Ever since Apple kicked Fortnite out of the App Store back in 2020, game streaming services have been the only way for gamers to play their favorite battle royale game on an iPhone or iPad. But that's all changing today. Or, at least, it is if you live in a European Union member state.

Today sees Epic Games launch the Epic Games Store for iPhone in the EU, something that has finally been allowed following the Digital Markets Act's requirement that Apple allow third-party app marketplaces to be offered. The move means that games that wouldn't normally be allowed into the App Store are now available for download, including Fortnite.

Epic Games announced the move saying that Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe were all coming to the store. The company also announced that it is bringing its games to AltStore PAL as of today, too.

It's game time

Epic's press release also includes details on how iPhone owners can go about installing the Epic Games Store while adding that it's "launching on iOS devices in the European Union thanks to the Digital Markets Act, but Apple is still blocking all other iOS users outside of Europe from accessing Fortnite and Epic Games Store for iOS."

"The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder of Epic Games. Sweeney has been a strong critic of Apple and its App Store policies.

Fortnite was famously removed from the App Store in 2020 after Epic removed the game's App Store-based in-app purchase system and replaced it with its own — a move that went against Apple's rules and immediately saw the company's developer account revoked. Fortnite has not returned to the App Store since.

More from iMore

• Epic Games Store on iPhone rejected by Apple twice over button design, Fortnite maker claims
• Apple finally approves Epic Game store on iOS, paving way for Fortnite's return
• Apple reinstates Epic Games' developer account, opening the door for Fortnite on iOS

Bethesda's Fallout Shelter has long been a popular game among iPhone and iPad owners, even before the Amazon Prime TV show gave it a new lease of life earlier this year. Now, the team behind that hit title has a new one on the way, and it's available for preorder now.

The Elder Scrolls: Castles will officially launch on September 10 and you can register your interest in the App Store now. Fans of Fallout Shelter will definitely want to get their hands on this game as soon as possible, and it sounds like it's going to be a must-have for fans of The Elder Scrolls, too.

This of course isn't the first title from Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls franchise, but given its resemblance to Fallout Shelter, it may well turn out to be its most popular.

The king of your own castle

Bethesda announced the news via the X social network while also offering up a video featuring Production Director Veronique Bruneau and Director of Mobile Games Craig Lafferty who explain what gamers can expect.

According to the game's App Store description, gamers can look forward to telling their own story "for generations."

"Tell your story for generations - each day in real life covers the span of an entire year in The Elder Scrolls: Castles," Bethesda explains. "Train your subjects, name heirs, and maintain order to help your kingdom flourish. Will you keep your subjects happy and ensure a long life for their ruler? Or will they grow discontent and plot assassination?"

If that sounds like something you want to try out, preorder the new game now. It'll be free with in-app purchases.

More from iMore

• Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro gave me something very rare — a good mobile gaming experience
• I've played the entire Assassin's Creed Mirage demo on iPhone 15 Pro Max and I won't be buying it
• Forget PlayStation Portal, I'm buying this iPhone controller

I’ve loved football (or soccer for our American audience), for as long as I can remember, so when developer Sports Interactive reached out with an opportunity to play Football Manager 2024 Mobile, I was very excited.

Football Manager is an iconic gaming franchise that has existed in one form or another since before I was even born. As a self-confessed football fanatic, it has always been a far too addictive experience that lets you take control of a football club and bring it to glory as the manager.

The franchise has existed on iPhone since 2010, but what makes Football Manager 24 Mobile so special is that this year, the game is released exclusively through Netflix Games. That means that if you’re one of the millions and millions of Netflix subscribers, you can play FM24 Mobile on November 6 for no extra cost.

This year’s release includes loads of new quality-of-life improvements to bring the in-depth football experience to iOS, and it’s as addictive as ever.

In the dugout

Football Manager has come a very long way since it was released on PC in 2005. Nowadays, you can play Football Manager on most platforms, including game consoles like the PS5 and Xbox as well as iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Sports Interactive recognizes that the gameplay experience differs depending on the situation you play the game, so the developer offers multiple flavors to choose from.

For the tinkerman and wannabe professional coach, the full-fledged experience on Mac is unrivaled, giving you control over every aspect of running a football club. It’s fantastic but it takes a lot of commitment and can prove difficult for a casual player who just wants to pick up and play.

That’s where Football Manager Touch and Football Manager Mobile come in. Touch is a middle-ground, giving you the best of both worlds between Mobile and the full experience; I’ve found it perfect for playing on my iPad Pro 11-inch. The latest iteration, Football Manager 2024 Touch, releases on November 6 via Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

As for FM24 Mobile, which I’m talking about today, it’s the pinnacle of on-the-go sports management games, and honestly, writing this article was tough because I’ve not been able to put the game down. So far in my season, I’ve brought Chelsea, with their massive budget, back to the top of the English Premier Division.

Championships on the go

For total transparency, I’ve not played Football Manager Mobile in at least four years. I’m not a massive mobile gamer, so I tend to lose interest in playing games on my iPhone because the internet is too addictive — I also lack the self-control to not swipe up and scroll through Instagram every five minutes.

In my short time with FM24 Mobile, I’ve been incredibly impressed with the evolution of the iOS version of the game in the four years since I last played it. Previously, it felt like the game was too streamlined, which took away the feeling of accomplishment from winning a game with custom tactics you saw on the TV at the weekend. Now, in FM24 Mobile, it feels like Sports Interactive has found the balance to onboard new players while still capturing the gameplay mechanics of the full version, and it’s beyond addictive.

The revamped onboarding experience was fantastic, the game walked me through creating my first tactics as well as detailed information on how to navigate the menus and sort player development and training. It was basic enough for anyone who loves the sport to get playing in a matter of minutes, but there’s enough depth to keep even the most avid Football Manager player interested.

Big changes

Onboarding aside, the big changes from FM23 Mobile are in the Pre and Post-Match Hubs and the actual in-match experience. Starting with Pre-Match Hub, you now get a report with all the key information you need before a match, including your opponent’s tactics, strengths, weaknesses, form, and even a scouting report that highlights the opposition’s best players and predicted starting line-up.

The Pre-Match Hub is perfect for the FM Mobile experience as it gives you balance to play the game in a pick-up-and-go session without feeling like a barebones experience. I found myself analyzing the report and making changes to my team purely based on the snapshot of information my assistant coach was giving me.

Additionally, you get a better sense of expectations with the new Match Expectations page that gives you more information on the mood in your squad and how the media perceive the game will go. It’s a nice addition that makes the whole experience feel more alive.

The in-game match experience has also changed with what Sports Interactive calls the “sleekest match experience in the series yet.” You now have more control during the match to make on-the-fly decisions, like changing your penalty taker based on body language or sending your goalkeeper up for a corner in the last minute of a game. I found myself making far more tactical changes during a match than I ever did before while playing FM Mobile, and that alone made the experience more fun than ever before.

In one circumstance, my summer signing, Victor Osimhen, was overconfident after I told the team they were in control during the half-time team talk. The quick access to the mentality system in-game means I could tell his performance was off due to being a little big-headed, so I subbed him off for Deivid Washington,  a youngster looking to make his mark.

Finally, the new Post-Match Hub brings all the additions from the Pre-Match Hub to give you a bigger picture of the result. As you can see here after my 0-0 bore draw with Fulham, the Chelsea fans were far from happy with the team’s performance, and Raheem Sterling’s 5 rating was a poor show from the winger.

Yes, it’s not as full-fledged as FM24 Touch on iPad or FM24 on Mac, but it’s free as part of your Netflix subscription, and it’s fun to play and hard to put down. I do wish FM24 Mobile had multiplayer because I believe an online season with a friend would work brilliantly on iPhone. I did find that sometimes, even on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, the icons were a little too small to navigate seamlessly throughout my playthrough. Small wishes for improvement aside, FM24 Mobile is one of very few iPhone games that I genuinely want to keep playing, and I’m excited to get back in the dugout and win the league.

The big difference

Fans looking for a football management experience know that Football Manager is the best there is, with multiple versions to fit the needs of any football fan. That said, the main standout feature of FM24 Mobile is the accessibility to the product, thanks to its release channel. 

Many people subscribe to Netflix, and having the game as part of your subscription instead of a one-time purchase means football fans who just avoid the mobile experience because of a one-time fee may be more inclined to give this new game a go. I know for a fact that I’ll be starting a new season on November 6 and taking my beloved Chelsea back to European glory with the officially licensed Champions League.

Football Manager 2024 Mobile will launch exclusively for Netflix members from November 6th.

If you're an iPhone owner who also happens to be a subscriber to the GTA Plus service you now have two new games to play. And when we say new, we mean old. Classics, in fact.

Those two games are of course Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars, and they're available to you right now. In fact, they're available to everyone although those of us who don't subscribe to GTA Plus will get 30 minutes of play time before we have to stump up some cash.

That 30 minutes should be more than long enough to decide if you want to five into this particular brand of nostalgia and, really, who wouldn't?

It's game time

The new additions to GTA Plus were announced via a press release on Rockstar's website in which the company says that the new games aren't the only things to look forward to.

"Plus, through November 8, GTA+ Members can claim the latest benefits in GTA Online, which include the new Albany Brigham (Muscle) at The Vinewood Car Club, Double Rewards on new Halloween Deathmatches, and much more," the press release reads.

The GTA Plus subscription costs gamers $5.99 per month and gives them access to a back catalog of games as well as a monthly bonus of GTA$500,000 for us in GTA Online. But for iPhone owners, the real joy is in these classic games, with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars being the latest to be added.

However, it's worth noting that while the games are in the App Store now, they might not always be part of the GTA Plus subscription. Rockstar points out that GTA Plus includes a "rotating assortment of classic Rockstar Games titles that remain available to GTA+ Members as part of their Membership benefits for as long as they’re featured in the Games Included With GTA+ library." That last part means they might not stick around.

Want to get the games while you can? You can download GTA: Chinatown Wars and GTA: Liberty City Stories right now.

Niantic’s had a couple of false starts since its global hit, Pokémon GO, even with massive IPs behind its AR games (Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, we hardly knew ye). So it’s interesting to see the company launch an original IP, in the form of an AR Tamagotchi you keep with you on your smartphone – updating the portable pet sim for the modern day.

Niantic calls Peridot, available for iOS and Android, “an all-new, real-world AR mobile game, and original franchise that puts the joy of caring for, raising, and breeding adorable one-of-a-kind creatures in your hands.” 

The pets themselves are called ‘Dots’, and exist for the sole purpose of being cared for by you – as you stroke, feed, walk, and care for your Dot before breeding their adult forms to make new, unique combinations of their physical traits, and generate even more cute critters for the world to see.

After spending a few days with my own digital Dot, I’ve brought together my first impressions of the game and the potential it has in a post-Pokémon GO world.

Peridot 101: what do you do?

Peridot is a relatively low-stakes pet sim. I say ‘low stakes’ because the memory of coming home after school to a deceased Tamagotchi is burned into my brain – but there’s no danger here of your Dot going to live on that Peridot farm far away. I’ve so far managed to keep my Dot’s Hunger and Boredom meters consistently full, even after ignoring them for a couple of days.

Upon signing up with Peridot, you’re given an option of three Archetypes, which are unique groupings of aesthetic and physical traits – things like the length of the Dot’s ears, the shape of their tail, the patterns on their fur, and the like. Some have wings, while others seem colored by starlight – and there’s a huge range of combinations on offer. Every single Dot is, we’re told, in some way ‘genetically unique’.

The Dots are cute. Very cute. They come from the Disney-Pixar school of big-eyed emotion, with eyes being the biggest part of their face. The Dots are summoned on your command, but take it upon themselves to wander about (in view of your smartphone’s camera, mostly), float in the air, or fall asleep much like a real-life pet would. 

There are plenty of preprogrammed behaviors, which seem to vary depending on your Dot’s personality type. My Dot is reportedly ‘Goofy’, with a ‘Maze’ pattern, ‘Devil’ horns, ‘Countess’ face, ‘Bee Wings’, and ‘Llama’ ears. There are eight key metrics that will be in a slightly different combination for everyone.

After a couple of levels’ worth of progress as a Peridot Keeper, you’ll learn how to play fetch and even teach your Dot some tricks, like moving their paw, rolling over, sitting, or doing a cute little ‘Booty Shake’. The wonders of technology.

Eventually, your baby Dot will grow up into an adult Dot, which can be bred with other adult Dots to make unique Archetypes, and the cycle begins anew.

Pokemon GO: same but different

Peridot is a very different experience from Pokémon GO. There are some passing similarities, such as the use of AR, the impetus to get outside, and the ability to breed creatures together. Both apps use the companion Campfire service too, which is a little like a Slack channel for other players, where you can share friend codes, ask questions, chat about your experiences, and generally connect with other players around the world.

The game also relies on a steady internet connection to work properly, alongside active location tracking on your phone. Some key tasks, like taking your Dot for a walk, simply aren’t completed otherwise.

However, the similarities end there. This is much more a Tamagotchi than a Pokémon spin-off (or rip-off!). The core gameplay loop is all about cute AR pets, rather than catching and battling, and you may be someone who’s somewhat cool on Pokemon GO but adores the prospect of a unique digital Dot to call your own. 

Creating your own customized, semi-randomly generated creature is a lot more personalization than you get in Pokémon GO. The personalization largely stops after creating your Dot, though, until you’re able to breed and make more of them. 

For any variety in appearance, or to use slightly different foods and toys, you’ll need to go to the shop and pay for the privilege. While more cosmetic items can be paid for with in-game currency, gradually accrued as your complete tasks and meet your Dot’s desires, more out-there choices and items used for breeding will cost a few dollars here and there. (A single Nest, which you need to hatch a new Dot, costs $5 – but item bundles can cost up to $100 for big spenders.)

Peridot: it’s just a baby!

It’s worth noting that this is a very young game, and you’ll be playing version 1.0 right now – meaning there’s plenty of development to come.

For one, this is a vastly different experience depending on the quality of your smartphone camera. On a new iPhone 14 Pro, our Dot was brilliantly placed in our surroundings, always knowing where the floor actually was, with the app able to bounce a thrown tennis ball off the back wall and back to us. On an older OnePlus smartphone, our Dot regularly phased in and out of existence, unsure of how to read the parameters of its surroundings.

The feature set can also feel a little sparse at the moment: after you’ve fed your Dot a sandwich and rubbed its belly, there’s little else to do, and its Hunger / Boredom meters are so easy to keep full that they have little use.

It’s a tough line to walk, between pointless busy work (or the prospect of death) and a work-lite experience that still keeps players coming back. I’d hope some more engaging features come down the line, but for now, Peridot offers enough to warrant jumping in and seeing how much you fall in love with your little AR fur baby and its own AR babies down the line.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is nearly here, and the hype for the Nintendo Switch’s follow-up to one of the best video games of all time, Breath of the Wild, is at a fever pitch.

If you’re one of the many people that can’t wait any longer to get their hands on a copy of Tears of the Kingdom, a bunch of iPhone and iPad games will scratch your itch as you wait to ride across the plains of Hyrule again. 

Here’s a look at five of the best iPhone games that will get you excited for the biggest video game release of the year.

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm

When Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm was released in 2019, the inspirations from Breath of the Wild couldn’t be more apparent. You take on the role of a nameless hero tasked with overcoming the antagonist, Mesmeroth.

The game shifted from Oceanhorn’s top-down perspective to a new third-person style where you can explore the open world searching for treasure chests and secrets. While the game is far more linear than the experience we expect from Tears of the Kingdom, it does scratch that 3D Zelda itch and sometimes leaves you wondering if you’re actually in Hyrule.

Best of all, while Oceanhorn 2 is $29.99 / £29.99 on Nintendo Switch, it’s part of Apple Arcade on iOS, meaning you can connect a controller and play on your iPhone or iPad for only $4.99 / £4.99 a month.

Download Oceanhorn 2 from the App Store

The Pathless

The Pathless is one of the best Apple Arcade games. You play as the Hunter, a master archer caught in a world threatened by a dark curse. As you explore the world covered by a red Ganonesque hue of danger, you’ll experience a mix of brilliant puzzles and an immersive open-world experience.

What makes The Pathless so joyous to experience is the freedom in the open world due to the lack of a mini-map and the movement of the Hunter as you traverse a world seeking repair.

Few games, if any, capture the freedom of BOTW and TOTK, and while The Pathless isn’t as open as the Zelda games we love, it does give you that refreshing outlook akin to the first time you picked up BOTW in 2017.

Download The Pathless from the App Store

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact’s first trailer looked like a cookie-cutter replica of Breath of the Wild – The same art style, the same sort of music, and those bright green blades of anime grass. Two years later and MiHoYo’s gacha game has taken the world by storm.

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG on iOS, Android, PlayStation, Windows, and GeForce Now. It has quite the following, with approximately 50 million players in 2022, and it’s easy to see why. Genshin Impact is just fun, and exploring the open world on your iPhone or iPad is one of the best gaming experiences available on iOS.

While it’s free to play, there is a gacha mechanic which throws the murky waters of RNG gambling elements into an already addictive game. Nevertheless, it’s worth checking out, especially if you want to play Tears of the Kingdom and don’t own a Nintendo Switch.

Download Genshin Impact from the App Store

Cat Quest II

A more traditional style of dungeon crawling Zelda but with cats? Yep, Cat Quest II is essentially just that. With a cute art style and loads of personality, it’s a fun pick-up-and-play game when you’re on the go.

Another game from this list on Apple Arcade, Cat Quest II, lets you explore a 2D open world set in a kingdom of cats and dogs. Not only can you play as a cat, but there’s also a dog character option and co-op. Give this charming game a try now!

Download Cat Quest II from the App Store

Bastion

Before critically acclaimed Hades, Supergiant Games made an iconic iOS game called Bastion. Built over two years, Bastion was a trailblazer for what games on iPhone and iPad would become and, to this day, is one of the best offerings on the App Store.

You play as the Kid as you explore the different levels and fight your way through various enemies. If you’ve ever played Hades, you’ll be familiar with the art style of Bastion, and so it looks good to this day, almost 12 years later.

Bastion has a reactive narrator that narrates the game as you play through colorful floating islands, in a world devasted by a kind of apocalypse called 'the Calamity'.

You can try out Bastion for free on the App Store and unlock the full game via in-app purchases for $4.99.

Download Bastion from the App Store

Not long to wait for Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom is out on May 12, so whether or not you want to explore Hyrule on release day or months down the line, these five iOS games are excellent choices for the next time you want a Zelda-esque game to play without picking up your console.

With the best iPhones now capable of running demanding games like some of those featured in our list above, who's to say we won't one day see a Zelda game on the iPhone? After all, Nintendo does love a mobile game...

I open the shutters to my office window, the wind outside blowing through the synthetic trees lining the streets below. I should’ve known she’d come to me. After all this time, she still can’t stop herself from finding trouble. Or maybe it's trouble that keeps finding her… either way, I’m the one who has to get her out of it. She climbs from the hovercar outside, holding her hat as she enters my building. What will it be this time…

A good whodunnit is filled with mystery. Interesting locations, curious characters, and detailed environments. More than just guessing games, they are deeply human stories that are supposed to put you in the shoes of someone with a very important job to do – solve a crime. The characters at the center of those stories are one of the most important parts of the mystery, be they believable real-life people, or sci-fi caricatures that play on different story tropes. 

So how on earth could an AI replicate it? This is the Andromeda Mysteries, an AI game that claims to do just that – and it only deepens my concern for AI and where we’re headed.

The Game

She sits at my desk, a datapad in her hands… I can’t see what's on it from where I’m stood.

“What’s that?” I say, raising an eyebrow.

She looks at me with a fear in her eyes I’ve not seen for some time – whatever’s on that pad, she doesn’t like it. Her hand shakes as she hands me the pad. It’s a long speech bubble, with a series of pictures underneath.

The game itself is simple enough. It’s a text game, with the scenario written out for you. There’s a location, a crime, and then three or so characters underneath with that characteristic AI Sci-Fi art style. It’s not a complicated game, expecting instead to show the creative prowess of the AI at the heart of the game.

You are expected to ask questions of the characters, who are all powered by the AI to make situations and reasons for the crime on the fly, answering your various questions so that you can eventually work out who has done the crime. It works – to a degree.

As a puzzle, it's fine. You can ask all the correct questions, and end up with some idea of which AI-controlled character it was that did the deed. There’s not much here to say, other than that the game becomes very boring very quickly.

The problem

I sit down in my chair, scratching my chin as I read the data pad. Some kind of game, I guess. A murder mystery. But it's cold, unfeeling. There’s nothing real here, I can feel it. I’ve got 20 questions to find the killer. I type in my first.

“Where were you the night of the murder?”

The game thinks, and answers.

“I was in my hotel room, that night, planning out my collection. You should ask Nova where she was, I bet she has something to do with this”

I scroll back up the page. There's something wrong with the whole affair, and it's not hard to put your finger on exactly what it is.

Small mistakes hint at the computational nature of this scenario – errors in grammar, not from someone who can’t write or speak English, but from a computer that thinks it can. The suspects who all speak the same. The lack of any real warmth, or empathy. 

The game has the hallmarks of something that knows all the surface things of what a whodunnit should do. Accusatory characters, mystery, and puzzling scenarios. Beyond that, however, it completely fails as a storytelling device.

Motives make little sense, the art is AI-ugly, and the settings are simplistic and boring. There’s no substance here, only something that pretends to be meaningful. In the end, it feels like a very simplistic, very weak tech demo of what AI can do in regard to gaming and storytelling. Most of the time you can easily find out who ‘did the murder’ by asking all three different questions, and seeing who two of them accuse. It takes three questions of the 20 – and I’m yet to fail.

The interesting thing comes from the idea that no two games you play in the app will be the same, as the app can write them for you on the spot. That sounds good in theory, but in practice makes for paper-thin gameplay. There’s not much here beyond the oddity you’ll play for five minutes and then go back to Angry Birds.

The Implications

I look back up. She’s almost in tears.

“What’s wrong? It’s just a game” I say, placing the tablet down on my desk.

“That’s just a game, but it's what it stands for. In it, I can see the future for people like me, people who love stories. And I don't like it.”

I sigh and slump back into my chair. I understand why she’s upset, I do. But what can we do when we’re faced with the ever-encroaching menace of a machine that ‘learns?’ A machine that can create, however poorly, when all people want is shallow experiences that give them five minutes of entertainment before moving on to the next thing? Who knows; I sure don’t.

The implications of an app like this are concerning. I write scripts in my spare time – I dream of being able to make some of them into actual pictures someday. I’ve worked hard to become semi-reasonable at what I do, and I love doing it. It’s fun. The trouble is that whenever I see AI, it's from a person who has always wanted to be able to create things but can’t be bothered to learn how. AI is seen as a way, in their eyes, to create something without having to learn a skill.

Perhaps as a writer, I’m bitter that something is coming along to replace me. Perhaps I’m not actually all that good at writing, and AI is capable of telling better stories than me. Who knows. It’s not even the concept of AI that I think is bad – for some implementations, like search bars or scientific research, it's already shown that it can be greatly useful, working alongside scientists and developers to find out more about the world we live in. The problem is that most don’t want AI to work alongside writers or artists – they want to use it to chop us out of the equation.

And I think that’s sad.

See, in the grand scheme, this game may not be all that important. But it shows that a game can, whether it's good or not, be made by one person, chopping out an entire team of people. It can also be made quickly, rather than the months or years it takes humans to make indie games. It’s worrying.

So my genuine, human sentiment is not to install the Andromeda Mysteries on your best iPhone – and I think we should pay attention to what AI in the creative space means in the long run for the people who love and cherish it.

If you're expecting a Super Mario Run 2 anytime soon, Nintendo has some bad news for you.

In an interview with Variety, Nintendo's designer and 'Father of Mario,' Shigeru Miyamoto, confirmed that Mario will take a break from appearing on mobile devices for the foreseeable future.

Super Mario Run debuted in September 2016 alongside the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, where Miyamoto took to the stage at Apple's event and surprised everyone by confirming that Mario was coming to iPhone. While you could play the first few levels for free, the rest were accessible with a one-time fee of $10. However, apart from Mario Kart Tour, there's not been another game only involving Mario since, leading others to wonder if there was going to be another game on iOS again.

While other games such as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Pikmin Bloom, both co-developed with Niantic, have grossed over $100 million, it looks as though Nintendo now wants Mario to focus on its Switch device, and if rumors are true, the Switch 2 soon.

An Odyssey of apps

Mario on iPhone felt like the next natural step - for years, users were pushing Nintendo to look into bringing some of its IPs to mobile devices. It made sense, but the lack of dedicated physical buttons concerned the company, as Miyamoto said in an interview back in 2011.

However, its experiment can still be seen as a success - the Variety interview mentions that Super Mario Run grossed over $60 million. Still, Miyamoto gives off a vibe that it didn't seem like a natural progression for them to move Mario to a mobile device.

Miyamoto says, "When we explored the opportunity of making Mario games for the mobile phone — which is a more common, generic device — it was challenging to determine what that game should be. That is why I played the role of director for Super Mario Run, to be able to translate that Nintendo hardware experience into the smart devices.”

Since 2016, Super Mario Odyssey debuted on the Nintendo Switch, a fantastic game where you use Mario's hat to possess enemies and other objects. There has also been Super Nintendo World at the Universal Studios Hollywood park and, of course, the Super Mario Movie.

So it seems as though Mario is only going to expand further beyond games but, ironically, will go back to being played exclusively on Nintendo devices for the foreseeable future. And with hints from Miyamoto to tune into future Nintendo Directs, the company's way of announcing new games, we might be close to hearing about Mario's next adventure.

A concept video has been released of Temple Run, a popular iPhone game that debuted back in the early days of the App Store, remade in Unreal Engine 5.

If you haven't played the game before, it's an endless runner made by Imangi Studios, where you tap the screen for the character to jump while avoiding traps and enemies, alongside collecting power-ups to help rack up a high score.

Many games today run on an 'engine,' which allows developers to create worlds and characters with pre-made tools. Epic Games' Unreal Engine has been one of the most well-established engines for decades - Starting with Deus Ex in 2000 and to this day with the upcoming Tekken 8.

Unreal Engine 5, released in 2022, allows anyone to download a free version and develop a working game demo. This was how TeaserPlay made the Temple Run concept, and it features a lot of what modern games have - from ray-tracing, a graphical effect that can showcase lifelike reflections, to structures breaking away into a thousand pieces.

Apart from being lightyears beyond in graphics and framerate compared to the original Temple Run from 2011, it does make us wonder if we're close to seeing something similar like this in a future iOS release.

It's not the years, it's the mileage

Temple Run arguably began the endless-runner category on iOS. While a sequel arrived in 2013, there's something about the original, still available to download, that made it a classic on iPhone.

Granted, there would be games in the years following Temple Run that would be inspired by it, such as Sonic Dash. However, with the App Store approaching its 15th anniversary, we're reaching the point with iPhone games where they're becoming nostalgic to a generation. Many gamers who grew up with these games want to see them remade with today's graphics, which is why we're seeing concept videos like the one above.

With ray-tracing being showcased by Snapdragon, a company responsible for many processors in smartphones and other devices, it might not be too long before we see the same graphical boost in iPhones.

This is why it would be great to see a remake of Temple Run arrive on iOS someday with ray-tracing and ProMotion, Apple's take on higher-framerate displays - unless Imangi Studios are already developing this behind the scenes.

Remaking Temple Run would also tap into the nostalgia of what the game brings. Apple likes to showcase game developers at WWDC and other keynotes to highlight the power of its best iPhone at the time of the event. So it could be an incredible showstopper to see this nostalgic game concept become a reality.

However, if a remake of Temple Run is never released, seeing the game remade for a modern engine is a sight to behold, and, if anything, it shows how far we've come that a mobile game from 2011 can look so good.

Human: Fall Flat, one of the best-selling video games of all time, is now available on Apple Arcade.

The puzzle platformer, originally published by Curve Digital, has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and is beloved by players on macOS, PlayStation, PC, and Xbox alike.

Initially ported to iOS by 505 Games in June 2019, Human: Fall Flat has garnered a big fan base due to its replayability and overall ridiculous nature. In the game, you play as a customizable human known as Bob. Bob is powerless other than his ability to climb up and grab objects. Human: Fall Flat has some of the best physics in any iOS game, and you'll have a blast exploring the different locations. 

Free falling

The focus on failing and persevering is one of the most exciting aspects of Human: Fall Flat. As you continuously try to muster your way to your objective, you'll fall flat more than you could ever imagine. However, the reward comes once you've mastered the game and are navigating levels like a disorientated Spider-Man.

Adding such a successful game to Apple Arcade is a massive bonus to service subscribers. That means those wanting to try the game can play for $4.99 a month with a free 1-month trial to get you started. That's a fantastic deal considering Human: Fall Flat is $4.99 on the App Store. Apple Arcade's value increases even more when purchased as part of the Apple One bundle. 

Human: Fall Flat is one of the best Apple Arcade games available just now, alongside other brilliant options like Football Manager 2023 Touch, Sonic Racing, and Skate City, to name a few. Apple Arcade has something for everyone, and with Family Sharing, the whole family can play something that suits their taste.

With the announcement of WWDC for June 5, we could see updates to Metal on Mac and other developer tools for iOS that bring gaming up a notch on the platforms. Hopefully, Human: Fall Flat will be one of many successful games we'll see on Apple Arcade this year. 

If you're looking for the best iPhone games right now, they are a mix of complex puzzles, fast-paced action, and so much more. As well as this, where they will work at their absolute best on the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its A17 Pro chip, they mostly run great on older tech. 

Over the last nearly two decades, plenty of excellent games have launched on Apple mobile devices, from free-to-play multiplayer games to huge hundred-hour RPGs. The list has only continued to grow and, while some older games have been replaced, there are still plenty of excellent iconic titles to try out. 

With this all in mind, here are some of the best iPhone games you can try out right now. 

Where to find iOS games

While this list primarily focuses on games found on the App Store, there are dozens of other places to get iOS games for your iPhone.

Apple Arcade: Just pay $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year and you gain access to hundreds of ad-free games on the App Store. This includes big titles like Monster Hunter Stories+, Hanx101 Trivia, and more. 

Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming for iOS: Microsoft has made it easier than ever to play more intensive games from your iPhone like GoldenEye 007, Fortnite, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Forza Horizon 5, and much more. Pairing an Xbox One controller with your iPhone or iPad is the best way to get the most from it.

Nvidia GeForce NOW: Instead of playing your own PC games on iPhone, this is a subscription streaming service that lets you play hundreds of popular titles on your compatible iOS device from the cloud, as long as you own the games on the required storefronts, such as Epic Games and Steam.

Steam Mobile: While Valve's main video game distribution service focuses on Mac and PC games, this other service focuses on mobile games. Just download the app from the App Store to get started.

Best iPhone games to play right now

With that explanation out of the way, let's dive into the best iPhone games you can get your hands on at this very minute.

The Best iPhone Platformer Games

Super Mario Run

Super Mario Run is one of a small handful of games Nintendo has available on iOS and was the first mobile game with Mario. Built on the basic side-scrolling fun of the classic Super Mario Bros. with modern graphics and loads of fun new ways to play, it's easy to see why it remains one of the top 20 mobile games of all time. 

You can even link your Super Mario Run account to your My Nintendo Account to earn tons of Platinum Points every day which you can exchange for cool rewards. If you get stuck, be sure to check out our complete Super Mario Run guide!

Alto's Odyssey

Beautiful art design mixed with a rich, calming soundtrack makes Alto's Odyssey stand out in the ocean of endless runner games on the App Store.

You'll join Alto, a llama herder, on his snowboard as he slides down mountain terrains around the world. The game includes a challenge system and a plethora of unlockable characters, making it entertaining every time you load it up. Plus, Zen mode lets you fly down the highest mountains far and wide without losing points for crashing. You can practice your jumps with beautiful dynamic weather and lighting, mixed with the most relaxing music you've ever heard. Alto's Odyssey is definitely one of the best iPhone games ever.

Downwell

Have you ever wondered what awaits you at the bottom of a well? Perhaps you can strap on a pair of Gunboots and prepare for any dangers that may be lurking, because that's what you're getting with Downwell.

In Downwell, you play the character of a boy who does just that: ventures down a well with his trusty Gunboots for protection. There are a plethora of nasty creatures down there, and your Gunboots unleash a torrent of firepower on anything underneath them, so use them wisely! You can even upgrade the Gunboots with different weapons and items. All levels in Downwell are procedurally generated, so no run is the same as the ones before it. It's also challenging but incredibly fun and hard to put down, making it one of the best iPhone games.

Journey

Journey has been around for quite a while, but it's one of the most beautiful and popular games there is. In Journey, you explore an ancient and mysterious world full of ruins with your silent protagonist, who can soar and glide above the sands. 

Ultimately, your goal is to discover the many secrets that are hidden in this mysterious land, and it's all about the journey to get to your destination. You can play the game alone or with another traveler through online play. It's one of those critically-acclaimed titles that is definitely worth your time, so make sure to check it out.

The Best iPhone Puzzle Games

Monument Valley 2

Monument Valley 2 is by far one of the most beautiful games you can play on iPhone. Players attempt to help a mother and her child travel through various locations by having them solve puzzles.

These puzzles pose a small challenge and are very unique since they work off of visual illusions. There are plenty of levels to get through to keep you engaged for a long time. 

Candy Crush Saga

Few puzzle games are addicting as Candy Crush Saga. Players attempt to move candy pieces around on the screen in such a way as to clear as many rows and columns as possible. Lining up three of the same kind or more makes those same-colored candies disappear. 

There are tens of thousands of levels to keep you entertained and the animations are so satisfying to watch that you'll be coming back again and again. You can also replay levels to improve your previous scores or use boosters to help you perform better. 

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

If you've played the Witcher action RPGs or have watched The Witcher on Netflix, then you're probably already familiar with GWENT, a competitive card game that's popular in the Witcher universe. Thanks to this iPhone game, you can play it yourself, digitally.

It's free-to-play and has you face off against another player while laying down popular characters like Geralt, Siri, and Yennefer. You'll need to play strategically to win, but there's more than one way to get ahead. 

Donut County

If you like Katamari Damacy but are looking for a new story (something that makes a little more sense), check out Donut County. It's all about rascally raccoons and their insatiable need to collect garbage (and anything else they can get their hands on). As you visit poor, unsuspecting residents of Donut Country, you'll suck up everything they own into your bottomless hole. Some items, when combined, will produce some pretty spectacular results.

Old Man's Journey

Old Man's Journey is a point-and-click adventure game from the indie game studio known as Broken Rules, and it's one of my favorite games to hit the App Store.

While I don't want to dive too deep into what the game is all about, thus robbing you of the experience it provides, I can tell you that this game is amazing visually. The hand-drawn picturesque graphics are absolutely stunning, and the small details that the developers put into every character, animal, and object that pops up on the screen shows that they poured their heart and soul into the game.

The other standout feature of Old Man's Journey is the storytelling. The beautiful narrative is crafted in such a way that the protagonist doesn't even talk throughout the whole game, and you still come away at the end feeling some profound emotions.

If you're a fan of World of Warcraft, you very well may enjoy this card battle game with heroes and magic from the Warcraft world. Build a digital deck and go into PvP battle to see who has the stronger cards and can plan the best strategy. The order you choose to play the hand you're dealt can be a make or break decision. There's also an RPG mode where you combat opponents with your Mercenaries to upgrade your units.

While this game is a free download, it is worth noting that you may need to spend money for it to be enjoyable. There are card packs available, and occasionally you'll earn one in game. But the quickest way to build a decent deck is to purchase them. But it's free to begin as any of the ten hero classes!

The Best iPhone Strategy Games

Anomaly 2

Anomaly 2 brings the same reverse-tower-defense mechanics as the original, but the updated graphics, new transforming tanks, and multiplayer mode make this sequel more than adequate. In the multiplayer mode, one player gets to be in charge of the alien defense, complete with consumable special abilities and resource management. If you're looking for loads of tactical depth and eye candy to boot, Anomaly 2 delivers.

• $4.99 - Download now

Autumn Dynasty Warlords

Autumn Dynasty Warlords is a finger-friendly real-time strategy and turn-based empire management game set in feudal China. Players direct a varied force across a wide range of terrain types in a single-player campaign or skirmish mode. Commands are made with a variety of gestures, each leaving a stylish calligraphic trail (though standard button input is included for more traditional control). Between matches you'll deal with some light persistent base-building and territory control, complete with espionage and diplomacy.

Autumn Dynasty Warlords is the best traditional real-time strategy game you'll find on mobile, and a fine empire-builder to boot.

• $6.99 - Download now

Eufloria

Eufloria is a deceptively calming, abstract strategy game where players have to send swarms of spores between asteroids to germinate them and produce resource-bearing trees. This gets tricky once you encounter other life forms that are aiming to do the same. There are 25 levels in story mode, plus one-off skirmish modes to keep the fun coming after that. Levels are procedurally generated, so no two matches will be the same. If you'd like something more laid back, there's a relaxed mode, while the dark matter mode makes things considerably more challenging.

Though the music is bound to make you nod off at least a little, stay on your toes - Eufloria requires careful planning and attention throughout.

• $4.99 - Download now

Kingdom Rush Frontiers

Kingdom Rush Frontiers brings the acclaimed tower defense game to the next level. In addition to the same goofy, frantic fantasy tower defense that you remember from the first Kingdom Rush, there are a whole slew of new heroes to pick from, each with their own special abilities that you can upgrade as you progress through the single-player campaign. Of course, there are also a ton of new towers, enemies, and bosses to explore across a wide range of difficulty ratings.

Though Kingdom Rush Frontiers can be extremely challenging, its lighthearted take on tower defense keeps you coming back for more.

• $4.99 - Download now

Plants vs. Zombies 2

Plants vs. Zombies is a venerable iOS franchise for a good reason. The bizarre premise of protecting your back lawn from hordes of undead with sunflowers is certainly part of that, but there's a lot of tactical thinking in terms of plant choices before the attack begins, and placement. In Plants vs. Zombies 2, you're taken back in time to defend against zombies dressed in era garb, and try out all sorts of new mechanics. The zombies are getting smarter, and challenge your reaction speed in a number of ways, though you also have a whole new complement of plants to use. Stages also have new terrain features to keep every round fresh. Plant food can be collected to super-charge any plant when things get especially hairy.

All in all, Plants vs. Zombies 2 presents deep strategic gameplay in a fun, colorful package.

• Free, IAPs - Download now

Rymdkapsel

Rymdkapsel combines Tetris-style base building and real-time strategy resource management in a minimalist and finger-friendly package. Players have to build residences, feed the populace, and expand towards objectives, all while fending off wave after wave of progressively more difficult enemy air strikes. Rymdkapsel is decidedly unique in both its art and play style.

Rymkapsel prunes away all of the extras in real-time strategy games and leaves players with a clean, pure experience.

• $3.99 - Download now

XCOM

XCOM's mobile port keeps the addictiveness of the game's tactical combat in one piece. Players form an elite squad of secret soldiers attempting to defend humanity against an impending alien threat. Over the course of that mission, players recruit, equip, and improve squad members. Missions require careful consideration for who you take along - picking the wrong guy from the wrong job can mean a quick failure. In addition to the extensive single-player campaign, there's also online multiplayer so you can test your skills against friends online. Combined with the full-bodied base-building and research elements, XCOM has earned its venerable status across all platforms.

Hardened strategy fans shouldn't bat an eyelash at the pricetag; XCOM is worth every penny.

• $9.99 - Download now

Civilization Revolution 2

In Civilization Revolution 2 players build an empire starting with a single humble city. They then harvest the resource tiles nearby, expand their nation in science, culture, religion, and military, and achieve global dominance through warfare or diplomacy. The refreshed Civilization Revolution features new wonders like the Red Cross and Silicon Valley, new units like the Stealth Bomber and Jet Fighter, leaders such as JFK and Churchill, and research options for Modern Warfare, Modern Medicine, Lasers, and Information Technology. To top it all off, there are going to be new scenarios, including one which is Revolutionary War-themed.

Civilization Revolution 2 is the perfect game for keen micromanagers.

• $14.99 - Download now

First Strike

First Strike is a real-time strategy game of global nuclear domination. Players have to invest in research to improve their visibility and defenses, while also building up the needed stockpiles to destroy and conquer other nations around the planet. Though the setting may be dark, First Strike enjoys some highly polished graphics and addictive gameplay.

Fans of Risk looking for a modern upgrade will want to try out First Strike.

• $3.99 - Download now

Plague Inc.

In Plague Inc., players gently guide and evolve a disease in an attempt to wipe out humanity while battling government research efforts. Increasing transmission, deadliness, and severity are all core to success, but also ensuring that you have enough healthy hosts to thrive on. Different disease types enjoy different characteristics and offer new strategic options. It's a grim premise, but an entertaining one.

• $0.99 - Download now

The Best iPhone Horror Games

Resident Evil Village

Though only available to play on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Resident Evil Village is the entire original game in surprisingly great quality, with in-depth graphical settings. It is, by far, the scariest game on this entire list, and probably the prettiest too. It is full price, making it one of the most expensive, but well worth that base cost. 

If you do play it, you may want to pick up a controller with it as the touch controls are a bit cumbersome and slow, thanks to just how quickly the game moves. This isn't a toned-down version of the game, it is the real thing and it's finally here. 

Five Nights at Freddy's

Five Nights at Freddy's has become a large franchise in its own right, but the original jump-scare horror game is still considered by many to be the best entry in the series.  Players take on the role of a person working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a party location for kids complete with animal animatronics. 

The thing is, you're on night watch and the animatronics are actually out to sneak up on you and kill you while you're sitting in the security room. Fortunately, they can be stopped by monitoring various rooms on the camera, listening to noises, and closing the doors to your office when they approach. However, you have a limited amount of power so you need to play smart and conserve as much as possible. If you last five nights, you win the game. But it's harder than it sounds. 

Playdead's Inside

This is a deep and creative 2D platform adventure where a boy is somewhere he isn't supposed to be, and people are hunting him for it. There are a variety of puzzles to solve as you try to work your way out through this narrative. It is an indie title that is the winner of more than 100 awards from art, to story, to audio. It will keep you on edge and interested the whole way through.

In the app version of this, it is initially free. This means players can try out the beginning of the story and decide to purchase the full story if they're enjoying themselves. The moody style may not be for everyone but if it is for you, you're going to love every piece of this game.

The Best iPhone Multiplayer Games

Genshin Impact

A gacha-based open-world RPG, Genshin Impact gives you the role of an interstellar traveler who, alongside their twin, has been trapped on the planet of Teyvat, a world full of gods and monsters. Build teams of four elementally aligned heroes to explore the world, defeat monsters, and uncover the mysteries of Teyvat's history.

This game is bright and colorful with a world comparable in scale to what we mention seeing in our The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review, and much of this world has yet to be revealed, promising players many, many major updates before it can all be explored. This beautiful world is really enhanced on the beautiful screens of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro noted in our reviews. What really drives this game though is the cast of compelling and fully-voiced characters, each with their own complex history that weaves in and out of the main plot, as well as the histories of the other characters.

Genshin Impact already has over 150 hours of gameplay to complete despite only the first two nations being unlocked. Also available on Android, PC, and PlayStation, it also supports cross-platform play with fantastic multiplayer options, including frequent events which provide even more gameplay for those who've completed the currently available quests.

Pokemon Go

Seven years in and over a billion downloads, Pokémon GO remains one of the most popular mobile games of all time. Niantic and The Pokémon Company teamed up to combine all the fun and nostalgia of the classic Pokémon games with real-world data into a fun and addictive game that has continued to top the charts. 

Playable from virtually anywhere in the world, your gameplay in Pokémon GO will change based on where you go. The locations for in-game activities are all based on real-world locations, like small shops, museums, and landmarks, inviting you to explore the world around you through a new lens. Even the time of day and weather in the real world can impact what Pokémon you encounter and how well your own Pokémon perform.

What has really driven the success of Pokémon GO (aside from the near-universal love of Pikachu and friends) is how well Niantic responds to the community. At the start of a global pandemic that ought to have made playing Pokémon GO extremely difficult, Niantic reformated much of the gameplay, including Pokémon GO Fest and Pokémon GO Community Day. Niantic really knocked it out of the park with this one!

Among Us

Among Us is at its core a very simple game. Up to ten players are each given a handful of tasks to complete on their spaceship. However, at least one of the crew is an imposter, a monstrous alien set on killing the crew. If the imposter can kill the crew before the crew can agree on who they are (and eject them into space) they win. However, if the crew can oust the imposter(s) or complete their tasks before they're outnumbered, the crew wins. Kind of like a sci-fi game of Clue or Mafia.

The simplicity of this game is what makes it so fun. Each match takes less than 15 minutes, making it the perfect party game, but you can also play with random players from around the world.

Pokemon Unite

We at iMore have put a ton of time into playing the Switch and iOS versions of Pokémon Unite. So much so that we know who the best playable Pokémon are regardless of what kind of device you're playing on. 

The basic idea behind this simple MOBA, is to participate in team vs team battles where you can use your Pokémon's unique skills to defeat opponents, earn points, and then attempt to score them in the opposing team's goal.  There are several Pokémon to unlock and more are added regularly. Some unique outfits can even be purchased to make your favorite pocket monsters stand out more. You can even use a controller with Pokémon Unite if you have a compatible one handy.

Roblox

Roblox has often been compared to Minecraft and while the two do have some similarities they are also very different. This game allows players to create games and share them with others online. 

It's also been around for a long time. Because of this, there are endless genres and discoveries to make, with new creations coming out daily. Spend hours perfecting your own games and then show them off to the world when they're ready. 

Heads Up!

Heads Up! has been one of the biggest pickup party games over the last few years. It's also great for entertaining when you're standing in line waiting to get into an event or restaurant. What's more, its simplicity makes it fun for people of all ages. 

Similar to charades, the "it" player chooses a category, puts their iPhone against their forehead so other players can see the screen, and then takes clues from their friends and family until they can correctly guess what word is on the screen. You try to get as many correct as you can within a time limit before passing to the next person.  

After years of being a console and Nintendo gaming system franchise, Mario Kart Tour brought the fun of this racing series to mobile. Players get to zoom around familiar tracks from previous entries as well as brand-new tracks created specifically for Tour. 

There are far more Mushroom Kingdom characters to play as than any other Mario Kart game and you can even unlock different versions of the same character wearing fun clothing. Take on specific friends or race against strangers online to prove your racing prowess. 

Bring the battle on the go with Brawlhalla. It's a platform fighting game where players choose from 50 characters to battle as. You have the option to be as serious or casual as you want with it given the option of free-for-alls or ranked matches. You can also choose to just play with friends. This is a game that continues to get better updates the longer it has been out. Join in on the events and may the best fighter win!

The Best iPhone RPG Games

Oceanhorn

Oceanhorn is the closest thing to a real Zelda game you can play on your iPhone right now, and it's one of the best iPhone games out there. Although Ocheanhorn is years old, it remains one of the best games to play on your iPhone, especially now that it's optimized for the iPhone 11 line and beyond.

With colorful graphics, a fun combat style, and challenging puzzles, this adventure RPG feels like a console title. When you're playing it with an MFi game controller, it's easy to forget you're even playing a mobile game — it's that good.

It's got a pretty lengthy story, meaning it will keep you entertained for hours on end. Plus, it's a universal app, meaning you can play this title on the big screen with an Apple TV, which is something I highly suggest.

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis was one of the first games I played on my brand new iPhone 15 Pro Max, thanks to its impeccable visuals and fantastic audio. I wanted something to show off all that power and it delivered with a wonderful atmosphere, great storytelling, and fun side activities. 

It does come with the sometimes frustrating gameplay design of a modern online free-to-play title, complete with an energy system that holds back your progress more and more as you play, encouraging you to pay your way to the top. Despite this, it's still an excellent title, entirely free if you have some patience and a faithful retelling of the classic Final Fantasy VII story. 

The Best iPhone Simulation Games

Minecraft

Minecraft is the number one best-selling video game of all time by far. It's no wonder that it's been such an ongoing hit even though it released so long ago. Players can do just about anything they want. You can go harvesting for materials, build structures, go exploring, craft armor, and much more. 

Some people like to create massive mansions complete with their own areas to grow crops and house livestock. Others focus on traveling as far as they can to see what is on the horizon. If you're more of a person who likes a conclusive challenge, you can also work on taking on the game's terrifying boss, the Ender Dragon. 

Many consider Stardew Valley to be a far better life sim than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game starts off by explaining that you've inherited your grandfather's farm, but it needs a lot of work. You can slowly work on cleaning up the fields, improving your animal's housing, and exploring the town nearby. 

One of the big things that Stardew Valley provides over Animal Crossing is the ability to help your character find love with one of the village NPCs and even have children with them. Create your own perfect digital world as you work and provide for your family.

Reigns

What do you get when you mix Tinder with the King of the fictional kingdom? The wonderfully sadistic choose-your-own-adventure game Reigns.

Reigns will crown you a king and then force you to make decisions by swiping left or right (thus my Tinder quip), that almost always lead to your untimely death in increasingly interesting ways. Doomed to repeat his life over and over while attempting to find a way to lift a curse, you'll have to balance the needs of your kingdom with those of the church, military, and your greed.

Your first playthrough will probably leave you a little dejected, but there is good news: You can do it all over again times infinity! There are also two spinoffs: Reigns: Her Majesty and Reigns: Game of Thrones, where you can be Queen instead of King, or play through various Game of Thrones' characters. They're all enjoyable, so take your pick!

Motorsport Manager

Motorsport Manager has players keep a watchful eye on their pro drivers, monitor vehicle performance, conduct technology research, and take their team to the highest competitive echelons. Some quick thinking is required in the midst of races, where you'll need to arrange the pit crew and offer direction when weather or crashes throw an wrench into the works.

Even if you're not into professional racing, Motorsport Manager's level of detail will impress you.

• $1.99 - Download now

Order Up!! To Go

Order Up!! To Go is a cooking and restaurant simulator that tests your time management skills. The gameplay is twofold. For one, you're working on building up the reputation and menu for your restaurant, always with an eye to the next establishment, so there's a fair bit of budgeting involved.

The cooking itself is very similar to the Cooking Mama series in that you cut tomatoes with downward swipes and flip burgers with curved swipes. What really keeps Order Up!! To Go fun is the variety of other mini-games and the great humor both in the writing and art style. Smaller nuances, like recognizing customers as they come in and using the appropriate spices adds even more depth to the frantic gameplay.

You earn silver coins through regular gameplay, which can be used to buy your ingredients, access new restaurants, and hire extra help, but you can speed up the process with premium gold coins acquired through in-app purchases.

• Free, IAPs - Download now

The Sims FreePlay

The Sims FreePlay is a casual, fun sim game where players can build a home, forge relationships, and climb career ladders with a highly-customizable avatar. Players have to tend to their Sim's needs, such as hunger and fun, and in the process earn Lifestyle Points which can be spent on various items. You can also buy Lifestyle Points outright, if you're the impatient type.

The possibilities are extensive, including starting new romantic relationships, having pets, and eventually having kids. You can build up your own little community of Sims, and visit those of your friends.

For those looking for a laid-back, constructive, and long-term game, the Sim FreePlay will have you covered.

• Free, IAPs - Download now

Goat Simulator

Goat Simulator bridges the gap between man and beast in ways never imagined possible. From the lifelike licking of other creatures and objects to ragdoll physics that cause models to spaz and clip randomly, it's no wonder you quickly lose yourself in goatness and, eventually, a profound identity crisis.

Play Goat Simulator. It will change your fundamental assumptions of humanity and goats.

• $4.99 - Download now

Bridge Constructor Medieval

Building bridges in a game is more fun than you think it would be. It might have something to do with how those that cross your half-baked creations dive haplessly to their demise down a ravine. Despite the lemming-quality AI, Bridge Constructor Medieval offers a wide range of physics-based challenges. It builds on the original modern-themed Bridge Constructor by having barbarians attack key points in your bridge while your people try making it to the other side.

In-app purchases are employed to shortcut levels either with unlimited resources or a few hints. For what should be a pretty simple game, and could just as easily be completely 2D, there are rich 3D graphics at play here, along with a colorful storyline to justify all of this bridge-building.

For engineers-at-heart, Bridge Constructor Medieval is a ton of fun.

• $1.99, IAPs - Download now

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is clever mix-and-match game with an 8-bit art style. You take the role of an almighty creator trying to combine various elements in the right order at the right spot in order to complete a puzzle. Those goals can be as simple as evaporating water and as elaborate as discovering electricity. In that sense, there's a definite Doodle God vibe, except The Sandbox is a much more fluid.

Beyond painting element-infused pixels, you also have control over a wide variety of environmental elements, including temperature and weather. The real magic of The Sandbox is that elements all behave as you expect them to - trees catch fire if you turn up the world temperature, dirt falls when you paint it in the sky, and electricity surges through metal and shoots off the ends of wires with sparks. Given, all of that action is in chunky pixels, it's still all very believable. Outside of the puzzles, you can also go freestyle to make your own creations and share them online in the growing pixel art gallery.

Though The Sandbox is free, new elements are unlocked with mana points, which are awarded as you play through missions or bought through in-app purchases. Mana points can also be used to purchase hints for particularly tricky puzzles - luckily the hints aren't too expensive.

• Free, IAPs - Download now

Transport Tycoon

Transport Tycoon is a classic business simulation game. Players build sprawling networks by road, rail, sea, and air. Maximize profits in order to expand your infrastructure. 150 vehicle types are available for use across 49 scenarios, provided you can assert your mastery over the terrain to put down the necessary framework. Business savy will be equired to edge out competing transportation companies.

Budding civil engineers will have a field day with Transport Tycoon.

• $6.99 - Download now

Godus

Godus is a casual god sim game with classic mobile city-building mechanics. Players need to guide a fledgling population through the hoops of an evolving civilization, including new housing, developing relationships with one another, and all-out war with neighbours. The usual freemium tropes are present, such as limited faith points which are gathered from the dwellings of worshippers periodically and spent on most deific tasks, including basic terraforming. The pared-down, textureless art style allows vibrant animation with lots of personality shine through.

If you're looking for something like Clash of Clans or Farmville with a touch of visual class, Godus will serve you well.

• Free, IAPs - Download now

The Best iPhone Shooter Games

Few multiplayer games have the online fanbase that Call of Duty Mobile does. Each day, millions of players drop into realistic locations in a battle royal where teams duke it out to score more points before the timer runs out. Anyone can play, but it takes strategy and skill to really master the game. 

The game is free-to-play but does offer optional in-game transactions. You do not have to make any purchases in order to enjoy and play through the base game. However, certain skins and weapons can only be purchased with real-world money. 

Into the Dead 2

Armed with a handgun, a walkie-talkie, and a strong desire to return home, you play as James, who starts running through hordes of zombies. While it may be a pretty simple story, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, and as I have been playing through the story, I find myself invested in getting James back to his family.

The addition of a story mode and a more prominent in-game progression scale has given the shoot-em-up zombie runner a breath of fresh air, making it a delight to play. The visuals and sound are absolutely outstanding, and the game does an excellent job of really setting a tense and spooky tone. All in all, Into the Dead 2 is a fantastic experience, and whether you're a fan of the prequel or new to the game, you should be able to enjoy this one for hours on end.

PUBG Mobile

PUBG originally came out for PC and consoles. Now it has been reimagined to be available on iPhone and Android too! PUBG Mobile is specific to mobile players so everyone will have a similar playing experience. Players have the opportunity to customize controls, train to get used to them, and voice chat with friends through the app.

If you're looking to just get a quick round in, you can play an extreme battle for a ten minute match. The more you play the more weapons and maps you will have. The game is being updated regularly to add new content. Find the mode for you and jump in.

What about Apple Arcade?

Apple Arcade is a gaming subscription service that includes Family Sharing in the cost. It offers over 200 games including dozens of exclusives that you won't be able to purchase by themselves or find on other mobile platforms. We've spent a lot of time on this service and have determined the you can play right now. New titles are continuously added to the Apple Arcade library, so there will be fresh new content to enjoy every month.

Let's play!

Apple has been growing into the gaming space and we can't wait to see what other fun games come our way! To get the best experience playing these games on your iPhone, you'll want one of the best gaming controllers for the iPhone. Then you'll be all set to enjoy these great games available at the tips of your fingers.

Remember, these are some of our favorite iOS games right now, but there's definitely more out there. And if you're sporting the best iPhone, including the latest iPhone 15, then you should have no issues with playing these fantastic titles.

Fans of iPhone and iPad gaming can now pick up the RiotPWR Cloud Gaming Controller direct from the Apple Store for $69.95.

The controller, which looks absolutely perfect for playing Apple Arcade games, can be used with iPhones and iPads. It's also currently showing as in stock so you could order one of your very own now.

The controller itself even comes with a USB-C cable so that you can connect it directly to your iPad, while Lightning is used when playing on an iPhone.

Game on

"The RiotPWR is the only Lightning-connected, full-sized, mobile game controller available today," the Apple Store page reads. "This means low latency, no pairing and, because the controller draws its power from the iOS device, there's no battery giving you the most complete console experience on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch." Yes, Apple did just say that this works with the iPod touch. Remember those?

The controller pulls its power from your iPhone or iPad, but there's a Lightning port that allows for passthrough charging while you're playing.

While Apple's promo artwork shows the controller connected to one of Apple's very best iPhones and playing an Apple Arcade game, it's also perfect for cloud gaming — hence the name. In fact, the controller has more than a little bit of the look of an Xbox controller about it. And there's a very good reason for that.

"The controller has all-important "Home" and "Options" buttons to greatly enhance your experience when playing cloud-based services, such as Xbox's Gamepass, or when casting your console games to your iOS device," Apple notes. There's even a built-in audio DAC and headphone port, which is more than Apple's hardware offers most of the time these days.

Want to add the RiotPWR Cloud Gaming Controller to your collection? You can order one from Apple right now.

On New Year's Eve, Tim Sweeney, the founder and CEO of Epic Games posted a tweet that hints at Fortnite coming back to iPhones and iPads in 2023. All the tweet read was "Next year on iOS!" 

While not a lot to go on, this undoubtedly refers to the fact that Fortnite hasn't been on the App Store for a few years now. It started with the Epic v. Apple lawsuit that Epic initiated in 2020 claiming that the App Store was in violation of antitrust laws due to its exorbitant 30% fee for all apps as well as users' inability to make purchases on iOS through other stores or services. 

As part of this, Epic Games made it possible for players to make in-app purchases in Fortnite without going through the App Store or Google Play Store which resulted in  Fortnite getting booted from both. The popular battle royale hasn't been on the App Store since. The lawsuit ended in 2021 with a judge siding on many points with Apple and telling Epic to pay Apple $6M for breach of contract. 

Due to the conflict between the two companies, it's unsure if Fornite will ever come back to the App Store. However, we do know that Apple is about to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone and so it's possible that Fortnite could find its way once more on iOS through one of these new stores. 

Fortnite came out six years ago, but it still manages to pull in millions of dollars each year. Of course, the game is in the awkward spotlight again now that Epic Games is paying $520M to settle an FTC complaint that centers around collecting minors' personal information without guardian consent and using tactics that tricked players into making purchases. As the FTC says, "Fortnite's counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing buttons configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button". As part of the settlement, Epic Games will be issuing $245M in customer refunds to those who are eligible.

Apple Arcade subscribers have a brand new game to download with SpongeBob SolitairePants now available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

The new game, a free download for all Apple Arcade subscribers, might not initially be something you'd expect — SpongeBob and solitaire aren't usually two things that you imagine being in the same sentence. But here we are, and this really could be a sleeper hit.

The game itself sees SpongeBob adventure through Quest Mode, working his way through new levels and challenges "straight from the depths of Bikini Bottom."

Prefer something a little more classic? Classic mode deals 52 cards with the game playing out exactly how solitaire fans would expect until all 52 cards have been stacked in sequence.

Gamers can collect different decks across a variety of designs as well, ranking up as they collect coins to unlock new decks.

Beyond all that, daily competitions will have you competing for the top spot on daily leaderboards, earning rewards, and unlocking achievements as you go. You'll also be able to compete with your friends to see who really is the best solitaire player around.

Perhaps most impressive is the way the game came about. SpongeBob SolitairePants is officially licensed by Viacom, but it was actually made by 19-year-old Brayden Gogis, a developer who has been making games and apps since 2nd grade.

If you want to take SpongeBob SolitairePants for a spin for yourself, you can so long as you have an Apple Arcade or Apple One subscription. Being an Apple Arcade game, this one doesn't have any in-app purchases or ads to get in the way of the fun and you won't need to pay to download it, either.

You can download SpongeBob SolitairePants from the App Store right now.

Another week, another flurry of new games on the App Store to wade through – but fear not! We’re here to cut through the noise and recommend the only three games you need this weekend. 

And if you’re not into what we’ve got for you below, have a look at our all-time best iPhone games and best iPad games lists; there’s sure to be something that’ll tickle your fancy. Read on for what’s fresh and exciting on the App Store this week. 

 Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales 

It’s second-time lucky for Stranger Things fans as this great little puzzle-battler returns  — this time as part of your Netflix subscription within Netflix Games. Puzzle Tales was once on the ‘normal’ App Store with in-app purchases, but now it’s part of Netflix’s growing games library it’s got a new lease of life and no prompts to try and take your hard-earned cash.

The setup is fun: the Stranger Things crew have to fight their way through an arcade that’s been invaded by Demodogs to get to Eleven. To do that, players must match gems.

This is not your average Candy Crush clone, though, there’s extra depth to it as matching each gem color also charges up the special moves of each character. This adds a tactical depth to the play that’s really satisfying (without being overly complex).

The presentation really is top-notch. The characters are all drawn like Saturday morning cartoon heroes, and the sound is all spooky, with heavy synths just like the show. Throw in new content based on the events of season four and you’ve got another excellent addition to the Netflix catalog. 

 NBA Clash 

Basketball gets miniaturized and turned into a kind of action-strategy game in NBA Clash, a clever distillation of the sport that’s playable with one thumb.

For a tight, intense sport like basketball, the controls are simple enough: just tap a team-mate to pass to them, swipe to drive in for a dunk or free up some space, or tap to shoot. 

The on-screen effects sizzle and pop as you sink three-pointers and alley-oops. It’s pleasingly over the top, just like the outrageous NBA Jam dunks of yesteryear. 

Defending is trickier. We sometimes found ourselves frantically tapping and swiping over and over to trigger a steal or block, with mixed success. Perhaps those with a cooler head will do better here.

Dedicated fans will love getting into the detail of building bespoke team decks, too. Every player in the game is from the real NBA and has strengths and weaknesses that contribute to your team’s overall stats. There are special moves to think about too, which depend on the type of player in your team. A slam dunk for basketball fans, then.

 Marvel Snap 

Second Dinner’s debut has quickly become one of our favorites, and it seems millions of players agree. It’s been hanging around the top of the App Store charts since it launched a couple of weeks ago. 

We’ve personally experienced a little bumpiness logging in every now and again — for a brief, panicky moment it looked like our account was gone — but that aside, we think Marvel Snap is already a contender for game of the year on any platform. Seriously, it’s that good.

We’re already onto its second season of content, too, neatly timed for the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. You won’t be seeing any of the actors from the MCU here. This is all comic book art for now, but it’s cool to see Black Panther, Okoye and the gang do battle.

To unlock the ‘Warriors of Wakanda’ content, you’ll need to buy a battle pass, but that’s a trifling $9.99 and well worth it to see king T’Challa do his thing.

Entertainment on your iPhone and iPad

If you’ve got time in-between sessions of Marvel Snap (Curse you, Devil Dinosaur!) to check out more great games, don’t forget that there are a whole load more to play if you have an existing Apple Arcade or Netflix subscription. If you want more places to find entertainment, you can't go wrong with the best Arcade games or if you have a Netflix subscription, you can access Netflix games and see what fun is waiting for you there. Our editors have played ‘em all and only recommend the finest. 

See you next week!

Another week, another million new games to wade through across the App Store, Netflix, and Apple Arcade. If only there was someone at iMore who could whittle all those new game releases down to just three new titles worth looking at.

Yup, we’ve scanned the new release lists and pulled out the three best iPhone games and best iPad games of the week right here. So without further ado - here’s what to play this weekend — a mix of casual puzzles, retro shooting, and action-RPG fun. 

Subway Surfers Match 

After a decade around the top of the App Store charts, Subway Surfers claims to be the most downloaded game of all time — even above the likes of Candy Crush Saga and Pokémon Go. 

So naturally, there are more than enough players out there who’ll be curious to play this spin-off: a match-3 puzzler with a quick, snappy feel to it and bold primary colors on every screen. 

Complete the gently challenging puzzles to gradually build a neat little mural on the side of the titular subway, and then move on to the next canvas. It’s easygoing stuff, and just the ticket if you’re looking for something pretty lowkey.

 Skies of Chaos 

This new Netflix game is a throwback to the olden times when the likes of Xevious and 1942 pioneered the top-down shooter. Skies of Chaos refines and reworks that winning formula for touchscreens, and it’s great.

The gameplay is not quite as chaotic as the title suggests, initially. As you slide your finger around the screen to move and fire, you’ll easily breeze through the first five minutes or so before things get more hectic and challenging. 

The shooter stuff is pretty straightforward, with power-ups thrown into the mix to vary things up. But the presentation is what really pops. Gameplay is rendered in big, bold, colorful pixels and between stages there are interludes that feel like they’re pulled straight out of kids’ Saturday morning cartoons. 

Gunnar, a rabbit with an eyepatch, quips away as he chomps on a carrot as if it were a cigar, and Amelia the mechanic cheerfully upgrades your craft while wielding a comedy oversized wrench. The music and sound effects are superb, too.

Battleheart Legacy+

New to Apple Arcade is this reworked version of an old classic from way back in 2014; clearly, the folks commissioning and curating Arcade content have long memories.

Battleheart Legacy+ looks and feels like a PSOne-era action RPG on your iPhone with easy-to-grasp, intuitive touch controls. So it’s no technical showcase, but you can see it’s been made with love by indie creators Noah and Kelli Bordner. It’s got a cozy, homemade feel that can’t help but charm you.

It’s a role-playing game without the boring turn-based battles, in short. You move around triggering a growing menu of special moves on cooldown timers to bop goblins and other fantasy staples as you rattle through a fun story with quip-heavy characters. A meatier prospect for those looking for a deeper game to dive into.

New games to play on iOS

So there you have it folks, a whistle stop tour through the three best new releases of the week. Still stuck for something to play? If you have an active Netflix or Apple Arcade subscription, why not browse through our list of the best Netflix games and best Apple Arcade games, or check out the latest headlines from the world of gaming over on our iOS games news section.

We’ll be back next week to bring you the latest and greatest new iPhone and iPad games to hit the App Store, Netflix and Apple Arcade. If we can drag ourselves away from round after round of Marvel Snap, that is. 

- Neil Alexander Long

Apple Arcade is getting a big hit this week, with Football Manager Touch 2023 landing on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV on November 8.

SEGA is bringing its latest installment of the popular sports management game to Apple Arcade for the first time, with gamers set to enjoy much of what will make the main PC and Mac game a huge hit among fans of the franchise.

Apple Arcade winner

The latest Apple Arcade title will see gamers pit their wits against the managerial elite with more than 120 leagues from the world’s biggest footballing nations involved in the new Football Manager 2023 Touch.

SEGA notes that gamers will also be able to move their saved games across from one device to another thanks to iCloud sync, with the game continuing right where you left off when switching from iPhone to iPad to Mac to Apple TV.

The App Store description says that players can "hit the ground running with one of the many pre-set tactical templates, modeled on the world’s most popular styles," while customization options will also be available.

Fans of the Football Manager franchise will already know they need to get this new game, but you'll of course need an Apple Arcade or Apple One subscription to do so. Apple Arcade is available as a $4.99 per month standalone subscription, but is best taken with the Apple One subscription bundle if you already pay for Apple's other services including Apple Music and Apple TV Plus.

Looking to get ready for Football Manager 2023 Touch? You can pre-register for the download right now so you'll be good to go come the big day. And because this is an Apple Arcade game you can be sure that you won't have to deal with ads or in-app purchases, too.

More to come

Apple has more to come in the next few weeks, too, including Battleheart Legacy+, Old Man's Journey+, and a personal favorite, SpongeBob SolitairePants.

After the rousing success of Genshin Impact, gamers all over the world are interested in the next project from miHoYo. This time, it's a sci-fi adventure that has players exploring space and unraveling mysteries that surround a number of different characters. Although the art style and animation look very similar to Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail offers some key gameplay differences for players to look forward to when it releases. 

Honkai: Star Rail story

This sci-fi story starts off in space as the Astral Express and its crew makes its way to the Herta Space Station for a delivery. However, Voidrangers from the Antimatter Legion attack and so characters from both the Astral Express and the station have to fight them off. During the skirmish, some new bonds are formed and characters determine to go exploring to different worlds in order to get answers on an object known as Stellaron. 

Honkai: Star Rail Characters

What makes Honkai: Star Rail different from Genshin Impact?

There are many comparisons to be made between miHoYo's fantasy RPG, Genshin Impact, and its upcoming sci-fi adventure, Honkai: Star Rail. For instance, both are single-player, free-to-play, open-world games with similar art and animation styles. Additionally, in both cases, characters choose whether to be male or female and can gather more characters to their team as they explore and complete missions. Even the game's main menus look very similar to those found in Genshin Impact. 

However, something that makes it stand apart from its popular sister software is that it offers a turn-based combat system rather than action-adventure battles. There are likely to be many other differences, but that's the biggest one at the moment. 

Is Honkai: Star Rail a sequel to Honkai Impact?

Anyone familiar with miHoYo's free-to-play action RPG from 2016, Honkai Impact 3rd, might see some similarities between Honkai: Star Rail and this older game. Well, that's because Honkai: Star Rail is the spiritual successor to Honkai Impact 3rd, as HoYoverse explained in an interview with Yahoo Gaming SEA. 

Characters from the past game will appear in this upcoming one. The most exciting aspect of this is making unplayable characters from the older game characters that you can add to your team. 

Honkai: Star Rail platforms

As of right now, Honkai: Star Rail is being developed for iOS, Android, and Windows, however, it's very possible it will come to more platforms as time goes on. Although, it might depend on the game's popularity. If it's anything like Genshin Impact, we're sure it will quickly become one of the best iPhone games out there.

For instance, when Genshin Impact first released, it was only available on those same three platforms listed above, but updates have allowed it to also come to PS4 and PS5. We don't advise Nintendo Switch or Xbox owners to hold their breath for Honkai: Star Rail compatibility as Genshin Impact still isn't even available on those consoles. 

Honkai: Star Rail release date & beta

There is no exact date yet, but Honkai: Star Rail is slated to launch sometime in 2023. It's currently in its second-closed beta, but if you're excited for it to come out, you can pre-register at the game's official website.

Adventures in space!

Get ready for an upcoming sci-fi adventure from the company that brought us the popular Genshin Impact fantasy game. The characters seem compelling and it looks like there will be plenty of story and lore to uncover as players explore different planets. Whether you're playing on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, tablet, or Windows it looks like the experience will be one worth playing through. 

The best free iPhone games join together a mix of accessible design, tonnes of genres, and enough creativity to keep you entertained for the next year. Given they are free, they are their best when they can run on an older setup but also take advantage of the raw power of the best iPhone models, like the iPhone 15 Pro. Things will run better and look nicer on a new phone but should be totally fine if you haven't put the big bucks into the latest tech. 

Unfortunately, the sheer volume of games is both the biggest benefit of the app store and the hardest part of finding something good. Hand tested, our list comprises huge new titles and old classics, giving you a nice mix of the best games out there. Every one of them is 100% free to play, though most have a way to spend a little bit of money to get through the game quicker or show off a new skin. From bigger new titles to old classics, our list is categorized by genre, to let you pick out only what you want to play next. 

As you start to explore all the games available, you might finally be willing to pay for them through the form of Apple Arcade, which has some excellent choices all around. The best Apple Arcade games are fantastic but free games are still worth sinking hundreds of hours into. 

With this all said, here are some of the best free iPhone games you can play right now. 

Best free iPhone games: Platformers

Sky: Children of the Light

From the makers of Journey and Flower comes Sky: Children of the Light. If you're familiar with the two aforementioned titles, you'll be on familiar ground here. In Sky, you take control of the titular children as they work to return fallen stars to the heavens, but what makes this adventure different than the others is its emphasis on multiplayer.

It's a beautiful game, and working with players to complete puzzles, unlock doors, and discovering new realms gives the game this sense of awe that thatgamecompany seemingly knows how to wield. It's a stress-free game and one that seems perfect for all types of gamers, especially those who appreciate lovely art direction.

Doodle Jump 2

Ah, Doodle Jump. One of the earliest successes on the iPhone, Doodle Jump's simple gameplay, which consists of bouncing up platforms, leading your weird little alien higher and higher into the heavens. A simple game, but as we've seen, simple is often the best, especially when you're making a game for the iPhone.

The sequel is more of the same, updating the visuals for modern devices and also giving you a few more ways to defend yourself from obstacles. There's something so addictive about Doodle Jump's simple gameplay that it's a more than worthy addition to our list.

The best free puzzle iPhone games

Yokai Dungeon

Yokai Dungeon starts with a simple premise — Yokai have interrupted the lantern festival, and it's up Tanuki, the ghostbusting fox, to handle the invading demons. To squash the Yokai threat, you move objects back and forth across the board to drop on the heads of the demons, collecting coins in the process.

With colorful, charming visuals, randomly generated dungeons, and up to 20 unique heroes to choose from, Yokai Dungeon is a fun, lighthearted game soaked in Japanese Folklore.

Tetris

Dread it. Run from it. Tetris arrives all the same. The original block-dropping game took over the world when it originally launched on the Game Boy after it's start on the PC, and the simple formula of stacking falling blocks into tidy lines is not only a cultural touchstone, it's still pretty addicting.

This version of Tetris features a single-player campaign, as well as private matches, custom themes, avatars, and backgrounds, and Tetris Royale, a 99 player match contest where players compete to be the last one standing. There are a lot of IAPs in this one, but the base game can be enjoyed on its own. It's Tetris.

The best free Multiplayer iPhone games

Among Us

When Among Us was released in 2018, it didn't make so much as a peep on the charts. Call it one of the greatest videogame comebacks of the year, but Among Us went viral last summer and blew up in popularity. The simple social deduction game found a brand new audience, thanks to Twitch streamers, crossplay multiplayer, and the low, low price of free.

A game of Among Us involves a group of squishy little astronauts working together to complete tasks around the map, while Imposters lurk among the group, picking off players one by one. If a body is discovered or a meeting is called, players will vote on who they think is the Imposter among them. It's like The Thing but way cuter.

Pokémon Go

Years in and over a billion downloads later, Pokémon Go remains one of the most popular mobile games of all time, and for good reason. Niantic and The Pokémon Company teamed up to combine all the fun and nostalgia of the classic Pokémon games with real-world data into a fun and addictive game that has continued to top the charts. Playable from virtually anywhere in the world, your gameplay in Pokémon Go will change based on where you go. The locations for in-game activities are all based on real-world locations, inviting you to explore the world around you through a new lens.

What has really driven the success of Pokémon Go (aside from the near-universal love of Pikachu and friends) is how well Niantic responds to the community. With consistent updates and no end date in sight, there's never been a better time to start your Pokémon adventure.

In our testing of this game, we spent a long time playing it, checking out events, and testing different features. While it's had copycats, nothing matches the original phenomenon.

The best free racing iPhone games

Asphalt 9: Legends

Asphalt 9: Legends is the latest in the long-running Asphalt series, a racing game that has progressively grown from pseudo-simulation to full-on arcade game madness (Sort of like Fast & Furious, if you think about it). Asphalt 9 features a mode called TouchDrive, which turns the game into an on-rails game, similar to an endless runner. In this mode, you're free to drift, hit nitro boost, and even perform crazy stunts. It's a nice mode that never loses the feeling of speed, even if you've only got one hand on the screen.

Of course, there are traditional controls for racing fans, and they work really well. Asphalt 9 manages to maintain a great amount of speed, as is a great racing game on the iPhone. User beware, though, as it's also jam-packed with in-app purchases.

Data Wing

On its surface, Data Wing is an unassuming racer. You slide a white triangle across various tracks, pushing against the track edges to grind for speed, which then shoots you forward at ridiculous speeds. But once you start getting into things, you'll realize that the levels are really the star of the show. You explore different environments where oftentimes your foe is gravity. There are also adventure-type quests where you explore environments in search of an exit.

As you play, you'll also discover an omnipresent narrator, called Mother, who illustrates the greater story unfolding off-screen. Upon first glance, the pseudo racing/adventure game sounds like a mishmash of genres, but they come together brilliantly and create a unique game that can only be played on the iPhone or iPad.

The best free Role Playing iPhone games

Eternium

Eternium is an RPG game that's bound to appeal to those who grew up enjoying action and fantasy-packed role-playing classics. We also love that there are no paywalls here and no pay to win philosophy underpinning the game either – which sets it apart from many other iPhone games.

Expect fast-paced action and combat, special effects, cool sounds, and immersive backdrops all set to a fun and interesting soundtrack. You can play as a Bounty Hunter, Warrior or Mage and you either fight with a sword, axe, staff or gun. You can level up whichever character you choose by learning new abilities and you'll then fight aliens, zombies, dragons, and all kinds of other big baddies, across a range of environments, like caves, forests, castles, jungles and much more.

You tap to move through the game – which feels intuitive, especially on an iPhone – and draw signs to cast spells. According to the developers behind Eternium, more than 90% of people play the game for free and purchases are optional – good news if you're sick of seeing ads in other games. 

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis manages to capture the visuals from 2020's remake and the original game in the same title, with both throwback scenes and gorgeous-looking combat. It is nostalgic purely because the games are so important to many and, in turn, feels quite important itself.

It plays great, has excellent storytelling, and the music is all taken from the original games. If you love Final Fantasy VII or have always been meaning to give it a go, Ever Crisis is a great retelling of the original story and its subsequent spinoffs. 

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact set the world on fire when it was released and has become a bit of a phenomenon ever since. The free-to-play gatcha RPG puts you in the role of an interstellar traveler who, alongside their twin, has been trapped on the planet of Teyvat. In our review we found that while the gameplay is familiar, and fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will quickly see the game's influence on Genshin Impact, the game's RPG elements help it stand apart from the classic adventure game.

The game is seeped in anime visuals and features fully voiced characters, each with their own goals and history that helps drive the plot of Genshin Impact further. With hours upon hours of gameplay at your literal fingertips, cross-play multiplayer, and tons of updates in the works, Genshin Impact is one of the best games available on iPhone.

Shadowgun Legends: Online FPS

While you may think of consoles as your first choice for playing a first-person shooter, for something on the go Shadowgun Legends is the one to download. It's a multiplayer, online RPG with regular events and updates to keep things interesting. Team up with up to three friends to defeat bosses or PvP. In addition to the popular online co-op play option, there's a great expansive story campaign as well. 

You get to choose your skills and how you like to play. As you continue to get further in the game, you are rewarded with the, fame system. There are items available for purchase within game but it's not required. On top of all the choices you get to make in how you play this game, it's also a great visual quality. 

The best free Simulation iPhone games

Fire Emblem Heroes

Nintendo's foray into mobile gaming has been a wild one. While games like Super Mario Run failed to grab an audience, Fire Emblem Heroes exceeded everyone's expectations. The strategy game proved a hit on the 3DS, the Nintendo Switch, and now on your phone. Fire Emblem Heroes translates the strategy game and all of its rock-paper-scissors gameplay along with the appeal of a gatcha game. Play for a chance at a stronger hero, and you'll want to see them all, as the game features some truly excellent art drawn by a variety of artists.

In our review, we found that while there is "freemium" progression like in many other games, players won't have to spend money to enjoy the vast majority of what's on offer.

With tons of events and consistent support from Nintendo, as well as a story that is just as deep and thrilling as any other mainline Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem Heroes packs a lot of content into the palm of your hand.

The Battle of Polytopia

Strategy games can often translate well onto mobile devices. Replacing your mouse cursor for a finger always felt like a natural progression of things. And you see that best in games like The Battle for Polytopia, a cute strategy game that's perfectly built for quick play sessions. In Polytopia, you have 30 turns to explore, research, and advance your civilization.

Polytopia changes things up by cutting down the time needed to play a game like this, instead offering the player a score at the end of their 30 rounds. The game ends up feeling more like a puzzle, as players have to figure out the best way to dominate the play space before your enemies do. Play online or offline in three different game modes, and enjoy conquering your enemies on the go.

The Lord of the Rings: War

This strategy game brings you into J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth. Players choose a faction, build an army, and form alliances in the battle for the One Ring. You can mingle in the taverns to take on tasks and gain insight. You'll get to customize your strategy and your army to match your play style.

For Lord of the Rings fans, you'll definitely enjoy the work of recreating this world that has gone into the game. The details and controls in this game are very well done and make playing a positive and immersive experience. It plays in seasons lasting two to three months with specific scenarios to complete by the end. This keeps the content fresh and interesting. 

The best free Shooter iPhone games

Call of Duty

Love it or hate it, it's no secret that Call of Duty is one of the biggest games ever created, and each entry delivers bigger and better thrills, turning the horrors of war into an entertaining action movie. So it's a no-brainer that the mobile equivalent would be a hit as well — and it is. Call of Duty Mobile manages to translate the fast-paced multiplayer deathmatches to your phone, with intuitive touch controls, high-quality HD graphics, and a ton of fan-favorite multiplayer maps from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Black Ops in rotation, as well as the 100-person battle royal that made Call of Duty Warzone a runaway success.

You can customize your layouts and your soldiers to show off in both competitive and social play. Call of Duty might not be for everyone, but those looking for a solid first-person shooter on their phone won't go wrong with this free-to-play installment.

Badlanders

It's the time of the Badlands. Scavenging, raiding, and competing for resources is the way of the times. Players enter the battlefield to get their armor, weapons, and attachments. Grab your gear and keep it away from the other badlanders.

This is a shooter that allows you to customize the way you play. You can make customizations to your weapons. You can choose to be a buyer or seller in the market for the loot you receive in battle. Each season will have different rewards for completing the season missions that you can add to your collection.

How to find the best iPhone games for you

If you know where to look, there are plenty of amazing games for your iPhone and for your iPad – it's a better experience to play with a big more screen space, if you have one.

The problem is that sifting through all of the not-so-great free iOS games that are cluttered with ads and reminders to participate in in-app purchases can be a slog. While some of the games on this list do offer optional microtransactions, you only have to engage in them if you really want to. 

If you're only going to play one game, we highly recommend you make it Genshin Impact. This open-world RPG has become incredibly popular with millions of players, no small part due to the gorgeous fantasy world, elemental combat system, and large cast of characters. 

We also love our newest addition, Eternium, a role-playing game with an intuitive tap to move mechanic, no pressure to buy additional content and a range of fun characters to play as, enemies to fight and environments to explore. 

Looking for something that gives you more of an in-person social experience? Pokémon Go is all about getting out of the house, going on walks, and participating in Raids with other players. Go to the park with friends and enjoy catching whatever creatures appear on your device.

Each week, hundreds of new games find their way to various iOS services. Because of this, it can be hard to tell which titles are worth your time. Throw in weekly new releases on Apple Arcade and Netflix Games and it’s even trickier to cut through the noise and find something new to play. 

So, dear reader, let us gently guide you through the best iPhone games and best iPad games of the week. There are three games that are especially worth checking out right now.

Injustice 2

The Black Adam movie might have been met with some less-than-enthusiastic reviews, but you can’t deny the potent charisma of its A-list star. So naturally The Rock’s new superhero alter-ego — or at least a really, really similar-looking beefy bald guy — is the headline act in a new update to Injustice 2. This is a slightly under-appreciated fighting game, in our book that started off as a console game before getting a mobile version that's available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

It has been scrapping it out with its counterpart Marvel Contest of Champions for years — both neatly simplify and streamline familiar fighting game mechanics for touchscreens, and both feature a ludicrously large cast of characters drawn from the respective DC and Marvel multiverses. And of course, both are regularly updated in line with movie and TV show releases. 

So if you’re not convinced by Black Adam in movie form, you can give him a whirl in Injustice 2. It’ll take time, though — new players will have to rattle through some pretty hefty tutorial stuff and team-building demos, but by then you’ll have a fun gang of characters to fight as including Batman, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman. 

Once you’re into the real business end of the game, you should have earned enough currency to buy the big man himself. Or you can just buy him upfront with an in-app purchase, if you’re that way inclined. 

Monster Train

Monster Train is a really fast and snappy card battler that’s already gathered plenty of plaudits from pundits, some of whom have said it’s the best deck-builder since the cult classic Slay the Spire. If you’re familiar with Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering or the superb Marvel Snap, you’ll be at home here.

There are cards with different attributes, strengths, and weaknesses — all that good stuff — but the fights are split between different floors of the titular train, meaning where you place your card is often as important as which one you choose. It’s a roguelike, too, so every run is different.

Between rounds, you guide your locomotive through a hellish underworld that happily doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a bit of a nostalgic nineties Hero Quest-era feel to the settings if you’re old enough to remember that. 

A common problem with these types of games is the torturous process of having the rules explained to you until you’re finally able to get into the real meat of the game. But we’re happy to report Monster Train just lobs you right in and lets you figure it out yourself — infinitely preferable to endless tutorializing and clicking through tips and tricks. This has got smart, speedy strategy in spades and it chugs along at a great pace — all aboard!

stitch.

Time for a change of pace, eh? Over in the more sedate surroundings of Apple Arcade, there’s the chill puzzler stitch. (just the ticket after the intensity of Injustice 2 and Monster Train).

It’s somewhere between a puzzle game and a coloring-in game, in that you drag your finger across stitching patterns to fill them out and build up a complete picture — a comedic frog, a cheeky chameleon, or a cutesy penguin, depending on the level.

It’s wholesome, gently challenging stuff that fits snugly into the vibe many Apple Arcade games are going for these days — approachable, family-friendly games that anyone can enjoy. 

New games to play on iOS

The App Store was already in a pretty messy and confusing way before Apple started plastering in-game event promos and ads all over it. Thankfully, that's been cleared up so we can more easily find and enjoy the latest game offerings. 

Of course, in addition to the App Store, iPhone and iPad users can frequently find new games on Netflix Games and Apple Arcade. This week, the best iOS game offerings happened to be in a variety of genres including the mobile version of DC's popular fighting game, a deck-building roguelite, and a casual sew-by-numbers app. Regardless of your play preferences and interests, there’s something for everyone. 

We will undoubtedly see some exciting games come to iOS over the next few weeks and we’ll be here to report about the very best ones. Enjoy your weekend and may you find a new game to love!

It's Halloween weekend, and Apple Arcade is right there with some new game updates that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. There's a brand new Apple Original available to play, too.

With four games ready for the weekend, there should be something for everyone to play while they wait for the candy to be passed out.

Play time

Starting with that new game, Stitch is now available for download on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. It's a "casual puzzle game with embroidery on a numbered grid," Apple says. The main objective? Fill in the levels' areas, leaving no gaps, to complete Hoops.

Gamers will solve levels and Hoops of different difficulties and sizes, creating gorgeous patterns as they go. If you're an Apple Arcade or Apple One subscriber, why not give it a go? You can download Stitch from the App Store now.

Beyond Stitch, there are some new game updates especially designed for this time of year, including:

• Angry Birds Reloaded — Discover 45 new eerie levels in the game's latest "Ham'O'Ween II" sequel episode, and much more.
• WHAT THE GOLF? — Spooky skeletons and more abound in this Halloween event.
• Crayola Create and Play+ — Enjoy a "Playful Pet Costume Party" and dress up for some "skele-fun."
• Goat Simulator+ — Zombies and goats. What more do you need to know?

With so many games to choose from, which will you be settling down with this Halloween?

Apple Arcade is available as a $4.99 per month subscription and is also part of the Apple One subscription bundle for those who use other services like Apple TV Plus and Apple Music.

Many Apple Arcade games are available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, while some include support for game controllers, too. Be sure to check out our list of the best game controllers before buying one for yourself, though.

The good thing about Halloween is that it gives you the perfect excuse to play some scary games. The great thing about these games, though, is that you can play them all year on your iPhone or iPad. If you want to get scared this Halloween, here are the best horror games for iPhone and iPad you'll find on the App Store and Apple Arcade.

Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery

Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery is the first exclusive game of the franchise for mobile devices. Instead of controlling someone by using regular controls, Special Delivery uses Augmented reality to bring the animatronics you love (or hate) to life.

You'll have to use your iPhone or iPad to look at your surroundings and try to catch the animatronic before it catches you. Unlike other games in the franchise, you can collect parts and create your own animatronics. Not only that, but you can also send those animatronics to your friends, and compete against them on the leaderboard.

If you're a fan of the franchise, this is one of the best iPhone horror games you can find.

Into The Dead 2

Into the Dead 2 improves on just about every aspect of the first game, and delivers a solid and exciting gameplay experience.I

nstead of being an endless runner where you're only competing to top your own high score, the game has added a narrative and some progression to the run and gun gameplay. The story is fairly simple: you play as a man named James who gets into a car accident in the middle of the road while trying to get back to his wife, Helen, and his daughter, Maggie. Of course, James is immediately swarmed by zombies forcing him to run and shoot his way to safety. 

Armed with a handgun, a walkie-talkie, and a strong desire to return home, James starts running through the hordes of zombies. While it may be a pretty simple story, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, and as I have been playing through the story I find myself invested in getting James back to his family.

Gameplay overall hasn't changed much from the first game, which is more of a blessing than a curse. You'll automatically run through the wilderness that's filled with zombies, needing to move left and right to avoid getting eaten alive or tapping on the screen to fire your equipped weapon.

The addition of a story mode and a more prominent in-game progression scale has given the shoot-em-up zombie runner a breath of fresh air making it a delight to play. The visuals and sound are absolutely outstanding, and the game does an excellent job of really setting a tense and spooky tone.

All in all, Into the Dead 2 is a fantastic experience, and whether you're a fan of the prequel or new to the game, you should be able to enjoy this one for hours on end.

Lost Within

Although Lost Within came out years ago, it's still one of the top-rated horror mobile games on the App Store and for a good reason.

Lost Within puts you in an abandoned asylum and tasks you with escaping, but of course you can't just walk out the door. Creatures, people, ghosts, something is roaming the halls of this creepy old building, and you'll need to fight, run, and hide your way to safety.

With plenty of jump scares, some solid graphics, and some robust gameplay mechanics, like crafting weapons from scrap materials, Lost Within is perfect for anyone looking for a good scare.

White Night

The first thing you're bound to notice about White Night is the game is almost entirely in black and white, and not like a grayscale photo, but hard contrasting black and white. This obviously is one of the layers that make White Night so spooky, with giant portions of the screen being blacked out, it always leaves you wondering what could be lurking in the darkness.

The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and its constant presence really does wonders for the atmosphere by never giving your ear a break from the eerie strings and hollow-sounding wind instruments. The music almost takes on a life of its own, when something important happens in the story the music builds and crescendos to epic proportions making the player feel like they are moving with the music.

When you run out of matches or wander from the light, the music immediately starts to ramp up, your character starts to breathe heavily, the screen gets darker and shakes, and the strings build so intensely it felt like the walls are closing in on you. It's a brilliant reminder that the darkness will get you if you let it, and it makes you want to light a match as fast as you possibly can. I have never experienced an iOS game that gave me such a visceral reaction, White Night had my heart rate up in the cardio zone multiple times.

It isn't all perfect, the story isn't particularly original and the controls could be a little fine-tuned; however, White Light makes up for these shortcomings with some amazing visuals and superb sound design. Plus, the game is definitely long enough to justify the price tag.

The School: White Day

Whether you're still studying, or you're already out, we can all agree school can be scary sometimes. And The School: White Day probably won't help settle your nerves.

This mobile edition of the 2001 PC cult classic takes place in South Korea, where a group of students is caught in their school after hours. Much like a lot of popular horror games, The School: White Day gives you no way to fight back. You'll only be able to run away from danger as you attempt to survive a student's worst nightmare.

The story is rather compelling and features seven different endings based on the choices the player makes, so there's even some replayability. Plus, the animation is pretty solid and if you like the Asian manga/anime art style, The School: White Day has plenty of it.

Year Walk

Loosely based on Swedish folklore, Year Walk is a very eerie game that blurs the line between natural and supernatural.

Set off into the dark woods where strange things roam the forest on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. You'll need to solve cryptic puzzles and listen in your search if you hope to see the future and finally discover if your true love truly loves you.

The game has quite a few tense moments throughout the story and will probably make you jump out of your seat once or twice. It also has a free companion app, which dives deeper into the folklore aspect of the game and explains the history behind the game's roots.

Lifeline...

Lifeline is an older game on the App Store, but it's still a great game. Lifeline is a text-based game where you shape the story. Your job is to help Taylor. His crew is dead and you're the only one he can communicate with. You'll tell Taylor what to do, and every decision can be the difference between life and death.

The story in Lifeline is extremely interesting. Granted, Lifeline is considered an adventure game, but the atmosphere and the story let your mind go wild and think of the worst possible scenarios in every choice you make.

What's cool about Lifeline is that you can from basically everywhere. You can play on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. You just tell Taylor what to do and then you'll have to wait real-life time until he contacts you again. It's a really great and simple game that started the whole Lifeline universe in the App Store.

SIMULACRA

Simulacra is another game that's been around for a while now. That doesn't mean is bad. In fact, it's probably the best one of the series. This game is a sequel to Sara is Missing, another great scary game, and one of the best horror games for iPhone and iPad.

In Simulacra, you find someone else's phone. You don't know whose is it or how to give it back, but you know something is wrong right from the start. As you start to unlock more secrets on that phone, you'll discover what happened to Anna, the owner of the phone.

It's amazing how much horror can exist in just a phone. But the developers did a great job adding scare videos, photos, and even jump scares. If you want to get scared, just by tapping on your iPhone, this is the game for you.

Best Horror games for iPhone and iPad in Apple Arcade

We're not done just yet. There are still some great scary games in Apple Arcade that you might want to try out for yourself. The great thing about Apple Arcade, is that you can play it basically everywhere, even on your Apple TV. All you need is a great game controller, your Apple Arcade subscription, and you're good to go. Here are our favorite horror games in Apple Arcade.

Stela

Stela is a beautifully crafted game. Everything, from the sounds to the overall aesthetics is perfectly created to give you a sense of confusion, fear, and loneliness. Despite not being a scary game, the enemies, and the whole world has such an ominous feel to it. It's a perfect game to play during the Halloween season, especially if you like post-apocalyptic worlds.

You'll play as a young woman who's witnessing the last days of an ancient civilization. You don't know exactly what you're doing or where you're going but you have to continue. Basically, everything in the world around you is a threat to you, which makes Stela even scarier.

The gameplay is simple but it works fine most of the time. The story, although a bit confusing, it's cryptic enough that makes you want to keep playing for hours on end.

Neversong

Besides treating these topics, Neversong also throws a bunch of cool things into the mix. You play as Peet, a boy who just woke up from a terrible coma only to find out his girlfriend, and all the adults in town are missing. It's your job to find out what's going on, without falling victim to every enemy, and monster you come across.

Right from the start, you know you're not playing a light-hearted game. The dream sequence at the start is scary enough to make you want to stop playing. Afterward, you'll get to explore the Neversong world, which is filled with colorful characters, a bunch of mysteries, and beautiful scenery with a secret dark side you're about to discover.

Jenny LeClue - Detectivu

To wrap up this list, we'll add a game that's not necessarily scary. Jenny Leclue is a mystery game, not a horror one. But it does have some dark moments and mysteries to unravel. If you don't want to play a horror game, filled with jump scares and monsters, and you're only looking for a good, Scooby-Doo-type game, Jenny LeClue Detectivu is the one for you!

You'll play as Jenny, the youngest detective in town. After seeking a good mystery to solve, you find a dead body. The only suspect? Your own mother! Now it's your job to find the real killer and unravel all the mysteries that the town or Arthurton is hiding.

Because of its amazing graphics, charismatic characters, and amazing story, Jenny Leclue is one of the best Apple Arcade games available right now. If you want to solve a mystery, or just have some fun, you can't go wrong with Jenny LeClue.

Updated October 2022: Reformatted and updated the list of Spooky Games!

Mobile gaming is a part of most people's daily routines. We play on our iPhones and iPads while on the bus, in free spaces within our busy schedules, while waiting for the doctor, or even when hanging out with friends and family. And why wouldn't we? With access to several gaming services and countless games, those small screens are an amazing entertainment source wherever we go. 

As most of us have experienced, many of the most popular mobile games on the App Store are free. But of course, you usually have to pay for that gratis access by sitting through mind-numbing ads or by getting prodded constantly by relentless in-game microtransactions. Some of these popups have seriously made the iMore team consider throwing our expensive iPhone 14 Pro handsets across the room. 

Apple Arcade successfully found a way to address this game-interruption frustration with its practically-priced, ad-free mobile games subscription. But another ad-free mobile gaming alternative isn't being taken advantage of by many people who are already paying for it: Netflix Games. In fact, they may not even know it exists, which is a damn shame considering the growing quality of the catalogue the TV and movie service is quietly building.

Ad-free, microtransaction-free, and included with Netflix

Out of all of the major streaming services available these days, Netflix boasts the largest number of members by far with 220.67 million subscribers reported in 2022. Within that number are plenty of folks who haven't played any of the games made available through their subscription. 

As I stated before, there aren't any in-game purchases, no extra fees, no ads, and you can access these games as much as you want with a current membership. The one thing to note is that it's available exclusively for mobile devices. So, within the Apple ecosystem, you can play on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that runs iOS/iPadOS 15 or later.

If the existence of this gaming library is unfamiliar to you, that's because Netflix Games' fledgling feathers only just recently fell to the ground. It was added to the wider Netflix subscription last year in November 2021.

You might be thinking, I've already got my go-to games or my go-to mobile gaming service and I don't need another. But you really shouldn't dismiss what Netflix Games has to offer since it has some of the best iPhone games available. You really don't want to miss out on hits like Digital Sun's action-adventure game, Moonlighter, or Subset Games' turn-based strategy game, Into the Breach. What's more, Stranger Things fans can have fun running through retro-style adventures following the first and third seasons' plots with Stranger Things 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game. 

Since it's still in its infancy, Netflix Games still has plenty of ways to grow and it isn't done adding additional titles just yet. Only this last week, it added two big games to its library. Firstly, there was the addition of Night School Studio's popular paranormal thriller, Oxenfree. A choice-based adventure game that follows teens and their supernatural encounters on an abandoned island. Secondly, Monument Valley developer, Ustwo Games', latest creation, Desta: The Memories Between was also added to the library. If you haven't played these games then you really ought to check them out.

All Netflix Games available now

• Arcanium: Rise of Akhan
• Asphalt Xtreme
• Before Your Eyes
• Bowling Ballers
• Card Blast
• Desta: The Memories Between
• Dominoes Café
• Dragon Up
• Dungeon Dwarves
• Exploding Kittens
• Heads Up!
• Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story
• Into the Breach
• Into the Dead 2
• Knittens
• Krispee Street
• Lucky Luna
• Mahjong Solitaire
• Moonlighter
• Nailed It! Backing Bash
• Oxenfree
• Poinpy
• Relic Hunters Universe
• Rival Pirates
• Shatter Remastered
• Shooting Hoops
• Spiritfarer
• SpongeBob: Get Cooking
• Stranger Things 3: The Game
• Stranger Things: 1984
• Teeter (Up)
• This is a True Story
• Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt
• Wild Things: Animal Adventures
• Wonderputt Forever

How do you access Netflix Games anyway?

Netflix makes it incredibly easy to get to their games via two different routes. First off, on your compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you can scroll down within the Netflix app until you get to its list of games. Alternatively, you can go to the App Store and look up a specific game by name. Just make sure the Netflix logo is in the game icon image, the name, or listed as the developer, as various versions of the same game can be found on the App Store — including stand-alone paid-for versions of the same game. A little confusing, admittedly.

An excellent library

Just as Apple Arcade has continued to grow and include more titles, Netflix Games is on a path to add several more adventures to its gaming library. Remember that as of right now it's less than a year old and is roughly two years younger than Apple Arcade. Given some more time, it could become an even greater mobile gaming center. 

If nothing else, current Netflix subscribers shouldn't pass up the opportunity to check out the ad-free and microtransaction-free games made available to them on the service. Check out popular hits for the first time or easily replay them from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. It's on 'TADUM' Netflix really should be shouting about more.

This week in mobile games, an Apple Arcade developer switches sides as Ustwo Games’ Desta debuts on Netflix. Then, there are two critically-acclaimed cult favorites to look at, each on either side of the big tech divide: Oxenfree on Netflix and Gris on Apple Arcade. Oh, and just for fun, there’s also some culinary capering with SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom pals. There's lots of excitement for iPhone and iPad games this week. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Oxenfree opens up on Netflix Games

Oxenfree is old news to many by this point, but we’re glad it’s getting another lease of life, potentially to a whole new audience. It suddenly arrived on Netflix Games on Saturday as part of a flurry of announcements during Netflix’s Tudum fan event. 

It remains a wonderful adventure game about spooky goings-on unfolding among a bunch of disaffected teens on a weird island. The world drips with an uneasy atmosphere, the characters are full of quippery and backtalk, and the dialogue systems feel really organic. The puzzles are well-thought-out too — you can check this popular game out now through the Netflix app or by downloading it through the App Store.

Drop into Desta’s dreamy world 

The new game from Monument Valley maker Ustwo Games is not another peerless perspective puzzle game — although there is another one coming — instead it's a tactical take on the humble game of dodgeball.

Desta: The Memories Between is a game where each throw of the ball is part of a conversation between the titular hero and an estranged friend from your hometown. It’s a clever fusion of story and game mechanics, where pulling back to aim your shot before releasing is fun, sure, but not as instant as the simple taps and swipes required in Ustwo’s signature series Monument Valley. 

As you meet more characters and things get complex, you can see the game’s designed to be played and replayed over and over — a roguelike that’s different each time. Extra content will be added to it over the coming weeks and months. 

A meaty game, then, with a nice bonus detail: in keeping with the game’s themes, developer Ustwo Games will be donating 3% of the game’s profits to organizations that help struggling young people. Nice.

What else to play this week 

Apple Arcade is still pumping out the new(ish) releases, and this week it’s the turn of Gris, a critically-acclaimed but not all that widely played puzzle platformer with a sumptuous art style. Picture a hand-drawn trippy art deco world, and an angular, fragile hero, Gris, making her way through it. Wonderful.

If you've got a Netflix account and you’re seeking a rather lighter time of it, there’s SpongeBob: Get Cooking via Netflix Games. It sees you spinning plates for the folks in Bikini Bottom as you fulfill different food orders. It’s actually a new edition of the existing Krusty Cook-Off game, which has existed on the App Store for a while now. However, because it’s another new Netflix game, all in-app purchases have been removed – so it won’t bother you for any money.

Pick of the week

That's all for the must-play iPhone games and iPad games for this week, as the battle between Apple Arcade and Netflix really starts to intensify. Oxenfree, Desta, Gris, SpongeBob — where will it end?!

Our top pick of the week? If you only play one new game this week we’d recommend Oxenfree — it’s a wonderfully modern spin on the kind of adventure game you don’t see very often anymore. It’s a work of art. So good, Netflix bought the whole studio that created it. 

Until next week!

- Neil Alexander Long

GRIS, the popular iPhone and iPad game that also has a version on the Nintendo Switch and PC, is now available for download for free via Apple Arcade. Now, gamers can play not only on iPhone and iPad, but on Mac and Apple TV, too.

The game, which is also available in the App Store as a standalone purchase, can now be had without any additional purchase so long as you're an Apple Arcade subscriber. And if you aren't, what are you waiting for?

Game on

The free Apple Arcade version is dubbed GRIS+, as is the case with other App Store Greats that make the transition to Apple Arcade. The original title actually picked up an Editors' Choice award a while back, with Apple lauding the "cinematic adventure’s gorgeous design" as well as its "wonderfully fluid controls" and "soothing soundtrack." All of that makes the move over to the Apple Arcade version, too.

"Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. As the story unfolds, Gris will grow emotionally and see her world in a different way, revealing new paths to explore using her new abilities."

Another Apple Arcade winner

Apple Arcade is fast becoming a must-have for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV gamers who want to benefit from new games arriving almost weekly without having to deal with ads and in-app purchases. Many games support all of Apple's devices, with Game Center and controller support also part of the mix for many.

Looking to add GRIS+ to your collection? You can download it from Apple Arcade right now.

The Apple Arcade subscription is available for $4.99 per month, but it's also offered as part of the Apple One subscription bundle — a must for those who are already paying for other services like Apple Music and Apple TV+.

Emulators are finally allowed on the App Store and that opens a whole world of possibilities for playing retro games on iPhone. The world of emulation can feel a little overwhelming at times, but this guide to the best gaming emulators for iPhone and iPad should give you a good idea of where to start.

With recent changes to Apple's App Store rules, new emulators are starting to appear daily, so keep an eye on this list to make sure you've got the best ones available. 

If you're in the EU, the ability to download emulators via third-party app stores like AltStore means you have more software options to choose from. But fret not, those of us outside the EU, have direct access to some of the best options out there at the moment and more emulators will follow.

Here are the best gaming emulators for iPhone and iPad in 2024.

Emulators and ROMs 101 Risks and benefits

An emulator is a device or program that imitates another computer or program. For example, a PSP emulator mimics the PSP and can play compatible PSP games on whatever device it is on. The second half of an emulator is the ROMs. A ROM is the downloadable version of the game necessary for playing said game. So, you can think of the emulator as a digital console while the ROM is a digital game.

Users often need to jailbreak their iOS device in order to run emulators and ROMs, which can open the device to some security risks. Only do so if you know what you are doing and are ok with the possible consequences. Emulators can be very helpful for game preservation and allow you to run apps you usually couldn't on the device that hosts them. However, they also tend to run slower than the device they're mimicking since they're reproducing a behavior rather than having been built for it.

Users need to be careful when downloading emulators and ROMs since it is possible for a virus or malware to pretend to be either one of these things. Only download from sources you've researched and trust. Additionally, while emulators are mostly legal, the ROMs or programs you download to use on said emulators are often illegal copies making you party to pirating. You should look into any ROM you plan on downloading along with regulations in your area before downloading anything. Because of this uncertain background, Apple does not allow many emulators on the App Store. So you'll need to download many of them from their own sites.

Delta

Delta is a very popular emulator designed to emulate retro gaming systems like Nintendo 64, NES, SNES, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, DS, and more. It also offers support for PS4, PS5, Xbox One S, and Xbox Series X controllers for more comfortable play. You'll just want to choose the best iPhone or iPad controller that works with these emulators. Among its many convenient features, it automatically saves as you progress and supports quick saves if you're using a controller. What's more, even cheat codes are made accessible through various Game Genie and Game Shark programs.

DolphiniOS Emulator

This emulator is "based on an open-source Dolphin emulator for Desktop." It's specifically designed to be able to run Nintendo Wii and GameCube ROMs on compatible iOS devices. Users must first jailbreak the iOS device and then download the emulator. Once it's running, players can access their ROM library from within DolphiniOS or can easily add more to the library by pressing the plus button in the upper right-hand corner.

Provenance

The Provenance emulator works incredibly well on iOS and mimics programs for Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and more. The program allows you to save whenever you'd like so you can pick up wherever you left off. Plus, it's compatible with the iCade, MFi, or Steam controllers if you happen to have any of those. You will need to go to the Provenance Wiki to download and install it.

Eclipse

Eclipse is built for ROMs from NES, SNES, Game Boy Color, Sega Genesis, and Sega Game Gear. It's a relatively new multi-emulator and totes itself as being unrevokable. The interface is smooth, allowing you to simply tap on an icon to open any given ROM you've previously downloaded. You can save or fast forward through long cutscenes whenever you'd like. Users can also get access to a large library of games by downloading them from Game Hub.

Happy Chick

Happy Chick is built to run 18 gaming systems, including PlayStation 1-3, Nintendo 64, DS, Game Boy, PSP, and more. It is compatible with a large list of ROMS and even supports online multiplayer for compatible ROMs. Players can use the GameSire G3s or the GameSir G4s controllers to play more comfortably. Instructions for downloading and installing the emulator on iPhone and iPad are available on the official website.

Retro Arch

Retro Arch is yet another multi-emulator that is compatible with several older platforms. Downloading it on your iPhone or iPad can allow you to access ROMs for several gaming systems like Sega Genesis, Atari, DOS, Neo Geo Pocket, and more. Save when you want, rewind to play through a section better, and much more with its convenience features.

Where to find ROMs

Simply performing a Google Search for ROMs isn't the best way to go about it since you're never quite sure if you're landing on a safe downloading link or not. Instead, you should only download from trusted locations. Archive.org is a great choice. Just remember that you should only download ROMS from files and games you own. Doing otherwise is considered pirating and violates intellectual property laws.

To better keep track of your ROMs, we suggest making a new folder and keeping them all within it. It can also make it easier to access them from the emulator if they're all in one place.

Best controllers for iPad and iPhone

Many emulators also offer gaming controller support on iPhone and iPad to make playing more convenient. However, you'll need to check with each emulator to see which controllers are compatible with both the emulator and your device. Some of the most common controllers to support are the Xbox controller or a PlayStation controller.

Plenty to choose from

There must be hundreds of gaming emulators out there, but not all of them are created equally. To get the best experiences and avoid malicious viruses we recommend sticking to the ones we've listed. If you're only going to do one, we recommend Delta. It works with a number of different controllers and ROMs and has several convenience features.

Another popular choice is the DolphiniOS. Before being able to use it, users will need to jailbreak their iPhone or iPad. However, it has a good interface and works very well. Lastly, the Eclipse emulator offers an intuitive interface and is easy to use. It allows players to fast forward through slow bits of games and save whenever they want to. 

This week in mobile games, a new-retro classic dropped on Apple Arcade that you'll definitely want to check out. There’s also a great new battle royale game on Netflix that will help fulfill any piratey desires you may have. Additionally, we learned that Monument Valley 3 is on the way — eventually.

With so many fun games to discuss, let's not dilly-dally any further. On to the main event!

 Can you dig it? (yes you can) 

Apple Arcade has got into a good retro groove lately – after the addition of Amazing Bomberman and the OutRun-inspired fun of Horizon Chase, we’ve now got pixel-art perfection in the shape of Shovel Knight Dig. 

It’s a collaboration between Shovel Knight series originator Yacht Club Games and master mobile game maker Nitrome, and it’s wonderful.

The platform adventuring of the other games in the series is all here, but it’s more tightly focused around digging down to discover treasures and trinkets while taking branching paths through to the end of the game.

Every run through the game feels different, thanks to the way the game is remixed a little every time you play, in true roguelike/roguelite style. 

A cracker, then – a beautiful retro aesthetic wrapped up in very smart, modern game design.

 All aboard the good ship Netflix 

Netflix subscribers have a growing catalog of quality games to check out through the iPhone and iPad app – and the latest is a battle royale game set in pirate-infested high seas. 

It’s been made by regular Netflix collaborators Rogue Games and Amuzo, who by this point are tried-and-tested game makers. 

While they’ve clearly taken inspiration from the superb Brawl Stars in how you progress and upgrade your characters, in the actual battles it’s never not a good time hooning around on the briny sea firing cannons and dropping explosive mines to take out other pirates. Recommended, and totally free of in-app purchases and ads, just like Apple Arcade games. 

 Monument Valley 3 is coming, but not soon

Ustwo Games teased out a little more about the much-anticipated Monument Valley 3 this week, as part of an interview around its next game Desta: The Memories Between, which is launching on Netflix next week.

Apparently, the team working on the game is growing, and is starting to narrow down the concept behind the game, though Ustwo Games chief creative officer Danny Gray warns that the game’s still “a long way off.”

We got some early details about the game back in March, too — when it emerged that the game could have a ‘green’ theme and was being directed by eco-warrior and former Subway Surfers designer Jennifer Estaris.

It’s not clear which platform it’ll emerge on just yet – but we’d bet it’s a straight fight between Apple Arcade and Netflix to snap it up as an exclusive. It’ll be fascinating to see which tech giant Ustwo Games chooses to side with.

 What else to play this week

That's all, folks!

That's all of the iOS gaming news for this week. There are several exciting iPhone games and iPad games on the horizon that we can't wait to get our hands on. For now, the awesome releases of the last few days are more than enough to keep us entertained, and in a variety of genres too. 

If nothing else, make sure to play Shovel Knight Dig since it's a great new entry in the series. Of course, if you want something a bit more chill, Lettermon is a fun way to relax and pass the time with adorable word puzzles and alphabet characters. 

Until next week!

- Neil Alexander Long

Since its launch way back in 2014, Five Nights at Freddy's has been a bit of a cultural icon. Now, with the launch of the Five Nights at Freddy's movie, a whole new wave of players are getting to the game. Unfortunately for those who are scared easily, it is much more creepy and punishing than the movie. 

Giving the player a limited amount of power, a handful of cameras to look over, and murderous animatronics to keep in check, you have to carefully and efficiently use your deductive reasoning and quick wits to make it through the night. As the name implies, you have to last a mere five nights to finish the game entirely. It's not as easy as this seems. 

You will need to learn how Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy all move to get through it and you will need more than a little luck. If you are struggling to beat the game, here are the top Five Nights at Freddy's tips we could find. 

1. Keep the doors open

Regardless of if you're playing this as an iPhone game or a Nintendo Switch game, these rules are the same. The doors are the largest waste of power in the entire game. Sure you could keep them closed at all times to ward off enemies but that'd defeat the purpose of the game. Not to mention, doing so will barely get you through an hour before you completely run out of power.

Instead, keep the doors open at all times until you actually hear a character approaching or see one in the doorway. Then slam them shut and leave them shut until they disappear.

2. Use lights sparingly and only under attack

Five Nights at Freddy's is immensely reliant on auditory cues. If you run around checking cameras and flipping on lights when you don't need to, you'll never have enough power to get through the night. Instead, when you think you hear something approaching, quickly tap the lights on and off to check the doorways.

On the right side door, you can sometimes see something approaching in the shadows before it gets to the doorway. This means you can bypass using the lights altogether and just shut the door.

3. Learn how all your enemies move

Enemies move differently at Freddy's. Learning early on how they move will get you further, and faster. Here's how I've found all four enemies to move throughout the night, with the exception of night five, where it appears all bets are off.

• Freddy - The titular bear with the top hat. Freddy is harder to predict and frequently makes cameras go dark. This is a good indication Freddy is lurking. Watching him seems to make him advance slower, so keep an eye on him and remember he typically moves throughout the whole camera circuit before attacking. But remember, he can break through doors, so slowing him down in the final hours of the night is key.
• Bonnie - It looks like a purple rabbit and always appears in the left-hand doorway but moves randomly in the cameras. Flick the left side light on and off if you feel Bonnie is moving, just to make sure they aren't in the doorway already.
• Chica - As you'd expect, this is the yellow bird. It moves purposefully and quickly towards the player, and always appears in the right-side door. If you see Chica on a right-side camera approaching you, they'll soon be in the doorway so prepare to close it!
• Foxy - The fox that mainly stays in Pirate Cove in Camera 1C but doesn't like to be watched often. When you hear running on the left side, Foxy is attacking. Slam down the left door. You may also sporadically see signs in camera 1C that say "IT'S ME!" and if you see this, immediately slam the left door down.

4. Watch for glowing eyes

As previously stated, Freddy is hard to see on the cameras. One indicator that he's in a specific room is if you see glowing eyes. There have been times I thought I was looking at a completely empty camera but caught a pair of glowing eyes, which happened to be Freddy.

Just be sure to keep an eye on Freddy as he moves through cameras as it'll slow down his advance.

5. Headphones make audio cues much more obvious

Five Nights at Freddy's is chock full of auditory information. Being able to hear footsteps specifically approaching from the left or right separately is super important. And when you hear running or other sounds, you'll quickly become acquainted with who is attacking and from where.

Through your iPhone or iPad's built-in speakers, it's sometimes impossible to decipher where a character is moving to, in turn making cameras harder to monitor. And as you can probably guess, that means you use more power. So in short, use headphones whenever possible.

6. Listen before looking

Again, auditory cues are key. It's also why headphones make a huge difference. You can hear the feedback coming from both left and right channels separately which tells you exactly what side you are facing an attack from. This makes it much easier to conserve power when you aren't guessing what door to slam down.

7. Quick, short looks are key

With the exception of when you're tracking Freddy, short and quick looks are almost always best. You want to curb your power usage as much as possible. In most situations, you'll be able to see where characters are at with short looks. Spend most of your time listening and only part of your time looking. I'd say an 80/20 rule would make a good guideline.

8. Don't waste power until an animal makes the first move

At the very beginning of the night, all the animals are located in camera 1A. Quickly take glances at them here and there in order to see when an animal makes their first move. In other words, when one disappears. That's the point when you need to start checking the other cameras. Just be sure to also keep an eye on Foxy in Pirate's Cove periodically. And more importantly, make sure you're listening for attacks more than you are watching.

9. Customize each robot's A.I. Level to make things easier (or harder)

If you're finding Five Nights at Freddy's too challenging or not challenging enough, you can change the difficulty settings of each of the four robots. To do this, go to Custom Night in the main menu. Then move the A.I. Level for each robot up or down.

• Levels 0-2: Makes the robots slower and the game much easier to play.
• Levels 3-6: Increases the mobility of the robots, but is still considered a medium playthrough.
• Levels 7-12: Makes the anamatronics move around a whole lot more and provides a challenging game.
• Levels 13-20: Get ready to get attacked by each of these characters regularly. This is only something to be attempted if you want no peace all night long.

10. Turn the Cheats on

The Nintendo Switch version allows you to select Cheats in the main menu. With these, you can choose whether or not to have Unlimited Power, Fast Nights, or Radar Map turned on.

• Unlimited Power: You never run out of power so you can keep those lights on or those doors closed all night long. This makes the game a synch to play.
• Fast Nights: The hours tick by twice as fast every night so you don't have to spend as much time watching those cameras, listening for creepy noises, and slamming your doors.
• Radar Map: Makes an image of each robot appear on the map so you know exactly where they are at all times.

Survive the nights

This game might be several years old, but it's managed to stay an important game in the horror genre all this time. Each animatronic has its own quirks to watch out for and if you really do conserve your energy you'll make it a lot farther.  

With these tips, tricks, and secrets you'll be able to make it through each night without getting killed by evil animatronic robots. Good night and good luck to you!

This week in mobile games we learned that Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is coming next year, Ubisoft is making two new Assassin’s Creed games and that the Marvel universe is the next big brand to get the Pokémon Go treatment. There’s also new games to play that’ll scratch a retro itch.

 Let’s get into it shall we? 

 Warzone is ready to drop 

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is coming in 2023, and with it comes some interesting new cross-progression mechanics. It's shaping up to join the best iPhone games out there. 

Warzone Mobile will allow players to carry loadouts, weapons, operators, and XP across to PC and console games Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare II and back again. It means, in short, that you could unlock a new item in one game and use it in another, carrying your COD progression with you wherever you go. 

Other interesting tidbits announced about the game state that it’ll feature full 120-person battle royale gameplay just like the PC and console games, and will feature the popular Verdansk map at launch, with Warzone 2.0 map Al Mazrah arriving in the future. Android owners can pre-register their interest in the game now; App Store players will have to wait a little longer to pre-order. Activision has told fans to "stay tuned." Consider us tuned, then? 

 Assassin’s Creed goes mobile (twice) 

Among the many Assassin’s Creed games revealed by Ubisoft last week, two were bespoke mobile games coming to iOS.

The first is codenamed Jade, and is a full-scale open-world game set in ancient China. It is widely expected that Ubisoft has enlisted the help of Tencent to make the title, which has deep expertise in taking ‘western’ brands mobile (League of Legends, Call of Duty and Apex Legends to name a few). But weirdly, when asked, Ubisoft wouldn’t confirm who is co-developing the game, which is odd. Our bet here is that it’ll follow the same shape and structure of Genshin Impact, another very successful open-world game on mobile.

The other new Assassin’s Creed game coming to mobile is a little more mysterious. It’ll be coming to Netflix as part of a three-game deal Ubisoft just announced with the streaming giant, and in all likelihood will tie into the Assassin’s Creed series being made for Netflix games too. Again, when quizzed, Ubisoft couldn’t say much, but did say that “​It’s going to be different to our open world games and is going to be something that’s fun and takes us back to our roots.” Hmmm.

 Marvel meets Pokémon Go

Niantic, maker of Pokémon Go and several other much less successful location-based games, is now going to give the Marvel universe a whirl as it tries to replicate the popularity of its original gotta-catch-’em-all hit.

It’s called Marvel World of Heroes and it looks like it’ll transfuse the likes of Thor, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther into the Pokémon Go template. We’re a little cautious on this one because Niantic’s got an uneven record with this stuff. It tried much the same with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which didn’t last long, and its Transformers and Catan games didn’t make it beyond a few smaller test markets. (Pikmin Bloom, by the way, is doing fine, but hasn’t exactly set the world aflame.)

Lead game designer Neil Melville said of the game, “We aren’t content with augmenting reality with a single version of the Marvel Universe, and will let you travel to multiple alternate realities in the Marvel Multiverse to engage with different characters and stories in the same location.”

So it sounds like it’ll lean into some pretty deep lore – one to watch for Marvel superfans if Niantic can pull it off.

 What to play this week

Apple Arcade has been on a good run lately with the release of Amazing Bomberman and Horizon Chase 2, which both have retro appeal for players of a certain vintage.

Amazing Bomberman leans into its old-school roots with a retro-future aesthetic and frenetic soundtrack, as well as offering online play and several other modes to tinker with. 

Horizon Chase 2’s blazing blue skies, sporty supercars, and arcadey racing mean it’s effectively a modern-day OutRun, so grab it now if you want superfast thrills without a brake pedal in sight. 

And if those haven’t satisfied your hunger for retro action, there’s ScourgeBringer, a speedy combat-based platformer that has been aptly described by some as Dead Cells meets Celeste.

Until next week!

- Neil Alexander Long

 This week in iOS games it was a big week for big shooters coming to your iPhone and iPad, with Call of Duty Warzone, The Division Resurgence and Rainbow Six Mobile all breaking cover.

Plus! There’s an oddball Witcher spin-off starring trusty steed Roach, a Far Cry game that isn’t a Far Cry game and what else to play this week.

Let’s get into it shall we?

 A big week for big-name shooters 

Ready for an announcement of an announcement? Good. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will be revealed on Sept. 15, Activision said this week during GameSpot’s Swipe Mobile showcase.

Warzone was actually announced by Activision back in March, in order to lure people over to work at one of the many different development studios making the game, which are dotted across Canada, the U.S., Spain and China. And hopes for this one must be high, given Call of Duty Mobile’s wild success.

As part of the same stream, we got a first good look at the mobile editions of The Division and Rainbow Six, too. And both looked very much like their console and PC counterparts.

The Division Resurgence is being pitched as a separate story to the one from the other Division games, but will retain the open world, team-based mission structure of its predecessors and is set in a near-future New York, like the original game.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Six Mobile has a huge amount of support from Ubisoft, which has 11 studios plus Call of Duty: Mobile co-developer Tencent working on the game. This is one for hardcore shooter fans, with teams of attackers and defenders going head-to-head. There’s more detail coming on this one in Ubisoft’s Forward showcase on Saturday.

 Race as Roach from The Witcher

The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red had a bit of crossover fun this week with Roach Race, a retro infinite runner where you play as Geralt’s trusty steed from The Witcher 3.

As well as iOS and Android, the game will also be appearing inside Cyberpunk 2077’s arcades, hence the ‘Cyberpunk Arcade’ splash screen when you boot up the game.

It’s pretty simple stuff: tap to jump over hazards and flapping Griffins as you collect apples and carrots, and double-tap to make Roach front flip as he double-jumps. We don’t remember doing that in Wild Hunt.

There are little in-jokes about Cyberpunk and The Witcher dotted throughout, so it's a nice bit of CD Projekt Red fan service, and it’s completely free of ads and in-app purchases too.

 When is a Far Cry game not a Far Cry game? 

With Rainbow Six and The Division on their way to mobile, another blockbuster Ubisoft shooter is already on the App Store. Sort of.

Wild Arena Survivors is a battle royale game that was once known as Far Cry: Wild Call, we reported elsewhere this week. And you can see the common ground between this and Far Cry 6, from the Cuban-inspired setting to the way wild animals get involved in the combat.

Unfortunately during testing in its former life as Far Cry: Wild Call, Ubisoft didn’t feel like it was going to be successful enough to carry the big-name shooter brand, so it got turned into Wild Arena Survivors instead. Weird.

 What to play this week 

Following closely after certified bangers Poinpy and Into the Breach, Netflix continues to roll out some excellent new games, and Lucky Luna is the latest. It’s a retro platform adventure with a stiff challenge and slightly unusual controls - you can’t jump, but you can swipe to move our hero Luna through each perilous, spike-strewn stage.

Then there’s charming Railbound, a winning combo of delightful cartoon visuals and beautifully-designed puzzles. Or indeed Pako Highway, a spectacular racer/runner hybrid where you weave through traffic gaining boosts for every near-miss. It’s got a great Hotline Miami-like soundtrack, too. 

Until next week!

-Neil Long

Every week that I run this column, I flip through a few resources to see what’s dropped recently on iOS devices and parse through what’s worth playing and what’s not. Mostly, there are a lot of duds, and I end up spending a lot of time talking about games available on Apple Arcade through necessity. 

But this past week, I discovered a title that completely took me by surprise — especially as I’ve been weening off of playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 on PS4. Pocket Skate is a charming skateboarding game made by Australian indie developer Peter Leary that dropped a few weeks ago for iPad and iPhone, and it completely missed my radar. It’s a very chill game in which you flick, swipe, and tap your screen to pull off tricks, and coast around in small, colorful maps in one-minute skate sessions — or longer, if you’d like to Free Skate. It’s the perfect pick-up-and-play title when you’ve got a moment to kill, and oddly, it reminds me a lot of playing with old-school Tech Decks. 

Finger skating

Pocket Skate is a super simple game to pick up and play, but a tough one to master with intent. The idea of Pocket Skate is to rack up a high score during short, one-minute skate sessions — though the option to free skate is available. The higher the score, the more experience you gain. The more experience, the bigger the bank of points you can spend on unlockables, like other skate tricks and characters. Each session also has challenges to hit, lending it a task list similar to that of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series.

During these one-minute skate sessions, you kick off your board by tapping the right side of your device’s screen while controlling movement with the left. To manual, you hold the right side of the screen and swipe up or down. To ollie, flick the right side up, and you could potentially land into a grind by resting your finger. To grab, hold in any direction while you’re in the air, and to flip, you flick in any direction in the air. It’s a very simplified version of the double/triple-tapping and multi-directional button mapping we all know from the Tony Hawk games.

But for me, Pocket Skate is reminiscent of fiddling around with a Tech Deck — or, for those out of the loop and simply too young to know (oof…), the finger skateboard fad of the early aughts. Pocket Skate has a bouncy, slightly low-gravity feel to it, and it’s very generous when you’re assembling a line of tricks — I don’t think I’ve ever fallen off my board while chaining a huge combo, and the only bails I’ve made were from running into a wall. Because of this, you can kinda just flick your right wrist in every which way and land tricks on a whim, racking up your score in the process. The maddening amount of flicking, holding, and tapping I do in a single game reminds me of those times I’ve annoyed my middle school teachers with the slapping of a tiny wooden fingerboard in class, and the sound effects are just as satisfying.

Big-head mode

Perhaps the strongest part of Pocket Skate is its art direction. It’s a super colorful game, with bobblehead-like characters that are tall and lanky. Your skater has the build of Coraline’s parents, with blacked-out eyes, long, thin limbs, and a huge dome piece.

You can customize those characters (and trick sets) through the main menu, and change the colors of whoever you choose to play as. The unlockable characters are cool, too, though each just serves as an avatar and lacks personality. Still, I love seeing how these little characters swerve through each map.

Speaking of maps, the game starts with just one, the skatepark, though you eventually unlock two others through targeting those objective lists: the park and the beach. They each have their own cute little quirks, and gliding around in each feels so bright and happy, especially as the camera follows you around these small play areas.

The only thing I wish this game had was a killer soundtrack. Although it lets you use your device’s playback feature to tune into your own music, you can’t link it to a streaming service like Spotify and play background music — though, to be fair, I’ve just been having Spotify play in the background anyway.

Pocketable skate fun

I’ve really been enjoying Pocket Skate, especially in one-minute intervals. It feels like a quick exercise in flicking a Tech Deck with a tinge of Tony Hawk Pro Skater, which, to me, is a super warm and nostalgic feeling. 

I’m excited to see what the game’s next update will look like and what kind of additional maps and characters Peter Leary will cook up. (The addition of controller support would be nice!) Until then, Pocket Skate is just fun enough to capture my attention for a few minutes a day. It's a welcome addition to the family of the best iPhone games, where more skateboarding games are much needed.

There's lots to cover this week when it comes to the mobile gaming scene. It appears that PlayStation has acquired a mobile game-maker, while Apple unveiled six new Apple Arcade games, and Netflix lined up a future classic. 

We’ve also got the best new games of the week for you to play, including a new battle royale from Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft and Tom Hanks’ new trivia game. That’s right: the Tom Hanks. Let’s get into it, shall we?

PlayStation moves into mobile

Mobile gaming was mostly Uncharted (ha!) territory for PlayStation until this week, when it bought Savage Game Studios for an undisclosed fee. The mobile game-maker has “a new unannounced AAA mobile live service action game” in development, which will now be released through PlayStation Mobile.

So what do we know about Savage? Well, it has studios in Helsinki, Finland, and Berlin, Germany; has been running since 2020, and previously raised over $4 million in funding to make a mobile shooter.

It was suggested in the announcement that Savage could revive an older PlayStation series for mobile, but we’d bet against that for now. We reckon PlayStation bought Savage based on the shooter it has been making for the last few years, plus the very experienced people running the studio. The announcement also suggested that Savage would continue to do its own thing as part of PlayStation, without much interference from its new owner. 

Perhaps after that first mobile game is a success, Savage will get the keys to a dormant PlayStation series. There are plenty to choose from if Savage is going to stick to making shooters: Killzone, Resistance, and SOCOM, for starters.

Apple unveils six new Arcade games for September

It’s a bumper month for Apple Arcade subscribers, with six new games coming to the catalog this month. And five of them are brand new.

For us, the headliner is Shovel Knight Dig, a new platform adventure co-developed by original Shovel Knight maker Yacht Club Games and pixel art masters Nitrome. Both of these studios really know how to make retro-style adventures that feel great to control with touch controls or an iPhone controller. So we’re banking on this one being a winner when it drops on September 23. 

A close second is Horizon Chase 2, a retro racing sequel with lovely ‘90s arcade-inspired looks that’s coming next week, September 9. The first game was a banger, so this one’s sure to be good too. 

On September 30 there’s Gris+, a re-release of the thoughtful, award-winning indie game with stunning art to gawk at. And for more casual players, there’s nature-themed match-3 game Garden Tails on September 16 and farming game Farmside, on September 23. 

And finally — surprise! — out today is Hanx101 Trivia, a quiz game that comes, weirdly, with the endorsement of Tom Hanks. Yes, that Tom Hanks. More on that later.

Netflix waits for new game, Immortality

Out of nowhere, PC and Xbox Game Pass' new release Immortality has been getting absolutely incredible review scores. And if you’ve got a Netflix subscription you won’t have to wait long to play it as part of the streaming service’s growing games catalog.

It’s a detective game in which you scrub and scroll through footage of old films to connect the dots and figure out what might have happened to missing movie starlet Marrisa Marcel. And seriously, folks are talking about this one being a game of the year contender.

While the game is out now on PC and Xbox, unfortunately, developer Half Mermaid has had to take a little more time to bring the game to mobiles and tablets. Netflix originally announced the game was coming in July, then August, and now the latest date is a vaguer “very soon.” The game is also coming to all the best Macs at some point too, which is good news.

iOS games to play this week

Here’s a strange one: Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft has seemingly developed and released a brand new battle royale game, but forgot to tell anyone about it.

It’s called Wild Arena Survivors, and it’s pretty good — a 40-player battle royale set on a tropical island with animals roaming the place, adding to the carnage. It seems loosely inspired by some of the cartoonier parts of the Far Cry games, and has a line-up of characters with different weaponry, strengths, and weaknesses, just like that other battle royale from a major publisher, Apex Legends Mobile. 

The weird thing is, we don’t remember Ubisoft even announcing this game, let alone actively promoting it through their usual — very prominent — PR and marketing channels. Very odd.

Meanwhile, Apple Arcade subscribers can tuck into Hanx101 Trivia from today, the quiz game created with the blessing of that guy from Joe Versus the Volcano, Tom Hanks. He may have been in other films — we’re not sure. 

That's all for now!

Hanx101 Trivia is a perfectly pleasant quiz game for solo trivia lovers or those seeking head-to-head competition, and is very much the stuff Apple Arcade is releasing more and more of these days: Well-designed, family-friendly fare that pretty much anyone can enjoy. 

Until next week!

- Neil Alexander Long

A few weeks ago, Konami announced that its newest Apple Arcade-exclusive title, Amazing Bomberman, would drop a mere 24 hours later. The latest in the nearly 40-year-old franchise, Amazing Bomberman takes the classic Bomberman gameplay and drops it onto iOS devices with explosive visuals, quick online matchmaking, and an aesthetic that feels much aligned with fan art you may have seen on platforms like Deviant Art, Tumblr, and Twitter.

But of course, the biggest pull of Amazing Bomberman is its soundtrack. The game takes the core idea of Bomberman and mixes it with boom-heavy music, with plenty of original tracks that span from chiptune to dubstep to idol pop. Online, players face off to the tune of vibrant bangers that pump stages with heavy visual effects and drop power-ups to the beat — my favorite of which being, Bomb, Bomb! Blow'em All.

Despite the lack of a storyline, Amazing Bomberman still has some context to understand that gives the game a fuller feel to its quickplay multi-player extravaganza. To unwrap some of the ideas behind Amazing Bomberman, we emailed Tatsunori Matsuo, assistant producer at Konami Japan, and asked him about the game’s inspiration, lo-fi aesthetics, and conception.

Station to station gameplay

Kevin Cortez, iMore: It's been a few years since the last proper Bomberman title was released, Super Bomberman R. That game spawned a free-to-play spin-off that garnered some attention from players wanting to battle it out with others online, and it's just a few years old. Amazing Bomberman seems to share that same online-only multiplayer component. Was the initial idea for Amazing Bomberman always centered around an online battle arena?  

Tatsunori Matsuo: The project started with the idea of having a Bomberman game that would be easy to play online, taking advantage of an Apple device's ability to easily connect online anytime, anywhere. With "Station to Station" as the key concept, once the game starts, you can revive and play as many times as you want until the time limit is up. However, when the time limit is up, the game ends exactly when the time is up, so we're developing Amazing Bomberman as a new type of Bomberman that can be played quickly in your spare time before reaching the next station. 

KC: Was Amazing Bomberman ever intended to be a rhythm game in which you tap or drop bombs to the beat? 

TM: No, we did not. We wanted to approach Bomberman with a different concept in mind but decided we wanted to follow the same basic battle structure as before because we wanted players to enjoy the traditional intuitive battles. 

In considering the time-limited rules, we thought it would be interesting to link game time with the playing time of the music and incorporate elements of a rhythm game, which led to the creation of Amazing Bomberman's gameplay. 

The stages are linked to the music and change, and the user is encouraged to play through each stage as if he or she were memorizing the score of a rhythm game. 

KC: I noticed a bulk of the songs on Amazing Bomberman are original tracks made for the game. How did the music selection for the game come about? Were artists and musicians given a theme to follow when writing music? 

TM: All songs are original transcriptions. 

First, the team came up with ideas for the overall structure and theme of each song and then searched for the best artists to create songs in accordance with each theme. The overall composition of the songs was based on the premise that the songs should be easy to keep up with the rhythm of the game, and they ranged from "rock" to "idol songs" without being restricted by genre. 

In order to provide diversity, each song was produced by a director and two members of the sound team, each of whom was responsible for a particular song. 

On lo-fi aesthetics

KC: Let's talk about the distinct style of Amazing Bomberman. How did that all come about? The aesthetics remind me a lot of fan art around Bomberman I've seen online.

TM: We're aware of the revival boom in retro culture, and the director himself is a big fan of ChilledCow, so I wanted to create an art style that would make people want to keep the game running even when they are not playing it. The art director drew up the illustrations, which were designed to bring out the "lo-fi taste" and "new retro" elements of the game.

KC: I think it's pretty funny that the title screen kind of serves as the polar opposite of the gameplay. The main menu features lo-fi music that's very similar to relaxing coffee shop instrumentals, and it uses plenty of calm blues. But the gameplay is fairly chaotic, with so many spastic visuals and explosions appearing on screen at once. Was this intentional?

TM: The worldview of Amazing Bomberman is that Bomberman, drifting through space in a world where civilization has died out, collects VHS music videos left behind by mankind and uses them to communicate with another Bomberman somewhere in the universe. The contrast of watching a lively VHS in a lonely space creates Amazing Bomberman's unique worldview.

KC: I'm already seeing early comments around the game by fans yearning for more updates and additional content support. Are there any plans for significant updates in the future?

TM: Unfortunately, we cannot speak to that at this time, but we are monitoring what our fans are saying and will try to incorporate any asks in ways that are fair and balanced.

What's next?

KC: Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Bomberman franchise. This feels sort of like a tease leading up to that event. How do you feel Amazing Bomberman stands out in the legacy of the series? What makes it stand out compared to other entries in the franchise?

TM: Obviously, the musical component and how those rhythms guide the battles will be what makes the game stand out, but also the art direction of Bomberman characters interacting with retro tech. As you may know, we announced Super Bomberman R 2 earlier this year, and so we wanted to add another game to the franchise that is visually distinct from our upcoming project.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Blow'em all

Amazing Bomberman isn't the perfect Bomberman title, but it's a welcome addition to Apple Arcade (made even better with the best Apple TV gaming controllers). Though Matsuo couldn't officially confirm updates, it's tough to not imagine a stronger title with a smarter control scheme, visuals that don't cloud the player's line of sight, and maybe even customizable levels.

But if there's anything to learn from Matsuo's words about Amazing Bomberman, it's that Konami is still offering visually distinct titles in the Bomberman franchise. Here's to looking toward the series' 40th year in 2023.

What you need to know:

• Mario Kart Tour is the first entry in the series to  appear on mobile devices.
• The game sparked controversy due to its randomized paid "gacha" mechanic, where players could pay in premium currency to acquire drivers and kart parts.
• Nintendo recently announced changes to the game, several years after its launch.

Mario Kart Tour, on paper, sounds like the dream — it's the classic chaotic multiplayer experience of Mario Kart on a convenient mobile device. However, being free-to-play meant that it aimed to earn money through microtransactions in the form of loot boxes. 

Players could use the premium currency, Rubies, to use a green pipe à la Mario Bros., and pull it down to make a new item shoot out. This item could be a random kart racer or random kart parts, emulating the "gacha" mechanic popularized by gachapon machines. 

The random nature meant that players could inadvertently earn duplicates, which meant that getting your favorite racer could get quite expensive. The game features time-sensitive seasons as well, with unique limited characters that could be gone forever if players weren't lucky enough to pull them. Gacha games are often magnets for controversy, and Nintendo's otherwise player-friendly attitude seemed to clash with the money-hungry mechanics in the mobile version of one of their most popular franchises.

Nintendo recently announced via the official Mario Kart Tour Twitter account that significant changes are coming to the game, encouraging players to check their in-game notifications:

A battle mode is planned for the game, similar to battle modes in mainline console versions of the games, where players try to pop all three balloons carried by other players. Surprisingly enough, Nintendo also announced that the gacha pipes will also be removed, being instead replaced by a shop in which players can spend Rubies to purchase racers and parts directly.

The changes are set to be implemented next month. Mario Kart Tour is available on iOS and Android.

What you need to know:

• Shovel Knight is a video game franchise by the indie developer, Yacht Club Games.
• One of the games in the Shovel Knight universe, Shovel Knight Dig, was originally slated to release last year, but was delayed.
• Yacht Club Games recently announced that the game is slated to release on September 23, 2022, on Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

Shovel Knight is one of the biggest indie sensations in recent years, being a perfect marriage between retro aesthetics and modern platforming. The game was initially pitched on Kickstarter, greatly surpassing its goal and becoming a huge success. After over five years, the developers, Yacht Club Games, finally finished adding Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove's free DLC promised in their initial campaign on Kickstarter. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove ended up having four single-player campaigns, co-op mode, and a multiplayer brawler, each with their own achievements and challenges.

Despite having moved on to new franchises, namely the original IP, Mina the Hollower, Shovel Knight still has some life in it as a franchise. Shovel Knight Dig is a game with a similar art style, with the antagonist being a new character called Drill Knight, who steals Shovel Knight's hard-earned loot. The game is procedurally generated, meaning that each playthrough is a completely new experience.

Initially slated for a 2021 release, Yacht Club Games ended up delaying the game. Fans of the blue knight need not fear, however, as a definitive release date was announced yesterday.

The game will release on September 23, 2022, for Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. For Nintendo Switch and Steam players, the game will be $24.99, but Apple Arcade subscribers can access the game alongside dozens of others with their $5 monthly subscription. 

This week in mobile games we learned that US players love zombie games (expected) and wolf games (unexpected).

We also take a look at a great indie gem with retro toy vibes plus what’s new on Apple Arcade: a puzzle-based adventure game about piecing your robot girlfriend back together. 

Let’s get into it, shall we?

 Survival of the fittest

Developer Habby clearly has a knack for making shooting stuff incredibly satisfying. Not long after it had a big hit with frenetic shooter Archero, it now has another chart-topper on its hands with Survivor.io, which is at the very top of the U.S. App Store game charts at the time of writing.

It's a top-down arena shooter where the number of zombies on screen keeps going up and up and up. Luckily your firepower escalates alongside the number of undead — the action stops every few minutes so you can upgrade your gear or add new gizmos to your arsenal.

Our hero quickly escalates from keeping the deadheads at bay with a humble rifle to becoming a swirling, drone-enhanced weapon of mass destruction. The swarms and waves of zombies and animals change regularly too, and over-the-top boss fights help change up the rhythm.

The presentation is not exactly dazzling — it looks a bit like a Flash game you might have played on Kongregate or Newgrounds back in the day — but it’s good stuff nonetheless.

 A new wolf game that’s a bit of a howler 

Sitting just underneath Suvivor.io on the U.S. games charts right now is Wolf Game: The Wild Kingdom, and it’s… not to our taste, to put it mildly.

You play as chatty wolf Alpha, who is forced to flee his homeland to build a new life, building up a squad of fellow wolves and establishing a new vulpine empire.

Folks in the business call this a 4X strategy game, where you "explore, expand, exploit and exterminate." This is straight out of the same playbook as the likes of Game of War and State of Survival, a mix of battles and base-building that lots of folks seem to love. But honestly, dear reader, I can't figure out why.

The game has a very specific look, like other games in this genre: pre-rendered characters and backgrounds with strange animations, plus menus and other UI elements that make it look and feel like an early 2000s PC game. And the actual gameplay amounts to endlessly tapping icons to complete tasks and collect resources, then tapping more icons to do battle with hyenas, bears and enemy wolves, which are mostly automated. Seriously, fans of tapping icons a lot will love it.

It might not be our thing, but many people have downloaded it — it’s not easy to get to number two on the charts, after all. So well done to its developer Special Gamez Technology, even if we personally don't want to think about it.

 A retro toy without the plastic

Remember Screwball Scramble? Was it even a thing outside of Britain in the ‘80s and ‘90s? If you're unaware, it was the must-have childhood thing. You got a ball across an obstacle course by pressing buttons and twisting dials. All the cool kids had it.

Automatoys is that, but set on elegant Monument Valley-like dioramas. It also has a jazzy lo-fi beats soundtrack from artist Submerged Tapes.

As you help the smiley little ball to the goal, tap or hold the screen. This triggers the bouncers, grabbers, levers, and spinning mazes, so it’s super intuitive. And it’s well worth buying the nine levels after the three stages you get for free. They’re all a delight, and a few of your dollars will go a little way to supporting tiny, super-talented indie developer Idle Friday.

 What else to play this week 

Love You To Bits+ is new to Apple Arcade today, a delightful puzzle adventure where you scour the universe for bits of your robot girlfriend so you can put her back together again. This means exploring every corner of the game’s universe by solving puzzles and unlocking more locations.

There’s a wholesome story threaded throughout as well, based on the love story between hero Kosmo and dismantled robot sweetheart Nova.

It’s charming stuff, and not too many folks will have played it. It was first released on the ‘normal’ App Store several years ago, so hopefully more folks will get to enjoy this lovingly-made game from Spanish indie studio Alike through Apple Arcade.

Until next week!

-Neil Long

To describe Jetpack Joyride 2 is to undersell it. You play as Barry Steakfries, a man strapped to a jetpack who automatically propels forward. You tap and hold to move him up, let go to drop him down, and shoot bullets while weaving in and out of enemies to finish a level. 

Halfbrick’s latest game has the same casual compulsiveness as many mobile games of the past — Angry Birds, Threes, Crossy Road, and even the developer’s own 2010 mega-hit, Fruit Ninja. It’s highly addictive and extremely accessible, full of inoffensive art, bad jokes, and a just-one-more-level mentality.

To say Jetpack Joyride 2 is the sole reason to get Apple Arcade is to completely oversell it. It’s fun, sure, but that’s like saying Candy Crush Saga was once worth making a Facebook account. (Debatable). I don’t think it’s a killer app in any way, but it’s got enough charm and momentum to it that I’m happy it’s an Apple Arcade exclusive.

But to play Jetpack Joyride 2 is the only way to truly understand it. There’s a momentum and energy that the game holds that can’t be sold through text, and while it has the skeleton of a free-to-play game turned Apple Arcade exclusive, it holds a lot of magic as a chaotic shooter.

Jetpack-blasting fun

The original Jetpack Joyride is an endless runner in which you‘re automatically propelled forward as you dodge enemies and electric traps for as long as you can to achieve the highest score. In Jetpack Joyride 2, the game trades its endless runner mechanic for actual levels. Each level on the game’s map gets progressively longer and usually ends with — another new addition to this sequel — a boss, or a special event. The sequel also adds several power-ups and guns, which automatically shoot upon pick-up, which makes for an interesting and quite-addicting level of on-screen chaos. 

It’s fun to tap into a sort of flow state as you propel forward and strategically dodge traps, shoot enemies, and collect coins all at once. The chimes, colors, and plethora of collectibles make for an almost casino-like feeling of achievement.

The game is really as straightforward as tapping and holding the screen to move Barry (or his alternative reality female counterpart, Betty Beefpies) up and down. Everything else is automatic, which I kinda love. Sure, there’s a story to Jetpack Joyride 2, but it’s so kiddy, brief, and unfunny, that it’s easy to ignore — just lines of dialogue to breeze through that are over in five to seven taps.

The remnants of a free-to-play

Like Air Twister, Jetpack Joyride 2 has the skeleton of a game that was initially planned to accept real-life money. But like all of the best Apple Arcade games, no money is actually needed to play it. It’s clear that the developers swapped that money-making avenue out with in-game currencies you can collect via daily rewards, collecting coins, and completing levels. What often happens with these sorts of iOS games is that you’re left with a handful of in-game currencies that confuse the player as to how and where to spend.

Jetpack Joyride 2 has plenty of upgrades for Barry — be it health, weapon, jetpack, or otherwise — and it makes for a great cash-in incentive. But with so many currencies, sometimes you’ll forget your in-game cash is stacking up somewhere on the menu screen, and you’ll find that you've yet to venture in and collect. This isn’t a bad thing, per se — I mean, this is free fake money here — but it does get a little annoying if you’re one to keep up with rewards.

Updates incoming

I’ve played Jetpack Joyride 2 in between breaks at work and before bed and accumulated roughly three hours of play so far. I’m having a blast, for sure, and I’m stoked to progress through the game even further. But one thing to note is that Jetpack Joyride 2 isn’t really finished. Several critics who’ve progressed further than me have stated that the game just kind of…ends, but not finishes. Halfbrick promises an update sometime in the future, though a date hasn’t been revealed, and it’ll likely add a batch of new levels. It’ll also have the addition of an endless mode, but no word yet on when it’ll arrive.

Worth getting sucked into

Jetpack Joyride 2 is worth trying out if you already have a subscription to Apple Arcade. However, it's not the Apple Arcade game we've all been waiting for to convert those non-users. It's an awesome game full of flying and gunning fun, highly-addicting coin and currency collecting, and gameplay that always convinces you to play just one more level. It's a blast to play and truly captures your attention. It just needs some more time to be a fully finished product.

This week in iOS games, we learned that Square Enix is making a new Avatar game, we tried a cheeky new spin on Wordle, and Legally Blonde got its own videogame 20(!) years after the original movie dropped.

There’s also a new Jetpack Joyride game on Apple Arcade and a fully mad game about a cow that you’ve just got to check out.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

 Avatar: Generations — Should you get hyped? 

Square Enix is making an Avatar game based on the Nickelodeon series, but don’t expect a Final Fantasy-like epic RPG; this is a whole different thing. 

It’s called Avatar: Generations, and it's being made by two studios: Square Enix London Mobile and Navigator Games, based in Canada. Square Enix London Mobile has yet to actually release a game worldwide, but it has a fun Archero-inspired shooter called Tomb Raider: Reloaded in soft launch. And Navigator Games is best known for a solid RPG based on Iron Maiden lore, of all things.

Some enterprising folk in the soft launch markets (Canada, Denmark, South Africa, and Sweden) have already posted gameplay footage, and to us, it looks like a pretty typical team battler with adventure elements and story dialogue. So potentially great for fans, but hardly the epic that springs to mind when you read the phrase “Square Enix is making an Avatar game."

There’s more detail — and some wild speculation — on this one in our Avatar: Generations hub.

 Wordle meets Urban Dictionary  

Since Wordle became such a big thing, we’ve had all sorts of different riffs on the formula. That's why it’s a bit surprising to discover that ‘Wordle for swearing’ took this long to arrive.

Fans of creative insults and obscure slang for bodily functions should have a look at Lewdle. It has the same structure as Wordle, but the game’s dictionary is made up of phrases you wouldn’t dare say in front of your mother.

Ordinarily, you feel pride and satisfaction when you get a Wordle right. But when your first victory in Lewdle is with Shart, it’s a different feeling altogether. It’s educational, at the very least — I now know what Glorp is and what Cussy means. (Please don’t Google these terms at work, or really at any other time, to be honest.)

 Finally! Legally Blonde: The Game is here 

Reese Witherspoon is nowhere to be seen in this fun take on the cult 20-year-old original movie but don’t let that put you off.  

In Legally Blonde: The Game, you create your character, then choose different dialogue options and complete match-3 puzzles as you replicate your justice-serving hero, Elle Woods.

It’s pretty solid stuff from Australian studio PlaySide. There are instances where dialogue choices are locked behind an annoying paywall, but they’re not too offensive. Fans of the film plus folks seeking a bit of camp should seek this out, knowing fun could do worse.

 What else to play this week 

The biggest, best new game of the week is clearly Jetpack Joyride 2, the sequel to the classic original, which is somehow over a decade old now. 

Starring Barry Steakfries — one of the truly great game character names — this has got jetpack-powered fun aplenty with all manner of over-the-top explosions, collectibles, power-ups, and special vehicles to jump into. At the end of each stage, you can get upgrades, as you’d expect, but because this is an Apple Arcade game, you won’t have to pay for anything or sit through any ads. Neat!

And a final word for bizarro platformer That’s A Cow, which actually shares a little bit of DNA with Jetpack Joyride. Rather than a guy with a jetpack, you’re controlling a cow who can fire milk out of her udders. Progress means directing the lactose liquid at all angles to propel our bovine hero over the finish line while splurging your milk at items and enemies for different effects.

From how everything in the game is constantly wobbling around to the strange party soundtrack, it’s like Jetpack Joyride’s acid-tripping second cousin. And it’s well worth checking out.

Until next week!

-Neil Long

It’s not every month that a critically acclaimed console or PC indie title gets ported to the iPhone, but it’s sure felt like that a lot lately. 

Following last month’s (free-ish) release of Into the Breach comes Lucas Pope’s Papers, Please, the passport checking simulator that broke ground back in 2013 for being perhaps one of the most innovative games of the decade. While it’s lightyears away from a comparison to the time-traveling chess-like mecha RTS — the similarities start and end at indie darling —  Papers, Please is a welcome addition to the legacy library of the iPhone.

Papers, Please is an engaging, somber moral tale of border crossing baked in detective work, and it hits much harder this year as the game’s fictional Eastern Bloc-like country of Arstotzka parallels the tension and anger of the current Russo-Ukrainian War. And while It’s hard to say if Papers, Please will stand as a relevant game in another nine years, we all know that fascism isn’t going away any time soon. For that reason, this week’s iOS game of the week feels like the unofficial best iOS game of the decade.

Your papers, please

For the unfamiliar, Papers, Please is a simulation game in which you take on the role of an immigration officer working a border checkpoint between two fictional countries, Arstotzka and Kolechia. The year is 1982, and the nations have just ended a six-year-long war, though political tension remains high.

The game takes place over the course of one month. Every day, you wake up and walk out of your state-provided apartment to a matchbox-sized work booth, inspecting passports and documents, as security measures fluctuate depending on the previous day’s events. One day, you could slip up and let a foreigner in who turns out to be a wanted criminal; the next, a suicide bomber rushes the checkpoint and kills a guard. You never know what to expect. The only constant is your sole responsibility of checking the documents of anybody who wants to cross the border. You must protect and uphold the well-being of the authoritarian Arstotzka at all costs.

Of course, Papers, Please isn’t as simple as checking one or two documents, though the action of inspecting is actually something you’ll need and want to do as meticulously as possible. You’re thankful for your state-provided job, and you’ve got a sick family at home you need to provide heat, rent, food, and medicine for, or else you'll be risking death. You have every reason to work. But even if you didn’t, your country is forcing you.

However, the game gives you plenty of moral choices to make, and each can affect the outcome of how you view Papers, Please. For instance, a foreigner may beg you at the border that they need to see a doctor and tend to their sick child, as Arstotzka has better healthcare than their home country. Do you give their passport a stamp of approval and risk a work citation, potentially docking your paycheck, or do you reject them and stick to your duty? Your moral choices comes into play every workday.

This is a game as much about morals as it is about rules, and your desk will quickly pile up with more papers to sift through as restrictions at the border crossing tighten. A day can last anywhere between 5–20 minutes, depending on how slow you may be inspecting each document and crossreferencing it with your rulebook and map. The game has 20 endings in total.

Border patrol, but on a smaller screen

Papers, Please was released on the iPad in 2014, but that screen is much bigger than the iPhone’s. For this port, Lucas Pope had to play with the idea of a more compact arrangement for players to properly sift through their documents. There’s a carousel at the bottom of the screen that you can swipe through to read over rules and a foreigner’s documents. The vertical screen presentation gives a much tighter feel to the immigration booth, which gives the game a more claustrophobic feeling. In my opinion, this only strengthens the game even more. 

Now, to be clear, I never played Papers, Please prior to its iPhone release. I had heard a lot of uproar about the title, but I’m not ashamed to admit that my digitally-warped mush brain somehow conflated this title with two other 2013 indie games, Gone Home and Don’t Starve. (Believe me, I’m stupid.) But man, I really wasn’t expecting to have such a good time playing Papers, Please.

This game plays like an engaging book, though a bleak one. It’s an interactive narrative, sure, but it’s much more hands-on. The gamification of passport checking doesn’t sound fun — excuse the pun — on paper, and I’d argue that it isn’t. It’s a tedious task and requires some memorization, quick fingers, and intense scrutiny. But it has a chokehold on me.

I get a slight rush when I see how many people I can pass through the border checkpoint in a single day. As soon as I complete a workday, I immediately repeat that same day again to see if I can get a different outcome. I’ve even spent time trying to memorize the game’s ruleset before it piles on even more to my desk.

At the risk of referencing a much memed about deceased streaming service, I’m playing this game as Quibi intended me to view its content: in quick bits. I usually play a single in-game workday in Papers, Please between breaks at my actual job or just before bed. It’s the easy pick-up-and-play kind of game that I adore on the iPhone, where I’m able to dedicate a chunk of my time to it over watching Instagram stories or periodically checking emails. As far as pacing and accessibility are concerned, Papers, Please is the perfect iPhone game.

A dystopian document thriller

It goes without saying, but Papers, Please is an essential video game that feels at home on the iPhone. Do what you must to grab it for your mobile device. Owners of the iPad version of the game are able to download the iPhone port for free via the App Store, while newcomers can nab the dystopian document thriller for $4.99.

Regardless if you've played the title or not, it's also worth checking out Lucas Pope's blog to read about his journey porting the title to mobile devices. It's an interesting look into Pope's developing process, and he addresses several issues he came across while making this miniature version of the game.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of those rare shows that has proven to have lasting power among many generations of fans. Now, the beloved story you know is being made into a free-to-play mobile game for iOS and Android devices. Players step into the shoes of their favorite characters, travel around the world of Avatar, and take on enemies in turn-based battles. 

As of right now, a soft launch is only available in certain areas of the world. So many us must wait a while before we can access this game on our iPhones. 

Avatar: Generations — What's the plot?

The story generally follows the one from the original Nickelodeon TV series. However, there will be some abridging and some changes made. 

Katara and her brother Sokka live in a world where people have the ability to move elements in a power known as Bending. There are Waterbenders, Firebenders, Earthbenders, and Airbenders. In general, Benders keep to their own nations. For instance, Katara is a Water Bender from the Southern Water Tribe. 

One day while on their boat, Katara and Sokka find a young boy named Aang and his flying bison, Appa, unconscious in a ball of ice. Shortly after helping him break out of it, they learn that he has been asleep for 100 years and that he is the Avatar, a powerful being who can gain mastery of all four elements and gets reborn in a new body time and time again.

Aang soon learns that shortly after he disappeared, the Fire Nation attacked and brought chaos and ruin to many areas around the world, including the Air Kingdom. Now it's up to him to set things right. He's already a skilled Airbender, having been raised at the Southern Air Temple, but he still needs to master the other three elements and must find masters who can teach him. Once he's mastered all elements, he can help save the world from the Fire Lord's dominating clutches. 

Meanwhile, Zuko, the banished prince from the Fire Nation, is on a quest with his Uncle Iroh to hunt for the Avatar and bring him to the Fire Lord. While there are many bounty hunters looking to find the Avatar, Zuko has a far more personal reason to do so. He has been disgraced and will only be accepted back at his father's side if he manages to bring the Avatar in. 

Avatar: Generations — Characters

We don't know much about this mobile game other than it follows the story of the original TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender. These were the quintessential characters from the show, so it's likely most of them will be in the game from early on. 

Avatar: Generations — Is Korra in it?

The name does seem to hint at the possibility of moving past Aang into the next generation of Avatar. However, at the moment all we know is that this game will follow Aang. Perhaps if it does well enough we'll see some stories for Korra down the road. But we'll have to wait and see what's in store. 

Avatar: Generations — What is gameplay like?

Avatar: Generations is a free-to-play open-world RPG for mobile, available on both iOS and Android devices. The game uses both idle and RPG mechanics, meaning that some aspects of the game continue on their own as time passes while others must be controlled by the player. 

Players will progress through the many levels by tapping a quest location on the map and choosing which characters to bring to that spot. Quests have requirements, like requiring Aang and Katara in your party, so you must adhere to these parameters when choosing your team members. Heroes must also be unlocked before you can use them. 

The story is moved along with beautiful imagery showing characters and backgrounds above a dialogue box. Sometimes full images will appear on the screen. These appear to be new images and not recycled ones from the TV show.

At certain points, players will be able to fight enemies with their party. We've already seen that Katara, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Iroh, and Zuko can be party members. Battles are turn-based with each character having their own health bar and unique movesets. Just tap on their moves when it's your turn to make them attack. 

As a way to progress through the story, players will jump from controlling Team Avatar (Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph) to playing as Zuko and Iroh early on. It's likely that other character groups will also be playable as a way to advance the story forward. 

Avatar: Generations — Character customization

As quests are completed and enemies are defeated, players earn helpful items for their journey. Equipping the best items can increase your characters' stats, making them more powerful in battle. 

Avatar: Generations — Are there microtransactions?

Unfortunately, whenever a game is free-to-play, it almost always means it'll have microtransactions of some kind. Some free-to-play games are worse about this than others, like how negatively Diablo Immortal's microtransactions have been received.

While we don't have official confirmation Avatar: Generations will have microtransactions, we can assume it will. We'll have to see just how things are when Avatar: Generations launches. 

Avatar: Generations — Developer and publisher

Avatar: Generations is being developed by Navigator Games who has partnered with Square Enix to bring this beloved story to mobile. As stated by Navigator Games CEO Will Moore in a statement, the project is being worked on by Avatar fans. 

“It has been a huge privilege to partner with Square Enix on the creation of a game with such an iconic IP like Avatar: The Last Airbender," he said. “The Avatar: The Last Airbender universe has so many layers and complex storylines to explore and we look forward to fully unveiling it and sharing it with all the incredibly passionate and loyal Avatar fans."

It would be nice to say that we can trust other fans to do Avatar justice, but the fans have been burned before. After all, M. Night Shyamalan was a big fan of the series, and we saw what happened with that movie. 

Avatar: Generations — Closed beta information

At some point this month, Canada, Denmark, South Africa, and Sweden will get a soft launch of both the iOS and Android versions of the game. No exact date has been given for it yet and as of now we do not know how to enter this closed beta. 

Avatar: Generations — Release date

As of right now, it's unclear if the full game will be launching worldwide this year or not. We will update when we find out more. 

Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked

Few children's TV shows have provided such depth of character and as interesting a plot at Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hopefully, Square Enix's upcoming mobile game will do this beloved series justice by providing an engaging story for players.

Last Thursday, Konami announced its latest Bomberman title would release exclusively on Apple Arcade the following day. The game, titled Amazing Bomberman, was shown off with a 30-second trailer that feels and hears like a person swiping through a Dance Dance Revolution song menu at the arcade.

After watching it, I thought, could this actually be a weirder, distinct Bomberman game? Are getting a rhythm Bomberman? Could this be the new game that catapults Apple Arcade into the spotlight?

No, no, and likely no. But that’s fine. I’m still having fun with it.

Bombing to a beat

We were quite excited when Amazing Bomberman was announced. It's a charming game that takes the classic Bomberman series gameplay and updates it with a blend of lo-fi and music game aesthetics. Konami took the original formula of Bomberman, added online play for four-player matches, and tacked on a killer soundtrack to repackage it as an Apple Arcade exclusive. While it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of gameplay, it's still a very enjoyable game.

Although Amazing Bomberman relies heavily on music, it’s (unfortunately) not a rhythm game. After the teaser trailer dropped, I imagined Konami made a Bomberman where you’d get points and rewards for dropping bombs on the beat, sort of like Crypt of the NecroDancer. I was wrong. Instead, music affects each stage.

The songs come with unique rulesets and rhythms. Items and blocks fall from the sky to the song's beat. The more upbeat and exciting a song gets, the more chaotic a stage feels. The opaque music video backdrop pulses and thematic flourishes accent the screen to match the cadence and flurry of a track. It gets hard to see with all the chaos in each level, even despite how mellow some songs can be.

Chaotic, bumping, and confusing — but still fun

Adding to the on-screen bursts of color and chaos are mildly frustrating controls. The touchscreen analog used for movement doesn't register your finger well enough if it slides too far away from its starting point. This can cause players to run into walls and sometimes even into the bombs you just set, which, of course, kills you. When playing online, you'll often see others stumbling into walls and circling in place as they try to reorient themselves to their positions. But that also makes playing online a little goofier than it should be. Unfair, sure, but still a good time set to some amazing music.

Speaking of which, every song featured in Amazing Bomberman is a banger. The game has eight stages/songs to choose from, and the development team managed to grab seven originals for the game's release. This includes the bubbly and bouncy "Bomb, Bom, Blow 'Em All!" from chiptune trio YMCK, and the EDM, thump-heavy "Amazing Bomberman" by TESSEI TOJO.

It's easy to excuse somewhat lackluster gameplay when Amazing Bomberman has strong art direction and aesthetics. This game feels closest to Tetris Effect in that way. It's a legacy title that's been revamped for a new age, yet missing the heart and innovation of older titles. (For the record: Tetric Effect rules.)

Its art assets are gorgeous and almost remind me of the striking fan art you can sometimes find while scrolling through Tumblr, or dare I say, DeviantArt. The game uses plenty of muted colors and cool blues to convey a Very Chill Time, yet it's weirdly juxtaposed with chaotic gameplay and loud music.

Just take a look at the game's title screen art:

The background and loading music sounds very much inspired by those 24/7 lo-fi hip-hop beats to study/relax to radio stations you can find on YouTube. It's a calming presence that's almost at war with its blippy sound design and often booming EDM.

It's a classic blast

Still, with all of its flaws, I'm glad Amazing Bomberman is on Apple Arcade, and that we have such a basic version of Bomberman to play online. The flashy aesthetics may not be for everyone, but with a pair of headphones and in the right setting, it can be a blissful sensory overload. 

Next year marks 40 years of the franchise (!!!), and in some ways, this seems like a prequel of things to come from Konami's proposed celebration. Hopefully, we'll see an update and some additional content for Amazing Bomberman that works out some of its kinks and adds so more depth to this quick-play title.

This week in mobile games, we saw a new challenger to Genshin Impact’s crown arrive, witnessed iPhone game controllers side with Xbox and PlayStation, and learned about a bacon-based TikTok sensation. 

Oh, and of course, there are new games to play, including a handsome card game, a cutesy farming sim, and a bit of precision platforming.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

 Tower of Fantasy towers over the charts

There’s a biiig new open-world adventure game to check out that looks like it could scratch a Genshin Impact-shaped gacha RPG itch, should you have one. 

It’s called Tower of Fantasy, and it’s a vast online adventure set on the ruined futuristic planet Aida, where warring factions compete to harness the power of energy source Omnium.

Of course, all of that’s a good excuse for some open-ended adventuring where you fight monsters, befriend fellow travelers, and hunt for ancient treasures.

Will it prove to be as huge as Genshin Impact? It’s just as impressive to behold, that’s for sure, and it also has more nuanced combat and a cooler sci-fi edge. And it’s the number one game on the App Store in the U.S. and U.K. at the time of writing, so it’s certainly off to a good start.

 iPhone game controllers: fight!  

It’s Gamevice vs Backbone in the battle of the iPhone game controllers right now, with each aligned behind a rival console maker to make things spicier.

First, Backbone signed up to the PlayStation camp with its fancy officially-licensed Backbone One – PlayStation Edition. It's being marketed as the best way to use Sony’s Remote Play services, but it's also fully compatible with any App Store game with Bluetooth controller support. 

Then, earlier this week, Gamevice announced that its new Flex model is an official Designed for Xbox controller. It’s also being sold as the controller to use if you don’t want to remove your iPhone case each time you play. 

The fun part is that it doesn’t matter whether you’re aligned with Xbox or PlayStation if you’re just going to be playing App Store or Apple Arcade games with these controllers. But if we had to choose, that slick white PS5-like Backbone would be the one for us. Sorry Xbox.

 TikTok brings home the Bacon 

Indie developer Philipp Stollenmayer (AKA Kamibox) makes all kinds of things: brilliant word games like Supertype and Sticky Terms, inventive puzzle games like the Apple Design Award-winning Song of Bloom, and silly stuff like Bacon: The Game.

And that last one has gone wild thanks to TikTok creators posting videos about its weird slapstick bacon-flipping action.

It shot to number one in the U.S. App Store charts in April because of those videos, which caused creator Stollenmayer a bit of a problem. He had promised before the game went viral that he’d send everyone who gets to the end of the game a real-world prize.

Back then, only 30 people had finished the game; by this week, Stollenmayer had sent out over 500 prizes, turning his workspace into a makeshift post office to cope with the orders. Oops.

 What else to play this week

Card Crawl Adventure is a beautiful solitaire-like game where you battle monsters by drawing a line across the cards in play to combine them. It’s hard to explain in a sentence or two, but it comes from supreme indie game creator Arnold Rauers, so it’s an instant download for us.

HyperBeard, a game developer that keeps on pumping out nice kawaii-themed games (like Adorable Home, Cat Spa, and Pocket Love), has just released another one called My Dear Farm. It is a cutesy farming game, and in keeping with all of HyperBeard’s other games, it’s all about self-expression in your avatar, decor, and even your furry companion. Awww.

If it’s precision platforming you’re into, then try Tightrope Theatre from indie game hero Jussi Simpanen. Get to the goal in each dense single-screen stage by keeping calm and in control of unicyclist Chester the Clown, amid walls of spikes and other hazards. Yeesh.

And finally, fresh on Apple Arcade today is My Talking Tom, a virtual pet sim that’s vastly improved without any ads or IAPs, so it’s a good choice if you need to keep a little one quiet for a little while.

Until next week!

-Neil Long

Netflix users know the feeling best: When you have access to a massive library of content, it's tough to choose that one thing to watch. With a huge catalog comes the illusion of freedom — just because you have access to thousands of movies doesn't mean you'll actually like all but a few hundred. We opt into a service for catalog access and usually, with the help of an algorithm and a curated dashboard, can discover something new and exciting that makes spending that monthly fee worthwhile. It can feel like this excuses those hundreds of movies and TV shows you just don't care about.

This may be why choosing the right gaming subscription service could be tough. If you've only got Apple or Android devices in your home, the choice is easy: Apple Arcade for Apple users, Google Play Pass for Android. But if you have, say, an iPad, and a Google phone, and you'd like to opt-in to a games subscription service, the call is tougher to make. 

Apple Arcade has exclusives, while Google Play Pass offers apps that Apple doesn't. Play Pass has over 800 games, but Apple Arcade only has just over 200. You can only stream Apple Arcade games via an Apple TV, but Google Play Pass lets you do it with a Chromecast or Google TV.

If you're on the fence about which gaming service to subscribe to, we'll help you make that call. Consider these factors when deciding which service is best for you.

Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass: Pricing and deals

Both Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade grant subscribers access to a massive library of video games with no ads and no in-app purchases. Both services cost the same on a monthly basis: $4.99. However, paying for an annual subscription upfront is where Google Play Pass comes out on top.

A yearly sub to Apple Arcade costs $49.99, saving you $10 per year over a monthly subscription. On the other hand, an annual subscription to Google Play Pass is only $29.99, which saves $30 per year over a monthly subscription.

Additionally, Verizon users with select Unlimited plans have access to Google Play Pass for absolutely free, thanks to a deal the cellular network has with Google. You can try a one-month trial of Apple Arcade for free, or get a three-month trial with the purchase of a new Apple product by comparison.

Both Apple Arcade and Play Pass allow for up to five family members to share the same subscription plan. 

Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass: Catalog

Having a subscription to Apple Arcade grants you access to a library of over 200 games, including exclusive titles like Star Trek: Legends, Amazing Bomberman, Air Twister, and The Oregon Trail. Apple Arcade’s catalog also includes some of what we believe to be the best iPhone games, like Sayonara Wildhearts, Grindstone, and Skate City. New games are added to the service monthly, though Apple advertises that new “games and content updates” are added weekly. For $4.99 a month, access to over 200 games, including some of the very best Apple Arcade games, is a solid value.

However, Google Play Pass, again, comes up as the winner for having a better, larger library. There are over a whopping 800 titles you can download and play on Google Play Pass. Games include titles like Reigns, Dead Cells, Limbo, Monument Valley, Star Wars: KOTOR, and Game Dev Tycoon. Not to mention, the service also shares several of the same titles available on Apple Arcade. 

Google’s service isn’t purely limited to games, either, as it also includes access to apps. Apps available on Play Pass include useful productivity tools like Tasker and Sound Meter, plus much more.

Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass: Compatibility

Both Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass support some of our favorite gaming controllers for Apple and Android, respectively. These include the use of both plug-in and Bluetooth controllers, and those made for PlayStation and Xbox too.

You can play Apple Arcade with your best iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV as long as they're up to date. The service is compatible with Apple devices running iOS 13, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. Unfortunately, the only way to stream these games on a television set is through Apple TV. You cannot stream Apple Arcade games via Bluetooth or any other way other than having an Apple TV device. 

Comparitively, Google Play Pass is able to stream games on all of your greatest Android phones, tablets, and laptops as long as they're running Play Store version 16.6.25 and above, and Android version 4.4 and above. Google wins when it comes to compatibility with TVs, as it's able to stream Play Pass games via Chromecast, with or without a Google TV device. 

Considering that Apple gates its television streaming access behind another Apple product, Google Play Pass may be the best option for those wanting to play mobile games on a bigger screen.

Apple Arcade vs. Google Play Pass: Which is better?

This question depends on a variety of factors, like what devices you’re limited to, if you’re interested in access to apps, and if the idea of exclusive titles is enticing.

In terms of value and the wide array of choices included in one subscription, Google Play Pass is the reigning champ. It has hundreds of more games than Apple Arcade, the inclusion of apps, a cheaper annual cost, and it seems more compatible with other devices outside of the Apple family of products.

But if you're limited to Apple devices, or would rather play the slew of Apple Apple-exclusive titles that exist on the service, Apple Arcade may be for you. While it doesn't offer apps or have a vast number of games in its library, the subscription service's trail is at least worth checking out — plus they're only continuing to add more games as the years go on.

While Netflix has made a name for itself as a streaming service providing movies and TV shows — including a wide library of original content — the platform has also begun investing in gaming. Because of how relatively recent this is, many people still don't realize they can play games using their Netflix accounts.

If that includes you, don't worry, we're here to help. Here's how to access Netflix games on iPhone and iPad, so you're never left out.

How to access Netflix games on iPhone and iPad

To start, you'll obviously need to make sure you have a current Netflix subscription. From there, things are easy. 

1. Sign in to your Netflix account on your iPhone or iPad.

2. On the home page, scroll down.

3. You'll eventually find a Netflix Games row.

4. Alternatively, you can search "games" in the Netflix search bar.

5. Now that you've found the games, choose one of the available titles to play.

Unfortunately, this does mean you'll need to look around when you want to play the best iPhone games on Netflix with an iOS or iPadOS device. Android devices currently have a dedicated games tab, but that feature hasn't made its way over to the Apple ecosystem just yet. 

In better news, all games on Netflix support touch controls, so you won't need to bother with pairing one of the best controllers or hooking something else up to your device, making this the perfect way to play games on the go or while traveling. 

Note that some games require an internet connection to play, but others can be downloaded to your device and played even if you don't have a clear signal, so you'll want to check the details of what you're playing on a per-game basis.

Naturally, having a bigger screen and higher processing power will help with some games, so anyone with the best iPads available right now will have the best experience possible playing Netflix games.

Right now, Netflix has no plans to introduce another tier specifically for gaming. Instead, games that are added to Netflix will be available as part of a regular membership, with no added fees. Games can also be played at the same time as someone watching something else through your account, though standard profile limitations apply here.

More to come in the future

Netflix doesn't have a huge library of games right now, but that might be changing in the future. The company has steadily invested more and more resources into gaming, acquiring three game development studios as of 2022, including Night School Studio, the developer behind Oxenfree. 

During Summer Game Fest Geeked Week, Netflix revealed that it planned to have over 50 games available as part of its subscription by the end of 2022, including original titles like Before Your Eyes and ports of existing games. The company is currently working on a game based on the Shadow and Bone series, as well as bringing over ports of titles like Into the Breach and Spiritfarer. 

This week in mobile games, we learned that Blizzard won’t be bringing World of Warcraft to mobile after all, new Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride games are coming to Apple Arcade, and Clash of Clans is 10 years old. Or maybe 40? It's hard to say.

There are also three superb new games to play: an indie hit about propaganda and passport control, a poignant tale about grief and memories, and an all-action downhill biking game.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

World of Warcraft Mobile is no more

The long-rumored mobile version of World of Warcraft has been canceled, according to a report by Bloomberg. The game was apparently in development for three years and pitched as a spin-off of the PC game set in a different time period, but still intended to offer the same kind of online role-playing experience as the original.

The reasoning for the cancelation is unclear. Bloomberg reported that it was a financial disagreement between WoW maker Blizzard and co-developer NetEase, but this has since been denied by a spokesperson for Activision Blizzard. 

This is a strange one. A game can get canceled for all sorts of reasons, but usually, it’s financial. If the game’s not projected to make enough profit, it’ll get whacked. But WoW is a huge brand and a wildly loyal fanbase, one all-but guaranteed to pick up and play a mobile version of the beloved MMORPG.

Also, Blizzard and NetEase just co-developed and launched Diablo Immortal together, and it has been a wild success. You’d imagine that same Blizzard-NetEase tag team would be more confident than ever that a mobile WoW experience would work.

Perhaps the costs and technical challenges of running a big, complex online world full of players on mobile devices, in all their different shapes, sizes, and capabilities, were just too much. 

Those still hankering for a bit of World of Warcraft on mobile will now have to wait for action-strategy spin-off Warcraft Arclight Rumble, though that still doesn’t have a release date. 

 Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride boost Apple Arcade

Apple continues to add interesting stuff to its Arcade service, even though it is now starting to remove some games from the catalog due to contracts not being renewed.

This month, two new games caught our eye in particular: Amazing Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride 2. The former is, you know, Bomberman, the four-player game where you blow each other up. But this edition has a musical theme, meaning the stages change and intensify alongside the soundtrack. 

And more Jetpack Joyride is always a good thing. It's a true classic from the earliest days of the App Store. The sequel comes with fancier graphics, more outlandish power-ups, and even a story mode.

Amazing Bomberman is out today, and Jetpack Joyride 2 arrives on Aug. 19. Elsewhere on Apple Arcade this month, there’s virtual pet game My Talking Tom (coming August 12) and indie puzzle adventure Love You To Bits (arriving August 26).

Clash of Clans celebrates some birthday. We're not sure.

The game that launched a million build-and-battlers, Clash of Clans, celebrated its 10th birthday this week, and developer Supercell had some fun with its anniversary celebrations. 

First, it created a full alternate history of the series and chronicled it all in a lavish mockumentary telling the "inside story" of the series, from its humble beginnings in the 1980s with pixel art platformer Clash through to 1990s N64-style kart racer Clash Dash and ‘edgy’ 2000s mega-flop Clash: Cradle of Darkness.

Clash and Clash Dash are even real, playable games you can check out through your iPhone or iPad’s browser on the game’s anniversary site. (They don’t work on Mac, sadly.) 

There are also retro-themed 10th-anniversary events running in Clash of Clans itself, of course.

 What to play this week

We got three big game releases this week: Papers, Please, Descenders, and Hindsight. They're all great and all worth the money upfront. 

Papers, Please is the multi-award-winning indie game from Lucas Pope, neatly optimized for iPhone and iPad. It was on iPad once before but was removed from the App Store presumably due to OS update woes. But now it’s back and working very nicely indeed on both iPhone and iPad.

You play as an immigration inspector managing the flow of people in and out of the fictional communist state Arstotzka. Its message about people, power, and propaganda remains incredibly poignant, moreso today than when it was first released back in 2013. 

Next, Descenders is the hit downhill biking game that’s been tearing it up on PC and console for a few years now, ported with style over to iPhone and iPad.

As your rider blazes downhill, you use the virtual sticks on each side of the screen to keep them on two wheels and try to pop a few tricks while you’re at it. It’s really excellent, and the tracks are procedurally generated, so it’s different every time you play. 

Operating at a slightly more sedate pace is Hindsight, the new game from Joel McDonald, who won Apple’s Game of the Year award for his debut Prune in 2015.

This one’s rather different from his tree-pruning first game. It’s an interactive story experience where important objects from the main character Mary’s life become literal portals into the past. So it’s a mix of puzzles and almost point-and-click adventure-like exploration, with poignant choices to be made along the way.

It’s published by Annapurna Interactive and feels very much at home on that label, which is fast becoming the home of critically-acclaimed indie games.

Until next week!

-Neil Long

Every time you tap open Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, you're prompted with a disclaimer that reads:

It's a message that surprises me each time I open Octopath Traveler: CotC. The fact that Square Enix wants players to know A) they'll likely spend a lot of time playing this game (as one does with the publisher's RPGs) and B) it's not necessary to toy with its monetization efforts to accelerate the game's story, is a wild note to relay to folks every time they play. And yet, when it comes to playing the actual game, I can't help but think about the message. Mostly because, well, Octopath Traveler: CotC is so damn good, it's almost unfair to call it a gacha game.

Let's back up. 

It's not as baity as you think

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is the newest entry in the Octopath Traveler series. It's a free-to-play mobile exclusive, developed by Acquire and Square Enix, that serves as a prequel to the original 2018 title. It was made with Unreal Engine 4 — so yes, it looks as good, if not better, than the Nintendo Switch version — and although the game's original director, Keisuke Miyauchi, is missing from its credits, writer Kakunoshin Futsuzawa and composer Yasunori Nishiki make their return. It's got phenomenal Japanese voice acting, decent English subtitles, and all the tropes of a JRPG you'd come to expect.

It's also a gacha game. If you've been reading the op-eds around this title, you've likely seen the hatred spewing around that fact. If you've seen Square Enix's press cycle surrounding the game, you've probably barely seen a mention of its gacha mechanics.

However, I'm calling it straight: Dismissing Octopath Traveler — Champions of the Continent as a gacha game cash grab is a mistake, and not playing it is an even bigger one. I'm nine hours into this game and I've yet to pay to unlock a single thing.

An improvement from its predecessor

If you can manage to bear through its opening text-heavy tutorials, the game is as straightforward as a JRPG can get, though an improvement from its predecessor. Battles are much faster and more fluid now. There's a mini-map that you can tap to automatically travel throughout a town or dungeon, without the need to hold your finger down on your screen.

The game has also completely done away with healing items — a novel idea for a JRPG. Instead of playing with a party of four, you can now use up to eight characters, and switch them between the front and rear rows during battles. If a party member needs to heal their HP or SP (magic), you can swap them to the rear row so they can passively rest. Those at the front will actively attack. It makes for a satisfying fight experience that goes beyond the mindless tapping of "Attack" for a group of weaker foes.

Those two rows are also a great way to strategize with Octopath Traveler's weakness fighting system. In Octopath Traveler, enemies have weaknesses that correlate with your party's powers. They may be weak against physical or fire attacks, for example, and when receiving those attacks from your characters, their guards will break, exposing them to higher attacks from your party. Swapping between these two rows for strategic healing and firepower makes Champions of the Continent feel like more of a challenge.

Gacha gaming

How you fill your party up is where Octopath Traveler: CotC's gacha tactics come in. At the beginning of the game, your initial party leader — in JRPG tradition, deemed the generic "chosen one" — is presented to you through gacha. You'll be asked to pick one of three motivations for your character: wealth, power, or fame. Each main quest has a major antagonist that shows off these qualities tenfold, while you, on the other hand, will be able to use those traits to your advantage. You can recruit other NPCs as allies through the use of bartering (wealth), fighting (power), and charisma (fame) to enlist. You can also take on side quests with these traits as major themes.

Along your journey, you'll recruit other characters for your party, each with their own caps on what they're able to learn, as far as abilities and skills go. Your gacha mechanic is paying for the chance to win stronger characters. That is not at all necessary for beating the game, though producer Hirohito Suzuki has gone on record to say that if you're interested in hearing more about a specific character's arc, you'll have to dig into your wallet to discover more. Out of my nine hours of playing, I've yet to even think about doing that.

That said, this game's main storyline is a whopping 60 hours long, and if you're into pulling slots, then hey, gacha is there to partake. There are over 64 characters in this game with more going live as updates roll out. Personally speaking, I don't think any of them are worth a buck.

A single-player RPG worth sinking into 

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is likely going to be a game ignored and unfairly bashed by skeptics, but held near to the hearts of diehards who thrive in JRPG world-building. I'm no fan of JRPGs myself — I can only take so many random encounters and text boxes about nothing with NPCs — but Champions of the Continent is a truly impressive experience. It's got the classes, weapons, and characters you'll fall in love with if you give it a shot, regardless if you've played the original title.

Those looking for a mobile game that can replicate time spent with a lengthy single-player console game should definitely try this out. It's one of the best free iPhone games, and honestly, it feels like playing an awesome adventure title on a dedicated handheld console. Just don't let the smoke of gacha gaming kill the enthusiasm.

Four new games are coming to Apple Arcade this month with two Arcade Originals being joined by a pair of App Store Greats.

Fans of Jetpack Joyride can look forward to the second installment as an Apple Arcade exclusive, while Bomberman will also be making an appearance in the App Store.  The App Store greats include My Talking Tom+ and Love You to Bits+.

Amazing Bomberman — August 5

Amazing Bomberman "is a brand new Bomberman game featuring stunning visuals and fantastic music created exclusively for the game," with battles changing based on the rhythm of the music. It's an all-new title and one that will no doubt be popular among Bomberman fans new and old.

You can pre-register for your Amazing Bomberman download now.

Jetpack Joyride 2 — August 19

Barry is back for another adventure! "In this case, he will have new equipment and weapons to fight new enemies and make his way through the laboratory to stop the scientists' experiments before it is too late."

Gamers can look forward to new HD graphics, improved animations, and more in a title that is sure to be hugely popular — just like Barry's first outing!

You can get ready to download Jetpack Joyride 2 via the App Store right now.

My Talking Tom+  — August 12

It's Talking Tom, what more do you need to know? A free download without ads or any other distractions, My Talking Tom+ has players "adopt this virtual pet, keep him happy and help him explore his world." It might not sound it, but that's surprisingly addictive!

Pre-register for the Talking Tom+ download right now.

Love You to Bits+ — August 26

Apple says that "Love You to Bits+ is a charmingly cute, purely visual, puzzle-filled, point-and-click, sci-fi adventure spanning all around the universe," and that's all you really need to know. Beyond that, developer Alike Studio says that gamers "will follow the journey of Kosmo, a clumsy, rookie space explorer in search of Nova, his robot girlfriend. After a fatal accident, all of Nova’s pieces get scattered in outer space! So now Kosmo wants to retrieve all Nova’s bits, rebuild her, and get back together."

If that doesn't sound like a fun time, what does? You can register for your download of Love You to Bits+ today.

While not all of these titles will benefit from a game controller, you really ought to consider picking one up if you're serious about your mobile gaming. Be sure to check out our list of the best iPhone game controllers before you do!

What you need to know:

• Octopath Traveler is a JRPG by Square Enix that features eight characters on a journey.
• A prequel to the game, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, uses the critically acclaimed HD-2D style that its predecessor does.
• Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is now available for free onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mapCpmMzjc&ab_channel=SquareEnix iOS and Android devices.

Octopath Traveler was critically acclaimed upon its release, with most players praising the new "HD-2D" graphics style that keeps the pixel art from the 16-bit era, and adds a 3D effect to make every sprite pop. Others, however, wished that they could know more about the world, or that the eight playable characters interacted more.

Square Enix seems to have heard, as they recently released a prequel to the game called Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent.

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent takes places a few years before Octopath Traveler, and features another eight characters to play as. This time around, players can build their party in such a way that all eight characters can be in the party and fight in the same battles, instead of having to choose four and leave the other four behind at an inn. 

The world of Orsterra is ruled by three tyrants this time around, each hungry for a specific vice: wealth, power, and fame. Players must journey across the continent to free the inhabitants from these tyrant and restore peace to the realm.

Featured in games like the Bravely Default series by the same developer, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent features a risk-reward system in which players can choose to save up battle points for devastating multi-hit attacks, or use up battle points at the expense of future turns. With the addition of elemental weaknesses, weapon types, classes, and shields, players can test their wit and strategic ability in every battle they come across.

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is available now for free for iOS and Android devices.

15 titles have today been removed from Apple Arcade, following confirmation last month that Apple had chosen not to renew contracts with their developers. 

MacRumors noted that games previously listed as 'Leaving Apple Arcade Soon' have now gone, just two weeks after they were first added to the section. 

Apple Arcade no more

As noted in July, Apple first added 15 games to its 'Leaving Arcade Soon' section without warning, with reports stating that an "inside source" indicated this was because Apple had signed three-year deals with a number of developers that have now since expired. The removed games are:

•  ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree 
•  Dead End Job
•  Dread Nautical 
•  Cardpocalypse 
•  Spidersaurs 
•  BattleSky Brigade: Harpooner 
•  Lifeslide 
•  Explottens 
•  EarthNight 
•  Don’t Bug Me! 
•  Projection: First Light 
•  Spelldrifter 
•  Over the Alps 
•  VARIOUS DAYLIFE
•  Towaga: Among Shadows 

Sadly, if you've previously enjoyed these games on Apple Arcade then you'll no longer be able to play them through Apple's gaming service. However, there is a chance that some or indeed all of them may return to the App Store as standalone downloads, either paid or free. Apple says that it is up to developers as to whether you'll be able to pick up where you left off and retain any progress you had. 

In a support document Apple says that customers could have at least two weeks to play a game leaving Arcade before it is removed, however, it looks like that's all people are getting, at least with this first batch. If you try to launch an Arcade game that's no longer playable you'll simply receive an error message. 

Despite these departing titles, Apple Arcade remains a great way to play some top hits free of advertisements and in-app purchases for a pretty modest fee and is even better value if you include it in the Apple One bundle. 

Apple Arcade subscribers have a new game to play, with Kingdom Rush Vengeance TD+ now available for download. The title is the latest App Store Great to be added to the subscription service and hails from Ironhide, a name that iOS gamers will be more than familiar with.

The latest Apple Arcade addition is a tower defense game that will see players "face empires of mighty enemies" as they "clash against supreme bosses, unlocking and switching to new towers."

Across the 28 stages, gamers can choose from 19 towers and take on more than 60 deadly enemies as they progress. Heroes can be leveled up for more damage and there are 14 of them to choose from.

Download now

"Get ready to show the Kingdom who's the real boss! Fight your way as you conquer the new, and the good old realms. Face empires of mighty enemies and clash against supreme bosses in this classic tower defense full of humor and epicness," the promo reads. If that sounds like your idea of fun you're going to want to add this title to your collection sooner rather than later.

Those with an Apple Arcade subscription can download Kingdom Rush Vengeance TD+ for free now and be assured that there are no ads or in-app purchases that can get in the way of the fun.

Those who haven't yet taken the Apple Arcade plunge should also consider the Apple One subscription bundle, something that includes Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and other services all under one roof. Failing that, Apple Arcade is available on its own for $4.99 per month.

If you want to upgrade your Apple Arcade gaming experience, check out our list of the best game controllers for mobile gaming. Gaming with a touch screen is cool and all, but there's no substitute for tactile controls.