App Name: Mr Crab

Developer: Illusion Labs

Platform and Price: iOS (Universal – requires iOS 7 and above, however I believe earlier versions will run on original iPad) – Free (with in-app purchases)

App overview: This is a really fun platform-style arcade game. You control a crab who has to make his way to the top of a spinning tower by jumping on platforms on the outside of the tower. The game has a very simple control mechanism – simply tap the screen to make the crab jump. It’s all about timing. On his journey up the tower the crab must collect little baby crabs, and defeat enemies by jumping on their heads

What I like about it: I love the relatively simple mechanic of this game – my son has been playing this for a while now, so an iPad-savvy three year old can play it, but his six and a half year old sister also likes playing, and it’s a game I enjoy too. So it’s a game that appeals to a wide range of ages. I also like the way the in-app purchases are implemented – they are there to help you unlock content quickly, and are not related to consumable items in game, so they’re not something that will encourage your kids to run up huge bills.

What could be better: The only downside I can think of with this app is that if you suffer with motion sickness you might not be able to play due to the constant rotation of the platforms. It doesn’t feel right calling this something that could be better, as it’s a fundamental design principle of the app and not going to change. Something to be aware of though

What parents need to know: This app contains in-app purchases, but they are not pushed at you, or essential for gameplay. The whole game is playable without paying any money. The in app purchases allow you to unlock additional levels of the game without having played all the previous levels, or to unlock additional characters to play. All in-app purchases are in the range of 69p to £1.49.

There are links to other apps by the same developer within the game.

The app is rated suitable for ages 4 and up in the App Store, and contains very minor cartoon violence. To get the bad guys out of the way you must jump onto their heads which makes them fall off the tower. If the crab runs in to a bad guy he doesn’t die, he just falls back down a couple of levels. This makes is easy to work your way back to where you were, and means younger children shouldn’t get too frustrated.

Our Verdict: A really fun game for all ages. Be warned – it’s addictive!

Download link: Mr. Crab on the iTunes App Store (affiliate link)

Disclosure: All information and prices are correct at time of publication, but please check before buying as things can change on the App Store. The download link within this post contains my affiliate code – any purchase made after clicking will be the same price to you but will also result in a small commission payment to me. All money made in this way goes towards the upkeep costs of this site.