With hundreds upon hundreds of new games hitting the App Store each and every week, its difficult for even a great game to stand out amongst the pack. Attractive presentation can turn some heads, and intriguing gameplay may get people playing (and keep them there), but sometimes you need an extra special hook to grab the attention of prospective players.

In the case of Sunburn, that hook is the premise: the charming, albeit terribly grim plot point that ultimately defines the experience. You play a spaceship captain whose cruiser was just smashed to bits by a glowing ball of light. Despite having no means of communication or tools to survive a long stretch in space, you nonetheless decide to honor your promise that no member of your crew will die alone.

Which means gathering everyone up and plunging straight into the nearest sun for a brutal, albeit oddly noble group death. Did your heart just sink a little? Its such a comically dire concept, yet so beautiful considering the circumstances. And Sunburn sells it perfectly with a colorful, retro-inspired aesthetic and plenty of humor injected via goofy crewmember quips and spacesuit-wearing pets.

Thankfully, Sunburn delivers more than just a unique starting point, as the 50-plus sectors youll navigate--to round up all nearby allies and launch into the sun before your oxygen supply depletes--deliver compelling gameplay and serious challenge, particularly in the later stages. Thinking about enlisting in this strangely upbeat voyage to spare your pals from a solo demise? Here are three reasons why this is one Sunburn well worth seeking out. 

Seriously, that premise: When I saw the launch trailer for Sunburn some weeks back, my only reaction was to grin widely and say, "Oh, wow." Death is so often your punishment in games--the thing you do everything in your power to avoid. But here, its the goal. And its not done in a crass manner; Sunburn isnt gross or offensive at all, although Im sure the objective might rub some the wrong way. 

Instead, its drawn up as the most honorable option in an utterly hopeless situation. As captain, you may not have gone down with the ship, but youre certainly not going to let your crew face their certain fate alone. That weirdly romantic premise wouldnt work with a too-serious tone or dull visual design, but Sunburn strikes just the right tone with its charming 16-bit-style graphics and amusing interactions between doomed crewmates. Disturbing as your task may be in each stage, Sunburn keeps things perfectly light and fluffy.

Its gameplay is unique, too: Luckily, Sunburns dire scenario isnt just window dressing on a tried-and-true gameplay concept--the tricky platform challenges feel unique, and require careful timing and navigation. Your task is to use the jetpack to zip around and collect each subordinate, attaching them all to one great big tether behind you. Youll do so while working with a limited supply of oxygen (replenished by landing on rotating planets) and dealing with moving fireballs, as well as flinging yourself through loopy gravity fields that wrest control from your thumbs. And if anyone perishes before youre all burning up together at the end, then youll have to try again. After all, nobody dies alone out there. 

Good luck, captain: Who knew that death would be so hard to come by in the black depths of space? In actuality, its not death thats tough to find, but rather the near-simultaneous group demise required to complete each stage. Thats what proves so challenging as later levels become hugely complex. Trying to float around fireballs with a half-dozen humans and pets linked up behind you is tricky, plus the tether can get caught and snap if youre not careful. Add to that the oxygen meter and other hazards, and completing your task can be incredibly difficult at times. 

It can be frustrating in moments, especially during the last leg of the trek, but Sunburns wit and charm go a long way towards keeping you on point. And I can promise you that theres really nothing out there quite like this lovable curio. 

Developer:Secret CrushPlatform:iOS (Universal)Price: $3

SOURCE: MACWORLD