App reviews: Layout, The Silent Age

Layout

Sometimes one picture isn't enough to tell a story. In the old days, we'd get out scissors and glue to put together a scrapbook. Today, we have photo collage apps, including a new one from Instagram. Layout prizes simplicity above all, making it intuitive to select and arrange images in the template of your choice.

Users can zoom in and out on images to get the framing right, or even opt to take new pictures of their own through a "Photo Booth" feature. And, as one might expect, it's also fairly easy to share your creations over Instagram or its parent company Facebook -- though you can share to other networks as well. The app is only for iOS devices (free) at the moment, though an Android version is expected in coming months.

The Silent Age

Mystery's the name of the game in this elegant yet complex puzzler. Without giving too much of the plot away, let's just say that players are put in the shoes of an everyday Joe in 1972 who finds himself in a situation that requires critical thinking, careful observation and time travel. Yeah, time travel. For a mobile game, this is advanced story work and it's very hard to put down.

The main limitation of this game is that only the first section is free. So if you want to find out how the story ends, you'll have to pay $5 for the second chapter. That's not a lot if you believe in supporting mobile game designers, but certainly something that people should know in advance. Free for the opening chapter, for iOS and Android devices.