Apple Arcade games list: every game you can play right now

Date:
Tue, 21 Dec 2021 10:55:00 +0000

Description:
All 200+ games on Apple Arcade, including super-fast space racing, mind-bending puzzles and role-playing adventures.

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Apple Arcade is a subscription service that lets you play more than 200+ games on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac.

If you haven't heard of it before, don't worry. Apple Arcade hasn't been promoted nearly as much as Microsofts Xbox Game Pass . But at 4.99 a month (after a free trial month), it's a great deal if you want a way to try all kinds of games outside of those available on expensive consoles.

We particularly recommend Apple Arcade if you're keen to find the best games that can be played in a range scenarios like on a big TV at home or on your iPhone while you're commuting and own a number of Apple devices already.

With more than 200 titles (and new ones added every week) it can be tricky to figure out which games to try. Although we think the standard of every game
in the Apple Arcade library is high, there are bound to be some that appeal
to you more than others.

That's why we've done the heavy lifting and taken a quick look at every
single game available on Apple Arcade in our guide below. In just a few
words, we'll tell you what you can expect and offer some micro-reviews based on our own playing sessions. A Fold Apart (Image credit: lightning rod games/apple arcade)

Three word review: Love obsessed puzzler

It might look like a platformer, but A Fold Apart is a candy-colored puzzle game oozing with sweetness. The objective is you must fold parts of the screen, like pages of a pulpy romance novel, to reunite a pair of lovebirds who have been forced apart by a long distance relationship. Agent Intercept

Three word review: Action heavy racer

Take every car chase and driving scene from action movies over the last 50 years, leave them to simmer on the hob until you have a dense, tangy paste, then compress it all into a stock cube and you have Agent Intercept it's a fast, action-packed vehicular romp. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (Editor's
Pick) (Image credit: ustwo)

Three word review: Miniature environmental Zelda

Dont miss this beautiful, relaxing adventure. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure has some of the world-building charm of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and a stronger environmental message. Albas out to save the wildlife on the island where her grandparents live. Take pictures of the local fauna, and the whole thing can be done and dusted in a few hours, so theres no open world bloat. All of You

Three word review: Avian puzzle adventure

Help a chicken find its lost chicks in this cute and family-friendly puzzle game. It's easy-to-play but a little different because it has a unique game mechanic that requires you to swap circles around the screen that highlight obstacles and dangers you have to avoid in each level. Altos Odyssey: The
Lost City

Three word review: Endless desert sandboarding

Somewhere between the magnificent indie adventure game Journey and an endless runner game, youll find Altos Odyssey: The Lost City. This visually-stunning game tasks you with chaining together tricks across dunes, canyons and temples, whether thats sliding down vines, bouncing on hot air balloons or gliding along in your very own wingsuit. A Monster's Expedition

Three word review: Log-flipping puzzler

In this simple puzzle you must make your way from island to island by cutting down trees and flipping over logs, which you can use as bridges to get over the water. It sounds basic, and at the start it is, but youll need to
position the logs carefully to get them in the right place, especially when the islands start getting more crowded. Angry Birds Reloaded (Image credit: rovio/apple arcade)

Three word review: Birds bomb pigs

If youve had a smartphone at any point in the last ten years, you know the drill. Using a catapult, you fire an assortment of birds at fortifications, aiming to knock them into the pigs within. Surprisingly addictive and perfect for touchscreen play, theres a reason its perhaps the best-known mobile
gaming hit of all time. Asphalt 8: Airborne+

Three word review: Real fast cars

This is a fast-paced and beautifully-modelled driving game, a glitzy arcade racer that includes cars and bikes alike. Youll never get bored with more
than 400 career events, 1500 mystery challenges, six game modes, countless ways to upgrade your vehicles and multiplayer mode to challenge your friends. Theres something very cool about driving gravity-defying Ferrari and Ducatis around impossible race tracks. Assemble with Care

Three word review: Broken gadget simulator

This gentle and satisfying puzzler from ustwo, the team of geniuses behind Monument Valley, requires you to take apart and repair gadgets, like watches and cameras. Not only is it a relaxing experience, but it's lovely to look at with bags of style and dreamy colors. ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree

Three word review: Dark music RPG

This moody isometric adventure game is an RPG, but other than that it defies genre. That's because it has a strong narrative element that leans on Nordic myth, interactive gameplay, puzzles, combat and sound. Yep, it turns into a synth-heavy rhythm game when you get into fights. Backgammon+

Three word review: It's just backgammon

If youre a fan of backgammon, youre in for a treat. Everyone else, keep moving, because this is, simply, backgammon with no bells and whistles or new elements to spice up the game. Instead, its an easy-to-use and intuitive take on the board game classic that you can keep in your pocket. Badland+

Three word review: Award-winning platformer

An atmospheric, side-scrolling platformer, Badland started life as a paid-for app and is now, thankfully, part of the Apple Arcade library. Thanks to the magical, gorgeous visuals and smart puzzles you encounter on your journey through a dark and eerie forest, this one has become a mobile Game of the
Year winner. Baldo (Image credit: Naps Team)

Three word review: Ghibli meets Zelda

Take the hand-drawn anime art style of the Studio Ghibli movies, and throw in some Zelda exploration gameplay, and youve got Baldo. You might find this
game to be a bit rough around the edges, with some steep difficulty spikes, but its gorgeous to look at with some beautiful areas to explore. Ballistic Baseball

Three word review: Its simply baseball

A baseball game in your pocket, Ballistic Baseball is a casual game, but it's packed with animations that have some of the snappy, vivacious aesthetic of games like Team Fortress 2 and Fortnite, which give it a punchier feel. A recently-added home run hitting contest is fun and you can take part in real-time showdowns with other players. Battlesky Brigade: Harpooner

Three word review: Cute vertical shooter

This game might look like a simple vertical shooter, but there's a twist. You fire out your character into each colorful level and as you bust baddies, you reveal coins. A rope then pulls you back to the start (that's the harpooner bit) when your net deploys to grab the cash. Beyond a Steel Sky (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Revolution Software)

Three word review: Point n click

Gaming veterans take note. Beyond a Steel Sky is a sequel to the 1994 point n click adventure Beneath a Steel Sky. Think a classic adventure game with modern graphics. Even if you've never heard of Beneath a Steel Sky before, if you like a sci-fi adventure you should give it a go as you'll love the game's cyberpunk aesthetic. Beyond Blue

Three word review: Chilled scuba diving

This great-looking game is a fantastic showcase for the graphical power of
iOS devices. Dive into Beyond Blue and swim through the sea, chasing down giant whale sharks, dolphins and other ocean-dwellers. Its relaxing, and even potentially educational for the little ones, too. Big Time Sports

Three word review: Mini games ahoy!

An extremely minimal game with extremely simple controls, Big Time Sports is
a collection of r eaction-based games with a sports theme. It has a distinctive visual style that might remind you of classic arcade sports
games. You can play each of the games on your own, but we prefer teaming up with friends. Bleak Sword (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: More8Bit)

Three word review: 8-bit Dark Souls

Dont be put off by Bleak Swords ultra-pixelated graphics because it looks great in motion. This is a stylish and highly distinctive horror action game that has some of the same dark DNA as other popular titles, like Dark Souls
or Bloodborne.Work your way through nine chapters, fighting monsters in swamps, forests, castles and dungeons to lift the curse of the Bleak Sword. Blek+

Three word review: Join the dots

An innovative puzzler, the aim of Blek+ is to draw flowing lines to connect colored circles on your phone. The key is managing to connect all of the dots without hitting the black holes on your screen. Its a simple concept but
there are some surprisingly deep possibilities for puzzle solving. Butter Royale

Three word review: Twin-stick MOBA

A battle arena shooter without the violence, Butter Royale pits up to 32 players against each other in a large arena where they've got to take part in the ultimate food fight think firing sauce, throwing bread, knocking people out with pie. It has some of the same appeal as todays online first-person shooters, but it's viewed from top-down. Card of Darkness (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Zach Gage)

Three word review: Card-y dungeon crawler

You might be able to tell from the overall vibe of this game, but Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward had a hand in Card of Darkness. What we're saying is, it's cute AF. Underneath the candy-colored dressing sits a compulsive, card-based dungeon crawler. As you progress, youll find more powerful cards
to use in each level. These levels represent a floor of the dungeon. Its an epic adventure shrunk down to iPhone-friendly proportions. Cardpocalypse

Three word review: Magic the Gathering

Cardpocalypse adds a great story onto the gameplay of a one-on-one card battler. Set in the 90s, it has cute graphics and a kid-friendly theme too.
So although we think it's great for older, nostalgic games, it's also more accessible than some of the grown-up alternatives in this genre for the
little ones. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls

Three word review: Castlevania goes mobile

An all-new game in the long-running action-horror series. Youll see the
return of favorite characters, like Alucard and Simon Belmont, who must
battle through 60 side-scrolling levels with a wide range of equipment to unlock. This ones a bit more linear than the explorative nature of other entries in the series, more like the earlier, pre-Symphony era titles. Cat Quest II (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: The Gentlebros)

Three word review: Feline action adventure

You could easily pile 10+ hours into this friendly adventure. Yes, youre a cat, but theres solid hack and slash mechanics bolstered by character-upgrading RPG systems underneath, to appeal to the non-cat people. You can tell its a console-grade game, not least because you can also buy Cat Quest II for PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Chameleon Run+

Three word review: Color match auto-runner

Finding something new to do with the auto-runner genre on mobile isnt always easy, but Chameleon Run adds a cool twist. You must jump and land on the correctly-colored platform to match your player. The graphics are cool and stylish and there are a bunch of fun jumping mechanics, like double jump and head jump. Charrua Soccer

Three word review: Football on fast-forwards

Charrua Soccer is UK/European football played at an intense speed. This means you can cram the action of a 90-minute match into a time slot that suits a quick bus ride. It's quick and fun with simple controls and retro art. Checkers Royal+

Three word review: Its checkers, stupid

Its checkers, you know the rules! Jump the other players pieces to win the game. This is an easy-to-use version of the classic game with different offline and offline modes, tournament options, and customisable rules. Chess Play and Learn+

Three word review: You know, chess?

Another board game classic brought to Apple Arcade. Chess Play and Learn+ boasts the worlds largest online chess community, offering online play,
speedy Bullet timed games and adaptive AI players who become more (or less) skillful depending on your in-game performance. ChuChu Rocket! Universe
(Image credit: apple arcade/apple app store)

Three word review: Retro game revival

The original ChuChu Rocket! made its debut on Dreamcast way back in 1999.
Now, it returns with a new space theme on Apple Arcade. Gameplay is much as
we remember; you have to direct your space mice across each level to avoid
the space cats.It's colorful and fun with all kinds of 3D puzzles to solve. Clap Hanz Golf (Editors Pick)

Three word review: Party golf action

One of Apple Arcades best games, Clap Hanz Golf is an action-oriented take on the gentleman's sport, reminiscent of Everybodys Golf on the PlayStation. Guide chibi-like golfers around arcade-oriented courses, with a control
scheme well-suited to mobile play. A must-download this one. Cozy Grove

Three word review: Dark Animal Crossing

Imagine Nintendos Animal Crossing, but on a haunted, ever-changing island filled with ghosts and spirits. Thats what Crozy Grove is. Youll be exploring the island while taking part in various activities, like crafting, fishing
and decorating to help befriend the ghostly folk of Cozy Grove. Crayola
Create and Play+

Three word review: Learning is fun

A great, fun educational app for kids, Crayola Create and Play+ is filled
with different activities for children to develop their self-expression and artistic independence. This app is certainly more than just drawing and colouring. Kids can solve puzzles, practice spelling and even try coding. Creaks

Three word review: Hand-drawn charm

Theres something about the hand-drawn art style of Creaks that instantly
draws us in. It adds atmosphere, and a sense of world-building you dont
always get in a puzzler like this. Explore an otherworldly mansion and be prepared for some mild brain-teasing. It comes from the makers of
Machinarium, which is no surprise given Creaks graphical style. Cricket Through the Ages (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Free Lives)

Three word review: Pure physics insanity

First things first: dont approach Cricket Through the Ages expecting a traditional cricket game. It has a much wider appeal than that. Levels
include a battle between bone-wielding cavemen, jousting knights and
exploding samurai. You might learn a tiny bit about how real-world cricket works, but it's gags and ridiculous cartoony physics that hold this game together, not cricketing. Crossy Road Castle

Three word review: Not Crossy Road

The original Crossy Road is about, well, crossing increasingly unlikely
roads. Crossy Road Castle is completely different for lots of reasons. The main being you're not crossing roads here, but working your way higher and higher up towers of a castle. And each tower run is procedurally generated,
so it's different every time. There's also a co-op mode in this version that lets you play with up to four other people. Cut the Rope Remastered

Three word review: Deliver the candy

The award-winning and ever-popular puzzle game Cut the Rope is back with a beautiful 3D remaster. Cut ropes, avoid obstacles and use Newton's law of physics to complete puzzles with lots of obstacles and fun boosters, from magic hats to whoopee cushions, along the way. Your mission is to deliver sweet treats to Om Nom, the little green monster with a candy addiction. Dead End Job

Three word review: Cartoon twin-stick mayhem

Get ready to fulfil all your ghost-busting fantasies. With this twin-stick shooter you visit all kinds of haunted locations with a plasma blaster to rid them of ghosts. You rack up money for each ghost exorcised. Its fast and manic, and you get to upgrade your abilities between levels. Dear Reader (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Local No.12, LLC)

Three word review: Literary word game

There are countless word games for iOS, but Dear Reader uses actual text from works of literature that have slipped out of copyright, including classics from Jane Austen, Voltaire and Jules Verne. You fill in the right missing words, or swap them, to restore the original text. This one might even nudge
a couple of you to read some of the classics afterwards. Decoherence

Three word review: Genre mash-up

Not content with one genre, Decoherence dabbles in a bunch. Its part twin-stick shooter, part tower defense, part strategy game. The aim is to build robots that fight in matches against others. It isn't the simplest to get to grips with, so this one is probably best experienced on an iPad. Detonation Racing

Three word review: Explosions galore

Race and drift around a track rigged with explosives and wrecking balls. Detonation Racing might be the most dangerous racing game youve ever played. This game is easily accessible but hard to master, so play with friends
online or choose the career mode, which is jammed full of challenges to beat the most hazardous tracks in Detonation Racing. Discolored (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Obtuse, surreal, engaging

A first-person puzzle adventure with an eerie atmosphere. Your aim is to restore color to a world turned monochrome. Its a quickie, with an average length of just over an hour according to howlongtobeat.com , but you might find yourself stumped by some of its puzzles. DoDonPachi Resurrection HD+

Three word review: Dodge the bullets

Fight your way through the bullet-filled hellscape of DoDonPachi Resurrection HD+. Dash and weave past a flurry of bullets to beat the various bosses in
the world of resurrection, but youll need practice. Thankfully, you can test your skills in practice mode to stop you from dying all the time or at least some of the time. Dodo Peak

Three word review: Colorful arcade retro

Dodo Peak borrows gameplay mechanics from a few classic arcade games, like Qbert. Scale the mountain to rescue your lost chicks while avoiding enemies. This one gets middling reviews, but certainly has visual charm. Don't Bug Me!

Three word review: Martian tower defense

One of the early Apple Arcade releases, Dont Bug Me! is an odd little game
set on Mars with some incongruous shooter sections.You play the role of Commander Abigail Blackwell who has to fend off Martian attacks. It's part resource management, part tower defence with lots of first-person mechanics, too. Don't Starve: Pocket Edition+

Three word review: Please dont starve

The award-winning dark survival game enjoyed by more than 20 million players across various platforms is available on Apple Arcade. Explore, fight and craft to ensure your survival in the gloomy wilderness and discover its secrets. The aim of the game is to find your way back home without starving. Doodle God Universe (Image credit: apple arcade/apple app store)

Three word review: Your own universe

Use your imagination to create your own universe. You have four essential elements that you can combine to create hundreds of new ones and make your world come alive. Every time you create a new element, youll be rewarded with the wit and wisdom of the greatest philosophers and comedians in history. Doomsday Vault

Three word review: Breezy, brief puzzler

A short isometric puzzler in which you play as a cut bulbous robot. Navigate through a flooded city to find seeds that you can take to a vault. You'll
need to break into an underground lair, explore a pyramid and solve puzzles. The 3D environments look nice and there's a cool soundtrack, too. Not too hard, not too long. Down in Bermuda

Three word review: Charming isometric puzzler

In this beautifully drawn game you take on the role of an aviator stranded in a time bubble. You must explore themed island levels, each packed with codes to crack, puzzles to solve and magic orbs to collect. Each one you escape brings you one step closer to a way back home. Dread Nautical

Three word review: Pint-sized X-Com

A tactical, turn-based RPG. A ship has been commandeered by supernatural nasties and it's your job to find other survivors, track down food and resources, and keep your safe haven safe. There are 20 decks to explore and
13 different survivors that you can play as. EarthNight (Image credit: apple arcade/apple app store)

Three word review: Artistic aerial platforming

This is a beautiful game that's part painting come to life and part retro game. The premise is simple: dragons have taken over, people have fled to space and you must find a way to Earth while hitching a ride on the back of massive dragons that are snaking through the clouds. It's a platformer, of sorts, but you send most of your time in the air. It's intense, intricate and nice to look at. Exit the Gungeon

Three word review: Pain and gain

The sequel to Enter the Gungeon, Exit the Gungeon is a hardcore single-screen quasi-platformer with 16-bit style graphics and a major focus on gunplay.
Your weapon changes almost constantly, forcing you to change your strategy on the fly as you try to escape through a series of levels and dangerous elevators. Rooms are constantly changing, as well as enemies and bosses, so
no two attempts are the same. Explottens

Three word review: Aerial cat carnage

Cats in planes shooting guns all day long. That is the Explottens way. In
this side scrolling arcade shoot-em-up you have to dart around each level constantly to avoid enemy fire. Its an unrelenting dogfight but there are
ways to customize it for little ones or if the explosions get a bit too intense. Fallen Knight

Three word review: Mega Man wannabe

Play as a futuristic descendent of Lancelot Lancelot the 50th to be precise facing off against your enemies. This is a classic-style, Mega Man-inspired action platformer with virtual gamepad controls if you choose to use the touchscreen. Fallen Knight would be a good title to test a wireless gamepad. Fantasian

Three word review: A classic JRPG

The legendary Final Fantasy game creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, has created a new and beautiful RPG: Fantasian. Fantasian is a classic JRPG with the same turn-based combat, but it comes with several quality of life improvements, like the Dimengeon Battle, which will send enemies to another dimension to streamline combat. Farm It!

Three Word review: Upcoming slice-em-up

If you've ever dreamed of owning your own farm you're now one step closer. Swipe to slice a knife through crops and fields, which burst into blocks, and then use the resources to plant new stuff.You can also decorate different areas of your farm and meet lots of different in-game characters and cute animals Fledgling Heroes

Three word review: Bird-based runner

Remember Flappy Bird? Fledgling Heroes is a more built-up take on that style of aerial gameplay. You tap to flap your wings, and have to manoeuvre to
avoid obstacles, and pick-up collectables. Frenzic Overtime

Three word review: A puzzle frenzy

Solve hundreds of puzzles to conquer the 45 levels of Frenzic industries in Frenzic Overtime. There are daily challenges, multiple game modes and
hundreds of mini-modes to complete. Frogger in Toy Town (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Original Apple showcase

Frogger in Toy Town was one of the main showcase games when Apple first unveiled Arcade. We can see why. It looks great. However, its not the perfect execution of the frogger formula, where you hop through environments to avoid dangers. Fruit Ninja Classic+

Three word review: Keep slicing fruit!

Start frantically swiping again as the fruit-cutting epic, Fruit Ninja, returns. Slice as much fruit as you can to score points, but make sure to avoid chopping up those bombs. Fruit Ninja is even more fun now you can compete with your friends online to find out once and for all who has the
best fruit-cutting skills. Game Dev Story+

Three word review: Design great games

Manage your own game company and create critically-acclaimed games in Game
Dev Story+. Hire talented developers and train their skills to unlock more game genres and content to build into brilliant new games. If your company
has what it takes, you could reach the pinnacle of the gaming industry. Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows

Three word review: Build that wall

Pretty much the polar opposite of Telltales graphic adventure Game of
Thrones, Tale of Crows sees you take on the role of the Nights Watch. You
send out expeditions and maintain the wall's defenses. But instead of
watching the action happen, you issue commands and then come back to the game every now and then to see how it all turned out. Its not action-packed, but that's not the idea. Good Sudoku+

Three word review: Sudoku is back

The classic Sudoku puzzle arrives on Apple Arcade with Good Sudoku+. It comes with 70,000 sudoku puzzles, three daily puzzle modes and six levels of difficulty. If you love number games and the unique challenge of Sudoku, theres plenty of content here to keep you entertained for ages. Grindstone (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Capybara Games Inc)

Three word review: (Non) Bloody brilliant fun

Want a truly unmissable Apple Arcade game? Youve found it. Grindstone looks a bit like Candy Crush but maps symbol-matching gameplay onto an adventure. Its made by Capybara Games, which produced classics like Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery and Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. Looking for games for the
kids? Dont worry. While theres plenty of slashing action here, theres no blood. Guildlings

Three word review: Roleplay meets novel

This is a quirky RPG that's also part visual novel. Ideal for anyone who
wants a story alongside their gameplay and doesn't mind doing a bit of reading. In this game you need to go on a quest to reach mystical mountain temples and battle it out with goblins, ghosts and other creatures. It's a
fun fantasy game with a modern tech twist. Hexaflip: The Action Puzzler

Three word review: Six-sided puzzling

No fancy visual themes here, just colourful hexagonal pieces and fast-paced action-infused puzzles. Make your way through the maze-like levels, moving left or right at each turn. Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game

Three word review: Solve your mystery

Hitchhiker is a mystery game and you must solve the unique puzzle of your own backstory. You have no memory of your past, so youll have to talk to five different strangers and solve environmental puzzles to decode your history, all while hitchhiking across a beautiful landscape. Hogwash

Three word review: Muddy multiplayer mayhem

Its three versus one in this farm-themed multiplayer title. You play as
either the farmer, who has to clean up the farm, or as one of the muddy pigs, spreading muck far and wide. We know which side wed choose. Hot Lava (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Game show parkour

Watched Floor is Lava on Netflix? This is a game based on the same idea. You cant touch the floor because, this time, it is literally lava. Parkour your way over platforms to complete levels. Youll need to spend a little time to master the controls but a wireless gamepad helps. HyperBrawl: Tournament

Three word review: Slap-happy sport

Take ice hockey, remove the ice, add even more violence and you have HyperBrawl: Tournament. Its a future-tinged 2-on-2 sports ball game with ultra-short rounds to keep the action snappy. Inks.+

Three word review: Pinball but artsy

The award-winning Inks has put its own twist on the classic pinball game with a beautiful and unique art style. Bursts of color paint the canvas of the pinball machine, which records a visual history of your game as you perfect your score. Inks.+ features 100 different pinball tables to play on and
theres an online scoreboard to share your high scores. INMOST (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Hidden Layer Games)

Three word review: Spellbinding

A moving story of loss and hope wound into a good-looking puzzle platformer. With play time of around three hours this is just the kind of game we want to see on Apple Arcade. Highly recommended for fans of games like Inside and Braid. Jenny LeClue - Detectivu

Three word review: Positive role model

A charming 8-10 hour adventure with a story-led approach and a liberal smattering of puzzles that wont leave you scratching your head for too long. The main meat of the game is played in side-scrolling platformer style. Jetpack Joyride+

Three word review: High-flying Mayhem

The global hit game Jetpack Joyride has made its way to Apple Arcade. This high flying manic side-scroller keeps you on edge by testing your reflexes against an endless amount of lasers and zappers that want to end your jetpack run. When you're done dodging guided missiles, upgrade your jetpack with a variety of ridiculous outfits. Jumper Jon

Three word review: Quickfire by design

Jumper Jon is an exploration-based side-scroller where time is always an issue. A 30-second timer sits at the top of the screen. If it runs out, its game over and you have to head back to the last checkpoint. Fill it up by picking up items or killing enemies. Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD+

Three word review: Endless enemies

Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD is taking tower defense games to a whole new level. Defend your lands against over 40 enemies using various attack abilities,
like pestilence clouds and death riders. Even if you manage to fight them off the first time, different difficulty modes means enemies will always be a challenge. King's League II (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Big-headed battler

Train a team of giant-headed warriors to take into battle. This one looks cute, but be prepared to get your head around some reasonably deep systems as you progress.It's definitely a strategy game rather than a fighting game. Kings of the Castle

Three word review: Jumping Flash 2021

Explore islands and pick up enough gems to free the prince, who has been locked in the castle. We get strong Jumping Flash vibes from Kings of the Castle. For those not as ancient as us, that was an early PlayStation game. Laytons Mystery Journey+

Three word review: Solve a mystery

The aim of the game in Laytons Mystery Journey is to find your missing
father. Discover clues, deduce the truth and solve multiple puzzles as youre whisked around Londons famous landmarks. This game has the most extensive collection of puzzles in any Layton series title and a new cast of characters to meet. Legend of the Skyfish 2

Three word review: Old-school Zelda-ing

The top-down isometric action of Legend of the Skyfish 2 reminds us of the earlier Zelda games. But thats no bad thing.You play as one of the last Red Hook guardians and must use a fishing pole as a weapon and a grappling hook
to face threats. There are some lovely-looking landscapes and creepy
creatures along your journey. Legends of Kingdom Rush

Three word review: Defend your kingdom

Journey through a medieval fantasy world in this turn-based RPG with rogue-like elements. Become a leader of a party of heroes and stop enemies in their tracks with a combat system thats easy to learn, but hard to master. Strategy is key to combat. Youll need to move your heroes on a grid based on their combat skills and youll never get bored as there are over 100 narrative events. LEGO Brawls

Three word review: Super Smash Brickers

Super Smash Bros. meets Capture the Flag, LEGO Brawls is a chaotic fighting game. As you'd expect from a LEGO game, you get to create your own minifig
and build power-ups from your bricks. There are 8 different arenas to play
in, like Castle and Jurassic world and you can play with friends, too. LEGO Builders Journey (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: LEGO gets deep

Whats this? A deep and meaningful LEGO game? Thats right. LEGO Builder's Journey is a great way to relax after a session with LEGO Brawls. You
complete construction puzzles using, obviously, LEGO bricks.The visuals are fantastic and there's a great soundtrack to lull you into a creative flow state. LEGO Star Wars Battles

Three word review: Use the force!

Set your hyperdrive to a galaxy far, far away and lead your favourite LEGO Star Wars characters in this multiplayer game with tower defense battle
arenas inspired by different Star Wars locations. Build LEGO towers on the battlefield to defend your base against attacking enemies or capture enemy territories. You can also use characters abilities, like Darth Vaders force slam or toss enemies away using Luke Skywalkers force push to disable them. LEGO Star Wars Castaways

Three word review: Star Wars refreshed

This isn't a standard galaxy far, far away battle game. Instead, the premise is you're a castaway on a random planet and must create a character (as you'd expect from a LEGO game, this is really fun), find other characters, go on quests, challenge people and more. You'll still get to recreate scenes from the movies and, of course, wield a lightsaber, if you like. Leos Fortune+

Three word review: Roll to gold

Play as Leo, a green furball with a moustache, in this award-winning platform adventure game. Your aim is to hunt down a thief who has stolen your gold. Every level is intricately detailed with stunning visuals and lush environments. But dont let the beauty fool you, as traps and puzzles are scattered throughout the levels. Lifelike: Chapter One

Three word review: Art meets gaming

From the award-winning creators behind Blek and FROST, this is a hypnotic and beautiful Apple Arcade title in which you control a little blob of light. Experiment with how Lifelikes swarms of particles (or creatures) react to solve its levels. Lifeslide

Three word review: Paper plane simulator

Pilot a paper plane through 21 levels. Weve enjoyed chilled glider games like this since the early days of the App Store. Lifeslide isnt a true exploration game as you effectively fly downhill through a wide corridor, but sink into
it and youll feel your heart rate dropping as you relax. Little Orpheus
(Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: High production values

An adventure puzzle-platformer from The Chinese Room, makers of games like Everybodys Gone to the Rapture and Death Esther, Little Orpheus aims for madcap rather than meaningful. Still, its beautiful and has the great sound design youd expect from a developer with The Chinese Rooms reputation. Loud House: Outta Control

Three word review: So very Nickelodeon

Loud House: Outta Control probably isnt the sort of game youd expect from a glance. Its not an adventure or a light role-player. Its an air traffic control game like iOS classic Flight Control, but you direct family members rather than planes. lumen.

Three word review: Illuminating chilled puzzler

Discover a box from the 1800s created by a famous inventor. This is no ordinary puzzle game. lumen. has a bunch of unique mechanics that require you to solve levels using lights, a set of lenses and mirrors. There are a range of levels and most are family-friendly for little ones . Mahjong Titan+

Three word review: Keep on matching

A simple Mahjong game, which means you need to match the tiles to win. With more than 2000 boards available to play, youll never get bored assuming
youre a fan of Mahjong. Manifold Garden

Three word review: Trippy gravity puzzles

A first-person puzzler in which you play with gravity to make progress and, quite possibly, scramble your brain in the process.That's because the laws of physics are different in this Escheresque world and falling down leads you right back to the beginning again. Marble It Up: Mayhem!

Three word review: Marble Madness reborn

Control a marble and guide it through mazes of ever-increasing complexity. Marble It Up: Mayhem! uses a camera that sticks close to your ball for a real sense of speed. Exciting, if perhaps a little too challenging for some, as
the controls battle with the later levels designs. Marble Knights

Three word review: Fantasy roller disco

What do you get if you compared a sword-fighting fantasy game with a fast-paced marble throwing game? Marble Knights! This is a co-op adventure in which the main characters stand atop rolling marbles. Play with friends for the most fun. MasterChef: Lets Cook!

Three word review: Become a chef

Become the ultimate chef in MasterChef: Lets Cook. This is a fun and fast-paced cooking competition game. Compete against other players online, choose the right ingredients and make sure you cook your dishes properly
using the touch controls. Once youve cooked your dish, MasterChef judges will assess it based on your performance and speed. You can also complete and unlock new recipes, mini-games and challenges along the way. Mind Symphony (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Stress versus calm

Vertical shooters like Mind Symphony are usually high-stress experiences in which you constantly move to avoid enemy fire. This one claims to offer meditative gameplay, at least in its Calm mode. The Release play mode offers the more traditional shoot em up play style. Both are syncd up to the games soundtrack. Mini Metro+

Three word review: Be efficient!

In this award-winning game you must design a subway for a growing
metropolitan city by drawing lines between stations. However, as new stations begin to open, youll have to start redrawing the subway lines to keep them running efficiently. The game ends if you cant keep the trains moving. Mini Motorways

Three word review: Mini Metro Redux

Played Mini Metro? It's a satisfying, if difficult, casual-style metro management sim. Mini Motorways takes the action above ground, and sees you drawing roads to connect a city. This ones mechanics are even deeper.
Monomals

Three word review: Colorful musical nonsense

Monomals vibrant game world and chip tune-inspired music are sure to put a smile on many faces. You unlock musical notes and elements in the swipe-controlled action levels, and can then compose tunes in the baked-in synthesiser to try to get them up the charts. This one is hard to explain. Just give it a try. Monster Hunter Stories+

Three word review: Make monster friends

The critically acclaimed JRPG Monster Hunter Stories has made its way onto Apple Arcade. Embark on a new adventure as a Hunter fighting powerful beasts and monsters, all to defeat the threat of the Black Blight. Befriend monster companions and build a bond with them, then theyll fight beside you in battle and in the multiplayer mode against other online players. Monument Valley+ (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Beautiful art piece

Manipulate the beautiful architecture of the environment around you as you guide a princess through optical illusions and hidden paths to outsmart the crow people of Monument Valley. Each world is stunningly designed and could
be a work of art in its own right. This game is best experienced with headphones on in order to also hear the atmospheric soundscape of each world you visit. Murder Mystery Machine

Three word review: Whodunnit?

A crime-solving adventure in which you play a detective who has to interview suspects. This game has an episodic structure, and the story was written by professional film and TV writers, apparently. Mutazione (Editor's Pick)
(Image credit: Die Gute Fabrik)

Three word review: Definitely a grower

Dont miss Mutazione if you play games for their stories and characters. This is a beautifully drawn adventure. Its developer calls Mutazione a mutant soap opera, but forget all the negative associations you may have with that term. The significance here is that the story is informed by the humdrum lives of its characters as much as the grander events that take place in the plot. If youre up for a slower-paced, contemplative title, check this one out. NBA
2K22 Arcade Edition

Three word review: Play some basketball

Live out your basketball dreams in NBA 2K22 on Apple Arcade. Choose your favourite NBA teams and then take on competitors or other players in an
online match. Want to take the game even more seriously? You can become a general manager or head coach in MyCareer mode and you can manage the NBA roster, make trades and scout for new players. NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition

Three word review: Play more basketball

Just like in NBA 2K22, you can fulfill all your basketball dreams in NBA
2K22. Play as your favourite basketball team in a quick match or join your friends online for a head-to-head game. Dive into MyCareer mode and manage your own basketball team, making trades to win games and tournaments. Necrobarista

Three word review: Deathly visual novel

A pretty visual novel that's heavy on the themes of death and necromancy.
Dont download it for the gameplay. But that same advice applies to every visual novel-style game. Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector+

Three word review: For cat lovers

If you love cats, this game is a must-have. Discover all kinds of different types of cats in Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector and become a master cat collector. Attract more than 40 different varieties of cats plus some rare ones with food and toys, then log them in your catbook. Neo Cab (Image credit: apple arcade)

Three word review: Cyberpunk cabbie detective

A novel concept: you're a taxi driver chatting to your passengers. And
through those conversations you find out more and more about the
disappearance of your friend. A compelling but ultimately relaxing experience with some nice neon visuals. Neversong

Three word review: Atmospheric platformer

Neversong is an action-puzzle platformer with a haunting vibe. You play as a boy who wakes from a coma to find the world has changed. What are the screams coming from Neverwood? And why are people behaving like zombies? He must go
on a mission to find out what's happened in this dream-like fable that's lovely to look at even though it's a little eerie at times. Next Stop
Nowhere

Three word review: Mobile space opera

Next Stop Nowhere is a space adventure. You play a courier dragged into a dramatic story. The game was originally criticised for being buggy, but it's smoother now and worth a play if you are a fan of story-driven adventures
with nice visuals. Nightmare Farm

Three word review: Tim Burtons farm

In this dark and dreamy world you play a heartbroken girl who maintains a farm, grows stuff and gives characters food and toys. Oh and wear goth make-up. Nightmare Farm is the kind of game that might be riddled with micro transactions if it wasn't on Apple Arcade. No Way Home (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: SMG Studio)

Three word review: Space Miner II

No Way Home reminds us of one of the greatest mobile games most people havent played: Space Miner. Its a top-down space shooter with twin stick controls. The basic action is fun enough, but the story and mechanic of gathering swag for upgrades elevates it to another level. It supports controllers, too, if you find the touch controls imprecise or fiddly. Nuts - A Surveillance
Mystery

Three word review: Damn those squirrels

A highly stylised game with overtly singular mechanics. You set up surveillance cameras around Melmoth Forest to observe the movements of a gang of squirrels. But, of course, the story isnt quite as simple as that. May remind some of you of Firewatch . Oceanhorn 2 (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Cornfox & Brothers Ltd)

Three word review: Apple Arcades Zelda

Oceanhorn 2 is about as close as you can get right now to Zelda: Breath of
the Wild on your iPad. Of course, youll have a better time with this 10-12 hour adventure if you dont go in comparing it like-for-like with one of the most celebrated games of the last decade. Oceanhorn 2 is a beautiful open-world title that wont suck as much of your time as the average console game of this genre. Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon

Three word review: Oceanhorn goes retro

It may be set 200 years after Oceanhorn 2, but Chronos Dungeon takes a more old-school approach. This is a top-down dungeon-crawler RPG. Why not dabble
in both Oceanhorns to see which suits? Oddmar+

Three word review: Beautiful viking adventure

In this colorful and great-looking game you play as Oddmar, a viking who goes on a mission to prove himself. Help him to journey through 24 puzzle and strategy levels with the help of magical weapons and shields. Visit magical forests, snow-topped mountains and dangerous mines. Operator 41

Three word review: Real-time Hitman Go

Operator 41 is a stealth game with levels broken up into a grid. You might expect a turn-based experience, like that of Hitman Go or Lara Croft Go, but this one takes place in real-time.It looks really unique with a moody vibe reminiscent of old crime shows. Outlanders (Editor's Pick) (Image credit: Pomelo Games)

Three word review: Build em up

Build a town and watch it run through the days and weeks. This game is serene and rewarding, and because it's on Apple Arcade there are no micro transactions involved here. Bliss. Overland

Three word review: FTL Roadtrip Edition

Aliens have invaded. You have to keep your band of survivors alive as you
trek across the US. The action is split into ambush events, when you bump
into aliens along your travels. These are turn-based, and your job is to survive rather than smash those aliens into dust. As these encounters are randomly generated you could spend dozens of hours playing Overland. Over the Alps

Three word review: Alpine adventure

This is a stylish narrative-led spy adventure in which you must stay undercover as you journey across 1939 Switzerland. Think of it as a Hitchcockian World War Two spy thriller, but with cheerful and colorful visuals that look like vintage postcards. The choices you make influence the story, which is filled with lots of adventure and a whole cast of characters. PAC-MAN Party Royale

Three word review: PAC-Mans on something

Classic PAC-MAN gameplay is given a 2021 boost in PAC-MAN Party Royale thanks to shinier graphics and power-ups. If you can play multiplayer (up to four
can play at once) then this is a must-try. Painty Mob

Three word review: Bizarre splosh-a-thon

Run around splashing paint on everything within your reach. That sounds fun, right? But the problem is the locals arent fans of your redecoration and will start forming a mob to take you out. The colorful, fast-paced chaos ensues.

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* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)