TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Ionocraft Racing

Ionocraft Racing is a racing title for iOS unlike any other -- in both good and bad ways. The good side of it is that you're essentially building your own car in this one. The game's set in a steampunk universe, and the general gameplay loop has you building a car out of various parts (that affect steering, thrust, or the car's armor and mass), and then racing it around a track as fast as you can. Race faster, win medals, get more money ("Cogs" is what the currency is called), and then build a better car.

That's fun, but the bad part is that you're really just racing against yourself -- there are no other cars on the track with you. You can still technically race -- the game is Game Center enabled, and there is a certain thrill in trying to grab the best lap on a certain track. But the game is all about how to get the most out of the car you've built, not racing alongside colorful steampunk enemies as you might expect.

The game's fun, as long as you realize that it's all about the time trials, not a full racing experience like the vaunted Real Racing series. But the customization for your car is really impressive, and it's fun to see how a car changes after you've tweaked its parts or added new ones. Iconocraft Racing is now available on the App Store for iPhone for US $1.99, or on the iPad in HD for $4.99.