Game Dev Story won't impress you with stellar visuals or an iPhone specific feature set, but it is a well thought out and thoroughly enjoyable time sink, and is even more intriguing if you're familiar with the last few decades of video game history.

If you've been waiting for a genuinely great rally racer for your mobile device, well, here you go.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions is the first game in the series that I feel like I can safely recommend to RPG fans in general. It has all of the things that make SaGa games so appealing and very little of the opacity that normally turns people away. It’s absolutely brilliant and even though I’ve finished it four times already, I still have to fight a near-constant itch to fire up a fresh save and go at it again.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is incredible. As someone new to this specific game in the series, it is equal parts stunning and mechanically stimulating with a superb soundtrack. I hope Square Enix gives more classics this treatment, because Star Ocean The Second Story R ended up delivering in every aspect. I have no qualms recommending this to any fan of RPGs, and you absolutely should play the demo.

Sword & Sworcery is an incredibly unique composition that almost makes you want to analyze it as if it were a movie rather than a video game, which not too many iOS games have ever made me do.

I feel like if you were going to buy Goblin Sword, you've already done it. It's such a crazy value and has such good production quality it kind of speaks for itself.

Risk of Rain Returns does enough to feel fresh, but manages to nail what I loved about the original with my rose tinted memories of it from back in the day. On Switch, performance isn’t perfect during the late-game, but everything else is perfect, and I’ve had a ton of fun playing it online and offline on both Switch and Steam Deck. This is how a classic indie game should be revived for modern platforms.

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.

This game is just incredible. Every regular readers knows that I'm a retro nut, and Forget-Me-Not has retro goodness in droves.

Is this really the end of Theatrhythm? If so, Final Bar Line goes out with a massive bang. Including DLC, the total tracklist numbers around half a thousand songs, drawn not only from the diverse assortment of games in the Final Fantasy series but also the larger Square Enix library in general. Even if you don’t touch the DLC, you’ve got a whopping 385 songs to enjoy here. The new tricks in the charts add a bit of excitement even to the old familiar songs, and the refreshed presentation looks great. If you like music games or Final Fantasy, you’ll want Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. If you like both, you probably already bought it.

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.

Children of the Sun is fantastic. Not only does it encourage replays to climb up the leaderboards, but it is exactly what I want to see from Devolver Digital with its vibe and awesome gameplay. I hope it does well while also coming to consoles in the future. Right now, it is a perfect fit for Steam Deck and shines on the OLED screen. Don’t skip this one.

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.

I have loved every minute spent playing this game, in fact I have played it to the detriment of other aspects of my life, If you have been missing my reviews of late, you can blame this game. Every time I sit down near my computer I end up thinking I need just one more screen shot, one more run through in case I missed something. Now, I’ve got to go and catch up on housework, or maybe I′ll do the dishes after just one more game.

In the end, here's Threes! in three sentences: Threes! is about as close as it gets to a perfect mobile game. Threes! is a game you need on every iOS device you own. Threes! is a game you need to tell your iPhone owning non-gamer-but-plays-some-games friends about.

Ovivo is a tantalizing, ambitious work of art both mechanically and visually. I guess there is a little bit of pulse pounding excitement in the meditation after all.

Anything but a quick cash-in.

Overall, Prison Architect is a pretty deep simulation and management game that offers ton of things to do and ways to play. Don't let its cartoony looks deceive you; this is a pretty hardcore and demanding game. If you like classic PC management games, you're going to love Prison Architect. If you don't care to dive deep into a game and are simply looking for a light game to pass the time, Prison Architect might not be for you. Personally, I had a blast playing the game, and I certainly recommend it. I've heard some users complain about bugs, but personally I had no issues playing the game. So, if you don't find the theme disagreeable and want to play one of the most complex—but still accessible—management games on iOS, go grab Prison Architect.

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.

This is a flawless version of an incredible game, and my animal-faced hat is off to the people at Capcom for putting this together.

As unusual as the first game was in its time, this sequel is an even rarer jewel. It adheres doggedly to what was established in the first game, increasing the depth with new mechanics and variables without stepping too far away from what worked. It’s also absolutely massive, with a full RPG’s worth of story to play through. If you’re looking for a great premium game to pick away at without worrying about gacha pulls, subscriptions, or buying bags of gems, give Hero Emblems II a go. It’s worth it.

Ultimately, the occasional frustration within Linelight is born out of its uncompromising dedication to its core principles, which is a necessary evil considering how effective the execution the game's concept is. With audio and graphical excellence throughout, both of which are intrinsically linked, Linelight ends up being far more than the sum of its parts, all the while not sacrificing its entertaining puzzle gameplay for some greater sanctimonious goal. Through being a game that embraces accessibility at its very core, Linelight becomes a game that anyone can play, and everyone should play.

A rock-solid pseudo-port that plays extremely well on mobile and displays a measure of technical and mechanical grace none of us expected it to. Oh, and it's Universal and supports iCloud saves across devices -- icing on the cake, folks.

Play Hidden Folks. It's just so charming and fun to tap around in this world that feels alive. It's such a simple idea at its core of being a hidden object game, yes. But the artwork, sound design, and the realization of the ambition to create puzzles where you have to find specific folks in the middle of busy, bustling scenes, are all at their peak. Check this game out.

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.

Miracle Merchant is quick and easy to play one-handed, which makes it perfect for those short gaming sessions while out and about. It's also a great deal of fun and just the right level of challenge to engage but not frustrate. The art is also worth mentioning, the various characters and chemical concoctions are bright and attractive and add to the enjoyment of the game. If you're a fan of card games on your iPhone I strongly recommend picking this one up.

This may well be Digital Eclipse’s finest collection yet, and is a must-have for any fans of beat-em-ups, the Turtles, or general gaming history.

The game strikes a perfect balance between being casual enough to just idly pick up and play, but requiring enough thought and strategy to remain compelling. Its modes have enough intrinsic motivation to drive you to keep going. Definitely give Pocket Run Pool a download, and see if you get hooked as I am. Send help.

What you get here is a game that straddles that balance between challenge and frustration, has a player-friendly free model to it, and is amusing and charming to boot. Definitely download Does Not Commute, whatever you do.

So if you want faster progression without setbacks, well, Noodlecake is happy to take your money.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends is really good CCG that cleverly milks the Elder Scrolls universe and turns it into an entertaining card game. Legends feels quite different from Hearthstone both because of the Lane mechanics but also the two-attribute deck building that brings more variety to the game. The game's Magicka (the equivalent of Mana) doesn't stop at 10 like it does at Hearthstone, so decks that play for the long game can get to play more expensive cards more easily, which can be a lot of fun. I've been enjoying playing through the campaign and (being a Skyrim fan) playing with all the Shouts and the Dragons. While I'm not going to desert Hearthstone for Legends, I like jumping from one to the other since they give me different kinds of challenges and tickle different parts of the brain. Overall, Elder Scrolls: Legends is a card game definitely worth your time and one that has a lot of potential to get even better.

You can enjoy the game simply for its battle system, or you can play it to experience its fantastic story.

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.

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.

If you like RPGs, this is a game you need to play. It's a fantastic port of one of the true essentials of the genre.

Suzy Cube was in development for three years, and it’s clear just where all that time went into. Everything about the game is absolutely well-crafted to a ridiculous degree. Suzy Cube is one of the best 3D platformers ever made for mobile, and you ought to play it.

If you loved the Mikey games, you owe it to yourself to check this out, especially since the original Mos Speedrun [$0.99] was a fantastic game that heavily inspired that franchise.

Flipping Legend is just an astounding take on a well-trodden genre, of the free-to-play action-y runner. The work that Hiding Spot Games put into this along with Noodlecake's help has been spectacular. The reports from GDC were that this was coming together really nicely, and after playing a ton of this one before and after release, Flipping Legend is a must-download in my book.

On an iPhone or iPad, the 2-D, side-scrolling block-based sandbox is a winning formula, and The Blockheads is the most well-executed, true-to-Minecraft game I've had the pleasure to experience on iOS.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is one of this generation's finest games, and the mobile version only makes that even clearer.

But with Attack the Light, Grumpyface delivered a fantastic RPG that anyone can enjoy.

Archetype delivers one of the most robust, beautiful, and most importantly fun FPS experiences that can be had on the iPhone.

If you’ve not played Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales before, the PC version is an easy recommendation on Steam Deck. Miles Morales is a tighter and more focused take on the formula than the original game with better combat and a brilliant use of licensed music. The story is perfect to experience during the holiday season as well. It has been about two years since its PlayStation debut, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has aged brilliantly. It is yet another ‘perfect on Steam Deck’ experience from Sony. 

Faced with big shoes to fill, increased competition, and a very different market, Wind-Up Knight 2 isn't in the most enviable position, but it manages to succeed through good old-fashioned elbow grease.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is one of those wonderful little gems that too many people missed when it first came out. It was an amazing game then as a full-priced retail console game, and it's every bit as awesome now on a mobile device.

Battle of the Bulge is a must-have for anyone with an interest in historical wargaming. It's only flaws are limited single-player replayability and the fact that it is so easy to start playing that some players may jump in expecting a Risk-like game, only to become frustrated when the game's nuances assert themselves.

Despite its free-form approach to puzzle solving, the game offers very little incentive to replay it, so it’s not really a game you’ll keep installed on your phone for long. It is, however, a game that’s well worth the time it takes to play. If you’re already a subscriber to Apple Arcade, LEGO Builder’s Journey is a must-download, if only just to see how much a game can accomplish in a story while taking such a minimalist approach.

It boasts a tutorial that is incredibly approachable, making the game appropriate for even the most casual of puzzle gamers, while offering a top-end that's full of strategy, a bit of luck, and an entire trail of character development decisions.

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.

If you're willing to buy into Year Walk, to explore it's shifting landscape and learn its lessons, you'll find a tremendous game. I've never played anything quite like it.

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.

And really, where Sage Solitaire succeeds is that it does feel so great as a game that you can just pick up and play.

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.

Hearthstone is not only an example of a free-to-play model done right, but it's a must-play for card game enthusiasts everywhere. It's incredibly easy to get into, the picturesque art is easy on the eyes, and best of all -- it plays perfectly on an iPad.

Despite being one update behind the PC and console versions right now, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is absolutely essential. Playdigious did a fantastic job with this outstanding beat ’em up, and you owe it to yourself to play it if you have a Netflix subscription.

A beautifully created action (adventure?) game that places you in the role of a spider who must spin webs in order capture enough food to make it to the next level.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance isn’t just the definitive version of a game I loved years ago, but one of Atlus' best RPGs in a long time. I always enjoy revisiting games I love every few years, but Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is just an incredible upgrade and release on its own. It is one of the best games you can play on Steam Deck in general, not just for this year.

If you enjoyed the first Monsters Ate My Condo, I think this is an upgrade that's worth your time and dollar. It looks better, it sounds better, and it still has that completely wacky style that's almost impossible not to love.

If you are even slightly interested in turn based games, this is not one to miss.

If you own an iOS device that's on the supported device list (Basically, the iPhone 4S and newer.), particularly if you've got something recent, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is as must-have as it gets

Carcassonne isn't a difficult game to grasp, but it does have an extraordinary amount of depth.

There are oddities, such as some cut-scenes being fully acted-out by quality artists and others relying on simple text, online connectivity requirements, and for the non-RPG player, it's definitely recommended to step through the guide every now and then to ease confusion

It oozes character without beating you over the head with it, and, you know, its colors and contrasts also look pretty sharp on 'HD' devices.

Oh, there's even a whopping 23 music tracks, including some from the original, which brings back happy memories and the new tracks sound as great as the original ones.

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.

If you treat Anomaly Korea as more of an expansion pack rather than a full-on sequel you'll be pleased with the purchase. Even if you wanted more, I find it hard to believe that you can resist more pure Anomaly.

There's a lot of things going on in Pocket Planes. There's simulation, there's strategy, and then there's the world that you've created and the people you might have interacted with along the way. While it's probably true that the game's mechanics will only keep your interest for so long, there's a lot of game here to like. More importantly, though, Pocket Planes is just ... fun. Game business doesn't need to inform game design, after all.

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

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.

That being said, if you've been playing along with every GTA release Rockstar has made on iOS over the years, Liberty City Stories is every bit as must-have as the rest of them.

AirAttack 2 is one of the best looking games on mobile right now, and it backs that up with pristine gameplay that would satisfy any shmup fan. This is definitely going into my permanent shooter folder.

Mutant Mudds really has it all, and in terms of the slower-paced, exploration-based platforming games it's unmatched by anything else on the App Store.

You can play it for the awesome story, or to help train your brain. It is beautifully polished and for any one who has been following its production from the very beginning, this game is unquestionably worth the wait.

This isn't the scariest game on the planet, nor is it the best put together. The combat in particular is a black eye. But there's a lot in Dead Space to keep you engaged and there's some points of great design that I think you'll appreciate - especially if you're daring enough to play this on your sofa with the lights off and some great headphones on.

Battleheart Legacy is easily among the best games I've played this year, and I can't imagine a reality where it isn't still high in the running when we get around to doing all of our game of the year stuff in December.

Teeny Titans could have been a nasty and probably quite effective free-to-play money-cruncher, but I'm quite happy it took the road less-traveled.

It's a better game, a cooler experience, and a must-buy for action-adventure aficionados and aspiring arachnids alike.

You can play it and know that you're getting your money's worth, and you get a lot of game out of this, because getting to space is extremely difficult, and a real accomplishment.

Cardpocalypse is perhaps my favorite game on the Apple Arcade. The deep strategy and customization offered here is amazing and gives me so much replayability that I could easily see myself playing it at least four times and still not running out of new things to try. If you enjoy battling card games or just think you want to try one out, this is the game for you.

This is a game you need.

The emergent gameplay is second-to-none, and the sheer number of secrets is massive. No game will give you more to find and discover than The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will. This could conceivably be the only game you play for the rest of the year, considering how much time you'd have to spend to be good at the game, and then unlocking everything there is to see in Rebirth. And it's a ton of fun along the way. It took a long time to get here, but enjoy this one, folks.

I couldn’t stop playing Shredder’s Revenge until I finished it, and the minute I did, I played through it again. And then I played through it one more time. And then I pulled my family in and we played through it once more. I keep firing it up to play my favorite stages when I’ve got a bit of free time. It’s an outstanding TMNT game, a jaw-dropping take on the Konami-style beat-em-up, and more pure goofy fun than I could ever have anticipated it to be.

If you’ve not played Alien: Isolation before, the mobile version is phenomenal. It isn’t just a good value proposition with all DLC included at the low asking price of $14.99 compared to other platforms, but it looks and runs brilliantly even compared to the Xbox and PS4 versions. I know Feral Interactive is capable of miracle mobile conversions, but this Alien: Isolation is on a whole other level. Having tried it on consoles including the new Xbox Series X where it has an FPS Boost through backward compatibility, the iPad version with good headphones and an optional controller trumps all other console versions of the game. If you’ve been wanting to experience Alien: Isolation, this is a fantastic way to do so and one of the best iOS conversions ever.

While it looks old, and has virtual joysticks, Max Payne is every bit the great game it was 11 years ago. I wish Rockstar had put more love into the port, but for costing me 1/25th of the original game, I'll cut them some budgetary slack.

The addition of new mechanics changes up the gameplay in wonderful new ways without sacrificing an ounce of what made the original such a standout game in the first place.

It's rare to find a game that does something so original so well, with every element of gameplay and design falling into place. Simogo has pulled it off with Beat Sneak Bandit. In my books it's a must buy, and such a shame it would be to miss out.

This is the third time Capcom has released Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and I really do hope this is the time it properly catches on. It’s every bit as good as the other work Shu Takumi is known for, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. If you’ve never played it before, this is your chance to do so. It has a superb story, clever mechanics, charming characters, a sizzling presentation, and satisfying puzzles to untangle.

This is a fantastic game that other developers of platformers need to take heed of, and that you need to play.

.Decluster - into the Bullet Hell is a modern masterpiece in the shooter arena.

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.

Remix, follow-up, sequel, or whichever word you want to use, .Decluster Zero - Bullet Nocturne builds impressively on the original game.

The ending definitely leaves the door open for another Batman series by bringing in the Joker, and I would definitely be up for it, provided it actually plays well on mobile. The narrative as a whole was quite entertaining, especially the emphasis on Bruce Wayne and his challenges. The pacing was off in quite a few occasions, but at the same time it's not easy to pack all these events in 5 relatively-short episodes. So, I do understand why some moments were a bit on the rushed side.

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'm having an absolutely fabulous time playing Need For Speed Most Wanted. It's not the deepest racer in the world, but I've never felt that arcade racers need to come with loads of depth as they're all about just driving cars you'll never be able to afford, going fast as you can, and rapid-firing "that was awesome" moments: Three things Most Wanted totally nails in my book.

Machinarium, as a whole, is remarkably tidy.

Snakebird was amazing on iOS, but Snakebird Complete feels perfect on Nintendo Switch. If you enjoy the likes of Baba is You and even A Monster’s Expedition, Snakebird Complete is essential. They nailed the touch controls and it looks so good on the OLED screen. If you still aren’t sold on it, try the demo. Snakebird Complete is the real deal.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fantastic experience from start to finish that can serve as a brilliant introduction to Cygames’ amazing Granblue Fantasy world. It feels and looks great on Steam Deck, and also is beautiful on PS5. Having replayed the story and now deep into the multiplayer and postgame, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an easy game of the year contender that I will be playing throughout the year with friends and solo.

If you love dual-stick shooters, Geometry Wars, heck, games period: Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a must-buy.