It Came From Canada!
As modern RPG plots become as integral to their respective games as they are incomprehensible, Terra Battle harkens back to an earlier time when fighting monsters was as good a reason as any to recruit tavern patrons to your party. There is a story, but those who choose to skip it can still find the game worthwhile.
And besides, the vast majority of the time is spent in the battlefield brawls that make up each chapter. Terra Battle‘s take on turn-based strategy feels like a cross between Fire Emblem and a board game like Reversi. Enemies and party members appear as squares on a grid. During each turn, players can move one square wherever they like while they still have time. To attack, players simply flank an enemy with two units.
The game also uses a weapon triangle system where certain attacks trump others, like rock-paper-scissors. However, proper positioning is the real focus. Beyond basic movement, players can explore other tactical options and quirks like passing units through each other to shift their locations or creating larger support clusters to attack multiple foes at once. Occasionally, powerful orbs will materialize on the grid, and by working those into their formations players can unleash even more devastating attacks perfect for boss fights.
To improve their party, players can also participate in daily challenges in special zones to earn more experience or loot. But really, the deep, intense, and highly strategic combat is the draw. It’s so good players may not even notice or care how lovely but generic the illustrated artwork is or how dull the barren grid itself becomes after staring at it for countless hours.
Terra Battle may not be some endless epic about saving the world from calamity, but it is a tight little test of wits. And it’s coming to the App Store soon, so be on the lookout.
Of all the “hardcore” game genres that have had recent new life as more casual mobile games, RPGs might be one of the most surprising. With their focus on numbers, organization, and slow, patient play, you wouldn’t expect them to fit in with quick, flashy distractions. However, the upcoming Might & Mayhem offers a pretty clear explanation for this phenomenon. While it has many trappings of a dense role-playing adventure, playing it is a much more straightforward, and arguably stripped-down affair. We find out if it still has enough of the goods in this edition of It Came From Canada!
In Might & Mayhem players build a three-person team of fantasy warriors – from dashing but weak sword fighters to mysterious and buff spell casters – and fight a series of turn-based battles. There’s no real overworld to explore, not much grinding, and little emphasis on loot. Rather, players just take on battle after battle in kingdoms full of enemy robots and goblins before reaching a boss. Fortunately, the combat has some depth to justify its prominence. As each match goes on, players accrue more action points. With more action points, they can launch stronger attacks or multiple attacks at once. However, skills still have limits, so balance and strategy is crucial. Go for the strongest foe or take out the weak healer first? Smart tactics become especially necessary in online battles.
There is some customization to be had outside of battle, though. Players can upgrade their castle home base along with their fighters. While manually reviving fallen units costs precious diamonds, other upgrades are refreshingly freemium-free. Before quests, players can equip special single-use abilities like massive lightning strikes or health waves that can really turn the tide of battle. And more bonuses of all kinds unlock as players progress.
Since Might & Mayhem focuses mostly on its battles, it puts a lot of effort into their visual presentation. Everything is brought to life in colorful 3D environments with great, dynamic animations. Players can even rotate the camera whenever they choose to get a different view of the action. However, even if it is well made, the artwork itself is still fairly generic. Plus battles will glitch out and freeze a little too often, requiring a soft reset.
Might & Mayhem demonstrates how RPGs adapt themselves to mobile by becoming super straightforward. Players can decide from themselves whether or not that’s cool with them when it launches worldwide soon.
2KDenmark has announced that they will be releasing their new Shopping app, Heap, next month on September 1.
Heap is a shopping companion app that allows you to create shopping lists, get suggestions, and reorder items easily. The app uses high quality pictures to make it easy and fun to fill your shopping list, and the app is customizable. You can choose your language, color scheme, and even add your own pictures. Planning a party? You can share your shopping list with friends via SMS, email, and eventually the cloud.
Check out Heap on September 1 for free on the App Store.
With a brand new Star Wars trilogy on the horizon, prepare yourselves for Disney and George Lucas’s space fantasy throwback to be more omnipresent than ever before. So it should come as no surprise that new adventures in that galaxy far, far away are coming to mobile as well. The latest example? Star Wars: Commander. We check to see how strong the Force is with this upcoming strategy game in this edition of It Came From Canada!
As much as its creators try to deny it, Star Wars: Commander is Clash of Clans with the Star Wars license. Players begin as independent Tatooine mercenaries who have unfortunately gotten on the bad side of powerful gangster Jabba the Hutt. So to survive, players can either join the Empire as it continues conquering the galaxy or make friends with the Rebels heroically struggling for freedom. Whatever they choose, players then begin building their base and taking on missions.
At their headquarters, players can upgrade new structures and droids to help bolster their forces. Depending on what faction they choose, hero units like Han Solo or giant death machines like AT-ATs will be at their command. With these units, players take on the light real-time strategy missions that make up the game’s single-player campaign. They can also ally with other players or launch offensives against them. However, that means they must remember to keep their own base safe as well by constructing defensive walls and turrets along with deploying strategic air strikes. The missions themselves are brief, easy, and mostly just focus on destruction, but it’s lame how any units brought in can never be used again even if they survive. It leads to needlessly conservative play.
But again, all of this will be familiar to Clash of Clans players. This is mostly just an elaborate Star Wars skin. However, it is hard to deny how great a skin that is. The character models, sound effects, and musical cues are not only fantastic, but almost overwhelmingly nostalgic for the original trilogy.
If this is all part of the master plan to get people excited about Star Wars again, it’s working. Star Wars: Commander is currently in a soft launch phase and will coming to a galaxy near you very soon.
Not Doppler has announced that Earn to Die 2, a sequel to their successful game Earn to Die, will be making its way to the App Store later this year.
This new game will feature a Story Mode five times longer than the original and ten new, completely destructible vehicles. The game is also set in a new urban environment, with levels containing multiple tiers of highway overpasses, tunnels, and zombie-filled factories.
Earn to Die 2 is set to ram onto the App Store later this year.
With its use of well-established tropes like endless flying and sci-fi space shooting, the upcoming Galaxy Dash: Race to the Outer Run most likely won’t confound expectations. However, with its robust amount of opportunities for fun player interactions it might just exceed them. We check out this new great space coaster in the latest edition of It Came From Canada!
Galaxy Dash has the typical infinite runner set-up: players control a ship and try to fly out as far as possible, hopping between the three lanes to avoid enemies and obstacles. But from that familiar framework, the game then introduces a lot of interesting small details that add up to something greater. For starters, players can shoot lasers to bring down bogeys or bust open gem-filled asteroids. However, the weapons need recharging so players must plan their shots carefully. Part of that includes paying attention to the snaking nature of the lanes. Shots always go out straight, but players themselves will be at the whim of their looping path. The way larger deadly asteroids casually intersect also adds to the cool feeling of naturalism.
But players’ options aren’t limited to pure offense. In between rounds, they can upgrade various aspects of their ship or purchase new models. One upgrade path lets players increase the speed of their shield, which charges throughout each run and can soak up a single hit. Or players can choose to upgrade their cargo. Each run is littered with crates – some lying out in the open and others attached to special enemies. Depending on their capacity, players can pick up these boxes and earn extra points by carrying them to the checkpoint outpost separating each section. Finally, players can recruit allies who leave special power-ups for them to find, like deadly double lasers. Tying Galaxy Dash‘s surprising amount of gameplay choices together is the clean, colorful art style. What looks to be cel-shading gives beautiful depth to images that could’ve seemed flat otherwise.
Again, Galaxy Dash won’t feel like some radically innovative experience once it fully launches – it does things players have seen before. However, it’s hard not to appreciate how well and how intelligently it executes those familiar ideas.
When the evil alien invaders inevitably come, it’s pretty much guaranteed that only the pure innocent hearts of children can save us – or at least children as well-armed as the cast of “Attack the Block.” So we might as well start preparing now with Scrap Force, an upcoming turn-based strategy game where children use alien power to protect the planet with homemade weaponry. We find out just how much kids rule in this latest edition of It Came From Canada!
Scrap Force consists of a lengthy series of turn-based battles between plucky neighborhood kids and evil alien Obliteroids. Each match is one-on-one with two teams of six facing each other using three lanes that are two-units long. Players don’t create units, but rather draw from a shuffled group of heroes to place on the battlefield. At the start of each round, players and enemies are given an increasing amount of power shards. With more shards, stronger heroes can be summoned, so the match escalates no matter what.
The hero variety is really what gives Scrap Force its depth. Every new warrior has his or her own quirks to learn. Some can attack as soon as they are placed. Others steal power shards with each hit. Some kids can move in more directions while others just have more sheer strength. There are tons of strategies and counter-strategies to form using these unique abilities in concert. Skillfully balance these fighters to defeat alien foes and topple their base. Using items like bowling balls and hot dog dynamite helps, too. And with its simple 3D playground characters and environments, the whole thing has a neat Backyards Sports vibe. Except it’s galactic warfare instead of football.
In between rounds, players can summon new heroes and upgrade old ones with the scrap they’ve collected. Downtime isn’t optional either, since the game’s freemium timers keep players from just blasting through the campaign. That means players will be spending a lot of time with these child soldiers. But given what we’ve played so far, that might not be such a bad thing.
So be on the lookout for Scrap Force once it fully launches soon.
According to Joystiq, Armin Ibrisagic of Coffee Stain Studios has announced at GDC Europe today that they are working on bringing Goat Simulator to iOS.
The ridiculously popular game started as joke prototype, but the fan response was so great that Coffee Stain Studios felt compelled to make the wacky goat game a reality. Ibrisagic has reported that game has sold “almost 1 million” copies to date. That’s a lot of goats!
No details have been given on pricing or a release date yet, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.
Set during World War I, the game puts players in control of several different characters as they endure all sorts of hardships in an attempt to survive. And some of them may not achieve that goal. So you’ve been warned: there will be sadness.
The controls have been reworked for touch screens, naturally. You can check out the video below to see it in action.
There’s been no word on a price yet, but it stands to reason that Valiant Hearts: The Great War will be a premium release when it comes to the App Store on September 4.
In 2009 Origin8 released Sentinel, a sci fi Tower Defense game. The app and its following two installments (Sentinel 2: Earth Defense & Sentinel 3: Homeworld) have been consistently highly rated and reviewed. Fans of the series can now rejoice as Sentinel 4: Dark Star has been submitted to Apple for approval.
Sentinel 4: Dark Star will offer players a new campaign with 26 unique maps, an endless mode, new enemies, a huge array of weapons including Uber towers, and the new improved Stronghold. You will also have access to Commander heroes that can earn experience and level-up. As you win you can upload your score to the Global Nexus, which rewards you for furthering the worldwide cooperative push. Origin8 has also retooled the game’s tech to include real-time dynamic lighting and shader effects to give the game atmosphere.
While there is no set release date yet for Sentinel 4: Dark Star, fans take heart as it will not be long now.
If you go to a casino, you might make a lot of money. If you run a casino, you’re guaranteed to make a lot of money. The choice seems pretty obvious. So while waiting for your shady real estate deals to move forward, get prepared with Tiny Tower Vegas, the latest follow-up to the smash hit sim Tiny Tower. We become mini casino moguls in this latest edition of It Came From Canada!
Tiny Tower Vegas will feel instantly familiar to fans of the original. Players build their gambling empire floor by floor while keeping customers happy and business flowing. New floors need new employees, and players can choose between who the best person for the job is and who is the most affordable. Customize the tower by putting pyramids or Greek statues on the roof, changing interior décor, and even sprucing up the elevator design. Players can also upgrade the elevator’s speed since they’ll be operating it by hand quite often to get guests where they want to go. And it’s all presented in the same great, low-key pixel art style.
But of course, the Las Vegas setting comes with its own demands – even if this seems based on new, classy, family friendly Vegas instead of old, seedy, good Vegas. While some new floors will be the occasional taco bar in need of restocking, the gambling is where the real action lives. Players can try their luck on slot machines and earn extra cash alongside customer revenue. Once the hot streak ends, would-be pit bosses can check up on how their “bitizen” guests are doing by reading the “BitBook” social network, or just sit back and watch the fireworks – the only things brighter than the massive glowing signs.
Current Tiny Tower players shouldn’t expect Tiny Tower Vegas to completely reinvent the wheel after its soft launch phase. It’s got some new ideas, so it’s not just a reskin, but it’s so close to the original it’s more spin-off or expansion pack than sequel. But you can decide for yourself once it fully launches.
For all the hate that it gets for being a pastime for slackers, skateboarding really does require a lot of skill. All those flips and spins take real athleticism, and there’s all the jargon to memorize. Fortunately for us less extreme individuals, Epic Skater makes things a lot simpler by handling all that pesky “moving” business. We check out this upcoming endless runner – or skater, rather – in this edition of It Came From Canada!
Epic Skater always starts with its kid hero bursting out of a dusty old classroom to go skate in the big city. But from there, the game randomly strings together its environments to create a slightly different experience each time. Certain sections will become familiar, but changing the order keeps players on their toes, and their toes on the board. The different backdrops are also lovingly detailed, whether it’s the giant “Epicwood” sign or the various restaurants players skate by after emerging from the sewers. And it’s all brought to life in a colorful, fast-paced, 3D cartoon world.
As an endless runner, the only goal is to make it as far as possible without stumbling over an obstacle. But what’s the fun in that? The real goal is to get as high a score as possible using the game’s fairly robust, Tony Hawk-style trick system. Swiping or holding down on the screen in various ways will trigger all kinds of unique flips, spins, and jumps. Players can chain moves together through manuals, or if their timing is really precise, hop right onto a grind rail in the background. The game gets quicker the longer it goes on, and soon players will be leaping over massive gaps at breakneck speeds. They might even start to worry for the kid – especially after watching some of the gnarly failure animations.
Between runs players can use the coins they’ve gathered to upgrade their board, or buy boosters at the start of each round. With real money they can also buy energy drinks to continue a failed run without losing any points. But as far as freemium elements go, that’s pretty inoffensive. Plus, by paying attention to the achievement system players can earn most of the experience they need to take their skater to the next level without crutches.
Currently, Epic Skater is only available in countries like New Zealand as part of its soft launch phase. But expect it to shred its way onto App Stores everywhere soon.
Bio Inc. is an evil game. It can make players feel legitimately guilty. It’s not only about killing, but killing as subtly and fiendishly as possible. It’s about death as inevitability. After blackening our hearts and poisoning our souls, we’re here with the autopsy in this latest edition of It Came From Canada!
Remember the villainous virus from Osmosis Jones that took pride in killing people as fast as possible? That’s basically Bio Inc.’s premise. Players dive into the body of some unsuspecting sucker and try to end their life quickly and efficiently. It’s like Trauma Center in reverse. At the start of each round, players hop between different body systems, like the brain and the skeleton, harvesting minor bacteria like resources in a strategy game. From there, they use the points they’ve acquired to unleash new ailments like the flu and insomnia. As new symptoms take their toll, players can climb further up the tech tree discovering even stronger ways to cripple their victim’s heart or immune system defenses. They can even unlock bonus risk factors to buff their attacks like making the victim smoke or eat junk food.
But as in real life, killing in Bio Inc. isn’t that simple. Eventually the victim will go to the doctor and start receiving care. Once that happens, their recovery meter will start to go up. As the player’s attacks become more vicious and more systems start to fail, the doctors start working even harder and recovery increases faster. The game then becomes a race against time to murder the mark before the doctors can save them. Players can even use downright abhorrent sneaky tricks like making the doctors go on strike and halt recovery.
What’s most diabolical about the game though is how its deep strategic elements make players thoughtfully plan out their dirty deeds. Target one system aggressively or spread out the infections? Pepper the body with little diseases or save up points and release The Big C? Each new victim also has specific traits like high stress or a family history of genetic deficiencies. Exploiting these facts is crucial, especially on higher difficulties. Players can even name their targets for maximum meta cruelty.
The horror inherent to the premise is only slightly blunted by a few funny voice clips accompanying each new development. Upping the victim’s age to over 60 sounds especially, hilariously painful. But beyond that, the game pulls no punches while forcing players to watch their victim’s body slowly breakdown through the harsh, clinical interface.
Bio Inc. isn’t available yet, so fortunately we have some time to brace ourselves for the complete extent of its malice. Once it fully launches though, it just might spell the end for our current age of innocence.
Sebastian Gosztyla, a programmer for such games as Guilty Party and Avengers Initiative, wanted to make games less escapist and more interactive with other human beings. After experimenting with different gameplay styles he has come up with Dual.
The game involves two players and each of their screens make up half of the play area. Players fling missiles at each other and attempt to doge them by physically moving and tilting their phones. The game communicates between phones using bluetooth or wifi on the iPhone and Android, which makes it a great play-anywhere-anytime game.
There is no set release date, but Sebastian Gosztyla is hoping to make Dual available sometime near the end of summer.
It’s always easy to be way too cynical when it comes to free-to-play games, and when Tony Hawk’s Shred Session was announced there was certainly some thought that it could be a cheap licensed affair. Well the game has soft-launched in New Zealand, so I put on my helmet, grabbed my board, and found out this is a more casual game – but not a cash-in.
The game is set up as a lane-based runner a la Subway Surfers, but it truly is just a Tony Hawk game set up in that vein of being friendly for mobile and casual play. Levels include ramps, rails, and even half pipes. Tricks can be strung together through the gesture-based system for grabs, flips, and grinds. Extended gestures exist for more complicated tricks. These complicated tricks can be unlocked and bought with coins over time as players level up, or unlocked instantly with bucks (the hard currency).
The game takes place in two modes: Shred Session and Survival. Shred Session is a level-based mode where each level tasks players with short-form goals to chase after. Some levels involve scoring a certain number of points before the timer or level runs out. Others involve collecting a certain number of orbs, collecting time tokens, and participating in trick-offs with other skaters where the prescribed tricks must be matched. All are managed by a three-star system, with higher scores or more collectibles necessary to get more stars.
While the game is free-to-play, and more advanced tricks will help with combos, it does a great job at not letting the monetization get in the way of playing the game. There are boosts to buy along with new boards and skaters, but purchases largely feel optional instead of necessary. Having no energy system helps out a lot, too. Given that style is a huge part of skating culture, I can see cosmetic upgrades contributing to the game’s moneymaking – particularly as hard currency is needed to unlock many of the skaters and cooler tricks early on. But there’s no replacement for skill.
While certainly the monetization could change, it seems as if there’s a really interesting core here; one that could appeal to those who like skateboarding games, but want a mobile-friendly experience. We’ll see how the world reacts when Tony Hawk’s Shred Session eventually goes worldwide.
InnoGames, fresh off announcing Rising Generals, has an iPad strategy game currently soft-launched in Canada. Forge of Empires has players building a town, so I grabbed my sword and hammer and set off for the land of maple syrup for this edition of It Came From Canada!
The main phase of the game is town-building: creating new buildings in order to earn more money, or items that can generate more resources such as building points, villagers, gold, and even happiness. There’s a lot to keep track of here. This is all in service of becoming the most powerful town in the world. There’s a leaderboard of players that one can peruse, with guilds that can be joined for cooperative purposes.
Okay, it sounds a bit like Clash of Clans so far. The key difference is that players don’t just send off enemy hordes to battle: they enter a turn-based strategy game with them.
Battles take place on a hexagonal grid, where players can move their units about within their specified range, and can attack enemies within their attack range. There are also defense bonuses for certain terrain types. It’s very basic strategy gameplay, but it’s definitely deeper, even in its simplicity, than most Clash of Clans-esque games. Units start out as Bronze Age soldiers and eventually get up to modern era ones, though this will likely take a long time to get going. Those who check in often and spend their forge points regularly will get to the later eras first.
While there is a campaign against computerized enemies, it’s also possible to interact with other players. These can be in friendly ways: motivation and polishing will help resource generation and production happen at a faster rate. As well, it’s possible to attack other players and plunder one of their buildings. It appears that all battling is asynchronous for now against human opponents.
Players can research new units and types by spending forge points. These recharge over time (or can be bought with gold or diamonds) and by researching new tech trees, new unit types can be had. The tech trees are deep, so people who come back often will be the first to unlock later portions of the game.
While the town-building is very familiar – and the strategy very basic – for this oft-imitated genre spearheaded by Clash of Clans, the relatively-deeper (yet still approachable) combat might be worth checking out once it launches worldwide.
Just announced on Monday, May 19, Super Monkey Ball Bounce also showed its face in the Canadian App Store. This free-to-play game puts a Pachinko and Peggle spin on the game of monkeys in spheres. So, I sealed by plastic ball up tight and crossed the border for this edition of It Came From Canada!
This game is very Peggle-like. It uses many of the same tropes and gameplay setups as Peggle does. The general mission is to pop the various star pegs, with other pegs existing as opportunities to get bonus points, including randomly-placed multiplier pegs. Power-up pegs also exist, which grant an ability based on the selected character, though ones beyond AiAi require playing the game to certain levels to unlock. AiAi’s is a guided line, which is pretty much identical to the first character in Peggle, though other power-ups start to show some variety. Still, this skews closer to the Peggle formula than even what Papa Pear Saga did – though the physics feel a lot more consistent than King’s take on the genre.
How does Super Monkey Ball Bounce operate within the confines of its monetization? The game uses a currency of gold bars, which come with a free supply at the start but are either not earned or only infrequently so. What can be bought with them? Well, there are boost power-ups that players can take into levels with them, including the power-ups of other characters. Also, a slot machine that can be played for every ten spins can get guaranteed win spins for the cost of a few gold bars.
As well, continues can be had for gold bars. That’s likely where the money-making comes in: levels can start to ramp up in difficulty, and the temptation to spend real-world money on gold may just set in. As well, there’s a lives system like Candy Crush Saga (with a level progression map just like it as well), and these run out whenever the player fails a level, though connecting with Facebook friends can earn more lives.
The monetization might be an interesting thing to track at the final release. Super Monkey Ball Bounce is a slow burn early on so it might not make money for a while, or the early part of the game might get a bump up in difficulty. It’ll be interesting to see how Sega approaches this once it releases worldwide.
Mobile gamers know Terry Cavanagh for Super Hexagon, the challenging minimalist arcade game that seemingly begat a hundred more challenging minimalist arcade games. But before that, Terry Cavanagh’s big game was VVVVVV, a gravity-flipping open-world platformer that was also very difficult. A mobile version, while discussed before, may have seemed impossible: after all, being a platformer built around precision, virtual controls aren’t the friendliest situation for this game. But Terry Cavanagh’s taking a stab at it, and the mobile version is nearing completion. And it just might surprise some folks who thought VVVVVV was practically impossible on mobile.
For the uninitiated, VVVVVV takes place in a universe where the player, controlling Captain Viridian, can flip gravity to run along the ceiling as well as the floor. Players have to use Viridian’s abilities to rescue five other missing crew members, along with discovering the “shinies” that are hidden throughout the world.
VVVVVV is a non-linear game, and players can discover it as they so choose. There are no additional abilities to unlock, so unlike a Metroidvania game where progression is hindered until a certain item is obtained anything can be seen and any challenge conquered with one’s own skill. Just be prepared to die a lot. Thankfully, checkpoints are abundant.
VVVVVV presents an interesting controls challenge for touchscreens, though. The game requires being able to swiftly move left then right, but with a third button for flipping. Thus, the game’s default control scheme uses swiping horizontally on the left side of the screen to move Captain Viridian around, with tapping on the right side to flip gravity. As well, there’s a virtual buttons option, and one where tapping on either side of the screen moves that way, and tapping on both flips gravity.
The controls are still very much being tweaked and perfected, but VVVVVV is perfectly playable, and at a skillful level, with these controls. Will this become the preferred version of speed runners? Most likely not, as precise movements are what suffer a bit here just by the nature of virtual controls, but for people enjoying this game for the first time – or once more – the experience should remain true.
VVVVVV itself is fully playable in its current form, with even the player worlds feature from the computer versions available for more challenges once the main game is completed. Various bug fixes and tweaks to make the mobile version work better are what stands between this and its eventual release.
After messing around with giant cubes and social experiments, the famously eccentric game designer Peter Molyneux returns to the God game genre with Godus. This spiritual successor to Molyneux’s earlier game, Populous, is currently in beta on PC and has just soft launched on the New Zealand App Store. We let absolute power corrupt us absolutely in this edition of It Came From Canada!
Witness and shape the beginning of human history in Godus. As a benevolent deity, players will guide their followers from a single hut on a beach at the dawn of time up until around the Roman Empire, although the game could certainly continue from there. The main way to achieve this is by molding the Earth and allowing the population to expand. It’s almost sad mowing down thick forests to let humanity proliferate like a virus, but such is life. There don’t seem to be any threats to the tiny citizens, like predators or natural disasters, so players can just focus on reproduction. As the population grows, the player’s godly power increases – granting them new skills like the ability to shift oceans or terraform more parts of the single, continuous map.
The game unsurprisingly has numerous subsystems as well. More intense god powers, including burning bushes or controlling followers directly through “leashing,” draw from the belief of worshippers. Players naturally gain belief as their small world grows, but it can be purchased using the game’s real-money gem system as well. Players can also purchase sticker packs to activate the special cards they receive with each level up. These cards bestow various bonuses like faster building speeds or the ability to start settlements on different terrain. Fortunately, stickers appear naturally in the world too.
As more of the cold, unconquered North gives way to the player’s bright civilization, players will encounter ships and beacons allowing them to interact with other players online. In fact, the grand prize for finishing 22Can’s previous game Curiosity was becoming the God of Gods in Godus, along with a share of the profits. However, in many ways the game works best as an isolated experience, an entire little world unto itself.
That shoebox diorama quality is accentuated by the game’s almost paper cut-out art style. The solid colors and obvious layers of the landscape may not be realistic, but they’re charming. The same goes for the cute sound effects like the mysterious voices on the wind and the happy little tunes villagers whistle while they work. The distinct layers also make it easier for players to meticulously sculpt the land as they see fit. They can even make terraced steps out of the Earth for followers to climb to higher places, when their spotty path finding works that is. However, it is still a little too easy for fatter fingers to make unintended changes, which is especially annoying when those accidental changes waste precious belief.
Still, Godus successfully captures both the tedium and the power trip of what being an all-knowing, all-powerful force must feel like. Players can get their hands on a world of their own when the game fully launches.
Manila-based Altitude Games has announced their upcoming Run Run Super V. Taking cues from sentai series such as Power Rangers, this game will be an auto-running action game where players form a ranger squad and fight evil without stopping. There are three modes planned: run mode, vehicle mode, and robot mode, with the latter involving one-on-one fights with giant enemies, all using one-finger controls with gestures.
Run Run Super V is expected during the 4th quarter of 2014.
In an App Store chock full of shameless clones, it’s always nice to see a game that expands on its influences instead of just copying them wholesale. Such is the case with Globber’s Escape, now in a soft launch phase, which clearly borrows its basic framework from the classic Pac-Man formula. But fortunately it doesn’t stop there, and we see just how far it goes in this edition of It Came From Canada!
In Globber’s Escape, players guide a circular creature around a 2D maze collecting tiny objects and avoiding patrolling enemies. However, if they collect the right power-up they can turn the tables on their foes and gobble them up, sending baddies back to the center to regenerate. Again, it sounds like Pac-Man. But from that familiar set-up, the game starts diverging in small but clever ways.
Instead of static dots, players devour little aliens that sporadically burst out of different containers on the map and mindlessly roam around the stage. This means players must always be ready to adjust their paths and strategies on the fly. Once all the critters are collected, instead of automatically starting the next round players must manually escape the room by reaching the closest open door. However, this makes them even more vulnerable to agitated enemies like evil mad scientists and almost unfairly unstoppable robots. If players do get caught, they can free Globber using the rare revive hammers sprinkled throughout each map. And when it’s game over for real, the final score goes towards increasing Globber’s level.
In an alternate universe, Globber’s Escape is one of the better arcade games made to capitalize on Pac-Man‘s success. Along with all the mechanical twists, the game has a less breakneck and more strategic pace overall. The control scheme has players creating waypoints for Globber to follow by touching the maze, which reduces the amount of mindless, frantic tapping while still allowing players to course correct easily.
However, for all of its gameplay creativity, Globber’s Escape‘s presentation sadly falls back on generic tropes. The cartoony sci-fi visuals, full of vibrant colors and angular designs, are pleasant but uninspired. The music might as well be non-existent. Some of the dialogue between the chatty tutorial robots is at least kind of amusing in a classic comedy duo way, but the game’s universe isn’t the reason to get invested.
Instead, players should get invested because Globber’s Escape is reassuring proof that cool, new games can still come from slight tweaks to old concepts once considered done to death. They can find out for themselves though when the game launches worldwide soon.
Prepare yourself, AppSpy reports that something Lovecraftian is set to sneak its way onto the App Store tonight. The original 1992 version of Alone in the Dark, widely seen as the game that inspired the survival horror genre, is set to launch tonight – allowing players to take on the role of Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood once more.
For those unfamiliar with the game, your role is to explore the mansion of Jeremy Hartwood, now deceased. Along the way you’ll need to outwit or overpower supernatural enemies and solve puzzles in order to discover the truth behind Jeremy Hartwood’s death.
Survival horror fans should prepare for the witching hour, when the clocks strikes twelve, as that is when Alone in the Dark is set to arrive tonight for $0.99.
Did you read our Overkill Mafia preview coverage of the soft launch the other day and say to yourself “I can’t wait to play that!” Well, the good news is that you don’t have to wait, as the game will be available worldwide later tonight (typically around 11pm EST, 8pm PST) for free. Bust out the 1920s greatest firepower on some mooks and rule old-school Chicago with an iron fist and an itchy trigger finger.
Krosmaster Arena, the online version of the board game from Anakama and Japanime Games, is getting a mobile version coming in early 2015. This miniatures-based board game has had its online version available via browsers for some time now, but now mobile players will be able to play from anywhere. As well, it will allow players to bring in the figures they already own into the mobile version of the game.


text:
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The more M-Balm used, the stronger the restored wood member will become. It consolidates the decayed area in preparation for use with E-Wood and further timber finishes.
You can purchase M-Balm and its sister product E-Wood separately or purchase our Epoxy wood rot repair kit which includes enough M-Balm and E-Wood wood filler for small repairs. Our epoxy wood repair kit is a very popular.

domain: chemistry


text:
Taiwan held rescue drills on Tuesday off the coast of its sole outpost in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, but the biggest claimant in the disputed area kept uncharacteristically quiet.
China and self-governed Taiwan seldom see eye to eye, but in responding to Taipei’s latest assertion of sovereignty over Itu Aba, Beijing has avoided the harsh language it often directs at other claimants to the busy waterway.
China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts or all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually.
Taiwan and China suffered setbacks to their claims in July, when an international tribunal ruled that China’s boundary, the so-called nine-dash line, was invalid. It also said Itu Aba was a rock, rather than a self-sustaining island entitled to a 200-kilometer economic zone.
Experts say Beijing is largely content for Taipei to push its claims on Itu Aba, the largest natural feature in the Spratlys, because China views Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken back by force one day, if necessary.
So, while Chinese ships have confronted Malaysian, Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the area, Taiwan’s regular journeys to and from the lonely outcrop have gone unimpeded.
“Our supply transports have never encountered Chinese interference,” Lee Chung-wei, minister of Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, told reporters visiting Itu Aba for the rescue drills.
In the exercises, coast guard vessels and navy helicopters practiced how to retrieve injured crewmen from a burning ship and transport them to Itu Aba’s small port and hospital.
Asked about the drills on Itu Aba, and whether Taiwan had an obligation to respect Chinese sovereignty there, China’s foreign ministry underscored its desire for a unified approach.
“The Nansha Islands, including Taiping Island, are inseparable parts of China,” spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing in Beijing, using China’s terms for the Spratlys and Itu Aba.
“Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have an obligation to jointly protect this ancestral property.”
Drills such as Tuesday’s show Taiwan’s determination to become an important player, said Ian Storey, a South China Sea scholar at Singapore’s ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, adding that Taiwan officials and experts had told him of frustration at being diplomatically marginalized in the South China Sea.
Taiwan treads a fine line between annoying friendly Southeast Asian neighbors and the United States — its sole political ally and arms supplier — by being a proxy for China’s sovereign interests, he added.
“It is a tricky position that means they are broadly supportive of Beijing,” Storey said. “They want to be seen as pushing their own Chinese claims, rather than Beijing’s, even though they are essentially the same.”
Taiwan officials say President Tsai Ing-wen kicked off plans for the drills in July, a month after Beijing cut official communication channels because Tsai, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), refuses to commit to the “one China” principle that Taiwan is part of the mainland.
To maintain ties, Tsai must continue arguing that Itu Aba is an island, not a rock, and is not to be used by military forces of other nations, said Wu Shicun, head of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
“Doing so would likely mean that they would threaten China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea,” said Chinese government adviser Wu. “If she steps over these red lines, I believe China will take responsive action.”

domain: geography


Genie+ launched at Disney World in 2021, and it has changed a LOT since then.
We’ve seen changes with Genie+ rules, pricing, and just the general appearance of the Genie section of the My Disney Experience app. But recently, something that usually fluctuates with Genie+ has been staying the same…and it’s kind of bizarre!
In 2022, Disney World announced variable pricing for Disney Genie+. This meant that the formerly $15 per person, per day system now had flexible pricing that changed depending on the day — and you wouldn’t find out the price until the day of your visit.
But in June 2023, Disney changed that policy again! Now, pricing is not only flexible by date but by park as well. Each day when you buy Genie+, you have to choose if you want to buy it for a single park or purchase the multi-park option. Typically, Magic Kingdom and the multi-park option are the most expensive, followed by Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and then Animal Kingdom.
Ever since the new version of variable pricing was put in place a few months ago, we’ve seen prices change pretty consistently. But in the past few days, that has NOT been the case. Ever since August 8th, prices for Genie+ have stayed the same at each park, every day.
Here’s what the pricing structure has looked like from August 8th-18th:
- $25 for the multi-park Genie+ per person, per day
- $25 for Genie+ at Magic Kingdom per person, per day
- $18 for Genie+ at EPCOT per person, per day
- $22 for Genie+ at Hollywood Studios per person, per day
- $16 for Genie+ at Animal Kingdom per person, per day
On August 19th, the streak finally broke and the prices changed to this:
- $23 for the multi-park Genie+ per person, per day
- $23 for Genie+ at Magic Kingdom per person, per day
- $17 for Genie+ at EPCOT per person, per day
- $21 for Genie+ at Hollywood Studios per person, per day
- $15 for Genie+ at Animal Kingdom per person, per day
There’s no telling if this trend will happen again or how long it will last, but the pricing typically fluctuates depending on crowd predictions. Some of these prices are on the low end of things, and we’ve been seeing historically lower crowds this summer at Disney World. We’ll be interested to see how pricing changes in the coming weeks as we head into September.
Stay tuned to AllEars for more updates and news from Disney World! We’ve got you covered with the latest!
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Have you used Disney Genie+ this summer? Tell us in the comments!