The App Store experienced tremendous growth in 2011 with 231,323 brand new iOS (iPhone, iPod touch & iPad) apps released and still available (some perished along the way). You can see all apps by visiting our Apps tab by clicking here. This year we wrote and published 1,100+ reviews (see them here), a pretty big number for a relatively small organization.

Despite writing reviews about a small subset of the total apps released in 2011 (about 0.50%), we feel really good about our list for the best iPhone and iPad apps. We look at apps every day and have the analytic tools available to us throughout the year to sift through the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of apps released every day to find the hidden gems.

Our list consists of twenty-nine apps and not surprisingly twenty of them are games, the biggest single category in the App Store. Be sure to read the full reviews (by clicking on the indicated links) to get screenshots and video trailers of the apps. You can also learn more about the apps and download them from the App Store by clicking on the indicated links.

Congratulations to all of the app makers who made our list! Here are our picks for the best iOS apps released in 2011, presented alphabetically:

* Albert by Fingerlab (Games): Albert by Fingerlab is a delightful game with unique illustrations, holographic effects and mini-games. Each mini-game is unique and requires different skills thus keeping you challenged and entertained.

App Store link: Albert (iPhone) and Albert HD (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Anomaly Warzone Earth by 11 Bit Studios and published by Chillingo (Games): We are huge fans of the tower defense genre and our curiosity was piqued when we first heard about Anomaly Warzone Earth—a tower offense game. That’s right, tower offense, not tower defense. After playing it (a lot), we can confidently say it is an extraordinarily superb game.

App Store link: Anomaly Warzone Earth in iPhone, Universal and Mac formats
Click here for our full review.

Anomaly Warzone Earth trailer
Click here to watch on YouTube 

* Bing for iPad (Reference) by Microsoft: We gotta hand it to Microsoft for coming up with a really nice iPad internet browsing app.

App Store link: Bing for iPad (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Blueprint 3D by FDG Entertainment (Games): Seeing an image explode into tiny dots and lines in three dimensions sounds more like the beginning of a physics theory, but FDG Entertainment transformed theory and art into an delightfully entertaining motion puzzle game. Blueprint 3D transforms a common image into nothing but scattered doodles across 3D space. By spinning and rotating the image via touch screen the player is challenged to form a cohesive blueprint gaining access to the next puzzle.

App Store links: Blueprint 3D (iPhone) and Blueprint 3D HD (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Bumpy Road by Simogo (Games): Bumpy Road by Simogo is a feel good love story wrapped up in an innovative game that will pull at your heart strings while challenging the dexterity of your fingers. Bumpy Road introduces a great game mechanic we haven’t before seen in an app. The couple’s vehicle is moved left and right by creating bumps on either side of it. Create a bump on the left and the car moves to the right and vice versa. Touching below the car will cause it to jump.

App Store link: Bumpy Road (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

Bumpy Road trailer
Click here to watch on YouTube 

* Dead Space by Electronic Arts (Games): Dead Space™ by Electronic Arts combines the theatrical prowess (voice acting, sound effects, etc.) of BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY™ 2, super crisp graphics of Rage HD and you-want-to-close-your-eyes scary moments of movies like Aliens to deliver a superb iOS gaming experience.

App Store link: Dead Space (iPhone) and Dead Space for iPad (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* DocuSign Ink by DocuSign (Productivity): DocuSign Ink by DocuSign has officially optimized faxing and scanning for the modern and mobile. The free app adds your saved personal e-signature, date and other form content with the press of one button: Sign. DocuSign Ink is developed to work with most document types, but its form field recognition works best with PDFs and Word Documents. Users create a standard e-signature and e-intial directly onto the screen by pointer finger, which can be edited anytime.

App Store link: DocuSign Ink (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* DrawRace 2 by RedLynx and published by Chillingo (Games) : DrawRace 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed DrawRace and we love it. Like the original, the unique touch-screen controls are used to draw your car’s pre-determined route in an effort to beat the other racers. I doubt you’ve ever seen anything like this game unless, of course, you’ve played the original DrawRace game but this one is much, much better.

App Store link: DrawRace 2 (iPhone) or DrawRace 2 HD (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Find My Friends by Apple (Social Networking): Find My Friends, a universal app recently released by Apple, gives users the ability to locate people as well as sharing your location with them. Find My Friends is a useful and clever app.

App Store link: Find My Friends (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Frisbee Forever by Kiloo Games (Games): Frisbee Forever by Kiloo is a fantastic game challenging you to flick and guide a Frisbee through countless hoops, avoid hazards and collect stars.

App Store link: Frisbee Forever (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

Frisbee Forever trailer
Click here to watch on YouTube 

* Gears by Crescent Moon Games (Games): Gears by Crescent Moon Games is a ball rolling game bursting with colors in a wonderfully created 3D world with a variety of creative challenges.

App Store link: Gears (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Glmps by Glmps (Photo & Video):  GLMPS records a video clip of the moments before a picture is taken. Genius! We love this concept because a video clip gives a picture more depth and context in telling a story.

App Store link: GLMPS (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Grimm by Robox Studios (Games): This game is a beautifully depicted, highly stylized and intelligently executed app. Grimm incorporates macabre elements including haunting images and sounds in this adventurous side-scrolling puzzle app. Put all of these qualities together and you have an app that is, in short, dazzling.

App Store link: Grimm (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Hanging with Friends by Zynga (Games): Hanging with Friends by Zynga is the classic hangman game supercharged with the fabulous technology apps and iDevices have to offer. If you like playing hangman or word games in general, you are sure to love this app.

App Store link: Hanging With Friends (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* iTunes Movie Trailers by Apple (Entertainment): Smart, handy and thorough, iTunes Movie Trailers is possibly the best companion ever created for movies.

App Store link: iTunes Movie Trailers (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Jetpack Joyride by Halfbrick Studios (Games): Jetpack Joyride’s original name was Machine Gun Jetpack featuring a jetpack that gained altitude as a result of shooting a hail of bullets. The name was later changed to Jetpack Joyride to reflect the myriad of propulsion methods used to keep the jetpack and its passenger aloft.  As it turned out, Jetpack Joyride is the perfect name for this game because it will bring a lot of joy to anyone who plays the game.

App Store link: Jetpack Joyride (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Max and the Magic Marker by Electronic Arts (Games): This is a unique and captivating game. The objective is to get Max to a portal at the end of each level by using a magic marker to draw objects to get him past obstacles and challenges. Ink for the magic marker is gathered by sweeping up orange orbs. Once the ink is used to draw an object, it can be retrieved by double-tapping the screen.

App Store link: Max and the Magic Marker (iPhone) and Max and the Magic Marker for iPad (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* MetalStorm: Wingman by Z2Live (Games) MetalStorm: Wingman is an aerial combat app done right. There is much to love about this game and it offers the best air-to-air battle game we have tested on an iOS device to date.

App Store link: MetalStorm: Wingman (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Onavo by Onavo Mobile (Utilities): Onavo is a perfect example of a cool innovative app everyone should download to their iPhone (see app’s description for participating carrier information). Onavo compresses download data from apps via their “magical shrinking machine”, a cloud-based technology acting as a proxy server, by a substantial percentage.

App Store link: Onavo (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Paper Train by Istom Games (Games): This is the best traffic management game app we have played in a long time. Although this app doesn’t introduce any new elements in the genre, it is remarkable well done and darn enjoyable.

App Store link: Paper Train (iPhone) and Paper Train HD (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP by Capybara Games (Games): Playing Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery is like sipping a glass of your favorite wine or a cup of your favorite coffee: you do it slowly and cherish every moment. At the heart of this game is a modern interpretation of the classic point and click adventure game.

 

* Qwiki by Qwiki (Reference): Qwiki is a unique and exhilarating app designed to give you information about a desired subject and then offering a variety of tangental information to fill your mind.

App Store link: Qwiki (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Squid Drop by Nor Eagle (Games): Squid Drop is one of those rare games with a simple concept infused with creativity, surprises and huge entertainment value. The objective is to carefully navigate your squid (wearing what appears to be a bowler hat) to low depths. Your score is measured in negative numbers reflecting the squid’s descent into the depths of the sea.

App Store link: Squid Drop (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Tiny Wings by Andreas Illiger (Games): Playing Tiny Wings reminded us when we first played Angry Birds or Cut the Rope and fell in love immediately. Tiny Wings is a big and wonderful game that will keep you playing for hours on end. The concept behind this game is simple: help a bird fly as long as possible before night sets.

App Store link: Tiny Wings (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Video Time Machine by Original Victories (Entertainment): We have always been suckers for history and love this app which aggregates a tremendous selection of video and audio footage dating back to 1860. One big reason why this app is so good is the audio and video footage are hand-picked instead of a script simply trolling YouTube and bringing back whatever it finds without being curated.

App Store link: Video Time Machine (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Where’s My Water by Warner Bros. (Games): Where’s My Water is the latest game from Disney mobile. It stars an ultra-hygienic alligator who must fight against the epic sludge of the underground in order to achieve his ultimate goal—taking a shower. Don’t think a showering alligator can rack up the adorable points? Then you’ve never met Swampy, Where’s My Water’s main crocodilian. If the ticking gator from Peter Pan had an irresistibly sanitary baby brother, it would be Swampy.

App Store link: Where’s My Water (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* You Don’t Know Jack by Jellyvision Games (Games): You Don’t Know Jack by Jellyvision is a terrific adaptation of the original computer games from the mid-1990s. If you like trivia and humor smashed together you are going to love this app.

App Store link: You Don’t Know Jack (iPhone) and You Don’t Know Jack HD (iPad)
Click here for our full review.

 

* Zite Personalized Magazine by Zite (News): Zite is a wonderful news app delivering specific content based on your preferences, reading habits and by analyzing your Twitter and/or Google Reader accounts. Zite has instantly become one of the apps we use every day. It is that good.

App Store link: Zite Personalized Magazine (Universal)
Click here for our full review.

 

* 1-bit Ninja by kode80 (Games): This pure run and jump game with stylized 1-bit engine is packed with surprises and a unique 2D to 3D game mechanic we love. 1-bit Ninja is a transcendent game that harkens back to games of yore but packs some technological marvels of modern times to create a fascinating experience.

App Store link: 1-bit Ninja (iPhone)
Click here for our full review.

To read all of our app reviews go to our News section or our Reviews section.