Tom Hoeg (CWR '05; GRS '06, engineering) has been interested in game design since he was a kid. When he played board games, he liked to switch up the pieces and alter the rules. When he played video games, he was particularly attracted to 'modding' (which means modifying video game software) and level editors (software that allows gamers to create their own features).

It's probably not a huge surprise, then, that the mechanical engineering major went back to school to become a video game designer. In August 2010, Hoeg and his brother Rick launched ByteSize Games, a casual game developer based in Novi, Mich. They released their first game, FlipShip, (check it out at bytesize-games.com) to stellar user reviews and a mention on Apple's New and Noteworthy list.

Today, Hoeg is busy working on their next iOS game, which he's hoping to release this summer. Here are a few game apps that have had Hoeg personally hooked:

/ Battleheart, Mika Mobile, Inc. / "It's a very cool and simple RPG," Hoeg says. "Four little characters fight off monsters and protect each other. There's just enough progression to keep me going back to it."

/ Death Rally, Remedy Entertainment, Ltd. / A racing game with guns on your car, Death Rally is an iOS remake of a popular PC game circa 1996. Hoeg likes it because it features lots of progressively challenging levels. / Doodle Jump, Lima Sky / In this simple—yet addictive—game, players guide Doodle the Doodler while avoiding UFOs, monsters, black holes and other dangers.

/ Fruit Ninja, Halfbrick Studios / In addition to slashing through all kinds of fruit with a sword, players are also offered fun fruit facts. "Fruit Ninja is one of those ideas that you think is silly, but it's awesome," Hoeg says.

/ Jet Pack Joyride, Halfbrick Studios / "Feels like an arcade game. You're constantly moving and you have to grab coins and avoid stuff and— you know—not die," Hoeg says.

Other favorite apps include Gamefly and an app called Test Flight, which allows Hoeg to share beta copies of the games he's developing with a test group. He's also a regular reader of Touch Arcade, a site completely devoted to iOS games and reviews.

"I only have a few apps that are not games," Hoeg says. (But people, this is his job. You probably can't convince your boss that Words With Friends is sharpening your communication skills.)

Fun Alum Blog Alert

Who: Yvette Cendes (CWR '09; GRS '11, physics)

What: Where is Yvette?

Why: Imagine riding an ostrich, climbing to Everest Base Camp and hanging out with mountain gorillas. Cendes has been there, done that and then some. In fact, her research and travels have taken her to almost 50 countries on six continents.

Where: whereisyvette.com