With the App Store constantly filling up with new games, it can sometimes feel like finding a good one amidst the scrum is an impossible task. But there are some really amazing experiences waiting for you on mobile, and it’d be a shame if you missed out on them due to the shear stress of discovery. So we’ve chosen what we think are the 12 best games that are currently available for iPhone and iPad. There’s something for everyone here, from casual players with an interest in narrative, to hardcore gamers who like their digital entertainment to punish them when they mess up. Awesome, creepy atmosphere. Perfect for touch screens. Premium Cons:.
We review and benchmark some of the best Mac games! Plus, this list. I got it from the Mac App Store, as it's the easiest way to get a game on your Mac. Purchase From: Steam| Mac App Store. A Good Match For: Fans of classic spy movies, people who like playing dress-up, meticulous folks who love hatching a plan. Not A Good Match For: People hoping for a good straight-up action or straight-up stealth game—Hitman has elements of both but is.
Fourth part in a series. Needs a top end phone or tablet The Room series is one of the mainstays of mobile gaming, partly because it’s so obviously designed from the ground-up for touchscreen.
The games all involve manipulating objects. You’re pulling switches, twisting levers, and turning keys. And it just feels right. This is the fourth game in the series, and while there is something to be said for playing the other three first, this is technically a standalone entry in the franchise. In the centre of this particular Room sits a creepy doll’s house, and it’s up to you to figure out its secrets. A little on the short side. Action gamers will find little to like Monument Valley 2 is simply one of those games that you have to play.
It’s all about moving through Escher-esque landscapes, twisting them and re-shaping them to get from A to B. And underneath all of that is a touching story that pulls you from level to level. No, it’s not the longest game in the world, but there’s so much crammed into its short run time that it’d be churlish to complain too much about its brevity. There’s more here than in the vast majority of other iOS games put together. The puzzles are tight, the experience is entertaining, but it’s the presentation that really sets Monument Valley 2 apart. Plenty of other games have tried to capture something similar, but none have come close to matching this work of mobile art.
Pros:. Great panel-switching gameplay. Tight story. Full of wonderful little moments Cons:. Not much replayability.
Jazz soundtrack won’t be to everyone’s taste Look, if Hideo Kojima says something is his favourite game of the year, you know it must be doing something right. Framed is a mystery thriller wrapped up in a high-speed chase and then delivered in comic book form. But it’s a comic book you can change. You need to slide the panels of the comic around in order to change what happens. In one scene you’re swapping ledges around so your hero can make his way along them without getting stopped by the guards or falling down a hole. Each digital page seems to have a new idea built into it, and there’s something really rewarding about finally seeing the protagonist sprint out of the last panel to safety. Framed is another one of those games that would only work on mobile, and it shows how far a good idea can get you in this world.
Pros:. The best puzzle game on mobile. Brilliantly designed.
Full of warmth and heart Cons:. There are numbers in it The game that so nearly ruled the world. Most people have heard of 2048 and the hundreds of other similar games on the App Store, but some of you won’t know that 2048 is essentially a knockoff of Threes. And everything that 2048 does, Threes does about a million times better. The game is all about connecting numbers together in multiples of three. You get 1s and 2s, and from there have to use your mind to slide blocks around and connect them up. Every time you make a move though, a new piece is added to the board.
It’s easy to get stuck to begin with, but then you’ll start to see the patterns. Where 2048 is drab and utilitarian, Threes is a brilliant blast of white light and endearing characters. Yeah, the numbers you’re joining together all have their own personalities and styles. Threes is an endearing and engaging puzzle game that deserved to rule the world, but since it didn’t get the chance, maybe you should just give it a play now. Iron Marines Pros:.
The mobile RTS finally done right. Full of great ideas. Massive single player campaign Cons:. Lacks multiplayer. The cartoon style isn’t to everyone’s tastes Ironhead Studios made the Kingdom Rush series, a brilliant collection of tower defence games that built the foundations for most of the genre. And then came Iron Marines, which took the lessons of the tower defence games and built them into an RTS. We know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking that an RTS is never going to work on mobile. Well, you’re wrong. Iron Marines is carefully built, each design decision fine-tuned to the strengths and weaknesses of touchscreen gaming. Every level sees new ideas coming to the fore, and each one of them is somehow better than the last.
This is a tough, relentless, but incredibly rewarding game that shows that with the correct care and attention, almost anything can work on touchscreen. Reigns: Game of Thrones Pros:. Fantastic value for money. Brimming with fan service.
Inventive take on Martin’s lore. Incredibly difficult Cons:. Occasional unclear wording.
Incredibly difficult After two successful versions of their ‘Tinder but for running a Monarchy’ franchise Reigns, developers Nerial took a spin at a licensed edition, with Reigns: Game of Thrones. This could have been a lazy tie-in and it would have still made a ton of money because of the Game of Thrones license, which makes it all the more impressive that Nerial have used the setting to experiment with multiple playable characters, new mechanics and a variety of other bits. Fans of the sprawling fantasy epic will get a kick out of it, but even if you don’t, there’s plenty here to sink your teeth into.
Oh, and it’s just £2.99. Wayward Souls Pros:. One of the best action roguelikes on any platform. A huge amount to do. Compulsively replayable Cons:. It’s really rather hard Think you’ve seen all that 2D dungeon crawlers have to offer?
Well, then you’ve clearly never played Wayward Souls. It’s a brilliant hack-and-slash adventure with roguelike tendencies that are only too happy to kill you if you’re not paying enough attention. Or if you are. Pick a character and then stomp through procedurally generated rooms filled with monsters, skeletons and plenty of other nightmares that you need to hack to pieces.
This is one game that doesn’t mess about, and that makes it really special. Wayward Souls doesn’t flinch when it comes to challenge, but there’s such a rich reward to be earned from every tough scrap, every bloody-nose the game gives you, that you’re going to welcome the sternness with open, if slightly-broken arms. Crashlands Pros:.
Massive survival done for mobile. Accessible to pretty much everyone. Funny as well Cons:. Might be a bit daunting for some There’s a touching story behind the creation of Crashlands which would fill up more space than we’ve got here. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’ve got the time though. But even without that secondary narrative, Crashlands would still deserve its place on this list.
It’s a game designed from the ground up for mobile devices that takes its cues from the likes of Don’t Starve. You’re building, crafting and fighting your way through an alien landscape that your broken spaceship has smashed into. Everything here is that little bit easier than it is in the ports of similar games that have made their way to the App Store. Don’t get us wrong, it’s still challenging, but all of the fiddly frustrations of the genre have been stripped away here, leaving that desperate push to survive to really shine through. Prune Pros:. Utterly mesmerising puzzling. Unlike anything else on the App Store.
Dazzling story Cons:. Might be a little too esoteric for some It’s hard to find the words to describe Prune, mainly because it feels like the language hasn’t quite been invented yet. It’s a heavy game with a bold story that also manages to be light and simple. Prune is really a masterstroke of mobile design. You control the whole thing with swipes, cutting up trees in order for them to grow into the sun.
Each slice creates new branches and allows new flowers to grow. You’ll probably finish the whole thing in a couple of hours, but as the narrative slowly and wordlessly reveals itself you’re going to be utterly gripped for those hours. So much so that you’re more than likely going to start playing all over again the second you reach the end. Florence Pros:. Wonderfully warm and compelling. Not like anything else you’ve played Cons:. Not much to do.
Pretty short In a world where so many games are about violence, it’s nice to find one that’s about love. Granted, Florence is also about the end of love, and plenty more besides, but it’s a charming and heartwarming experience all the same. It’s part visual novel, part gamebook, and part puzzler. Imagine something like a low budget indie rom-com film, but on your phone, and you’re about halfway there. You make the choices and perform the actions that push the story along though. This is a beautifully personal look at one woman’s first spark of love, and it’ll stay with you for weeks after in spite of its brief runtime.
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Built by the lead designer of Monument Valley, Florence is the perfect argument for quality against quantity. Lara Croft GO Pros:. The perfect distillation of Tomb Raider gameplay. Awesome DLC to play through once you’re finished Cons:. If you’re expecting proper tomb raiding you’ll be disappointed All of Square Enix’s Go games are pretty special.
They take the core elements of three of the publisher’s most famous franchises, and then turn those elements into super-smart puzzles while still hanging on to what makes the likes of Deus Ex and Hitman so excellent. But Lara Croft’s outing is almost certainly the best in the series. You’re still fighting monsters, pushing boulders and finding switches, but everything moves a single space at a time at the same time as you do. One thing the game doesn’t do away with is the sheer thrill that comes from exploring caverns and jungles, and every step you take feels like it’s one head-first straight into danger. And that’s definitely something to cherish. 80 Days Pros:.
The best adventure on the App Store. Plenty of replayability. A diverse cast of characters Cons:. Not one for you if you don’t like reading Gaming gives you new worlds to explore. 80 Days gives you a new world to circumnavigate in the titular allotted time. Well, it’s not a completely new world, it’s more like a steampunk reimagining of the Victorian era.
So giant trains, automata, workers revolutions, that sort of thing. You’re playing the valet to Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and it’s up to you to ensure that your round the world trip goes as smoothly as possible. You choose the directions, the destinations, and the mode of travel. It’s also you interacting with everyone you meet along the way.
This may seem like a pretty subjective category, and I'd like to preface this list by saying that it most definitely is. That being said, there are some games that are just empirically good — great graphics, fun to play, great story, whatever. And though some folks might have you believe that Macs aren't meant for gaming, there are actually a ton of awesome titles to choose from. I'll try and leave out games that you can play on iPhone and iPad unless the Mac is the best place to play 'em.
Here are the best games for Mac! Note: Make sure you double-check the system requirements for each game before you make a purchase. Firewatch, at its core, is a mystery game set in the Wyoming wilderness. You play as Henry, a man who decided to give the simpler life a try by joining a fire lookout team.
Set in 1989, you watch for smoke during an especially hot, dry summer, aided via radio by your supervisor, Delilah. However, something draws you out of your tower and into the woods, where you must explore the unknown wild, making choices that could make or break your relationship with Delilah. This is a gorgeous game, with a beautifully crafted open world, true-to-life characters, and a story that changes, depending on the choices you make throughout your story.
Cissy Jones from the first season of The Walking Dead plays Delilah, and Henry is portrayed by Rich Sommer of Mad Men fame. If you're looking for more than just a game — an experience — then Firewatch should be at the top of your to-play list. What starts as a simple game of watching for forest fires becomes a strange, twisty-turny, mystery-filled rabbit hole with new discoveries at every turn. It's like a book you just can't put down. $19.99 - XCOM 2.
Set 20 years after, XCOM 2 continues the turn-based tactics franchise in style, with much of the same gameplay that you love from the first one. You'll once again play as the Commander, who, until the beginning of the game, was in alien stasis following Earth's surrender to the aliens. Once rescued by Central Officer Bradford, you'll resurrect XCOM and go to town reclaiming Earth from the aliens, one turn at a time. If you love a good turn-based tactics game and you also love games like Halo or Mass Effect or even the first XCOM game for Mac, definitely check this one out. $49.99 - Life is Strange. This game may be a little old (like first generation Xbox old), but it's a classic and the fact that it's on the Mac is just wonderful.
It's 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire and the Sith are just wiping out Jedi left right and central. So, of course, you're the last hope of the Jedi and you have to lead your brothers and sisters in arms in a last stand of sorts against the ultimate evil. The cool part is you actually get to ultimately choose which side you want to be on, opting to conquer or save your fellow Jedi, using Force powers and sweet lightsaber moves all the way through.
You get to customize your character and they change as the game goes on, depending on the choices you make and your style of play (kinda like the Fable series). If you love an action-packed romp around the cosmos and, of course, Star Wars, then definitely download this right now. Keep in mind that it is an older game, but if you grew up with it like I did, it'll be a nostalgia-filled journey.
$9.99 - Limbo. In Limbo, you play as a nameless boy who's unsure of what happened to his sister, so you enter Limbo looking for her, A.K.A.
The 'edge of hell'. As the boy, you must journey through Limbo, as you encounter only a few other human characters who either attack you, run away, or are dead. You have to puzzle and platform your way to the end, and I'll be honest: It's rather unsettling.
Like, really unsettling. There isn't much for a soundtrack, aside from nature sounds and physical sounds of running, jumping, and hits and such. If you're like a dark, creepy game, with a very open ending that's been hotly debated, then definitely check out Limbo. It's unlike anything you've ever played and the lack of a real narrative really gives it its atmosphere. (Watch out for that damn spider BLECH). $9.99 - Braid.
Braid is very similar to one of the most popular games of all time. Get into the actual gameplay, and you'll be like, 'THIS IS JUST SUPER MARIO', but then you'll sit back, listen to the AMAZING soundtrack, notice the little detail in Tim's hair while it flows in the wind when he runs, enjoy the beautiful scenery and interesting-looking enemies, and you'll be like, 'SUPER WHO?' In all seriousness, Braid is a lovely little game and it really emphasizes Tim's motives for rescuing the princess without ever saying exactly what they are or what exactly his 'mistake' was. Gameplay is quite simple; it's a Mario-style platformer, and you have to collect puzzle pieces along the way and slowly build a large puzzle in each world. If you like platformers and love games with out-of-this-world soundtracks, then check out Braid. $9.99 - Thomas Was Alone. Believe it or not, playing a platformer as a faceless rectangle can actually be pretty fun.
Of course, the right elements have to be there, like a killer soundtrack and, simply put, absolutely lovely narration by British radio a TV presenter Danny Wallace. He tells the story of Thomas, a rectangle who is, you guessed it, alone. Thomas has to jump and slide his way through each level, entering a portal each time.
Basically, all you can do is move right, left, and jump as you platform along, solving puzzles, and don't forget — the game's called Thomas Was Alone. This get significantly more interesting than you might think at the beginning. Get ready to feel stuff for shapes.
Not even kidding. $8.99 - Doom 3. What's there to be said?
It's Doom — on the Mac. You're part of an elite marine division, sent to protect a Martian teleportation facility, and things are hunky dory until you're invaded by 100% evil aliens.
So, you're going to have to walk down hallway after hallway, mowing down demonic aliens that can only be described as 'WTF'. Doom is the classic first-person shooter and this 3D adventure only ups the ante, bringing you further into the world of monsters and insane weaponry. There's an online multiplayer element to this iteration, so replayability is definitely there. If you're into classic first-person shooters where gore and horror abound, then Doom 3 is your bag, baby. $9.99 - Gone Home. Gone Home is a story exploration game where you examine objects and open drawers and doors to discover clues. You've been away for a year and come home thinking your family will be there to greet you, only to discover that the house is empty and you have no idea why.
Things may seem kind of creepy at first, and you'll uncover your sister's journal, complete with narration, as well as other objects from your childhood and things left behind. You likely won't expect the ending and you'll definitely feel all the feels throughout your journey, so be prepared for a lot of reading and an almost cinematic experience. Gameplay is simple and barebones, but you like a good story exploration game, definitely check this one out, since it's pretty heavy on story. $19.99 - Sleeping Dogs. Crime never pays.
I mean it does in terms of the money that gangs make from drugs and what have you, but it all comes back to bite them in the ass sooner or later. In Sleeping Dogs, you get to do the biting, playing as Hong Kong cop, Wei Shen, who's a streetwise badass martial artist, straddling the law and playing both sides to take down the city's biggest Triad gang. If you enjoy open world games and have any love for the badassery of classic Hong Kong action movies, then Sleeping Dogs is right up your alley. You basically just get to go around kicking the crap out of criminals, while also playing the bad boy in some heavy undercover activity. You'll have to live and learn as the game goes on, while honing your skills to survive twists and turns that are matters of life and death. If you're up for an exciting action/adventure full of violence and intrigue, you got it. $29.99 - Darkest Dungeon.
Darkest Dungeon is a very involved roguelike dungeon crawl with fantastic art, and an interesting twist on the genre, centering on the stress of adventuring. If your characters' stress levels get too high, you're gonna have a bad time. You'll fight wave after wave of all sorts of ghouls in turn-based combat, simply trying to keep your party alive and calm. This game isn't just about defeating monsters, but about defeating your party's personal demons as well. You'll have to chill out at taverns to keep everyone's stress in check, camp to deliver pep talks, and save the characters you love from all-too meaningful permadeath.
Fans of Lovecraft will adore Darkest Dungeon for it's great horror and awesome hand-drawn art style that gives everything a gritty, visceral feel. If you like scary-ass RPGs, then check it out. $24.99 - Heroes of the Storm. Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA game in teams of five fantasy characters battle against one another for supremacy in a series of different game modes.
You'll have to destroy opposing team members, as well as their structures to gain points for your team and ultimately win the match. Many MOBA-style games have the same problem: one person can be a hero and win the game on their own, while screwing over the rest of their team. Not the case in Heroes of the Storm, where if one team member isn't up to snuff, the rest of the team feels it. One team, one dream!
Made by Blizzard, this is one of the best ARTS games around, with awesome characters, solid voice acting, great graphics, and necessary teamwork that doesn't make you want to drive your Magic Mouse through your 5K iMac screen. HotS is free to play, but you'll be stuck with the playable characters offered to you, which rotate every week. You can earn gold in the game, but to get anything decent will take a looooong time. Therefore, you can buy heroes, skins, and mounts in the game with USD. Otherwise, play for free and just enjoy.
Free, with in-app purchases - Portal 2. It doesn't matter which platform you're playing on, Portal 2 is hands-down one of the greatest video games of all time. It builds on the fun and weirdness of Portal from the Orange Box and throws you into a more fascinating story, with puzzles that never really feel like puzzles, since you're out of the testing chambers just trying to escape.
You once again play as Chell (the voiceless captive with the sweet boots and 'stubborn will to live') who is once again trying to escape the Facility, which she totally ruined years earlier. Wheatley, a personality core voiced by Stephen Merchant, revives Chell to escape the Facility with him, but all is not as it seems. This game is incredibly atmospheric, often creepy and weird, as well as gut-bustingly hilarious. You'll learn about the history of the ruined Facility, mainly from GLaDOS (in an unusual form) and voice recordings from Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson, voiced by the legend J.K. Simmons (the funniest part of the game).
Portal 2 also has a sweet multiplayer mode where you play as testing robots Peabody and Atlas, working with a partner to frustratingly solve testing chambers (you might lose friends over some of the more difficult levels). If you're at all into physics puzzles and hilarious, quirky games, then Portal 2 is not to be missed.
Hell, even if you don't like puzzle games, play it. You'll be a better person for it. You can even.
$19.99 - Rocket League. There really isn't much more to say except that's it's freakin' awesome. Think of a physics-based FIFA with wild and crazy vehicles and full-frontal multiplayer mayhem. And if those aren't enough hype buzzwords then imagine yourself as a small child, forced to play soccer in order to 'build character'. Now imagine that you're a child driving a monster truck around a massive enclosed arena, smacking giant balls around and flying and flipping around because physics. If you're kind of into multiplayer sports games, but prefer them with a side of absolutely wacky, then Rocket League is totally for you.
$19.99 - Undertale. Undertale is for those of you who are just sick and tired of having to murder innocent, repulsive monsters. If you've ever thought 'why can't I just talk to the monster instead', then you should play Undertale. In this indie RPG, you play as a child who has fallen into the Underground, which is a large, isolated region beneath the Earth's surface, separated by a magical barrier. Along the way, you'll meet monsters and have to face them in mini bullet hell combat, where you can choose to spare them instead of killing them. The choices you make affect the outcome of the game, including the story, dialogue, and the characters you meet, as you try and make your way back to the surface.
Undertale was released to excellent critical praise, garnering Game of the Year nods from multiple gaming publications. If you love a good top-down RPG, with fantasy elements and the ability to be a pacifist, then Undertale is great for feeling the feels or kicking some serious hiney.
$9.99 - Civilization V. I have Civ V on this list instead of VI, but might add VI when the bugs are ironed out. Sid Meier's Civilization V has you ruling the world from the dawn of man all the way into the space age, where you will wage wars and conquer nations in the pursuit of progress and total domination. You'll also discover new technologies, strike treaties, and all that other diplomatic stuff that world leaders do. There is a multiplayer mode, though it is restricted to a LAN.
If you're into amazing turn-based strategy games and love a good game of Risk, then Civ V is calling to you. $29.99 - Myst. Originally released in 1993, Myst was recently revamped for the Mac, so that you can explore the open world of Myst Island and its Ages in a gloriously rebuilt environment.
The world is completely interactive and you'll have to discover and solve puzzles in order to find books containing access to all of the Ages. The ending of the game changes depending on the choices you make, and you'll be torn between helping one of two brothers or their father, with your own fate entirely unknown until it's too late. Myst is an absolute classic and the graphics update puts a modern spin on it, bringing the Myst you grew up with into the 21st Century. If you love a classic puzzle game, a story filled with intrigue and twists, and open-world exploration games, then totally check out Myst. $17.99 - What do you play? What's your favorite game for the Mac? Any absolute essentials I may have missed?
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