This week offered a mix of good and bad news for iOS gaming. On the one hand, former iOS powerhouse Ngmoco announced layoffs, but we got some awesome news to offset that. It looks like old school adventure game superstars Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert could be making a new iOS adventure game funded entirely by Kickstarter users.

Layoffs at Ngmoco

We'll start with the bad news. One of the most notable and exciting publishers from the early days of the App Store has announced that it will be conducting a string of layoffs. We don't know the exact numbers yet, but TechCrunch reports that the Rolando and Godfinger creator has shed upwards of 30 employees, with one game canceled and another trimmed down as a result of the downsizing.

Double Fine Kickstarter is a Smash Success

We're not quite sure if this has anything to do with iOS gaming yet, but it seems incredibly likely. Famed creator of old school adventure games, Tim Schafer, announced Wednesday that he was launching a Kickstarter for a new project via his Double Fine Productions game studio. He asked for $400,000 to fund the team and a documentary project about it, and within 24 hours, the total smashed past the $1 Million mark with more than 25,000 backers, and continues to add onto both tallies with each passing hour.

Double Fine is responsible for beloved titles like Psychonauts, Stacking, and Costume Quest, and Schafer says that the extra funds will go towards releasing the game on more platforms and in more languages. Considering how well point-and-click adventures typically work on the iPad and other touch screen devices, it shouldn't be long before we hear about an iOS release. Keep your fingers crossed.

1 of 6

Games to Watch

• View the full image

  Raid Leader

  This charming little game ($0.99, Universal) from freshman developer Red Zebra Games reminds many of the simplified RPG style employed by popular games like Battleheart. The big difference here is the heavy focus on giant boss battles. We approve.

• View the full image

  You and your cadre of heroes (each a unique class) will be tasked with dispatching some nasty bosses in a setting that's reminding some people of World of Warcraft's end-game raids. It's not a multiplayer game though. You control all the heroes and their abilities by yourself, which makes for an intriguing concept.

• View the full image

  Ragdoll Blaster 3

  The first two Ragdoll Blaster games were some of the earliest success stories on the newly-born App Store. However, the series has been notably quieter lately. After taking just one look at the third entry ($0.99, iPhone), it's easy to see why. Clearly a lot more effort has gone into this project.

• View the full image

  The visuals are far more eye-catching than either of the two previous installments, and it seems pretty clear that the developer is taking some cues from other success stories like Angry Birds, and Tiny Wings. Namely, cute sells like hot cakes on the App Store.

• View the full image

  Ignite

  Back in 2009 and 2010, racing games were all the rage on iOS devices. In an era when touch controls were still spotty and frustrating, racing games provided some of the best control of any other genre. Since then, the genre has lost much of its luster for iOS developers and we don't see as many releases these days.

• View the full image

  Ignite is a bit of a throwback to those times. It's an arcade-style racing game that takes cues from other favorites like Real Racing and Project Gotham Racing, and drifting and doing stunts earns you extra points. We're looking forward to playing Ignite when the PC game makes it way to iOS in the near future.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•