The 26 Best Apple Arcade Games

Some of the best and most addictive mobile games are those that have a simple concept done very well and that’s exactly what Alto’s Adventure is. It’s essentially a snowboarding game where along your journey, you grind rooftops and leap over various structures while trying to stay on your board. The real treat here is the incredible art style and music that goes on while you play. The game has also been remastered for Apple Arcade and if you’ve already reached a certain level, you can carry your progress over.

Asphalt 8 is an app store classic, so playing Airborne+ should be a no-brainer. The game uses real car models and fairly realistic graphics (especially for a mobile game) but lets you use them in a way that would have to be death-defying in real life. Like a Burnout or a Wreckfest, Asphalt 8: Airborne+ encourages gamers to take their opponents out to get to the finish line first. You can also play with your friends or in a group of a dozen online, which makes this a must-play mobile multiplayer selection among the best Apple Arcade games.

Casual games where you perform tasks that might be mundane in real life but are therapeutic through a screen have become very popular over the years and Assemble With Care is one of the best games in that genre. You play as Maria who restores antiques for the locals of a small town. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to take the steps to fix any given item, but the items also mean a great deal to their owners. The game’s soothing color palette is the perfect finishing touch.

As we mentioned, mobile gaming has come a hell of a long way. Playing a fully-fledged RPG was unthinkable initially but now it’s the norm. Cat Quest II takes advantage of that fact to give gamers an insight into an open world inhabited purely by cats and dogs. You can either switch between a cat and a dog or get a friend to join and make it a co-op adventure. This feline-themed action RPG is a cute and deeper-than-expected adventure for those seeking the best Apple Arcade games.

The original Crossy Road was essentially an updated, chicken-centric remake of Frogger but Crossy Road Castle takes things up to a whole new level. Instead of crossing a road, now you’re tasked with traversing a never-ending tower and seeing how high you can get, before trying to beat that score all over again. What’s great here is you can play with up to three friends too.

Developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire, Dead Cells+ is a game that might seem tricky just based on its art style, darker tone, and messier display, but it’s easy to get the hang of once you leap. It’s a "Roguevania" that has a real feel of difficulty to it and is genuinely a challenge to get through, which is sometimes missing from many mobile games. The levels are procedurally generated, which means that they change a little every time you die. This side-scroller is amazing on consoles and it's equally great on mobile, which is why it's an essential pick on our list of the best Apple Arcade games.

Disney Melee Mania does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. The game boasts a colorful cast of characters from your favorite franchises, like Buzz Lightyear, Frozone, Mickey Mouse, Elsa, and more. This one sees them and the likes of them battling it out in teams of three until a winner is crowned and it’s a lot of fun for the whole family.

The sequel to Enter the Gungeon switches things up a little, trading in the top-down view to becoming a 2D dungeon climber that can get chaotic at times, but those are the runs that you remember the most. With your gun changing every few minutes, it’s difficult to learn runs and perfect each level, but that challenge is the heart of the fun.

If the name Hironobu Sakaguchi means anything to you, then you know that Fantasian is a must-play. Sakaguchi is the original creator of the legendary Final Fantasy series and this offering from his studio Mistwalker will appeal to fans too because it’s a turn-based Japanese RPG. There’s a great story, a great combat system, and great graphics here to keep you hooked at every turn. Playing this through will blow your mind at how far mobile gaming has come.

Horizon Chase 2 brings arcade racing fun across dozens of racing tracks in various countries and cars that you can customize both cosmetically and in terms of their statistics. The gameplay feels intense and the sense of speed comes through, which is something even some of the best sim racing games lack.

Human Fall Flat+ is a game that sees you control a character that functions sort of like a drunk toddler. You can run, jump, and grab with each arm and these are the mechanics that will get you through all of the levels. Getting to the end of each level involves tricky parkour across strange structures, solving puzzles that involve electrical wires, and getting across bodies of water, which is all simple on paper but harder when your character can only move so swiftly. The high levels of humor this game delivers and its trippy physics make it an essential go-to on this list of the best Apple Arcade games.

The usual LEGO games that people know are their versions of massive franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, and Indiana Jones, to name just a few. But this Builder’s Journey game for Apple Arcade is a completely different kind of experience from those games. This is all about solving puzzles and is backed by a touching story of a father and a son trying to make their way through the world.

Dinosaur Polo Club has done what few manage to do in making a focused game about road infrastructure management incredibly addicting and engaging. As traffic begins piling up and the roads expand, the intensity genuinely does increase until you fail and it’s time to start all over again.

If you’ve played the Monster Hunter games and so you think you’ll know just what to expect here, you might want to think again. Monster Hunter Stories+ is a Pokémon-esque game about taming monsters and raising them to fight by your side. The game was initially released on the DS but this Apple Arcade version brings all of the fun over to your mobile screen.

NUTS – A Surveillance Mystery is a game that allows for a peaceful escape from the monotony of the real world. This game is all about unlocking a squirrel-based mystery in "Melmoth Forest," all through the tracking and recording of squirrels. Here, you’re given a particular mission and it’s up to you how you go about it, making for an experience that will capture you for hours at a time.

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm puts you in the world of "Gaia," which feels sort of like a world inspired by Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact, and other games of the sort. Don’t worry about not having played the first game, because this one is set 1,000 years before it. With this Apple Arcade game, you’ll go on quests, fight battles, and solve puzzles to try to save the world from its demise.

For those who like to use their imagination and creative skills the most with gaming, Pocket Build+ allows players to craft an entire island, if that’s what they please. It’s a sandbox game that puts no pressure or confinements on you to stick to a story, pay attention to lore, or die over and over again in battles to figure out a strategy. Just kick back and build to your heart’s desire.

Since its first release in the mid-1990s, Rayman has been an underrated protagonist in gaming, boasting some of the best and most nostalgic games of that era. With Rayman Mini, you can bring all of that old-school fun to your phone screen and fingertips. This game sees Rayman shrink down to the size of an ant, which only makes the adventure that much bigger. There are dozens of levels to work through here.

Really Bad Chess+ isn’t necessarily bad chess, just chess with a twist on the rules. Instead of the usual pieces, players are given one king and 15 other pieces are selected based on the player’s skill level. These shake the rules up and open up a whole new world of possibility for players who like chess but want something different or players who are new to chess in its entirety.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a bit of an Apple Arcade classic. It’s such a unique offering that some have described it as an album in game form and you’ll have to give it a good try to truly understand what that means. Just like a good album, the experience can fly by but is also arguably even better on replays.

Developed by Agens and Room 8, Skate City is probably not only the best skating game on Apple Arcade but the best skating game that you can play on a mobile device, period. The game is just as much about pulling off the best tricks as it is about relaxing and checking out Barcelona, L.A., and Oslo.

A good zombie game is good by any standards and Survival Z fits the mark. The game is classic survival, putting you up against an army of enemies with the task of stopping them at any cost. The gameplay also involves making strategic decisions when it comes to setting up traps and upgrading equipment.

The Oregon Trail is the remake of the classic strategy game, modernizing it for today in a way that even fans of the original should be able to appreciate and enjoy.

Golf games have a head start on smaller devices like mobiles because they don’t require massive screens or great specs to enjoy. A game like WHAT THE GOLF? takes advantage of that fact and spins the concept on his head, offering something like a Really Bad Chess+ for the sport. The game questions the limits of what a golf game actually consists of and sometimes the only similarities to a standard game are putting a golf ball in a hole, with everything else liable to wacky change.

The only limitation of a game like Wonderbox is your imagination. Here, as long as you’re letting your creativity flow, you’re doing things right. On top of that, the game gives you the freedom to create your hero and become whatever you want to be, whether that’s an explorer, fighter, or archaeologist.

Dr. Robotnik's wicked dreams have turned from a fantasy into a reality in this mobile 3D platformer that stars Sonic the Hedgehog and the rest of the fast & furry gang. Sonic Dream Team features the franchise's signature mixture of a bright & bubbly visual style, fast-paced running segments, tricky platforming sequences, and a slew of challenging boss fights. It's quite a shock to learn that one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games to come out in recent memory happens to be an Apple Arcade exclusive.