Republique is risky. It’s a big budget stealth-action epic on iOS that is attempting to change the face of touch games forever.

There are countless visual novels devoted to dating a bunch of very busty women, but few that turn that trope onto its head; Dream Daddy does that through objectifying men. Not in a mean way, or even an overly-sexual way – instead, Dream Daddy makes virtual dating wholesome and punny. It shows the importance of community and friendship, especially for a single parent. It’s not so much about the dating as it is exploring new interests through new people. I’m so appreciative of the experience.

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

Reigns: Her Majesty is an incredible followup that not only improves upon the original, but does it in subtle ways that still makes the first Reigns worth playing if you've never experienced it before. Despite playing very similar to each other, both are unique enough to stand on their own, so if Reigns: Her Majesty ends up being your first Reigns experience, you really owe it to yourself to also go back and play the original. If you were all about Reigns, you simply must download Reigns: Her Majesty. It will take mere moments before you fall in love with the formula again.

Overall, Neversong is more than just a creepy story. As the game puts it, it’s a story about loss and hope. Sure, there are scary moments, but there are also funny and sad moments. The game does such a great job creating this story in a cryptic way that keeps you hooked. You find yourself caring for these characters and you want to see how the story ends. If you’re looking into Neversong, I’ve got to tell you it’s a joy to play. It doesn’t matter if you’re into a good story or you just want a platforming adventure with pretty visuals, Neversong delivers in every aspect and it’s a must-play game from Apple Arcade.

If you decide to pick up The Bonfire, it might be for the spirit of discovery and adventure, or it might be for the artistic quality and simplicity. It may even be for the fact that so many great games seem to be comparable to this one. Whatever your decision is predicated on, there is so much here to enjoy.

Bardbarian is a game that just feels right in a lot of ways, and with a low price on top of that, you really need to pick it up, post haste.

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.

If you enjoy tactical, loot-centric, RPGs Rogue Wizards is a no-brainer. There are ample opportunities to optimize your character with different gear and spells and head off on a dungeon delve. Combat is fun and almost endless thanks to gauntlet mode. The graphics are appealing and the game’s monetization is smart and respectful of players.

This is a game with style, substance, and its own great blend of action and strategy, and for now is an iOS exclusive to boot. If you have any love for Sid Meier, strategy games, aviation sims, or just darn good games you'd be crazy to not give this game a shot.

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.

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.

Hyper Light Drifter is still an essential for any fan of pixel art games or action RPGs. I have a few problems with the difficulty spikes when there are too many enemies near you, but still adore this game. If you missed out on it on other platforms for whatever reason, the iOS port is an absolute steal even without the pre-order discount. I’d recommend playing this with a controller but Abylight Studios has done an excellent job with touch controls if you are going to play it on your iPhone. Over three years since the game debuted on PC and there really still is nothing like Hyper Light Drifter on any platform.

The term “video game" doesn’t feel right when Photographs is more than that: it truly is a haunting experience of human nature and compassion, depression and connection.

With excellent controls, sharp level designs, lots of secrets, and an adorable presentation, it's hard to find anything that's not to like in Super Cat Tales.

Void Tyrant is a fantastic game. At $5 it’s hard to find a better value for entertainment or longevity as I have already invested numerous hours delving in and unlocking base upgrades. We don’t usually find something like this under $10, much less as a free to play with an option of being a single purchase game. I will have this game on my phone for a long time to come, and for good reason. If you like card games, or roguelikes, or space adventures, Void Tyrant has something for you.

Tetris Effect: Connected takes what is basically a perfect game whose only drawback is how familiar it is and recontextualizes it with a jaw-dropping presentation and some interesting new modes. I’m aware that the Nintendo Switch has a lot of great ways to play Tetris already, but I think this game does more than enough to justify itself in the face of those. It’s probably not going to convince anyone who doesn’t like Tetris, but apart from those six people it’s hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with this game.

Boson X will not offer you a bread crumb trail of rewards or new hats. It's not going to ask you to come back every day for a daily reward, and it has no IAP to sell you. Its only offer to you is the challenge of unlocking all the stages, and beating the best scores you and your friends have set down. Yet, somehow, through a mix of style and very measured mechanics, it's an amazingly compelling game.

If you were ever going to shell out for a iOS game that is premium to its core, you want to do it for one that earns it with stellar gameplay, stylish presentation and just the right dash of nostalgia. Dandara connects all of those dots the same way it gets you leaping from point to point, and there's a good chance you're going to be spending plenty of time with it if you give it a shot.

Saltsea Chronicles surprised me constantly. Not only does it look gorgeous and feel perfect on Switch, it is a game I see myself returning to often, and I hope it gets a physical release. I liked Mutazione quite a bit from Die Gute Fabrik, but Saltsea Chronicles is just superb. I know adventure games like this aren’t for everyone, but this feels laser focused on my taste, and it delivered.

DUSK is an amazingly authentic ode to the old kings of the genre, and it’s as fiendishly fun as it is filled with carnage. This Switch port is virtually flawless, allowing you to enjoy this game in a pure, uncompromised form. I’m always skeptical of recommendations about this sort of game, as I often find they don’t quite measure up in one way or another. DUSK? It had me from hello and kept me all the way through to the bitter end. Then I started it up all over again just to have another ride on this ridiculous roller coaster.

If you're even a little bit into strategy games, you need to get some Catchup all over your mobile device.

What a game. This year has been superb almost non stop for great games, but Chants of Sennaar, like Cocoon, is mindblowing. While the stealth elements in Chants of Sennaar are annoying, everything else is amazing. If you have even the remotest interest in unique puzzle games, I urge you to at least try the demo. Chants of Sennaar is a work of art in its design, aesthetic, and experience.

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.

On the whole, it is a delightfully well-made game that is far, far too kind to its players. If it had an asking price instead of an optional in-app purchase, it would be worth it; as it is, it’s a steal.

Super Mole Escape knows what it does well, and exploits it to its fullest.

If by some weird quirk of fate you haven't played a tower defense game, Sleep Attack TD is a fantastic introduction.

If you're a fan of digging down into the depths and testing your mind with clever puzzles, this is a no-brainer.

Doom & Destiny is one of the best JRPGs available on iOS, without even taking the price into account.

It's hard to go wrong with any of these tables. They're all different, interesting and exciting, crafted to please hardcore pinball and Star Wars fan boys and girls alike.

The original was fun, but the sequel goes well beyond, feeling notably more "fleshed out," with a good deal more eye-candy.

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.

Offers yet another stellar entry in CAVE's series of iOS shooters. It's probably the most straight forward and least complex out of them all, which makes it a great starting point for bullet hell newbies, but it does have its share of depth for those looking to master its strategies.

While I've got a couple of quibbles with it, Sproggiwood is a fantastically well-rounded take on the roguelike genre. It's challenging, rewarding, forgiving, and charming all at once.

We're enjoying our time with Ragdoll Blaster 2, though it does still feel very familiar. Certainly, if you're a fan of the first title, we see no reason why you shouldn't thoroughly enjoy the new features on offer.

If you dig digging like I dig digging, then I'm almost positive you'll dig the dig with Doug Dug like I dug it.

If you enjoy the likes of Ace Attorney, Paranormasight is an easy recommendation. I’m not a big horror guy, but it was good enough for me to see through to the end. It plays really nicely on the Switch, and I really appreciate the inclusion of touch controls. Just be aware that the game does like to whip out the occasional jump scare, so if you’re the sort that throws whatever is in your hands when you get startled, keep a pillow near by. Your Switch will thank you, both for sparing its life and playing this slick game on it. More like this please, Square Enix.

The bottom line is that Legend of Solgard is free and the mechanics and polish are all top-notch, and the game loop quite compelling, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot yourself and see which side of the fence you end up on.

Blocky Highway is a surprisingly engaging racing game that happens to be mashed up with an endless format. It's easy to just go and take a whimsical ride with no energy involved, and if I get a reward -- great -- otherwise I'm just having fun.

The action is great, the presentation is outstanding, and there’s really very little like it out there. The West missed out on this back in the day, so don’t let it slip past you now.

I won’t belabor the point here. Freedom Planet 2 takes everything Freedom Planet did right and does it better, while also making sure to improve on the things it didn’t do well. It’s still not a perfect game by any means, and it can’t quite escape the orbit of Sonic the Hedgehog. But maybe it doesn’t have to? Maybe it isn’t meant to? Perhaps it’s just fine if it’s a really great riff on Sonic‘s gameplay. It knows what it wants to be and executes on that amazingly well. If you like 2D platformers, you’ll want to put this game on your shopping list.

I just can't recommend Dynamite Jack enough. It isn't the prettiest game on the platform, but it's a shining example of a port done right.

If you enjoy seeing developers try out new things, we haven’t seen something as interesting as Give me toilet paper in a while now when it comes to making great use of the Joy-Cons’ sensors. I hope the developer can expand upon this with new levels or bring us more games like this in the future.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great experience on Nintendo Switch with its touch controls and rumble support added to make it even more immersive. I’m glad I got to finally experience these stories since I never owned a VR headset, and I hope to see more from this team in the future. If you enjoy sci-fi stories, I urge you to download the demo at least to see how this one feels on Switch.

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.

Despite the deduction problems, Miss Fisher is a very entertaining interactive novel for everyone but especially fans of the show. The game even lets you collect costume pieces to change Phryne Fisher's looks; completely unnecessary but great fun. The plot is fun, the visuals and music are great, and the jokes and double entendres land well. And since the ending twist breathed new life into the case, I'm interested in playing the upcoming episodes too. And it even comes with iMessage stickers; what more could anyone ask for?

Neutronized has just made a remarkably clever game that could have just coasted on its pixel art. That they also nailed a really cool take on retro-style gameplay along with the aesthetic makes this the first must-have of 2015.

Momoka isn't the smoothest, or dare I say polished game ever. But its production values are just enough that they stay out of the way of the game's objective.

Regardless of whether you’re new to the series or not, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is essential if you enjoy horror adventure games. It has a few small things holding it back from being perfect, but I love the time I put into it on both Switch and Steam Deck. I hope the wait for the next entry isn’t as long and Experience Inc continues to deliver with each new release.

Knightmare Tower doesn't so much drastically wring minutes out of you as much as it quietly and neatly absorbs them.

Those who are looking for a ton of gameplay hours for their buck might find Natsu-Mon a little lighter than they’re after. It’s really the only caution I have to offer here. Otherwise, this is an excellent example of the kind of game it’s trying to be. If you want to transport back to a childhood you never had, there’s no better way to do it this summer. It really grabs on to you and carries you along at its pace, despite the whole game being structured around you doing things at your own speed. I really love this game, and I hope we keep seeing more of these in the future.

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

Overall, GRIS is definitely one of the best games you can play on iOS right now. I adored it when I played it on Switch back in December and replaying it twice has been a joy. I wouldn’t really call GRIS replayable even though you will miss some things on your playthrough. These aren’t really essential because the core story that is a three to four hour long experience feels just right. While I already know how to solve the puzzles so I was just blasting through the game again, I will never tire of the stunning art, animations, and audio design in GRIS. This is easily my favourite iOS port so far this year.

It may not be the Loudest iOS Game in the World or the fastest horse, but this Manowar definitely has a sting to it.

Cat Quest III is a really good action-RPG, and one that you can easily play with a friend or family member of any skill level. Even going alone, you’ll have a fantastic time with this goofy game. The sea-faring theme does an excellent job of freshening things up, but at its core this game hasn’t changed terribly much from what we’ve seen from Cat Quest before. Indeed, in most ways it feels like putting on a comfy pair of shoes. At least at this point in the series, I think that’s a good thing.

Orbit1 is a cleverly designed ice-breaker, a minimalistic but social time killer. It pulls you into the fun with such conviction that you'll be hard pressed to find people who can resist.

It’s a great city building game that’s free of the shackles of “freemium,” and every strategy fan owes it to themselves to give it a shot at some point.

If you enjoy the LEGO games, this is one of the best ones ever. If you fell off the series because it felt like it was treading water, this might be the one to bring you back. And if you’ve never played one before, here is a great place to start. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a fantastic game, and serves as proof that TT Games can still serve up some surprises in this long-in-the-tooth franchise. It also runs very well on the Switch relative to other LEGO games, which is just another feather in its cap.

Chocohero is certainly not the only game of its type out there, but it's definitely one of the best designed. In addition to tight controls and well-designed levels, the art style and music are perfectly complementary (and, of course, super-adorable).

Atelier Ryza 3 has the difficult job of ending the story of the franchise’s break-out star, and it manages this task very well. At the same time, its ambitions feel like they’re a little too big for the Switch hardware at times, leading to some technical issues that might make you want to check out another version instead. It will be interesting to see where the Atelier series goes from here. This amazing journey we’ve been on that concludes with this dynamite RPG will certainly be a hard one to top.

With hundreds of fantastic puzzles, some classically tasteful visuals and a fantastic soundtrack to boot, you can’t go wrong with iCOOLgeeks’ Mount Olympus. If ever there was a time to learn about the mythology surrounding the ancient Greek gods, that time is now.

So, I'm simply going to add the proviso that if you absolutely never want to see a block puzzle again in your life, you probably won't be too thrilled here. The rest of you should check this game out.

Templar Battleforce is an easy recommendation to any strategy fan, even if the setting doesn't do much for you. If you are into this type of space-faring ooh-rah, on the other hand, you're going to be on cloud nine.

Overall, Pascal’s Wager feels great to play despite its quirks. The combat is great and more than makes up for the graphical flaws and dubious voice acting, the character swapping mechanic is new and interesting, and it is delightfully dark. Despite its problems, I can’t wait to spend more time with it, and very much look forward to where it’s taken in the future. It has without a doubt exceeded my expectations and, with a little help, could readily meet my hopes. All it would take is a bit of polish, a few fixes, and a lot of editing.

This is right up there with Cardinal Quest 2 as one of my favorite mobile roguelikes.

For anyone kvetching, Heads Up! Hot Dogs's chiptunes soundtrack alone is worth the price of entry, and it happens to come packaged with a sharp, charming, and funny game about putting beef franks on people's domes.

Rakuen: Deluxe Edition has a few different things to offer, with the titular Rakuen being the star of the show. It’s a bittersweet, deeply emotional story set in a rich, well-realized setting and it’s absolutely unforgettable. The visuals may be simple but they more than serve the purpose, and the soundtrack is outstanding. The other included items in this package are more like nice bonuses, but they are certainly quite welcome. If you enjoy a good yarn, grab a box of tissues and settle in with this over an evening or two.

The last episode of the miniseries definitely redeemed the whole series for me as we finally got time to stop, breathe, and enjoy the complex characters populating TWD universe.

All in all, PvZ2 is an incredible sequel. Unless you're exceptionally impatient or just not very good at these kind of games, it'll be totally free for you to play. If you've found yourself burnt by freemium games in the past, I highly recommend giving this one a spin as it might change your opinion on the pay model.

A casual, but clever game, because it gives you conflicting goals.

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

Smashing up cities and making mayhem with Zilla is great fun.

If you’re looking for another game that will do for you what Steins;Gate did, I regret to say that I don’t think that will be Anonymous;Code. Once you get past that, this is a really slick visual novel that will take you on a sharply-written science-fiction adventure that will leave you twisted in knots. Its relatively speedy pace will appeal to many, and while its characters and central interactive aspect aren’t as good as one might hope, Anonymous;Code is still a superb story that is more than worth experiencing.

The scenarios vary in quality from one to the next, and your individual tastes are probably going to influence how well you like each one. But Live A Live as a whole really cannot be denied. It’s an amazing game that was clearly ahead of its time, because all it needed was a bit of a face lift to make it feel like something that came out in the present year. With how big Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s shadow looms over us at this time, it might be easy to overlook Live A Live. That would be a mistake, friends. If you love RPGs, don’t miss this one.

It's immersive, it's expansive (I've been playing it for a week), it's simple, it's something you can teach to your grandparents and your three-year old niece. As long as you're OK with some minor quirks, Battleloot Adventure is one that you don't want to miss.

If you're into platformers, I'd give Jetpack Fighter a try. Don't let the free bit scare you off though, as you can get pretty far in without having to wait or spend a dime.

You might be tempted to skip Cut the Rope: Time Travel. It's just another sequel, right? Nope. Time Travel offers a unique twist on an already solid formula. It's an excellent time waster, one that every member of your family should enjoy.

Those who like strong story elements or rich characters in their RPGs might want to give the game a pass, though, because it's not particularly good at either of those things, and the weak translation hurts what little is here. Otherwise, Romancing SaGa 2 is a fun, off-beat, challenging addition to Square Enix's mobile line-up, one well-worth tackling.

ZombieSmash really does stand head and shoulders above its competition.

As long as you're open to a few nods to early RPGs, you really can't go wrong throwing a couple of dollars down on Lowlander.

Homo Machina is yet the latest example of how even within some pretty narrow constraints in terms of setting and mechanics, it's possible to craft a pretty excellent world that is both amusing and rewarding. You might even learn something along the way, but kids, please don't use it as assistance for your upcoming biology test, because something tells me you're not going to pass it if you do.

While I still prefer the original trilogy games overall, there’s no denying the sheer amount of quality and effort put into Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. It makes the original trilogy feel like a very bare-bones release in comparison thanks to the amazing extras. The Great Ace Attorney games remain the peak of the franchise, but I adored Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and enjoyed my time with Dual Destinies including its DLC and revisiting Spirit of Justice. Now we need a new entry. Come on, Capcom.

My time with Shadowrun Returns has certainly turned me into a fan of this game, despite its current level of glitchiness.

Experience-centric games like That Dragon, Cancer [$4.99], Gone Home and others have found massive audiences of people who love the experimental side of gaming that focuses more on conveying emotions than they do high scores. If those are the sorts of things you're into, chances are you're going to wish Florence didn't end so soon.

Compared to some of the card games Playdek has handled, Lords of Waterdeep has a less busy play area, so it works out well even on the smaller screen of the iPhone

Like a Dragon Gaiden feels like a love letter of a game for Kazuma Kiryu. I was initially disappointed when Sega announced this release because I thought Yakuza 6 was a perfect send off, but Like a Dragon Gaiden proved that the team still has it in them to deliver a compelling story for Kiryu, and still make brawler games that feel great to play. I expected Like a Dragon Gaiden to be an appetizer for Infinite Wealth in January, but it ended up being so much more. Just don’t play it unless you’ve already experienced Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Beast Boxing 3D is exactly the kind of boxing game I've been waiting for.

As a Universal release with Retina support, Anodia looks lovely on any device. I'm not sure it actually reinvents the brick breaker, but it's certainly an exciting and beautiful example of the genre.

Cling Thing is a great experience for a buck. From its vibrant graphics to its pleasant music to its perfect controls to its increasingly challenging puzzles, Cling Thing offers the kind of experience that makes gaming on iOS a joy.

I said it before, and I meant it: Moonlighter is a great game. It feels good to play, the soundtrack is great, and all my complaints are really quite minor. It is an interesting blend of dungeon crawler and shopkeep simulator, something not really delivered by other games that I have found. As a mobile port, it is excellent. Recommending it is easy, however with a twelve dollar price tag, it isn’t something everyone can or should pick up without second thought. Nevertheless, if you’re on the fence and have previously enjoyed games from both of the genres it pulls from, it’s definitely worth a shot.

The Talos Principle 2 is quite simply one of the best games of 2023, and while I was hoping it would play a bit better on Steam Deck, it is essential. If you have the option to play it on console, I’d get it there. The Talos Principle 2 is just stunning on PS5 and Xbox Series X. If you are ok with some visual compromises to play on a portable, I can’t recommend The Talos Principle 2 enough on Steam Deck. I’m looking forward to grabbing the PS5 physical edition when it releases in the near future.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a stunning entry in both the Prince of Persia series and the Metroidvania genre. Despite the game running almost twenty hours in length, I felt like it went by in a flash. It hits every note it has to, and has quickly become one of my favorite games in this genre in quite some time. Throw in a ton of options for those who would prefer an easier or harder experience, and you’ve got a real winner. I’m not too thrilled with the Ubisoft Connect stuff, but otherwise this is a must-have title to kick off your year with.

If you’re looking for a game that’s fun, challenging, and costs absolutely nothing, then this is the train you’re gonna wanna catch.

I love Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective far too much. I’ve bought every single version of it over the years including multiple copies of the DS game. It was always a 5/5 game with its superb story, characters, puzzles, and music, so it is unfortunate that this new version from Capcom is a bit lacking when it comes to how it handles modern mobile screen sizes and its lack of cloud saves. I’m glad we have a version of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective on mobile that supports modern devices and operating systems, but Capcom should’ve done a bit better in some areas.

This is one of the few iOS titles that really does not skimp on any of the features that make RTS games exciting. When you add in the beautiful visuals and multiplayer, it's a no brainer that anyone with even a remote interest in strategy games needs to pick up.

Having now played Nobody Saves the World on Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC, I would recommend the Switch version above the others for offering the ability to play at home or on the go with a competent port. The gameplay suits the pickup and play nature of the system as well. I’m going to keep chipping away towards completing every aspect of Nobody Saves the World on Switch, but I can’t imagine this won’t end up being my favorite DrinkBox Studios release so far. I hope it gets a physical release down the line. If you’re looking for a charming action RPG that blends a bit of Zelda and Diablo together with its own signature style, Nobody Saves the World is for you.

As a value add to Netflix, Braid, Anniversary Edition is an amazing boost to its gaming catalog for newcomers to the puzzle-platformer, and another fantastic game on the service that likely wouldn’t have hit mobile alongside other platforms. Playing Braid, Anniversary Edition has been just as much fun as it was experiencing the Xbox 360 version years ago, and I hope it gets a physical release in the future. I also hope the mobile version sees some touch control improvements in potential patches though.

I think it's something anyone who likes Tetris can appreciate, and that's just about everyone there is, right?