As mesmerizing on iOS as anywhere else, Limbo is a concise and fascinating puzzle platform adventure that really sticks with you.

Third Eye Crime serves up a masterful blend of stealth puzzling and noir-inspired storytelling, with misdirection cleverly applied on both counts.

Duet’s elegant brilliance is starkly defined against its unforgiving difficulty, and there’s a truly entrancing puzzler lurking beneath its surface.

Ridiculous Fishing is absurdly fun and seriously memorable.

Ingeniously conceived and expertly executed, Hundreds is one of the very best iOS games to date.

Threes!' engaging mechanics add up to iOS puzzle perfection.

We’ve been dreaming of an Eliss update for years, and Eliss Infinity proves dreams can sometimes come true. More importantly, what was innovative in 2009 remains fresh, tactile, and truly terrific today.

Year Walk is smart, thrilling, and absolutely stunningly crafted. It'll throw you for a loop, leaving you transfixed to the screen until you shake out all of its dark secrets.

FTL's seat-of-your-pants strategizing hits the sweet spot between careful planning and unpredictable action. This survival sim can be a heartbreaker at times, but it's one of the most thrilling downloads you'll find on iPad.

Fast, slick, and startlingly affordable, Asphalt 8: Airborne redefines iOS arcade racing.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers is another excellent – albeit now familiar – tower defense entry for strategy fans seeking a potent mix of brains and brawn.

Stickets looks deceptively simple, but, well, there’s the rub. Brilliant.

Bug Heroes 2 builds on the fine foundation of its predecessor to assemble a strong and varied MOBA-style game, which only stumbles on a few minor points.

Intricate yet fun to learn, Yomi mixes fighting and card games together into a compact package that plays just as well on iPad as it does on your tabletop.

Scaled down in some respects and expanded in others, Real Racing 3 might irk some old fans, but it's a remarkably giving free-to-play affair.

Star Command's violent romp through the galaxy is equal parts challenging and clever, making it a must-play for sci-fi strategy fans.

Hitman GO is a clever and stylish work of alchemy, bringing elegant stealth mechanics to a new platform and a fresh genre.

Lost Yeti’s throwback aesthetic and charming puzzles are a Super Nintendo-lover’s sugarcoated dream come true.

Karateka Classic is a superb port of an excellent (if ancient) fighting game, and is a great way to rekindle old memories or to simply see what all the fuss is about.

This great indie port flops turn-based strategy on its head with delightful asynchronous chaos and intense multiplayer matches.

A Ride Into the Mountains overcomes a few small rough spots to offer a challenging, intriguing, evocative, and memorable adventure of horseback archery with a stellar minimalist aesthetic.

Despite the strangeness of some of its surface-level changes, Final Fantasy VI has aged surprisingly well, and holds up beautifully on iOS.

Simogo’s keen eye for design and multimedia elevate what otherwise could have been a breezy mystery novella into one of the best puzzle games on the App Store.

David presents an abstract, dangerous world that’s as tough as it is beautiful and surprisingly emotive.

Adventure Time: Card Wars is an impeccably designed card-battler with the show’s signature humor generously slathered over it. Don’t be turned off by the energy mechanics — this is one game that makes that minor annoyance worth tolerating.

Castle Doombad is an impressive tower defense game that charms and challenges in equal doses.

Tight controls and effective ambience make NightSky one of the best physics platformers around.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best games of the 2000s, and the iPad version is an uncompromisingly faithful port.

Icebreakers: A Viking Voyage is a puzzling treat that packs a surprising amount of depth into a few simple mechanics.

Impossible Road stands alongside Super Hexagon as one of the top tests of skill, reaction, and sheer pluck on the App Store.

Point-and-click adventure games have always worked well on touch devices, and The Shivah makes the jump to iOS gracefully. It’s rare that a game’s plot, characters, genre, and platform mesh as neatly as they do in this short and bittersweet tale.

Calculords inventively combines math with collectible card gaming and old-school aesthetics to offer a deeply enjoyable experience that’s more than the sum of its parts.

Dudeski pits your shredding skills to the test in a race against an avalanche—and totally nails the run.

Rayman Fiesta Run may not dramatically deviate from the formula, but it maximizes the excellence held within and delivers a richly entertaining mobile platformer that’s tough, funny, and ultimately pretty wonderful.

It doesn't have quite the same emotional punch as Season One's lengthier story, but 400 Days does an admirable job with what it's given. If its purpose is to get us primed and ready for the second season, then mission accomplished.

Minor quibbles don't keep Super Stickman Golf 2 from being a brilliantly fun and addictive iOS game, whether you prefer to swing solo or outshoot the competition.

Elegant and taxing, Strata is a great choice for aesthetes and thinkers alike.

Even if you've played it elsewhere before, Terraria on iOS is a must-have for on-the-go exploration, building, and adventure.

The Room is a gorgeous, unique, and mentally stimulating exercise in mechanical puzzle-solving that's steeped in atmosphere. It's a gauntlet of challenges worth running through.

Joe Danger Touch is a bright, addictive platform game that should serve as required playing for any developer interested in moving a console favorite to the App Store.

It doesn't take a long time to play through Fetch from start to finish, but this whimsical, kid-friendly puzzle journey is brimming with style and charm.

A great mix of strategy and time management, Pocket Trains offers a lighthearted and awesome diversion for rail enthusiasts with a sweet tooth for cuteness.

Accessible and engaging, Rymdkapsel puts a fun retro-minimalist spin on a familiar genre – a perfect combination for gobbling up your free time.

Robot Unicorn Attack's trademark brand of dumb fun hits a new apex in this improved and smartly executed free-to-play sequel.

Jet Car Stunts 2 demands extreme skill and patience, but the payoff is four varied and equally stellar game modes that offer style, speed, and character in spades.

Leo’s Fortune looks amazing and plays equally well. iOS platformers don’t get much better than this.

Fiz's slow-burning but incredibly entertaining brewery management simulation really nails the nitty-gritty details, offering addictive beer-making entertainment for hardcore enthusiasts and casual imbibers alike.

Boasting a minimalistic design style and simple controls, Darklings is a delightful affair that pulls you in further each time you play.

Toy Story: Smash It! is easy to pick up, hard to put down, and always enticing to play again. While completion may be brief and easy for experienced players, aiming to notch a perfect score provides sufficient challenge and shows just how clever the puzzles really are.

The Room Two builds on the original game in smart ways without losing the thrill or depth of its finely tuned puzzle play.

Monument Valley’s dazzling aesthetics and deceptive terrain combine wonderfully to form a rich, memorable experience.

More than just checking the familiar boxes you'd expect from a yearly update, Magic 2014 adds a few welcome fresh elements to the mix alongside a glut of new cards and foes to tussle with. It's a must-have for Magic fans, whether you played last year's edition or not.

Pathogen offers a stylish and elegant tactical struggle against computer or human opponents that draws immense depth from a simple set of rules.

Defying expectations, Deus Ex: The Fall is a slick-looking, enjoyable offshoot — and while it doesn't feature quite the same level of depth or versatility as other games in the series, it's still a staggering achievement for iOS.

Haunted Hollow is an uncomplicated, charming, and fun strategy game that's particularly potent with pals.

Monster Adventures mashes up different genres to give you a compelling and seemingly fresh experience each time you play.

It may take a few minutes to grasp the magic of Me vs. You, but it’s an elegantly presented single-screen multiplayer game with all the right vibes for continuing and exacerbating rivalries between friends.

Great visuals and a tactile control scheme combine with the Formula One license to produce a stellar top-down iOS racer. F1 Challenge comes with bells and whistles, but its fundamentals prove top-notch.

Ace Attorney is one of the best series to come out of Japan in the past decade. Despite some issues, this compilation is recommended whether you’re a dedicated fan or a newcomer to the franchise.

Dungeon Keeper’s pared-down reboot is fun on its own right, even if it's not quite the same creature as the excellent classic games it’s based on.

An intuitive control scheme and loads of cartoonish charm make Combo Crew's brawling action a real treat for your fingertips.

Papa Sangre II’s audio-only horror adventure offers an intense and unsettling improvement on its stellar predecessor, but its uncompromising latter stages may prove too much to bear.

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is a deceptively deep, highly polished and surprisingly addictive look at the strategy behind old-school dogfights.

Whether you love Star Wars or just crave new tables to dominate without needing rolls of quarters, it's digital pinball done right with a licensed twist.

More isn't necessarily better, though Plants vs. Zombies 2 still shines as a slick and fun free offering.

Lumber Jacked is a stellar retro-stylized platformer that’s challenging to no end and will keep you replaying stages to enjoy its brutal objectives and cutesy aesthetics.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings may not match its much pricier Mac counterpart on features or gameplay depth, but it's still the best LEGO game on iOS by a wide margin.

Cool setting aside, Joe Danger Infinity is largely more of the same stunt biking action seen in the first iOS game. Luckily, sweet rides and vibrant characters help keep it interesting, and the underlying action is as entertaining as ever.

Layton Brothers Mystery Room may have some annoyances, but overall it's a polished adventure with fun characters and an intriguing story, and the content is definitely worth the asking price.

In spite of a few control issues, Metal Slug 2 is a surprisingly strong showcase for old-school action and rich 2D presentation.

A clever spell system, great cartoon visuals, and loads of humor make Magicka's side-scrolling spell brawling a real treat.

Smart, funny, and challenging as all get out, Stealth Inc. is one of the most interesting puzzle-platformers to hit iOS this year.

Though not perfect, Oceanhorn delivers an impressive Zelda-like adventure that anyone can enjoy.

Infinity Blade III caps off the epic franchise in a largely dazzling manner, though the repetitive nature of the series resonates more strongly than ever.

Its combat system may be simple, but Fright Fight offers plenty of ways to have fun with its Smash Bros-like online matches. Just expect to spend money if you crave variety or quick progress.

Tiny Death Star's slow but satisfying consumer-centric twist on battlestation management lacks the excitement of the films it draws from, but makes up for it raw cuteness and loads of thoughtful fan service.

Dawn of the Plow’s no-frills retro style gels perfectly with its simple snow-plowing mechanic, which provides a light-hearted distraction that can easily become a chaotic battle to stave off the inevitable.

FIFA 14 feels more at home on iOS than any of its forebears, thanks to a deep-but-approachable Ultimate Team mode and a similarly layered gesture-driven control scheme, but its A.I. still needs work.

Strange, surreal, and spectacularly designed, Icycle: On Thin Ice is a one-of-a-kind platformer that only stumbles when it proves overwhelmingly punishing.

Boson X is easier than quantum mechanics, but don’t call it easy.

Though the charming Buddy & Me is clearly designed with kids in mind, it can be fun for adults too, especially those who like a slower-paced affair that feels more relaxed and casual.

Players looking for the chance to devise a plan and execute it perfectly may bristle at Skulls of the Shogun’s reliance on slow-moving chaos, but open-minded tacticians will find a sense of levity, flexibility, and improvisation not found in most turn-based strategy games.

With a smart runner-like design and plenty of free fun within, Smash Bandits captures the rush of the getaway in bite-sized bursts.

Block Fortress hides ample fun and depth behind its clone mask, yielding an arguably more entertaining experience than the iOS hit it draws its visual inspiration from.

Mr. Crab features plenty of entertaining levels that make it easy enough for a child to pick up, but tricky enough for adults to enjoy.

Smash Hit turns the simple pleasure of shattering glass into an enjoyable arcade-style cruise through abstract terrain.

It doesn't quite have The Walking Dead's emotional weight or instantly relatable characters, but Episode 1 of The Wolf Among Us is a fun, intriguing opener for what promises to be a macabre supernatural noir thriller.

Simple, gorgeous, and brutal, Badland is a real treat for the senses that marvels as it challenges.

Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies isn’t a drastic re-invention of the original, but adding more content and refined gameplay to an already impressive strategy game is hard to argue with.

Getting around has its frustrating moments, but Type:Rider remains a fascinating interactive exploration of typography that's unlike anything else on the App Store.

Streamlined stealth and an intriguing premise blend well to get République off to a promising start in Exordium.

It may be nearly a decade old, but in spite of technical hiccups, difficult controls, and a slow start, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is still one of the best open-world games of all time.

Blip Blup is a very good puzzler for abstract visual thinkers, even if the difficulty spikes can be tough.

Even if you're not much of a poker fan, Poker Night 2 is crammed with enough entertaining banter and silliness to keep things fun — and the poker's pretty good, too.

Beautifully crafted and unflinchingly unique, Capsized+ is a marvelously quirky shooter adventure worth getting lost in.

While it's a short romp, there's a lot of replay value in this unusual game of chance. King Cashing 2 duct-tapes some strange ideas together to make a fun and funny offering that'll hook you right away.

Even with some flaws, Toca Builders is a colorful and imaginative game that proves plenty of fun while encouraging problem-solving skills in younger players.

Mikey Hooks is a worthwhile successor to Mikey Shorts that's short, but a rush while it lasts.