The best iPhone and iPad games this week - Calculords, Out There, and Card City Nights

Every Friday, Pocket Gamer offers hands-on impressions of the week's best new iPhone and iPad games.

It has been a truly enormous week for new iOS games.

Between Royal Revolt 2, Autumn Dynasty Warlords, Demonrock, Beyond Space, Disco Zoo, God of Light, The Voyage, and many more, our writers and reviewers have truly had their work cut out for them this week.

Alas, we must be picky and choose just three new iOS games for you to play. Three outstanding new releases that are worth your time and money.

Like, say, a randomly generated space epic, a maths-based strategy game, and a quirky card battler.

Calculords
By Ninja Crime - buy on iPhone and iPad (Free)

Calculators are not just for dividing up the drinks bill and writing the word 'BOOBIES' upside down. In Calculords, you see, your trusty Casio will help you destroy the evil Hate Bit and take back the universe.

It's a card-driven lane-based strategy game at heart, though you can only deploy a card if you can make its numeric ID by adding, subtracting, and multiplying a sea of digits like an even-more nerdy version of Countdown.

Calculords is fiendishly original, genuinely funny (internet joke human Seanbaby wrote the dialogue), and rather addictive. We said that "it makes you think, both tactically and mathematically" in our Silver Award review of the game.

Card City Nights
By Ludosity - buy on iPhone and iPad (69p / 99c)

Card City Nights is a clever, cartoony, and wonderfully inventive card battler from the guys behind Ittle Dew.

In his Gold Award review of this game, strategy expert Matt said that "just like all the best collectible games, it feels custom built to keep you coming back for more."

"Whether it's the lure of the next card draw, or waiting to see what the next booster you win is going to contain, or the rabid desire to sink a boss and win a legendary card to open up the next section, it's just a ridiculous time sink".

It's also a barmy adventure game with an air of Scott Pilgrim and Adventure Time. So, yes, there are weirdo characters to meet, a nonsense Pokemon-style story of legendary cards, and a sexy hip hop / smooth jazz soundtrack.

Out There
By Mi Clos Studio - buy on iPhone and iPad (£2.49 / $3.99)

Out There turns the item-management screen of Resident Evil 4 into a complicated, engrossing sci-fi drama of big decisions, shocking surprises, and lopped-off fingers.

It's difficult and truly unforgiving, but you'll be raring to explore another randomly generated universe when you die - even though you take nothing from your last adventure bar experience and memories of jelly monsters and vortices.

In our Gold Award review of the game, Harry said: "A vast, lonely game about space and time and death, Out There is by turns funny, exciting, and fresh."

So, if you're eagerly awaiting FTL (or found Star Command too simple), go get this game.