Sorcery! 3 is easily the biggest and most robust gamebook inkle has produced to date.

The current version of PewPew 2 is one of the best dual-stick shooters available, and is well deserving of its modest price tag.

Even though you might already have a ton of similar word games on your device, the clever refrigerator magnet-powered gameplay feels surprisingly fresh, and makes the UI used in previously released word games flat out seem archaic in comparison.

Ant Raid might be a little light for the serious RTS crowd - its focus is on frantic action far more than management or organization. For anyone who wants some strategy in their action games, though, it's a perfect fit.

I've had a ton of fun playing through Where's My Water, and I really hope Disney keeps the updates flowing.

Only you can know if you can be satisfied by such a brief encounter. If you can, Windosill is fantastic. It's gorgeous, playful and feels like it was born to be played on a touch screen. But I wouldn't blame you if the brevity is just too much.

On every level, Little Things Forever hits all of the right notes: it is easy to pick up, fun to play alone or with a friend, simple yet challenging, and extremely replayable. Fan of the genre or skeptic, there are few games to be found on iOS that are as worth the price as this one.

The Borderlands series definitely has a unique feel to it from its setting, dialogue, and characters that can be easily screwed up by a developer not quite in tune with the way the series operates. The good news is that Telltale Games are experts at story, so the idea that they could approach and do justice to this universe while also expanding on it in a way that isn't just a loot-filled first-person shooter is an interesting proposition.

If you like RPGs, you should buy Dragon Quest 5. I consider it one of the peaks of the genre, its highest points yet to be surpassed in the more than 20 years since its release.

Any shmup fan owes it to themselves to check out Operation Dracula. Yes the setup is silly, but the visuals are top notch, and the core concepts are worth exploring for multiple playthroughs.

In my view, a good game entertains, while a great game creates a lasting impression of being entertained. This War of Mine goes beyond that by also impacting how I feel about certain decisions within the game and causing self-reflection. It goes without saying that such emotions would not be possible without the game actually being good to start with.

Aside from its slow start and minor UI quibbles, 7 Mages is a very good game.

Instead, the game shines because of the way it does the core mechanics so well, and invigorates a stale genre that has been copied and churned out so many times since iOS gaming began in 2008.

SteamWorld Heist is an excellent version of a superb, extremely creative strategy game. It's approachable enough that I would even recommend it to those who aren't necessarily followers of the strategy genre, but deep enough that it's a no-brainer for veteran fans. Its finely-crafted gameplay is combined with a charming presentation to create a potent combination. Even on iOS, a platform with no shortage of high-quality turn-based strategy games, SteamWorld Heist stands out effortlessly, making it a genuine must-have. Don't miss it.

It’s an excellent compilation of a classic simulation title with nothing lost in its transition to iOS. If you’re a simulation fan there’s really no reason not to pick this amazing game.

Is GRID Autosport a perfect game? No, but it's pretty close to that. For instance, the menus could have been all on one screen so I don't have to scroll right and left all the time. And maybe some of the text could have been slightly larger on a phone. But this is me being nitpicky because GRID is a really amazing mobile game that fans of racing should buy immediately. Buying a game with so much content and one that plays so well for just $9.99 almost makes me feel guilty (almost). GRID Autosport is a great port of a great game, and despite a few little issues, it should be a no brainer. If you decide to grab it, keep in mind that it takes about 6 GB on your device and will only play (or at least play well) on an iPhone SE, iPhone 7 or newer, iPad (2017), iPad Pros, and requires iOS 11. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a supercar to drive down a long, long straight.

The game has a lot of points to make about morality, and it never feels like it’s preaching. Rather, it comes off like a thoughtful examination of assumptions and the limits of social mores. The city may be forgotten, but this tale isn’t so easily put out of mind.

Persona 4 Golden is shining its absolute brightest in this Switch port, and it was already a truly brilliant game that any fan of the genre should play. The fact that you can get an RPG this great for such a low price is wild, and Persona 4 has always been a great game to enjoy on a portable. If you already played through it on the Vita, I’m not sure you’ll find enough here to make it worth another scoop, but if this is your first time tuning in to the Midnight Channel the Switch version is an incredible way to experience it.

Folks who enjoy solving Picross puzzles but need a slight change of pace will want to check out Tents and Trees. It’s not a complete reinvention of the idea, but it’s distinct enough that it might be the breath of fresh air a weary Picross veteran needs. The controls are comfortable, the look and sound are cozy, and there are tons of puzzles to solve. A fine effort.

That said, while I think the writing could use some serious editing and the game doesn’t quite nail its pacing, those things are easily forgiven by how well it does just about everything else. Sea of Stars fits in nicely with other indie RPGs like Cosmic Star Heroine and Chained Echoes, serving both as a high-quality traditional turn-based RPG experience and a display of genuine affection for the greats of the genre.

TSUKIHIME: A piece of blue glass moon is a visual novel masterpiece. It was one of the biggest games in the genre that I hadn’t played at all, and I’m glad to have finally experienced it through this remake on both Switch and PS5. Regardless of whether you enjoy Type Moon’s works or are new to the developer, Tsukihime is an essential.

The Last Express is a game I want my toddler to play in about a decade, and I have renewed hope that he'll get the chance.

While Videoverse might not hit as hard for you if you weren’t around back then, it absolutely delivered in making me think fondly of the past, and delivered a heartfelt story with the closest time capsule experience to the early 2000s internet there has ever been. I can’t wait to see what developer Kinmoku does next. This one is special. The only game to get me nostalgic like this before was Gone Home, and I think Videoverse ended up excelling over that in just about every way. If the premise sounds interesting, just grab it. You won’t regret it.

I've had an absolutely fantastic time playing King of Dragon Pass. Its slow pace makes it a perfect mobile game.

Jetpack Joyride doesn't need any kind of "if you like randomized endless games" or any other disclaimers. It is a game you simply must own.

Chained Echoes really surprised me with its quality. I feel like I have a good sense of what to expect from these indie JRPG-style games that throw back to the 1990s, both their lows and highs. Chained Echoes blew past the upper end of those expectations, and is among the very best RPGs I played in 2022. If you like the genre at all, give it a shot. Between its fascinating world, enjoyable characters, unique and entertaining mechanics, and excellent presentation, this one is a winner from top to bottom.

This is yet another speedrunning masterpiece that everyone ought to own.

If you have even a passing interest in puzzle or physics games, you need iBlast Moki 2 in your life.

It turns out Pentiment, just like good cheese (ask Josh Sawyer about this) and wine, only gets better with age. Not only do I think it is a magnificent experience from start to finish like it was back on Steam Deck, but it has found a new home on Nintendo Switch delivering the full experience with gorgeous visuals on the OLED screen. If you skipped it before, now is the time to rectify your error and play one of the greats. Hopefully Obsidian can add touchscreen support in an update because that’s literally the only thing I’d like to see added in this port.

The sheer amount of content, the amazing graphics, and gameplay that will keep you coming back for more whether you choose to follow the story or rampage through Liberty City on your own is absolutely amazing.

It's possible to grind the fun right out of this game, but if you stick to playing modes you enjoy and challenge yourself with three stars when you want to, there's no reason this skeleton-crushing simulator should lose its charm.

I already thought The Talos Principle 2 was fantastic, but the team managed elevating it into something beyond special with The Talos Principle 2 – Road to Elysium. While the third part of the DLC was a bit too hard for me in parts, The Talos Principle 2 – Road to Elysium is an essential for everyone who liked the base game. This is the best kind of DLC and every puzzle game fan should buy the base game and The Talos Principle 2 – Road to Elysium as soon as possible.

Having only tried out Balatro because a friend of mine mentioned the demo, I’ve ended up not only loving it, but putting it directly up with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Tekken 8 in my top games of 2024 so far. Now I should really delete the game like I said I would to focus on other releases, but I need to play more and get laughed at by the joker.

The feeling is once again like that of a puzzle toy along the lines of a Rubik's Cube. There's little pressure involved here, with no timers, an endless supply of undos, and not one piece of IAP to be found. You will probably run into levels that completely stump you when you first approach them. You might even get frustrated enough to put the game down for a while. The next time you pick it up, you may have a break-through. Even if you don't, you can always try another level. Until you run out of those, anyway. Yankai's Peak is a quality puzzle game that feels alien and familiar all at once, and it's well-worth fidgeting around with until you make it to the end.

Regardless of whether you've been vaguely curious about Magic the Gathering or an experienced player, you need to try Magic 2013 on the iPad. For us veterans of the game, it'll also serve as a cruel tease and horrid reminder of how badly Magic Online needs an iPad port.

The Making of Karateka is a deep dive on a single game done in a way I’ve never seen the likes of before, presented like only our medium can offer. It takes you on a captivating journey not just of a legendary game but of a legendary game creator as he finds his strengths and blossoms. I want a shelf full of these Gold Masters from Digital Eclipse. Here’s hoping I’ll get that and more. What did I say about Atari 50 again? “An essential work for all fans of gaming history"? Yes, that sounds perfect here too.

A very tense game. I found myself gripping my phone tightly, jerking it out of the way of this oncoming girder or that platform I hadn't noticed. A prayer under the breath seemed suitable after some tight escapes. It was more than enough to convince me I'm not cut out for BASE jumping, but I sure enjoy the facsimile.

Iron Marines is a very, very good game. It seems like some sort of checkpoint or save system that makes failure feel a little less brutal would be a simple modification, but even without it, the game just forces you to be careful with your decisions. I really doubt StarCraft, in any form, will ever come to the App Store, so provided you can put up with the slightly cartoony art style of Iron Marines, this is definitely the next best thing.

There is just so much going on in Bug Heroes, it's amazing that it all blends so incredibly well.

Quite simply, I’m a huge fan of Game Dev Tycoon and I love that we can finally play this title on iOS. It’s the perfect sort of game for mobile devices and there’s so much to do here in terms of developing personnel, researching items, and making games that there’s loads of replayability for quite a long time. An oldie, but a goodie, all players owe it to themselves to check out this great port.

Cocoon is brilliant. I genuinely cannot believe how much I enjoyed it, and somehow ended up liking it more than Limbo and Inside. If you have even the smallest interest in the game, I recommend not reading or watching anything and just giving it a chance. We may be near the end of the year, but this is another Game of the Year contender.

If you've enjoyed labyrinth games in the past, Labyrinth 2 is a must-own.

It's a more complete 10000000, offering so much improvement all around that it makes the original game feel like a demo.

So many times you play an RPG on mobile and you think to yourself, oh I need to spend several minutes organizing my inventory or I need a few minutes to stop what I am doing. You never get that feeling playing Cat Quest and while it is simple and it feels like it could be generic, it's exactly what an RPG on the go should be. At $4.99 you're buying a game that we'll be telling people "this is how you make a mobile RPG" next year, the year after that, maybe for a really long time.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio at its peak. It feels fresh while still bringing together the best aspects of my favorite games from the studio. Not only does it manage to deliver a compelling story with twists and turns throughout the massively long main story run time, but the sheer quality of its optional content and mini-games puts some of the best entries in the series to shame. We finally have a modern Yakuza game that matches not only the quality, but also the quantity of Yakuza 0’s awesomeness. It gets my highest possible recommendation. I can’t wait to see what the studio does for the next game.

A fantastic hybrid of Poker and RPG.

Rocketcat is known for great games and amazing app support so I feel confident that this update is not the last nor the biggest nor the brightest we will be seeing to add onto this already fantastic game.

As I dug deeper into my Unicorn Overlord playthroughs across Switch and PS5, it hit me that Vanillaware is like the Australian band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard who keep exploring different genres with each new album and maintaining the quality. It might be too soon to say if Unicorn Overlord is my favorite strategy RPG, but I can confidently say that it and Balatro are the best Nintendo Switch games of 2024 so far.

There's a lot more to Dodonpachi too, like the absolute spot-on relative control system, the excellent brand new music for the iPhone mode, many OpenFeint achievements to unlock, multiple options and difficulty levels, hidden modes, and more. But the bottom line is that if you're a fan of shooters in any way, you'll want to pick up Dodonpachi Resurrection.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the best game in the series yet, and despite a few issues like burying the player in tutorials and some story bits that could have been handled better, the game is a real treat for RPG fans. There’s more to do and more reasons to do it, and whether you’re coming off one or both of the previous games or jumping in fresh, you’ll find a suitably epic adventure waiting for you.

It's easy to pick up, easy to put down, easy to resume, and a blast to play wherever. But more important than its breeziness, Coin Drop rocks.

It’s a true meditative experience via a game with cute little animal faces, which was an unexpected factor. Every factor enhances the experience, from the chirping birds to the different drum sounds, and to the chimps’ eye-popping glee when the beat touches them. Even business decisions seem to have been made with the player’s stress levels in mind, keeping in-app ads away and instead using one low price for the entire 85 levels of play. I can not recommend it enough to anyone that finds the stressors of living in 2018 just a little too much to handle.

Having now played it twice, all I can say is thank goodness Thank Goodness You’re Here exists. This is a gem of a game, and I hope we see a sequel in the near future. It has been an absolute joy to play from start to finish with its superb animation work, amazing writing, voice acting, and music.

The art style is cute, the gameplay is fun and well-suited to the iPhone, and the two modes are neatly packaged and make the game easy to look at and play. Parachute Ninja is an easy purchase.

Mini Metro is a terrific arcade puzzle game with satisfying depth to its mechanics. It's got a good pace to its action and a stylish presentation that fits perfectly with its theme.

Ultimately you can customize how tough the game is and no matter how rough it gets, Barbearian will look gorgeous throughout and will feel amazing whether you use a MFi controller or the touch controls. It feels completely different when the difficulty is adjusted so there is value in getting into the options and fiddling around. When people ask where the good premium games are, Barbearian is one I will point to, with gusto.

This game is so good, and so well-made, that it deserves your purchase regardless of the state of the market that it's in. But I see so many people complain about the state of mobile gaming. This is the game that you want, it's a fun platformer without in-app purchases that is absolutely stunning, and feels like it was made for mobile.

Can a retro game compilation get by solely as an educational look into gaming history? Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration offers the most compelling evidence yet that yes, they can. The nice thing about this set is that it doesn’t have to get by on that alone. There is a nice mix of games here that is worth diving into. That being said, the outstanding walk through history is the most impressive and fascinating part of this endeavor, bringing new life into the games it talks about. An essential work for all fans of gaming history.

Limbo's soft-focus monochrome promises mystery and dread, but it's undercut by the very puzzles it deliberately obfuscates.

It's a clever puzzle game that suits the platform very well, offering a straight-forward interface and a relatively smooth mastery curve.

There's so much fun to be had from the various references and the tweaks to the formula that each theme brings to the table.

After both This Way Madness Lies and Cosmic Star Heroine ended up being so good, I think Zeboyd Games’ potential next turn-based RPG will be near the top of my anticipated games list. If you enjoy magical girls, JRPGs, and Shakespeare and want a game that doesn’t waste your time, This Way Madness Lies is an easy recommendation. Its low asking price definitely helps, and I think it does a few things better than Cosmic Star Heroine, though that remains my favorite release from the developer.

If you already own Resident Evil 4 remake, the Separate Ways expansion DLC is essential. It is honestly one of the best value and quality DLC releases we’ve seen from Capcom in a long time. If you don’t own Resident Evil 4, now is a great time to play one of Capcom’s best remakes, and experience this incredible expansion. With the game and expansion, Capcom has delivered something beyond incredible for horror and action game fans.

Casey's Contraptions is a joy to play.

A fantastic package. It's a game that made me take notice, that made a well-trod genre seem a bit fresher and more interesting than it's been in a while.

If you own an iPhone 3GS and are a fan of the manic shooter - go buy this game right now. If you are a general shooter fan and feel that you're up to facing the dense and constant volleys of enemy fire that this type of shooter brings - go buy this game right now.

As long as you're okay with the genre, there isn't much to complain about in The Journey Down: Chapter Two.

I feel the need to personally thank the developer, Nyamyam, for creating Astrologaster. I learned a lot from it, and now want to talk about it with everyone I know because I’ll seem so smart, knowing all about this obscure British man from the 16th century. Not only that, but the game is an experience in its own right, with the madrigals and artwork creating something wonderfully unique. I cannot rave about it enough.

It's a playful light-hearted game, rather than a racing simulation and the characters and courses are based on Sonic and Sega game-worlds. Seriously, if you like Kart racers, just go download it.

Don't be confused by the Cartoon Network's publishing of the game: while this is a game that can be played by kids, adults and any kind of 'gamer' will find that it puts up a good fight.

Squids Wild West isn't fundamentally different from its predecessor, but it's a great follow-up. It's also an excellent chapter in the story of Squids, one with dramatic tension, clever dialogue and all those kinds of good things.

Death’s Door is one of those nice combinations of a superb presentation and strong gameplay. The game could coast well enough on either of those points, but it hits them both and is excellent as a result. There’s nothing overly deep about the gameplay mechanics, and its brand of action is going to be familiar to most. The most impressive bits are the bosses, which require strong pattern recognition and good reflexes. The gorgeous sights and sounds along the way add tremendously to its atmosphere, doing their part to keep the player pulled into this unusual, compelling world. Action-RPG fans will certainly want to give this a go.

To fans of experience-focused games, and you know who you are, you should assuredly pick up Monument Valley right this minute. It's a feast for your senses, is mysterious and vague enough to keep you thinking, and has a great, snappy pace to it without ever feeling rushed.

I don't typically love turn-based strategy games, but Rimelands had me hooked almost instantly.

The truck controls well, the physics respond well, and the level design has that right mix of snappiness and intrigue.

It's a fantastic asynchronous online word game and nothing more. It's also a fantastic example of how design can enhance the experience of playing a game, as Letterpress is a joy to look at and to use.

If you're a fan of management games, Motorsport Manager Mobile 2 should be a no-brainer purchase for you. The game offers ton of content to play through—3 different championships, 16 tracks—and enough depth to keep you playing longer and coming back to it often. And there's a pretty good tutorial too if you aren't a racing fan. The game costs $3.99, and there are two IAPS, a Game Editor for $6.99 (lets you edit the drivers, teams, and tinker with the rules) and a Chairman's Payment for $6.99, which gives you more money per race (making the game easier to play). The editor is quite fun to have if you like the game since you can turn MMM 2 into a more faithful Formula 1 management game. Motorsport Manager Mobile 2 is a blast to play, and you should go grab it.

This isn't a manic, balls-to-the-wall racer, it's a calculated, slow puzzle game. While the mechanic of the original is intact, the rest of the game sees updates in every single category and its absolutely bursting with content and game modes.

I’m obviously not going to pretend like this remake’s new visuals, content, and gameplay enhancements make up for the lack of the Persona 3 Portable’s female protagonist option and FES’ The Answer, but Atlus has done a fantastic job with most aspects of this remake bringing out a new gorgeous and modern take on Persona 3 for the current generation. Even if you already played Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable like I did, Persona 3 Reload has enough to justify a replay. It also feels almost perfect on Steam Deck, my favorite way to play it now.

We put incredibly powerful devices in our pockets and on our laps daily, but rarely do we see games that utterly embrace this like Infinity Blade has. It's a showcase piece; a technically and visually gifted game that consistently delivers eye-popping stuff.

Sorcery! 4 brings the series to an excellent close. As far as I'm concerned, it's a better finish than the actual books got, and I'm impressed with the sheer number of options the player is given for reaching their goal.

If you're looking for a hefty tower defense title and you've got an appetite for darling designs, you ought to check this out.

The game has strategic depth and lacks the cracks and wrinkles of many of its competitors.

Capitals is a satisfying game. I like the blend between strategic, hex-grid real game tactics and word game mechanics. Download and check it out, it's a really satisfying game.

This is still a must buy game for any strategy fans. It’s been compared favorably to Warbits, with people citing the story mode as more interesting and engaging.

Sunless Sea is easily one of the best narrative-based games on the App Store, and I would easily venture to say that it's one of a kind. The sailing and exploration parts combine almost seamlessly with the narrative part and help to deliver a fantastic game that you shouldn't miss out on. And this time around, we also have an app that works great, which is definitely a plus. Hopefully, we'll get the Zubmariner expansion soon for more madness and terror, but until then, there's more than plenty to do in Sunless Sea, including go mad and eat your friends.

Miles & Kilo is everything you could want from a follow-up to Kid Tripp. I love the sensible improvements it makes to the Wonder Boy formula, and the level designs are spot on. The new moves and additional character help keep things fresh, and the amount of content feels just about right. The game's rather adorable retro-style presentation is also a winner, lending it the image of a console "big brother" title to the original's handheld game. Those who love a good platformer will want to add this one to their collections immediately.

The overall story, character development and pacing are excellent. The modifications to the core gameplay, whether they were changed from the US SNES version to the DS version or created exclusively for the iOS port, make the game more accessible to a wider audience.

If you’ve been looking to drop a little spell crafting, enemy-splatting charm onto your iPad, look no further than Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet.

Even if it doesn't have the same brain-stimulating effect on other people that it had on me, the game is a game worth playing for everyone, not just those who are already fans of music games like Guitar Hero. Beat It! is a delight to play, and a true brain-teasing, unique experience.

If you liked Alto's Adventure and want more of it, pick up Alto's Odyssey. If you never played Alto's Adventure and want an incredibly beautiful endless runner with intriguing progression systems, get Alto's Odyssey. If you didn't feel great about Alto's Adventure, I doubt Alto's Odyssey does enough new things to change your mind.

Severed is just a game that's all-around cool. Its aesthetic is top-notch, its combat is deep and engaging.

Joe Danger is the complete package. It's the console-caliber game that everybody craves on their mobile device, except in this case the console it was made for is actually the iOS platform.

If you've got an iPad and have found yourself even remotely interested in games like Out There or Star Command, you need FTL. Additionally, if you've played the PC version it's still beyond worth picking up the iPad version as it has translated to the touchscreen even better than my most optimistic expectations.

I’ll admit that it’s unique style of puzzle presentation means it’s not necessarily for all players, but it’s a sure-fire recommendation for everyone else.

Regardless, whether you treat the game solely as a digital version or opt for the portal, SuperChargers is a game worth checking out.

Street Fighter IV Volt now has some serious competition, and it looks like the future is pretty bright for fighting games on the App Store.

Dark Echo hits all the right notes any well-designed horror game should.