If you have you ever wondered how many Apps make reference to the elements then you’ve come to the right place! It is a question I’ve asked myself in my quest to discover how the elements are portrayed in popular culture. Here is where I’ve got to so far with the answer.
In the post ‘Planetary pop-ups, contrasting cultures’ I compared the way the intuitive elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Spirit/Aether) are portrayed in the recently released ‘Tengami’ App and the pop-up book on Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Tengami, which was created by Nyamyam Games, has no words, only images and music. Reference to the elements is therefore evoked by symbols, sounds, seasons and different landscapes.
There are a number of other Apps that explicitly refer to the elements, either in their titles and/or their content. The ones I’ve discovered to date are listed below. So far the focus has been on Apps for iOS. There are bound to be more, especially for Android devices.
I’ve yet to play or explore most of the Apps in detail, so that’s something to look forward to and share. At this stage I’ve indicated which elements the Apps incorporate, what ‘category’ it fits in and who created the App. Occasionally some additional information is added in brackets.
The diversity in the style and content of these Apps is a microcosm of the diversity found in the wider world of the elements. More about that in other posts. In the meantime, you can start exploring the elements in the world of Apps!
A selection of Apps designed for iOS that include the elements in the title and/or content.
4 Elements: Earth, Fire, Air, Water. Games category. Created by Playrix Entertainment.
7 Elements: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Air (Cloud), and Crystal (Gem). Games category. Created by Punchbox Studios.
Alchemic Phone: Has six elements in five realms of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Sciences. In total, there are 1700 discoverable elements! Games category. Created by Andrea Sabbatini.
Alchemy Premium: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. These are four of a discoverable 380 elements. Games category. Created by Andrey “Zed” Zaikin.
Element Bender: Fire, Water, Earth, Air. Games category. Created by Pendulum Productions.
Elements 3D: Fire, Wood, Water, Metal, Earth (Daoist basic elements or movements). Games category. Created by Magma Mobile.
Elemental – A Musical Instrument: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. Music category. Created by Nooskewl.
Elemental – Alchemy Puzzle: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. An Android App. Created by Vostu.
Elements War: Fire, Electricity, Storm etc. Entertainment category. Created by WYN Soft.
Jewel Dragon: Fire, Water, Thunder. Games category. Created by Pocket Elements.
Lord of Elements: Six elements incorporated. Games category. Created by Advanced Software Development.
Mahjong Elements HD: Water, Earth, Wind, Fire. Games category. Created by FDG Entertainment GmbH & Co.KG.
Master of Elements HD: Fire, Ice, Air, Earth. Games category. Created by Enter9 LLC.
MTR Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood. (This App linked you to the Elements shopping mall in Hong Kong. It has now been replaced by the ‘MTR Malls’ App, which incorporates four MTR shopping malls, including Elements). Lifestyle category. Created by MTR Corporation Limited.
The Adventures of Captain Planet: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Heart (Captain Planet is an amalgamation of the elements). Books category. Created and illustrated by Raym Zong Mohamad Khairrudin.
The Elements – A Visual Exploration: Covers the 118 elements in the Periodic Table, as envisioned by Theodore Gray. Has a companion App, ‘The Elements In Action’. (These Apps are the only ones listed that do not incorporate the elements Fire, Water, Air, Earth or Aether. They provide an interesting contrast to the other elemental Apps and show what can be done to make the elements in the Periodic Table entertaining!) Books category. Created by Touch Press.
Tribal Quest – Master of Elements: Six elements incorporated. Games category. Created by HolosOne.
Turner and the Elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Fusion. Created by the University of Kent for an exhibition at the Turner Contemporary in London. (This App is now difficult to locate so may have only been available during the exhibition. If so, that’s a pity, as it is very good).
Wu Xing: Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood (Five daoist elements or movements). Reference category. Created by Ars Subtilior.
Fire up Water down 
You have collected an impressive list of apps – if this doesn’t prove how far reaching the influence of the elements on our collective consciousness is, I don’t know what will! 🙂
Thank-you for your comments, on this and two of my other posts. As the elemental story continues to grow their influence on the collective consciousness should become even clearer! It’s amazing how many places they turn up.