While it doesn’t stray far from genre conventions, GT Racing 2 is competently executed and fun to play. There may be higher-profile racers on iOS, but few that nail the controls and upgrades quite as squarely as this does.

Take Redonkulous lightly at your peril – the gameplay here is hardcore with a vengeance.

Despite some freemium hassles, Monster Legacy is as charming as many of the monsters you’ll meet. Its various aspects all work together to create an inviting adventure you’ll want to keep playing.

Wave Trip may feel derivative in spots to multiplatform players, but it's nevertheless an exciting and engaging musical odyssey.

This amazingly deep and addictive puzzle-RPG hybrid gets a mostly solid port that's still a blast to play, despite some rough edges from the transition to the App Store.

Bit Dungeon treads charted ground, but it absolutely owns its retro roots, and making stat numbers larger is a joy as old as gaming itself. If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, then consider golden-era gaming red in the face.

Familiar framework aside, Temple Run 2's notable upgrades and thrilling pursuits make it one of the most entertaining free-to-play options around.

Ridge Racer Slipstream delivers the unique and thrilling flavor of the well-known arcade racing series without messing up the controls, but it relies too heavily on its console predecessors for inspiration.

First Strike is a fairly simple strategy game, but its fast-paced games and demands for smart thinking yield challenges on all difficulties.

The Journey Down's unique setup and well-implemented adventure gameplay gets the series off to a promising start.

While it doesn't reinvent the wheel like its predecessor, Anomaly Korea is an almost wholly different strategic experience than anything else found on the App Store.

Best (and most cheaply) experienced in small bursts, Solitaire Blitz offers an engaging high-score chase disguised as a classic game of cards.

Petting Zoo is one of those rare apps that brings out the kid in all of us.

If you’re looking for a very solid mobile MOBA, Solstice Arena is compact but robust enough for quick bursts of fun on the go.

Streamlined without being dumbed-down, Frontline Commando: D-Day is a fun, accessible romp that shooter fans will find easy to like.

If comical medical insanity and gutsy operations don't gross you out, this silly surgeon simulation will tickle your funny bone for hours on end.

Second Chance Heroes calls on some big-name historical figures to kick ass in the zombie apocalypse, with just enough style, variety, and depth to keep you engaged.

Backyard Monsters: Unleashed offers a solid blend of base building and tower offense in a free-to-play package, although its cycle of monster and building upgrades drags it down as you reach higher levels.

An innovative indie experience that melds the bizarre with the sublime, Incredipede tests your problem-solving skills and patience in intriguing ways.

Football Heroes is a fun pigskin game that offers a continual stream of great moments, though it’s held back by unintelligent computer opponents.

If you like unspooling a good sci-fi detective story, Gemini Rue is well worth the investment.

Tiny Thief is a cute, challenging, and inventive offering that sucks you in from the get-go with it's ample charm. It has its tough moments, but they're worth muscling through.

Though it has its irritating moments, the addictive pursuit of constantly upping your rolling arsenal makes Lionel Battle Train an amusing freebie.

Progression can be a pain and the controls need refinement, but Super Paper Pool still makes an intriguing puzzler out of pool and putt-putt.

Baldur's Gate II is a great slice of RPG gaming history, though it’s geared towards serious fans of old-school role-playing — and the tricky touch interface, punishing difficulty, and unintuitive design elements tend to get in the way of fun at times.

Kind of Soccer’s quirky and ridiculous hit-the-referee hook is backed by fun-yet-challenging gameplay and a cool lo-fi aesthetic, though its ultimately shallow nature shows through sooner or later.

Sine Mora is still worth exploring on iOS if you can’t play it elsewhere, but know that it’s the difference between eating filet mignon and ground chuck.

Boom Beach continues Supercell’s fight for your wallet in a solid, yet unspectacular freemium combat strategy game that rewards the patient and meticulous.

With fun exploration and beautiful visuals, Assassin's Creed Pirates skirts close to greatness, but settles for being an enjoyable diversion.

If you don’t already own a Zumba game or simply want the experience with you at all times, Zumba Dance will definitely make you sweat — and that’s a good thing.

Quadropus Rampage would benefit from more exact directional controls, but the action pacing and amusing tone carry themselves well on iOS devices.

Gangstar Vegas may not be "Grand," but it’s sure to satisfy your hunger for a good open-world game on your iPhone or iPad.

Oquonie is a puzzle-based adventure full of contradictions, notably in being both simple and complex. Soothing to noodle around with but also hard work to understand, it’s tricky to say how much actual fun’s on offer, but Oquonie’s an easy game to be quietly impressed by.

By air, land, or sea, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed delivers an entertaining burst of nostalgia-drenched fun, though the slow-to-unlock content and awkward in-game currency implementation are unappealing new mobile-exclusive features.

Riptide GP2 doesn’t reinvent the iOS racing game, but with loads of well-executed content to offer, it's still a largely great option.

Mines of Mars puts a cool building and crafting spin on the side-scrolling action genre, though its fun is whittled down a bit by control issues and minor bugs.

Equal parts Mirror’s Edge, League of Evil, and NinJump, Shadow Blade is solid, slicey fun for its duration — but that isn’t terribly lengthy.

Breach & Clear is a short-lived but smartly designed tactics game with impressive military authenticity.

Star Horizon is a tightly responsive, beautiful action shooter throwback with only a few issues—namely the bland story and short playtime—holding it back from being a mobile classic.

Touch screen controls force Machine at War 3 to sacrifice some depth, but it largely makes up for it with a robust selection of gameplay modes and units.

Funny, fast, and free, Lie Swatter makes facts and fibs alike seem totally amusing.

There’s no in-app purchasing your way out of Touchgrind Skate 2's challenging learning curve, but players willing to put in some practice time will find a satisfying skating game.

Even with its odd mix of casual fighting and (eventual) hardcore-only challenge, Injustice’s solid action will please the crime-fighting crowd.

Echo Prime offers plenty of energetic stages full of foes to blast and slice up, but its repetitive nature weighs down some of the more interesting elements.

Strong atmosphere and artsy, minimalistic presentation make Kairo's puzzle-adventure gameplay a fascinating experience, though it lacks the structure and direction that many players come to expect from the genre.

Ultima Forever’s stripped-down approach to dungeon-delving might alienate more hardcore fans, but the satisfyingly simple battles and the amount of content on offer make it worth a trip to Britannia.

Word Puttz is a solid free-to-play puzzler, though it won’t scratch the itch of advanced word nerds.

Another Case Solved is enjoyable enough to warrant the free download, but it lacks a strong enough hook to carry you through the eventual tedium and repetition.

While lacking the depth and visual diversity of its desktop counterparts, Archangel is a fun touch screen take on the action RPG.

Ms. Splosion Man is a mostly excellent puzzle-platformer, but a couple of unfortunate design decisions hold the iOS version back from greatness.

A great spooky aesthetic plus ample atmosphere enhance the unsettling storytelling in this indie adventure, though it's just a bit too compact and open-ended.

Mittens is a cute and cuddly time-killer that hearkens back to classic cartoon sensibilities, but its puzzles are a bit more linear than in Disney’s finest.

With atmosphere and story driving the slow-burning adventure, Out There is decidedly light on action and excitement. That said, it's the game's personality and surprises that will keep you pushing deeper into the stars.

There's nothing revolutionary here, but Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign does a good job of spicing up the match-three genre for comic fans with its hero-centric nerdiness, tense combat encounters, and strong collecting elements.

Breezy and pleasantly presented, Go Home Dinosaurs may not be a hardcore tower defense option, but it's still an enjoyable tweak on the genre.

First of Awesome suffers due to a lack of variety, but it remains an enjoyable experience in small chunks.

Sorcery 2 continues the adventure with very little iteration, but it’s built on a strong foundation that remains charming.

Pirate Legends HD can't quite match the quality of the game it aims to duplicate, but it comes close enough to consider.

Eets Munchies will nourish your inner level designer, but the experience as a whole is a bit inconsistent.

It's not the 1993 original, but dodging traps and cutting down monsters as the re-imagined Prince is still a fun way to dive back into its universe.

Cut the Rope 2 works in some new puzzle mechanics, but we hoped the series’ first numbered sequel would feel just a bit more distinctive.

Toast Time perfectly captures the chaos of a rushed breakfast; similarly, it doesn’t always sit well and it’s tough to fully digest.

It may be a brief thrill, but high speed and explosions make After Burner Climax a lot of fun while it lasts.

It may not be as involved as other simulation genre offerings, but Pixel People's adorable take on city building and gene splicing makes for good times with a casual focus.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run is a fun, competent endless runner with nice visuals, although we're not fans of its steep in-app purchases.

While the allure of setting fires cools off before long, the engaging style, story, and puzzle elements make for an enticing experience.

Sporos is a pure puzzle game in the classical sense, with a simple rule set that quickly iterates and expands. It may not dazzle, and it’s easy to fall into a trial-and-error grind – but if you want a cerebral challenge, it’s as difficult as the limitations you place on yourself.

In true Adult Swim fashion, Giant Boulder of Death's oddball tone and gameplay are equally entertaining – in small doses.

Surgeon Simulator is full of gags and funny moments that are bound to make you laugh out loud, and the intentional wonky controls ramp up the crazy shenanigans. Bizarreness burns brightly in this silly sim, but its humor doesn't always translate into lasting fun.

Pudding Monsters might try a few too many things within a short span of levels, but its breezy puzzle action entertains while hinting at better challenges down the line.

Glorkian Warrior is a sweet-natured, old-school shooter with a sting in its tail in the shape of a harsh difficulty level. It’s fun but also frustrating, even on the so-called easy setting.

Disney Infinity: Toy Box really does bring the core creation concept to iPad, though it takes some getting used to after such a wonderful experience on the consoles. Thankfully, the fun isn't lost in the occasionally awkward transition.

With the look of a classic RPG and the heart of an arcade favorite, Nimble Quest is an engaging free-to-play curio that's a hair less gripping than either influence might suggest.

Skateboard Slam tears up the course with charm and skills aplenty, but then hits the wall hard when it comes time to level up.

Colossatron’s couple hours of campaign chaos are plenty amusing, but it’s short on the depth and diversity needed to ensure real staying power.

Pivvot is an interesting homage to Super Hexagon that proves simultaneously easier and more challenging.

This mellow auto-runner offers some interesting gameplay, although it may leave speed freaks craving something more energetic.

Scurvy Scallywags erects a grand scaffolding of curious creativity on a well-worn puzzle formula, resulting in a familiar experience with lots of fun new twists.

Madagascar Math Ops takes the gameplay of Angry Birds and throws in educational content. It might not make your kid a math whiz, but it’s better than flash cards.

Minor technical issues aside, Kahuna is a flavorful reintroduction to a 16-year-old game of Hawaiian-themed stratagem.

Heroes of Dragon Age is a generally entertaining romp through Thedan lore, but a lack of battle interaction and an overly limiting stamina bar blight the whole.

Even Up’s un-sexy, straightforward approach may not enthrall everyone, but its logic isn’t without merit.

Autumn Dynasty Warlords does a great job of translating 4X strategy for mobile play, although its simplicity threatens the appeal of its combat.

World War Z is an entertaining film-inspired game, even if its combat system could use some polish.

The astonishing illustrations, excellent soundtrack, and delightful world of Morphopolis may be worth the price of admission alone in what is an otherwise middling hidden-object game.

With an excellent mix of costumes, tons of collectibles, some truly clever dialogue, and a pleasant sense of humor, Costume Quest is a very likable adventure. Over time, exploration and battles can grow repetitive, but that shouldn't stop you from digging into this sweet Halloween affair.

Despite control quirks, LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes delivers console-quality visuals and tons of variety to bolster its familiar-but-fun smash, build, and puzzle gameplay.

Junk Jack X certainly has some of the absorbing potential of the games it nods to, but the fun is harder to come by thanks to tricky controls that get in the way.

Temple Run: Oz puts a slick Disney spin on the top 3D endless runner, but isn't quite as captivating or fully-featured as the free and still very recent Temple Run 2.

Block Fortress: War’s unique blend of real-time strategy with tower defense and base building gains ground early, but gets bogged down in the trenches before long.

Battle Supremacy’s slow, purposeful shooting isn’t thrill-a-minute stuff, but sustained online firefights are satisfyingly tense.

CSR Classics holds all the appeal of its predecessor with a nice hot rod restoration element, but progression proves extremely slow and repetitive.

Rigid in spots and light on impact, Tengami still feels like the ideal kind of App Store curio: it’s short, sweet, intimate, and handcrafted, with dreamy environs and meditative, low-key puzzles.

Batman: Arkham Origins features almost none of the complexity Batman games are now known for on other platforms, but it's moderately fun for a while — at least until the game starts trying to milk your wallet.

Angry Birds Star Wars II has a glossy and charismatic exterior, but compared to past entries, its appeal feels largely skin deep.

Strike Force Heroes: Extraction almost nails its attempt to bring the classic shooter genre to iOS, but a few mechanical rough spots keep it from being on par with its inspirations.

Iron Man 3 is a fun free game and a very solid diversion, but slow progress saps its long-term appeal.

Alien Hive is a unique puzzle game, but the originality crumbles a bit under the weight of limited resources and a pointless enemy tile.