Welcome to What’s Appening, your weekly source for the latest and greatest in mobile apps.
Let’s be honest, no matter who you voted for, Inauguration Day is stressful. The transition of power from one administration to the next can incite worry, fear and tension — regardless of your political beliefs.
So today’s review includes three apps to help you detach from the real world and destress, even if it’s just for a moment.
First up is Viridi. Succulents are charming, but it’s hard to keep plants when you have stacks of Coke cans and textbooks strewn around your dorm.
Viridi lets you tend to adorable virtual succulents in a decorative pot.
The app is designed with pastel colors and will play soothing music while you tend to your plants.
Additionally, you have a pet snail that slowly inches around the side of the flower pot. As an added bonus, you can give the snail a name.
To care for your plants, you only need to water them and pull weeds. Even if you’re forgetful like me and don’t visit for months, the plants never die. Instead, it will turn a brown color that is immediately reversed by watering.
The next game is Sheep in Dream, with which you can have a world-class menagerie inside your phone.
To play the game you tap to collect wool and help the tired herder get rest. The more wool you collect in the game, the more types of sheep you can unlock.
Overall, the game is designed with soft lines, has no dark outlines and the background changes from night to day during gameplay. If music helps you relax, you’ll enjoy the smooth jazz that plays in the background.
Last but not least is Tiny Wings, a game where you help baby birds who haven’t grown their wings yet return to their mom.
To play the game, you tap and hold to bring the bird to the ground and then release to help them fly off the hills and into the sky.
I rate each app 5 out of 5 stars for graphic design and ability to destress.
Viridi is free on iTunes, Google Play and Steam. Sheep in Dream is free on iTunes and Google Play. Tiny Wings is $0.99 on iTunes.
Thanks for reading, Wildcats, and until next Friday, you know What’s App-ening.