While it has a few issues that I hope can be fixed in potential updates, Dicey Dungeons is plain brilliant and a perfect fit on iOS. If you aren’t a fan of deckbuilders or don’t like any RNG, this might not be for you. If you enjoyed Slay the Spire, I think you will love Dicey Dungeons.

I haven't been this impressed with the evolution of a game of this nature since the original Metroid spawned the phenomenally brilliant Super Metroid.

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.

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.

In terms of replay value, the random nature of the encounters and the initial difficulty means there is plenty into which to sink your teeth, and even if there never is another card or class or land added, it's going to be a while until you've beaten the Lich and exhausted all of the possibilities in Meteorfall. For just a few bucks, it's a fun alternative to most mobile card games that still happens to use cards, and it's a clever enough tweak to your expectations that it will almost certainly make you smile a few times between cursing out your deaths.

A wonderful port-job, and newcomers and veterans alike will be able to enjoy it.

This game is a true mobile gaming classic and is a must-download.

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.

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.

A remarkable iPhone racing game. With licensed cars, control options that should make most people happy, and a very cool yet mostly superfluous driver profile and performance tracking system, Shift is a must-have for fans of the genre.

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.

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 fun, high quality physics puzzler with intuitive controls and a full level creation and online sharing system for only $1.99. We highly recommend it.

At $9.99 Raiders of the North Sea offers a really solid gameplay experience in a well put together package. I would say the primary audience for this app, like most board game apps, is the travelling board gamer who isn't interested in lugging their entire collection along with them. We need to see more board game apps like this one. Not just that prime target is satisfied, but also a wider array of folks with features like online play and a simple and easy to use interface. If you like board games that emphasize strategy over randomness or board games that feature vikings, or just worker placement games, this is a great one to pick up.

It's one of the most ambitious iPhone games I've played so far, and despite the questionable originality of the game I've really got to hand it to Gameloft for creating such an amazing iPhone experience.

Should you play Persona 5 Royal? Yes, of course you should. Should you play it on Switch? If you’re looking for the handheld experience or only have a Switch, absolutely. It’s a stellar port. If you’re playing on your TV there are probably better options in terms of visual fidelity, but this is a great way to enjoy one of the shining stars of the JRPG genre regardless of how you go about it.

If you are vaguely interested in a challenging rocket-paced racer with attractive and crafty level designs then you owe it to yourself to check out the break-neck paced racing and fresh visual design of Jet Car Stunts.

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

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.

Skulls of the Shogun is a terrific game. It's not reinventing the wheel, but it's a very stylish strategy game with enough content and bite to keep a solo player happy for a long time, and a great spread of multiplayer maps and options to satisfy those with a multiplayer urge

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.