The RPG elements are light enough that they aren't overwhelming, yet compelling enough to be engaging. It's a definite must-play for fans of action-RPGs, and for those looking for a twist on the Super Crate Box formula.

Iris and the Giant is a standout experience in an ever-growing sea of deck-based roguelites.

If you're a fan of classic dungeon crawls and infinite replay value, or you have a high level of patience and determination, then you will get a lot of value out of this title.

One of the best games I've had the privilege to review. With numerous guns, great graphics, and over 200 levels spread over multiple level packs, the app is a great deal for the $0.99 price tag.

Most definitely a game that people could be playing on their next commute. It has the kind of pick-up-and-play gameplay that so many other games strive to achieve, but few perfect. Sly Fox is definitely a game that deserves a place on the homescreen.

There are few other games on iOS with the kind of gameplay that is deceptively complex, and with the kind of addictive properties to keep me going at it for hours on end, shirking all other responsibilities. When it isn't having technical issues, it is a must have.

One word of warning though is that the game is extremely difficult.

Activision's efforts in creating a faithful port of a hit console game a decade old was successful and should be applauded. The virtual control scheme, while not perfect, works; it just may take some players a little time to adjust to it before they're comfortable with the controls.

Manage a farm in this colorful iOS port of this popular worker-placement board game.

A beautifully crafted physics puzzler, Jumping Jupingo is a charming but challenging platformer that's a visual pleasure.

With a deep and involving story that goes on for a fair while (depending on the player's ability to solve puzzles or their susceptibility to searching for a walkthrough), 1112 Episode 3 is a great purchase.

A first-person adventure set in a magical world named "Fred," Hello World is a captivating story filled with the most bizarre and interesting characters one will ever meet.

Bigger, better, stronger, The Room Two is an exceptional sequel to the equally exceptional first game.

A fun, enjoyable and feature packed puzzle game. With gorgeous graphics (which when tilted take on a 3D-like form all on their own), realistic ball and wood like sounds and huge re-playability, Labyrinth 2 is highly recommended.

Fans of the genre will absolutely love Tiny Defense, it falls second only to PvZ.

Shadow Blade is a stylish trial platformer that's hard to put down thanks in large part to its intuitive touchscreen controls.

This War of Mine: Stories benefits from presenting a smaller, more focused story about the casualties of war.

This digital deck-builder is a great title for genre veterans and curious newcomers alike.

One of my favorite games this year – even after completing all 100 of the levels (with a 5th world with a brand new gameplay mechanic coming soon), I still found myself going back to try and improve my scores.

This puzzle-y, arcade-y roguelite makes dungeon-crawling a relaxing but surprisingly deep experience.

If you are a fan of on-rail shooters, this game will fill your need for something new.

Not very often does a newcomer impress, quite to the level that ARC Squadron has. The visual polish, overabundance of content, and addictive gameplay all meld together into a product that even Fox McCloud would be happy to have bear his name. Don't hesitate to jump into the cockpit. This is going to be one hell of a ride, that shouldn't be missed.

An adorable and chaotic puzzler where the goal is to clear the screen by matching block-headed creatures together without letting them fall off the platforms.

Flipped Out – The Powerpuff Girls has innovative mechanics and the high production values shine through.

Personally, I think it's worth the price for anyone looking for a good RPG to have on-the-go – assuming they aren't already loaded down with iOS role-playing games, that is.

When a game looks this beautiful, there is an impulse to just purchase it immediately, but when there is solid gameplay to back it up, the purchase is all the more appealing.

A retro-style shoot-em-up with an interesting new twist.

SimCity Deluxe is finally the SimCity game that people were waiting for on the iPhone. If you like SimCity, you really should pick this one up.

Hip and happy? What more could you want?

Dropchord is a hypnotic treat for the eyes, ears, and fingers.

This beautiful puzzle game is remarkable because it's special in all the ways that a lot of other games typically aren't.

Lums is a physics puzzler that gives the player an astounding amount of agency, which makes it so much more fun than other, luck-based physics puzzlers.

We got a great big convoy, rockin' through the night... the endless night of outer space, that is. And the ships are made out of pipes. Don't question it. It's Galaxy Trucker and it's now on iPad!

Toca Kitchen 2 allows children to prepare multiple foods together in this most recent of Toca Boca cooking apps.

A masterclass in difficulty progression. I just hope that there's more levels to come in the future. I want more. I need more.

Surviving the sophomore slump, Dead Trigger 2 aims at being the mobile equivalent of games we've seen on consoles.

A great little puzzler, and if folks are not easily frustrated it could keep them going for a long, long time.

Simple in its interface and easy to understand, play, and continue to play, Age of Chaos is a wonderful app that also employs generic yet detailed graphic and sound design choices. I am pleased with the outcome of my initial time with Age of Chaos, and I anticipate more good times spent in this little Renaissance wonderland.

Night Skate is one of the most refreshing runner-type games I've played in a long time thanks to its throwback design and aesthetic. The game just puts off a great vibe and rewards you for vibing with it. There's nothing complicated here, and that's exactly what makes it so special.

Intake is a fast-paced game that's great to play for 5 minutes or 5 hours.

Hoyoverse’s new action rpg continues to serve up the same brand of approachable gacha gaming in a more self-contained and stylish package.

Levelhead doesn't reach the same highs as Super Mario Maker, but that's ok. It reaches different highs. This mobile version is probably not the ideal package (unless you regularly have a controller in tow), but that doesn't change the fact that Levelhead is an amazing creation and curation platform with its own, unique mechanics and a great feel to match.

Nauticrawl is an immensely rewarding narrative adventure about learning how to drive an otherworldly vehicle to freedom.

It's inexpensive and it's fun. What more could you need? Flight Control has got some serious competition.

It's the same song and dance that we've all come to expect from Kairosoft: excellence and addiction wrapped snugly in oversight.

Mega Run is still a fantastic auto-runner though. The choice for set levels was an inspired one, and it will take plenty of time to play and master them all. The fact that it looks great and has cloud saving is just the cherry on top.

Go barking mad and claw a path to victory in this purr-fectly unique tower defense game.

While Slice It may not have the most "whiz bang" excitement in the App Store, its simple premise is executed perfectly.

Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story may be a bit unsurprising, but it's still a great sequel.

Blow up cats to free other exploding cats in this colorful physics-based puzzle game from Chillingo.

Run and gun in this snappy match-three puzzle game with squad mechanics.

Burn the City is an absolute delight to play, and players will find the destruction satisfying and consistent from level to level. The game's art is simple yet superb.

Zombie Highway: Driver's Ed is all about precision driving. And killing zombies.

Bored at home? Bored at work? Bored walking? Leave it to this suite of games to give tailor-made experiences to suit almost any situation.

Jet Car Stunts 2 doesn't screw up what made the original game great, while adding in some variety, including a clever level editor.

Even if you're jaded on match-3 games, Linkoidz is worth playing.

Darkin is a darn fine puzzle-RPG that will suck up all your free time.

Spider: the Secret of Bryce Manor is an impressive, original game due to its well-implemented controls, beautiful graphics, unique gameplay, and multi-layered, subtly presented story.

One of those games that needs to be owned. As insane as it all is, it blends together perfectly and creates some of the most amazing and beautiful craziness I've experienced in quite some time.

What Skee-Ball 2 proves is that there are some gameplay mechanics that are timeless. This game is just as incredibly fun in 2012 as it was in 2009. Welcome back, Skee-Ball. It's been too long.

Implosion - Never Lose Hope makes some bold claims, but it actually lives up to expectations.

Vampire Origins provides solid shoot'em up action while avoiding the stale boring game play that so many titles in this genre reach. An achievement system through Crystal With good graphics, a respectable sound track, and complex puzzles, it's an easy recommendation for casual and hardcore gamer alike.

Even as nothing more than a gimped-but-free distraction, Kard Combat is still a lot of fun.

From the creators of the original, Papa Sangre 2 delivers another exceptionally chilling experience like never before.

One of those games that's always a pleasure to come back to. Whether or not everything's been unlocked, it's still going to make the hours melt away.

It's certainly not easy (or relaxing), but it's a lot of fun and a clever twist on the classic formula.

The Ensign takes most of its cues from A Dark Room to create a wonderfully weird text adventure.

Time Recoil gets high marks purely because of how inventive its levels are and how well the game controls. The time-slowing mechanics here aren’t necessarily revolutionary, and the game’s story is pretty bland, but the way Time Recoil builds around these conceits while controlling like a dream makes it a fantastic follow up to Neon Chrome, and an amazing dual-stick shooter in its own right.

Traffic Panic 3D is an excellent combination of simplicity and addictiveness. Each session feels rewarding, win or lose, and there's always something new to unlock just around the corner. Provided no one takes the easy way out, anyway.

On the surface, Killing Zone Defense is just your run of the mill tower defense game, but that's the beauty of it. It doesn't try too hard to be quirky or unique, it sticks to just what you could want from such a game and achieves it with style.

It's a real pleasure to see an iPhone game that is well-crafted, that uses music and sound to create a distinct atmosphere and that plays as well offline as it does online. If Carcassonne is your first foray into Euro-gaming, you're sure to want more.

Snuggle Truck may have lost some of its message in its style transition, but the game is still incredibly fun.

I had my initial doubts about the gameplay mechanics of a falling character as side scrollers are always a sure bet. Then I took High Flyer Death Defyer's for a spin and was surprised at the level of entertainment it provided.

Psych-out friends and random players in this simple but psychologically complex game from the makers of 10000000.

Monsters, Inc. Run is a fun ride at an inexpensive price. Offering more structure and purpose than many other Endless or Auto Runners, there's plenty of reason to keep coming back for more. I had a blast with it.

Not all games age elegantly. Though while Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is certainly showing its age, everything that made it great still shows through brilliantly.

I love The Blockheads for much the same reason I love baseball, I suppose. I can watch baseball while doing something else, and The Blockheads is a perfect game to fill my time. Check it out.

Farsh is a spatial puzzler that’s not only innovative but also quite challenging.

It's really not hard for me to say that Modern Combat 2 is my favorite iPhone FPS.

It's what I'd call a "safe" game. It doesn't try anything completely unique but it has a clean look, does what it does very well and offers up plenty of increasingly complex fun.

The fifth entry into the blockbuster Modern Combat series is what mobile shooters should aspire to.

From the first episode Tiger & Chicken is a remarkable, extremely solid adventure that deserves to be played and recognized for the masterpiece that it is.

Telling a gripping yarn with the trademark exceptional adventure gamebook gameplay, Island of the Lizard King is quite the delight.

Eliss Infinity resurrects an iPhone classic with updated graphics and a new game mode.

The almost puzzle-like gameplay of figuring out how best to cause the most destruction is simple, complex, and satisfying in every way.

It's amazing that Soccer Showdown, a game from a small developer like Naquatic, could come and make Game Center integration a key part of its product, and make it actually possible to easily find games to play.

This space-themed arcade game sets itself apart from others by asking players to fling around space trash like a gigantic morning star. It's pretty great.

The combat is fun, the graphics are excellent, and from a technical perspective it's a phenomenal feat.

Ready to crush everything? That's what Giant Boulder of Death offers.

Galaxy Factions relies on a player's strategy in order to fend off incoming invaders. They'll want to watch out for their friends though, as they may just strike at any moment.

Although the content was a little too much for me at times, players who don't mind the junk will find it to be an excellent addition to their game collection.

Anyone who played Spaceward Ho! during its glory days on the Mac will be pleased to know that the transition to iOS is virtually seamless. Touch controls work effortlessly, except for a few occasions when it's hard to select a specific unit to move.

It’s the storytelling and artwork of Fighting Fantasy: The Forest of Doom that shines through the most, however.

There's always something new to do or discover in Kingdom: New Lands, which makes for a really engaging and entertaining experience. Whether you are creating a completely sustainable and efficient kingdom or just barely scraping by to survive and rebuild, it's extremely satisfying to see the systems you invest in come together. Even when they don't, you get valuable knowledge that makes you want to dive right back in and test it out.

Spaceplan isn't an exceptional clicker. It's an exceptional game that just so happens to be a clicker. It's a game that manages to be smart, funny, beautiful, and strange with a simple set of tools over a relatively short period of time. Most games can't do that. Spaceplan does so effortlessly.

Hitman GO is not the obvious way to do a mobile version of the Hitman series, but it's an incredibly creative and fun game in the long-running franchise.

Funny Hell is a nice combination of interesting gameplay, unique graphics and easy controls for an almost perfect gaming experience. Well, it can't be perfect if it's in hell.

Rovio has built a certain polish around the Angry Birds brand, and this new entry to the franchise certainly won't disappoint loyal fans.