The best of the best for Apple's subscription service
Apple Arcade offers over 200 games to all of its subscribers, and if you're just getting started on the service, finding the best Apple Arcade games might sound like a daunting task. With so many options, you might have trouble finding the games that will give you the biggest bang for your subscription buck, but that's where we come in. Here are 25 of the best games you can play on Apple Arcade, with titles ranging from calming life sims and chill puzzlers to high-octane action games and authentic sports simulations. Some of these games come from established franchises, while others are one-off indie titles, but all of them offer incredible mobile gaming experiences at your fingertips. Don't scroll Apple Arcade's App Store page mindlessly looking for a new game to play; let this gallery be your guide. You won't necessarily need a controller to enjoy these, but if you would prefer to use one, check out our guide to the best mobile controllers for iPhone. Apple Arcade costs $7 a month and has a one-month free trial available, although you'll also find it bundled as part of Apple One. One of the main appeals of the service is that the games contained within are ad- and microtransaction-free, offering a reprieve from what kind be an onslaught of these in many other mobile games.
Fantasian
- Genre: Role-playing
- Developer: Mistwalker
- Release Date: April 2, 2021
A turn-based RPG from the mind of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Fantasian hearkens back to bygone era of role-playing games, with deep exploration intertwined with heavy turn-based fighting action. Couple this with the music of Nobuo Uematsu, and a visual style that incorporates real-world dioramas built specifically to be the in-game worlds, and you have a unique and thrilling game that's a simple download away with your Apple Arcade subscription.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Genre: Life simulation
- Developer: Sunblink
- Release Date: July 28, 2023
Hello Kitty meets Animal Crossing in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, with dozens of hours of life-sim gameplay on offer. Your original character can cook, fish, garden, and more with Sanrio, Keroppi, Retsuko, and the gang, with new quests and adventures being added regularly. The full Animal Crossing experience might never hit mobile devices--sorry, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp--but Hello Kitty Island Adventure carries the mantle well.
The Oregon Trail
- Genre: Adventure
- Developer: Gameloft
- Release Date: April 2, 2021
This reimagined all-time classic will send you back on the trail from Independence, Missouri to Oregon in search of gold and glory. Gameloft did its homework with this remake, however, as it consulted with indigenous Americans all along the trail to get the names, locations, and tribes within as authentically realized as possible, offering an educational trip along the trail along with the classic hunting and fording. The Oregon Trail isn't just a great Apple Arcade game; it's a blueprint for how to remake a classic game in the modern era.
Vampire Survivors+
- Genre: Roguelike survival RPG
- Developer: poncle
- Release Date: July 1, 2024
If you haven't checked out the viral indie hit Vampire Survivors, Apple Arcade has you covered. The retro-style action game starts with a lone hero fighting a few demons, and eventually the screen is filled with your own attacks and enemies of all shapes and sizes coming for the hero's head. The engaging gameplay loop has that "one more run" feel, especially when you unlock a new character with a cool new ability, and before long hours have passed. It hasn't been on Apple Arcade long, but Vampire Survivors+ is one of the best on the service.
Sonic Dream Team
- Genre: 3D platformer
- Developer: Sega
- Release Date: October 23, 2023
Sonic The Hedgehog stars in a few games within the Apple Arcade subscription, but Sonic Dream Team is the best of the bunch. Dream Team plays like a PS2-era Sonic 3D platformer--think Sonic Heroes and its ilk--and sees Sonic, Tails, and more speeding through massive stages while collecting rings and defeating Eggman's baddies. Sonic Dream Team seems like a dream, but it is a complete Sonic adventure game right in your pocket.
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On
- Genre: Card-based horse racing
- Developer: Game Freak
- Release Date: December 20, 2022
Pokemon isn't the only long-running series Game Freak has produced over the years; Pocket Card Jockey, a game that mixes solitaire with horse racing, is another great Game Freak franchise that lends itself well to mobile gaming. Apple Arcade has its own edition, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On, and it's as fun and frenetic as ever. Using solitaire to gain ground, maintain position, or make the final charge is a ton of fun, and hey, there are cute horses everywhere! What more could you ask for?
Stardew Valley+
- Genre: Farm simulation RPG
- Developer: ConcernedApe
- Release Date: June 24, 2023
Farming RPG Stardew Valley has been a fan favorite since it first launched in February 2016, ushering in an era of low-key, easy-going indie games with it. Growing crops, raising livestock, settling down to start a family, and even some spelunking offer plenty of variety throughout the 50+ hour adventure. The Apple Arcade version makes the experience even better, with mobile-exclusive enhancements like auto-saving and multiple control options. If you haven't traveled to Stardew Valley yet, Apple Arcade is a great way to get there. And if you enjoy ourself, there are plenty of games like Stardew Valley to occupy your time, multiple of which are available on mobile.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition
- Genre: Life simulation
- Developer: Gameloft
- Release Date: October 26, 2023
Take the Animal-Crossing-style life sim mechanics of the previously-mentioned Hello Kitty or Stardew Valley, infuse them with a little Disney magic, and you get Disney Dreamlight Valley. Players enter a world inhabited with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Elsa, and more iconic Disney characters, all of whom act as quest givers and neighbors to mingle with as you rebuilding the valley after a cataclysmic event. It's relaxing, it's nostalgic, and it's wonderful...and it's only available for mobile devices on Apple Arcade.
Mini Motorways
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: Dinosaur Polo Club
- Release Date: September 19, 2019
Welcome to the wonderful world of...infrastructure? Yes, Mini Motorways is all about drawing roads in order to maintain clear traffic patterns, but the gameplay instantly hooks you, and before long your city is expanding past the borders of the screen. Couple that with maps based on real-world cities, an Expert Mode which offers more obstacles, and the ability to export GIFs of your cities to share with the world, and you have another Apple Arcade winner with Mini Motorways.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights Of The Lost Realm
- Genre: Role-playing/action
- Developer: Knights Of The Lost Realm
- Release Date: July 25, 2019
The Legend Of Zelda isn't coming to Apple Arcade anytime soon, but Oceanhorn 2 does a fantastic job emulating that same grand adventure feel for Apple Arcade users. A vast world, eager heroes itching to explore it, and a plethora of enemies, dungeons, and challenges offer RPG fans quite a feast throughout its 20+ hour runtime. Oceanhorn 2 is a console-worthy adventure game that you can take with you on the go, and that makes it one of the best Apple Arcade games on offer.
Threes+
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: Sirvo
- Release Date: April 2, 2021
Threes+ makes math fun. We know that's a huge endorsement on its own, but the number-based puzzle gameplay where tiles combine to make the values go up is so simple, yet so engaging, that it's hard to fully describe to those who haven't tried it yet. Load it up once, venture through your first board of tiles, and you'll see what we mean.
Grindstone
- Genre: Match-3
- Developer: Capybara Games
- Release Date: September 19, 2019
Match-3 games like Candy Crush Saga are what some people normally think of when they hear the term "mobile game," but Apple Arcade offers a fantastic alternative to the genre in Grindstone. This has you matching colored monsters in order to clear rows, sure, but it also places the hero Jorj in the board too, and only the monsters around him can be attacked. This adds a new strategic element to mindless matching, and as a result, creates a fantastic new experience, made all the better by a terrific soundtrack.
Tomb Of The Mask+
- Genre: Arcade platformer
- Developer: Playgendary Limited
- Release Date: April 12, 2024
Imagine turning on the arcade classic Pac-Man, but instead of a small circle gobbling up small dots, a man raced along the floors, walls, and ceilings in order to scale the stage from bottom to top. That is Tomb Of The Mask+, and its fast and frenetic gameplay delivers plenty of retro-tinged fun, with both endless- and stage-based formats that offer separate--but equally engaging--challenges. Once Tomb Of The Mask+ gets its claws into you, it's hard to break out.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
- Genre: Rhythm-based action
- Developer: Simogo, Annapurna Interactive
- Release Date: September 19, 2019
Sayonara Wild Hearts is an Apple Arcade one-two punch, as it's both a rhythm action game and a playable music video with an amazing soundtrack. As such, not only will the rhythm-based gameplay keep your fingers and toes tapping, the music on offer will likely find its way onto your favorite playlists after a playthrough or two. If you're looking for a new music-based game--or even looking for new music--say hello to Sayonara Wild Hearts.
NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition
- Genre: Sports
- Developer: 2K Sports
- Release Date: September 29, 2023
NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is as close as you can get to the full NBA 2K experience on the go. Touch controls simplify the action on the court, while modes like MyCareer, The Greatest, and The Association let you play as a superstar, up-and-coming rookie, or even the head coach of your favorite team. As far as pure sports simulations go, NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is a top prospect.
Ridiculous Fishing EX
- Genre: Fishing shooter
- Developer: Vlambeer
- Release Date: July 9, 2023
Sometimes, a game's ideas are perfectly explained simply by reading the title. Ridiculous Fishing EX is a great example; first, you'll drop your hook into the water and try to catch as many fish as possible, and then you'll launch them into the air and mow them down with pistols, shotgun, or rifles in order to score points. The disparity in tone between the two phases are both jarring and hysterically funny, somehow blending into a weird a wonderful day on the lake.
Downwell+
- Genre: Roguelike platformer
- Developer: Moppin
- Release Date: October 25, 2023
We've never had so much fun falling down a well as we have with Downwell+. The striking retro-themed graphics--which only use four colors--make it seem simple, but the side-scrolling action and roguelike elements combine to create an experience that's never the same twice. That unpredictability makes Downwell+ one of Apple Arcade's best options for a quick pick-up-and-play session, as you never know what you're going to get when you boot it up.
Shovel Knight Dig
- Genre: Roguelike platformer
- Developer: Yacht Club Games
- Release Date: September 23, 2022
Shovel Knight has been delighting players with its retro-meets-modern game design for a decade now, and Shovel Knight Dig is the latest example. The roguelike adventure sees Shovel Knight descend into an underground dungeon--falling vertically through stages like previous entry Downwell--where he must battle enemies new and old in order to stop Drill Knight and his Hexcavators from wreaking havoc. Each run unlocks new abilities, power-ups, and paths, and the procedurally generated dungeons provide plenty of variety from run to run.
Retro Bowl+
- Genre: Sports
- Developer: New Star R&D
- Release Date: June 23, 2023
Tecmo Bowl is one of the most beloved classic sports games ever made, and Retro Bowl+ captures that essence incredibly well. The simplified play-calling and throwback graphics will send a wave of nostalgia at older players, while the younger crowd can pick up and play football with little issue. What's more, the game is set to be relaunched in September 2024 with the official NFL license, so you'll be able to play as your favorite NFL team in this retro renaissance game.
Dear Reader
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: New Star R&D
- Release Date: September 19, 2019
Dear Reader is the grown-up equivalent of a children's game that teaches you while you play. It turns some of the most influential pieces of literature ever written--Pride And Prejudice, Don Quixote, Moby Dick, and more--into word puzzles using the text of the novels as the puzzle pieces. It's a novel approach to the puzzle genre, and a game that can teach you about these works in an engaging way.
Wylde Flowers
- Genre: Life simulation
- Developer: Studio Drydock
- Release Date: February 18, 2022
On the surface, Wylde Flowers looks like a standard farming sim, with crops to tend and livestock to raise. However, there's a witchy twist: Protagonist Tara has a few magical abilities at her disposal, including the ability to control the weather and transform into a cat. You'll use this mix of magic and farming to help the town of Fairhaven become a bustling burg teeming with produce and productivity, all with an intriguing story bubbling under the surface.
Game Dev Story+
- Genre: Management simulation
- Developer: Kairosoft
- Release Date: June 18, 2021
Game Dev Story+ puts you in charge of your own video game studio, which you'll build from the ground up as you try to make the next great hit. You'll hire employees, choose the genre and style of your game, squash bugs, and then ship it to stores in the hopes of breaking records and winning awards. There are some silly references as well; for example, you might develop a game for the PlayStatus, the GameBox, or the Microx 480, each of which is a parody of a real-world console. Game Dev Story+ is a neat little sim with a lot of heart and a gameplay loop that pulls you in and never lets go.
Stitch
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: Lykkegaard Europe
- Release Date: October 28, 2022
A game about cross stitch is not one you might expect on a "best games list," but Stitch is one of the most relaxing games you'll ever play. Stitch translates the fine art of cross stitching into a casual puzzle game where each stitch project is a numbered grid, and your job is to complete each "hoop" by filling every area with no gaps. Stitch offers dozens of pictures as puzzles--including a recent partnership with DreamWorks, which added Shrek-themed challenges--at all difficulties, so anyone can pick this up and enjoy.
What The Car
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: Lykkegaard Europe
- Release Date: May 4, 2023
If we said "this is a racing game where you drive a car," that sounds plainly obvious. While that is how you play What The Car, it's by no means a standard racer; for one thing, the "car" in question has human legs. What The Car's inherent silliness is its greatest feature, as you'll surely be laughing while you race, climb, deliver packages, and more throughout its hundreds of levels. Bonus points for all of the cute bears you meet along the way.
Gris+
- Genre: Platformer
- Developer: Nomada Studio
- Release Date: September 30, 2022
The visually stunning platformer Gris hit Apple Arcade in 2022, and it remains one of the best platformers on the service. The story of loss, the grieving process, and acceptance makes an immediate impact, while the platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay on offer is engaging and challenging without being too difficult. Gris+ only takes a couple hours to complete, but it'll stick with you long after the credits roll.
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