The gym can be a painful, horrible place at times - and I don't mean the exercise part. Nay, I refer to the unspeakable horror that is the gym television set. I know what you're thinking: "That's why I bring my (insert music device here)." But let's face it, folks: Music will only keep you entertained for so long. Today's ADD athletes need something to occupy their minds while they tread the road to nowhere. I have found the answer: mobile games.
Not just any cell phone games, mind you - but a subset of games that meet basic criteria for gamers on the move. I've logged many hours playing games on the treadmill, and find myself coming back to the same basic ones every time. The reason: They work when I'm (power) walking. And just so we're clear, I am talking about walking on the treadmill - not running. This is geared to those of you who can't pick up the pace due to bad knees (raises hand) or those of you who need to kill a little time during your post-run cool down.
I chose these games based on trial and error. All games were tested at a high-speed walk pace with an incline. Games that were difficult or distracting were eliminated. The game that almost caused me to fall off the treadmill was eliminated from the phone altogether due to personal trauma. So what you will find here are largely games that allow you to take your time, with a heavy emphasis on match-3 and word games. This isn't a personal preference. They just turned out to be the best options. Shooters and side-scrollers simply don't work when you need to keep your equilibrium. Cut the Rope/Angry Birds type games were simply too difficult to line up while walking. Games that require moving the entire device also were disqualified, leaving a core group of games that are actually really nice little time fillers. Best of all, many of these are probably already on your phone.
Let's get moving!
Bejeweled (Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8)
In Brief: My all-time favorite treadmill game, hands-down. I have been playing Bejeweled for years, and it's still my fallback position whenever I get bored with other games or just want to kill a large period of time. This classic match-3 offers several games in one, including classic Bejeweled (time is ticking), Zen mode (no timer, no losses, no worries), and the insanely addictive "Diamond Mine" mode (pictured). This is where I spend most of my time. Your goal is simple: Match the jewels closest to the ground to clear it, freeing up more gems and occasionally exposing sweet prizes. Oh, and it has a timer. Yes, my first game violates one of my own rules. But in this case, it's so much fun that I'll make an exception. I really, really love this game!
Treadmill Factor: Yes, the addictive Diamond Mine mode has the dreaded timer. You can always go to Zen mode if you want to just zone out on the treadmill.
Fairway Solitaire (Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8)
In Brief: This fun but occasionally frustrating version of Solitaire is littered with golf references. Your score drops one point for each card removed. Your final score for each round is scored on a golf card and tracked toward your final goal for the course. The game ramps up fast, with water hazards, overgrown grass patches, and sand traps that block cards until you clear them. You'll also periodically encounter a whirling dervish wheel of torture filled with mini-games and the occasional reward. This game is mostly about the solitaire, however. Play well and you'll earn in-game cash that can be used to buy additional clubs (cards) for your virtual golf bag and other helpful tools. (I'm a big fan of a dehydrator that dries up the water hazard.)
Treadmill Factor: One of the best treadmill games I played. No timer to pressure you and the odds of accidentally making a move are pretty low. Just be careful not to put your thumb too close to the golf bags - you only get one free Mulligan (undo). After that, you're stuck with your mistakes.
Candy Crush Saga (Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8)
In Brief: If you're on Facebook, you've at least heard about this match-3 puzzle game. The mechanics are the same as all of the other match-3s you've ever played: Find matching candies and put them together to clear the board. This one features brightly colored pieces and a semi-story that has something to do with a creepy kid and a dragon. (You can skip the cut scenes. I recommend that you do so.) The game gives you just enough easy levels to get hooked, then amps up the challenge to humbling levels. When you run out of lives - and you will - the game offers three options for moving forward: Bug your friends on Facebook, buy more lives for actual cash, or wait out the penalty. If you really, really can't wait, you could just turn off the auto-date and time feature of your phone and change the date to say, tomorrow. Just remember to change it back when you're done.
Treadmill Factor: Very good, but not perfect. There are timed levels sprinkled throughout the path, which can add an unwelcome level of pressure when you need to wipe your hands down. Hitting the countdown clock can also break your rhythm while you figure out what to do next. If you can live with these obstacles, it's a great way to kill time.
Textropolis (Android, iOS)
In Brief: I absolutely love this spelling game that will delight anagram fans. Each level begins with a 9-letter city whose name can be used to create lots of smaller words. Players spell words using just the letters on screen. Submit a successful word and an airplane will fly across the top with a brief definition. Milestones are marked by both stars across the top and buildings that appear on screen. (More progress in our city!) At a loss for words? Just start tapping letters - if you get a hit, it will tell you. I have found countless words just by trying different consonant/vowel combinations that seem likely to work. Don't think of it as cheating, think of it as improving your vocabulary.
Treadmill Factor: Earning just a star or two is enough to unlock the next city, meaning savvy spellers can unlock multiple levels in one treadmill session. That allows you to bounce between cities, applying what you learned in one level to another similarly spelled locale.
Dots (Android, iOS)
In Brief: This newish match-3 game limits players to 1-minute sessions that last a lot longer than you'd think. Players can make vertical or horizontal moves to connect as many like-colored dots as possible. Unlike other match-3 games, this one lets you create 90-degree angles and U-turns in your pursuit of longer lines. As long as the dots are adjacent and haven't been used, you can snap them up. There is a slight push to share your high scores and progress with social media friends, but it's never obnoxious.
Treadmill Factor: Very good, but not perfect. There are timed levels sprinkled throughout the path, which can add an unwelcome level of pressure when you least expect it. Hitting the countdown clock can also break your rhythm while you figure out what to do next. If you can live with those obstacles, it's a great way to kill time.
Boggle Free (Android, iPhone)
In Brief: Exactly what it says - a digital version of Hasbro's Boggle game. "Shake" the Boggle container and then use your finger to form as many words as possible while the clock counts down. A good one for word fans who can spell. It's also an excellent way to build your Boggle skills before the next Thanksgiving tournament at Mom's house.
Treadmill Factor: My biggest issue with the game had nothing to do with the treadmill. Some games seem to be less sensitive to touch than others, and this happens to be one of them. That can be good and bad. On the one hand, the letters are close together, which can make adding an unintentional letter easier for those with sausage fingers - myself included. On the other hand, sometimes it doesn't make words at all. I'm willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt and say it's a user, and not a game, issue. Hey, it's free - download it and give it a try. You can always delete it if it becomes too frustrating.
Chuzzle
In Brief: The fuzziest match-3 ever! No, those aren't Tribbles. They're Chuzzles. Sweet, furry, chatty little Chuzzles that explode in the most delightful way when matched with their matching siblings. The mechanics in this game are different from other match-3s. This time, you're moving an entire line of Chuzzles side to side or up and down. It sounds simple, but wait until they start slapping locks onto random Chuzzles. (They can be freed from bondage through matching!) Play Classic mode to get the hang of the game or Zen for when you want to zone out. The Speed mode ramps up the pain fast, which could create a hazard on the treadmill. (I almost fell off at one point because I became so focused on finding the only possible match!)
Treadmill Factor: Stick with Classic or Zen mode, and you're golden. Speed Chuzzle at your own risk.
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One of the great joys of gaming is the opportunity to be someone else. Hard-boiled detective, savior of the world, psychotic race car driver who shoots turtle shells at fellow competitors - I'm looking at you, Mario! 
I have been dying to play Dead Island: Riptide ever since I saw it at PAX Prime last year. I am a huge fan of the original Dead Island (Busy Gamer Review), bugs and all. So it was great trepidation and excitement that I cracked my Rigor Mortis Edition suitcase (nice touch!) and tore into the first few levels of the game. 
Play the way you want. I love melee and tend to do poorly with firearms. Riptide gives you level credit based on your fighting style, and doesn't penalize you for not being a strong shooter (or hand-to-hand person, for that matter).
Save points. The best save system is "save anywhere." When the baby wakes up from nap or you hit that middle of the night exhaustion wall and need to be at work early and refreshed, you don't want to have to ditch your hard-earned progress. Life's too short to have to replay boss battles or tricky timed jumping puzzles just because the designer thought you should have the mad skillz to go 30 minutes and 10 difficult encounters between save points. If save anywhere won't work for some reason (such aqs technical limits or game balance), at least offer frequent checkpoints. Game designers are starting to segment in intelligent ways with innovations such as limited save slots only at higher difficulties. That's a great solution: Increased challenge for those who want it, but it's optional. 
Consistent, easy-to-pick up controls. Every time we need to learn a new control scheme, it adds to the learning curve. And if we can't learn a game quickly (or jump back in after a taking a break for a few weeks or even months), we're probably going to ditch your game. At least let us remap the keys/buttons so we can select a control layout that works for us. And include full control details and help in the game so we don't have to root around in the dark for the manual when trying to remember how to play (I'm looking at you, Dead Space!). Bonus points if you let us optionally re-enable the in-game tutorial prompts!
Multiple profiles/save slots. Just assume that the whole family wants to play every game you make, or at least 2-3 members of it. Games that lack profiles or have only a single save slot limit your game's appeal. The same is true for co-op games that don't offer a splitscreen option. There are very few games that we'll buy multiple copies of. Yours probably isn't one of them. You certainly shouldn't base your marketing plan on this idea. Instead, make us feel like we get good value out of your games. Then we'll not only be more inclined to buy that second copy if we really want it, we'll watch out for your next game.
The media is saturated with people trying to tell non-gamers what to buy their videogame-loving friends and relatives, which means you probably got five copies of the same game (or, if you're really lucky, multiple PS3/Move or Xbox 360/Kinect bundles!). Time to take those extras back to the nearest store, stand in a line longer than the wait for Santa, and get something you really want. We're real gamers (unlike many of those media types), and we're here to help. 
GrrlGotGame lost her mind this year and decided to build a Little Sister costume in a three-week period. This week, we look at the overall project, sketching, purchasing supplies, seam ripping, dye testing and the final dyeing of the dress. 
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Mere months ago, I attended a meet-up in Seattle so packed they stopped letting people into the bar. People went outside to smoke, and found themselves left out in the cold, literally and figuratively.