I really can’t say enough good things about this game. It’s hard as nails, immensely satisfying, and just plain fun.

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.

Overall, A Monster’s Expedition is magnificent. The structure perfectly suits itself to portable play with its interconnected set of islands that you can slowly chip at while on a break or while grabbing a coffee. This release gets everything right and I hope it does well enough to warrant a physical release. If you’ve wanted a relaxing and well-designed puzzle game on Switch, look no further than A Monster’s Expedition which is one of the best games I’ve played this year on the system.

I am seriously, seriously impressed by how much better Framed 2 is compared to the original game. You're talking about a title that left me surpremely disappointed. I specifically said it felt like the first half of what should be a really good game. There were clever ideas, but they went underutilized. And a lot of ideas that didn't work out took up too much prominence. And the twist in Framed 1 just didn't land as well as I think Loveshack intended; even on a recent replay, it was still just confusing instead of clever. I stand by that game as a 3 out of 5 mobile experience. Framed 2 chucks almost everything that was bad about the original Framed out the window, emphasizing what is strong about the concept, and then building on it. This is exactly what a sequel should do.

Turbo Dismount is a full fledged desktop sandbox game that feels like it had to shed a few pounds to fit into the iOS format.

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.

It's just a game you can play anyplace, anytime and for as long as you want. Be careful though, it's a little addictive and hard to stop playing, and now that you know all about this remarkable game, I'm off to help Aristotle before those pesky aliens catch up with him.

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.

So, as you can tell from my review so far, I'm very happy with the League of Explorers Adventure, and I feel it has really raised the bar for future expansions and adventures.

Take an amazing game, make some sensible improvements, buff up the graphics, and you’ve got an easy game to recommend. Metroid Prime Remastered is a gold-star reissue of a game that deserves that kind of royal treatment, one that any fan of the series should hastily add to their Switch collection. And if you happen to be new to the game, know that it’s a high-quality action-adventure even compared to today’s games, a true masterpiece that I am envious you will be exploring for the first time.

Donut County provides a lot of what people are always saying they want more of from their mobile games: a new and unique world, a compelling story and interesting mechanics you don’t see in tons of other titles.

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.

The simple gameplay in Tiny Wings is sublime, but there's an intangible aspect to it that makes it a total joy to play.

Auro is one of the rare games in this genre that should please both beginners and experts alike. It's definitely worth checking out.

It successfully scratches the MMORPG itch of party-based combat while being a completely pick up and play game single player game.

In its current state, Returnal perfectly suits the Steam Deck, and it runs quite well given the hardware, with visual cutbacks. While it isn’t as nice as playing on PS5 of course, I’ve found myself enjoying Returnal on the go quite a bit thanks to the suspend feature and sublime core gameplay. It also helps that Returnal on PC arrives at a lower asking price with all prior updates included from the start making it a super-polished version of one of Sony’s best exclusives in years.

Slice & Dice isn’t just one of my favorite games of 2024, but one of my favorite roguelikes in many years already. I’m looking forward to playing it daily on iPhone, and think anyone with a remote interest in roguelikes should download the game and try it for free immediately.

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.

It's simply an amazing turn-based strategy game and a worthy sequel to the series.

With promises of further development we could see new formats, new single player adventures, competitive seasons and more added on in the future. I hope the price tag doesn’t scare players off because this one is worth every penny.

Whether you look at dialogue and story line, or implementation of mechanics, or just sheer volume of gameplay, Evoland 2 is not just a huge improvement on the original but also an amazing way to extend your experiences you may have had with those old school games that it emulates. Evoland 2 pulls off something very difficult to do, it keeps it's own unique feel and functions as a greatest hits anthology. Go get it if you haven't already!

Developer Grumpyface Studios does nearly everything right in making a highly enjoyable TD game in Castle Doombad, and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

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.

Minor control issues notwithstanding, Bastion for iPad is just as good, if not better than its console brethren. Every element that made the game so amazing and fascinating returns and the subtle refinements to various features in making the jump to iOS simply add to the experience.

Unless you despise auto-runners, occasional in-game ads, or fun, this fiesta is not to be missed.

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

"Chariots of the Dogs" is smoothly and tightly paced, and nothing feels misplaced or kludged together. It's a charming, warm, and funny game, and it's the best episode in an increasingly good series.

With several years between the first game and the third one, the 9th Dawn series now spans a number of eras in mobile gaming. But it has always been true to what it wanted to offer from the start, which is a world of adventures and memories on your mobile device with no nonsense weighing it down. 9th Dawn III is by leaps and bounds the easiest of the series to get into, and that’s an important step forward as once you get into these games, you won’t get out for a very long time indeed. Just one more quest, one more dive into that crypt, one more round of fishing, one more card game, one more tough monster defeated. And so it goes, until the sun rises on another new day. Don’t miss this one, my RPG-loving friends.

Draw Something is a perfect witch's brew of Facebook integration, word scrambling, and asynchronous two-player Pictionary.

If for some reason you haven’t played Final Fantasy V yet, you really should. Luckily, this is an outstanding way to do so. Give it a little time to sink its teeth into you, and you’ll find a compelling RPG that can easily hold its own against its more famous siblings. If you have played it before, then you probably know that this is one of the more replayable games in the series. What better excuse to play it again than this lovely version of the game? It’s worth another trip just to hear the new soundtrack, and you know you’ll have a good time along the way.

Isles of Sea and Sky is a superb puzzle game that is absolutely worth your time. It also feels right at home on Steam Deck, and manages to stand out with its gorgeous art, puzzles, open world, and blend of ideas. If you enjoy puzzle games, stop what you’re doing and get this now.

It sounds cliched, but it's hard to believe I'm playing a game of this caliber on iOS. All too often we see games that sacrifice gameplay depth for visuals or vice versa. Other than a few minor glitches, Ravensword: Shadowlands is the real deal, and is an excellent open-world RPG with a decent story, ample content, deep character customization and beautiful visuals.

The Case of the Golden Idol is truly incredible. Not only does it respect the player’s intelligence, but it is one of the most rewarding games you will play. Combined with The Spider of Lanka DLC, The Case of the Golden Idol is absolutely essential, and it is a joy to play on Switch with touch controls. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it.

Beholder is definitely a great addition to games that examine life in oppressive States, and I was glad to see that it manages to be a fun game to play despite its grim theme. With great art and music and plenty of choices, which lead to different endings, Beholder is definitely a game you should be playing.

At this point, Vampire Survivors DLC is a lot like Dead Cells DLC where it is hard to not recommend buying any of it. Vampire Survivors Operation Guns, like the Emergency Meeting DLC, is a must-have regardless of whether you are familiar with the source material or not. It enhances the game and made me play a lot of Contra Hard Corps on Nintendo Switch Online today. It is an essential purchase if you like Vampire Survivors given the value and quality.

I have no doubt that a game of this magnitude will continue to evolve and improve over time with new content, gameplay tweaks, and bug fixes. Still, it's a thoroughly enjoyable game as it is now, and I don't only suggest Aralon for fans of Western RPGs or expansive open-world action games, but I think every iOS gamer needs to pick up this title just to experience what is possible on this constantly expanding mobile platform.

It's that constant tension, that split-second decision-making between risky and riskier, that makes Danmaku Unlimited 3 so much fun to play. While it's probably a little too challenging for those who aren't experienced with bullet hell shooters, fans of the genre are going to be mooning over it like a kitty with a bag of catnip. Add in the fact that it's Doragon's best-looking and -sounding game yet, and you've got a real genre champion on your hands. This game is no longer imitation nor homage; Danmaku Unlimited 3 is now the mobile bullet hell shoot-em-up to beat. All interested pilots should sign up immediately.

If you enjoyed either of the previous games, Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out is a no-brainer. You’ll love it. Newcomers will have to climb over a bit of a wall to find the treasure that lay beyond, but that wall is easier to get over now than ever before. A real winner, and I’ll happily play it for however many years it takes for the next one to arrive.

It works because Out There gets the threat of death right.

Don't Starve truly stands as an excellent iPad game filled with dread and fun, terror and laughter (Wilson is quite funny),

Simply put, Anomaly 2 is everything Anomaly fans could have ever wanted in a true sequel.

It's always great to see a game with a new angle on a somewhat exhausted genre, and Hero Fighter X more than lives up to both its lineage and its promise.

Free-to-play should mean free to enjoy, and Zombie Highway 2 takes that to heart.

From a gameplay perspective, there are tons of meaningful choices here, a great deal of agency over the plot, and lots of fun nooks and crannies to explore on replays.

I had a fantastic time with Nubs' Adventure, and I'd strongly suggest you at least give the free portion of the game a try.

Really, it's hard to find anything to complain about with Fotonica. It's such a cool experience, is masterfully crafted, and really rewards playing it again and again. Definitely check this one out.

Put simply, Downwell is a game you need on your iPhone. The gameplay is incredible, the effort that went into faithfully reproducing a retro feel is unmatched, and it serves as the perfect rebuttal to any idiot trying to make an argument that pixel art is "lazy."

Bottom line, if you memorize the location of the "skip dialogue" button for every game, you may want to give this one a pass. Planescape: Torment still stands tall as a landmark masterpeice that can continue to age gracefully, now on your phone or tablet. Make sure you pack your reading glasses if you grab it!

Tilt to Live is a game that draws you in with its edgy personality and inescapable 'just one more go' gameplay.

Overall, Sayonara Wild Hearts isn’t just one of the best Apple Arcade games available today, it is one of the best games of 2019 for me and easily Simogo’s best yet. The soundtrack is killer and I haven’t played a game that felt this cohesive visually since Atlus’ Persona 5 on PS4. I know Apple Arcade has a lot of great games right now with multiple getting added each week but nothing has come close to the experience I got with Sayonara Wild Hearts. I’ve made some bad gaming purchases in 2019 but buying Sayonara Wild Hearts three times across three different platforms was definitely not one of them.

I hope we get more DLC for PowerWash Simulator of this quality, and that Square Enix releases a complete physical release with all DLC included. If you have PowerWash Simulator already, downloading the PowerWash Simulator: Midgar Special Pack is a no brainer. It is superb even if you aren’t a fan of Final Fantasy VII. The attention to detail in each of the stages included is amazing. If you don’t have PowerWash Simulator, the PowerWash Simulator: Midgar Special Pack warrants a full game purchase. It is that good if you like Final Fantasy VII.

If you ever wanted to play a ruthlessly social AND tactical strategy game on iOS, this is it.

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.

Traps n' Gemstones could probably benefit from a little more flash and razzle-dazzle, and a few bosses wouldn't hurt, but I'm not going to gripe too much when what's here is as good as it is.

This is another must-have for those interested in gaming history. That it also packs in a massive catalog of games from one of gaming’s iconic independent developers is simply the cherry on top of the sundae, but it also means there’s a lot here for fans of classic arcade action games to enjoy. Having devoured this entire story in a couple of sittings, I find myself once again educated, entertained, and awaiting whatever these folks do next.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Hello Kitty Island Adventure is one of my favorite mobile games of this year so far. It’s so much more than I expected it to be, so much more than it needed to be, and I genuinely appreciate just how compelling it is from head to toe. I’ve been vocal amongst my peers about how Apple Arcade needs more reasons to subscribe these days. Well, here’s one extremely good reason. Butters was right the whole time.

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.

If you ever thought of playing an adventure game, this is the rosetta stone that has been out of print for too long, go get it!

Legend of Grimrock was a breakout hit on desktop and it should come as no surprise that it is just as good, if not better, on a mobile device.

A world with gorgeous, complex puzzle games like this at the forefront is a world I'd be happy to live in.

If you haven’t sampled the genre yet, there’s no better way to get into it right now than Streets of Rage 4. Streets of Rage 4 is by far my favorite beat-em-up, and I’m glad to see it in such an amazing conversion on mobile. Hopefully it does well like Dead Cells did on mobile and leads to a whole new audience discovering this amazing game. It feels surreal going from the announcement trailer from Dotemu a few years ago to the game delivering in spades on all platforms, through its DLC, and now with an excellent mobile conversion. I look forward to playing it online as well once the multiplayer update hits in the future.

It is a welcome reminder that war isn’t all about the soldiers on the frontlines, that it has a heavy impact on citizens living in war zones. Father’s Promise, for lack of a better term, is a promising addition to the This War Of Mine line-up, and I’m already looking forward to more tears if/when the second episode (The Last Broadcast) comes to mobile platforms.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is excellent on Nintendo Switch, but it is sublime on Steam Deck. Aside from the Ubisoft Connect annoyance when you launch the game for the first time, I have no complaints with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam Deck. The current version also includes all prior updates that already improved what was a great game. I haven’t enjoyed the few Prince of Persia games I played after the original two much, but Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is superb and essential on Steam Deck.

If you loved Horizon Chase, you’ll love Horizon Chase 2. If you’ve never played the first game, you can easily jump in with this sequel and have a great time. It’s in some ways an expected sequel, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that when there was so little to complain about in the first game. I had actually let my Apple Arcade subscription lapse, but I signed right back up again for Horizon Chase 2. It did not let me down. Now all we need is to get the online population a little more active. Hopefully that’s an issue that will solve itself with time.

Agricola is a superlative port of an equally exceptional game. Just don't mistake the cute styling for simple mechanics. Even in "family mode", Agricola is both challenging and competitive.

I suspect mobile gaming fans will be playing and replaying this one for years to come. I’m a little surprised to see such effort behind a paid original title on mobile in 2018, particularly without even a hint of added purchases to be found in it. I hope it works out for the developers, because I’d love to see more feasts like this come across my mobile plate now and then.

Combining a respectful homage to its source material with a decent battle system and loads of unlockables, Final Fantasy: Record Keeper is the real deal in my book.

The two things that really stand out about Reckless Racing are the stunning Retina Display graphics and the fun physics system.

Barring the Midgar Pack, PowerWash Simulator – Warhammer 40,000 Special Pack is easily my favorite DLC for the game so far. Even as someone who has only experienced Warhammer 40,000 through games, this pack was more than worth it. In some ways, this pack felt like the opposite of painting a small Warhammer 40k model or miniature, and I find that very funny. I hope we see more DLC packs of this quality going forward from FuturLab because it is that good.

This is a game that becomes a real battery-killer if you give it a shot. Also, because on my (shockingly old!) iPhone 6 Plus, the game drains battery quickly. It might not click right away, but it will click eventually, and there's so much of a rewarding experience here, with new content to unlock. I do wish there was iCloud, so that I could keep my progress going on my iPad and maybe not kill my battery so fast. However you play it, this is a must-play, and a game I don't see leaving my iPhone any time soon. Just be patient.

It's amusing, varied, highly entertaining and excellent value for a dollar.

It really hits a great stride once you get a few hours in and have the majority of the map memorized and still have a few bosses to defeat before unlocking Hunter mode. This is also a good game to share with a kid as most of the tunnels are safe enough for a kid to navigate and you can switch in for the more challenging boss fights. If you are a fan of pretty games or spelunking or just a good old bullet dodger, you’ll want to pick this one up!

It's exceptionally rare for a game that has both open world emergent gameplay and a linear main quest to not drop the ball on one of those things or the other, but Crashlands nails it on all counts. Consider this one an absolute essential.

This is that game that will change your mind on story driven games. As soon as you get caught up in the story, Banner Saga will give you a ride well worth the price of admission.

So seriously, go download Mage Gauntlet. The time you spent reading this review could've been much better spent playing this incredible game.

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.

If you're even remotely interested in Hearthstone, unlocking Curse of Naxxramas is a no-brainer.

How utterly fantastic this mobile re-imagination of Lineage II is has the wheels turning in my head of what other awesome MMORPGs are there out there that enterprising developers could re-release as a auto-play mobile progress game that wouldn't also be just as awesome? If nothing else, NetMarble significantly upped the ante on what we can expect in games like this, and I really hope both Nexon and Square Enix are paying attention when it comes to the upcoming mobile port of Final Fantasy XI. NetMarble has really outdone themselves, and it's going to be hard for other developers to catch up.

Vampire Survivors: Tides of Foscari with its fantasy focus, new characters, weapons, and lovely stage is an easy recommendation for any fan of the game. The base game was already too cheap for what it offers, and these DLC packs are a nice way to enhance the core experience while getting more to do for those who have been hitting 100% with prior content drops. I still hope 2023 sees the game get cross platform saves to let me go from Steam Deck to Xbox Series X to iOS and back. Right now, Vampire Survivors: Tides of Foscari is essential for everyone playing the game. Grab that Academy Badge and jump in.

And I see myself continuing to play it long after this, because the combat system is so much fun to play with, and there's depth in the various modes and systems in play here. I really recommend this game: it's just so much fun and I see myself playing this for a long time to come.

Just like its predecessor, Cut the Rope 2 may sound easy but it gets increasingly harder as you plow through it, which will just make you want to play it more.

I hope this also serves as a good reminder to developers that if you can fit your game on mobile, it's probably worth it! A title like this is an amazing fit on the go, and while I missed it early on (and I imagine I'm not alone), it's getting a great second wind on mobile. With a great mobile port like this, Steredenn is an absolute must-have for anyone who has any positive feelings toward roguelikes and/or shoot 'em ups. It's challenging, as you would hope, but such a fun, rewarding, and replayable game.

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.

It's an easy game to dismiss as "just another match three," much like the original. Hell, I even did that with Candy Crush Saga, as the initial out of the proverbial box experience isn't all that different from any other matching game. If this sounds like you, I seriously suggest giving Soda Saga a fair shake as it's an incredibly good game. Once you give it a chance to grab you, it won't let go.

If I try to view this game without regard to the history behind it, I THINK I can still say its an amazing game. Couple that with the fantastic edit job with a bunch of new features and this is a fantastic app for anyone looking for a fantasy RPG adventure that works best in long unbroken stints.

If you're a fellow Star Wars fan, search your feelings you know it to be true, is there ever really a bad time to indulge in games paying homage to that galaxy far, far away?

It's ridiculous how much Anomaly has to offer and how natural it feels on touch devices. I don't think it's out of line to call it one of the best games on the market at the moment, as its easily one the visually sharpest, most well-produced, and executed out there.

Definitely, Anomaly Defenders is more of a traditional tower defense game, and it is a well-worn genre. And I'm pretty sure that the game will feel more special to those familiar with Anomaly already because it uses so much of the language of previous games.

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.

Just like Nintendo managed it back in 2017, 2023 sees a Mario game manage to surpass Zelda yet again. Super Mario Wonder is pure joy, delight, and wonder together, and one of the best games we’ve seen in many years. It is a bit lacking in its boss battles, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t grinning non stop while playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

If you want a game where you can just run around and shoot a bunch of gooey mutants, and enjoy doing so, check out Xenowerk. You won't be disappointed.

It’s top shelf. Handily among the very best of the generation, and a decent case could be made for putting it pretty high in the list of all-timers. Unless you really didn’t care for Breath of the Wild, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t buy this. It’s dozens of hours of high-quality entertainment for most, and hundreds of hours of fun for some. An outstanding toy. A fantastic piece of art. Great in all the ways the previous game was, but somehow pushes the boat out even further in immensely satisfying ways. A genuine must-have for Switch owners, and a great reason to pick up a Switch if you somehow haven’t already.

While Infinity Blade II was a refinement of the original, Infinity Blade III takes the familiar Infinity Blade formula and tweaks it to the point of perfection. There's far more content, even more customization, additional systems to delve in to, and best of all, huge dragons.

Despite my few issues with the Adventure, BRM was a fantastic piece of work from Blizzard and an improvement on the already-great Curse of Naxxramas

In the end, it's not really about how Chaos Rings does anything especially new, but rather how it takes all the pieces of a traditional role-playing game and packages it together in a way that feels natural to the platform.

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.

Whatever sort of gamer you are, don't miss Space Miner: Space Ore Bust.

With a price point of $0, you owe it to yourself to at least give the game a shot. If nothing else, even if you totally hate it, it's worth paying attention to just to see how its very strange monetization model plays out in the long run.