Eight Recommended Apple Arcade Games for iPhone or iPad Users

Apple Arcade, Apple’s subscription gaming service, has been a popular choice for gamers due to its extensive library of ad-free and in-app purchase-free games. In 2023, the service added several notable titles, making it an excellent time for new users to explore its offerings. Here are eight recommended Apple Arcade games for iPhone or iPad users.

1. Knotwords:
Created by Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger, Knotwords is a puzzle game that combines the structure of a classic crossword puzzle with the guessing element of Wordle. Players are presented with a grid that looks like a crossword, but instead of clues, they are given letters that can only be placed in certain squares. The goal is to figure out the words that fill up the puzzle. Knotwords offers a vast number of puzzles, including daily ones, making it a perfect companion for your morning coffee.

2. Downwell:
Downwell, which debuted in 2015, is a unique platformer that asks players to move down instead of forward. Players control an unlucky pixel art character who is perpetually falling down a well full of platforms and enemies. They can use a pair of boots with guns on them to kill bad guys and slow their descent. Downwell is known for its dark, weird, and challenging gameplay, making it hard to put down once you get into it.

3. Japanese Rural Life Adventure:
Japanese Rural Life Adventure is a laid-back experience that lets players unplug without putting down their phone. It’s a farming/life sim game in the mold of Harvest Moon, but streamlined for smartphones. Players start by rebuilding their derelict home in a small Japanese village and eventually help rebuild the entire town. There’s fishing, farming, festivals, and even bathing.

4. Stardew Valley:
Stardew Valley, the mega-hit farming/life sim game, is now available on Apple Arcade. Players can farm, fish, mine, and build relationships with NPCs at their own pace. The game originally debuted on PC but is a great fit for playing on the go, allowing players to water their crops or woo their crushes in short bursts.

5. Hello Kitty Island Adventure:
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a mashup of Animal Crossing and the iconic Sanrio characters. Players can make friends, customize a home, and explore a cute island. The game has been updated with new content and events tied to specific holidays, giving players reasons to come back regularly. Plus, they can turn into a mermaid.

6. Ridiculous Fishing EX:
Ridiculous Fishing, which originally debuted in 2013, returned this year with a remastered version. The core gameplay remains the same: players use increasingly devious tools to plunge down into the depths of the ocean, gather fish, and then fling them into the air and shoot them. The new edition features updated visuals and a few other tweaks, including an in-universe version of TikTok solely about fish.

7. Sonic Dream Team:
Sonic Dream Team is a departure from the traditional Sonic games but a welcome change of pace. It’s a mashup of Sonic Adventure and Tony Hawk Pro Skater, with levels full of ramps, half pipes, and rails. Players are given different tasks in each mission, such as racing to the end as quickly as possible or figuring out how to reach every nook and cranny of the level to find hidden items. The stages are bite-sized, and the controls are simple, making it perfect for short gaming sessions on the go.

8. Puzzle & Dragons Story:
The Puzzle & Dragons series, which has been around for a while, offers a nice mix of match-3 and RPG gameplay. Imagine Bejeweled, but with monsters inside a dungeon. The Apple Arcade version adds more story elements but, more importantly, removes the real-money microtransactions. The game has a Pokémon-like vibe, as players collect monsters to create the ideal team, but without the need to spend cash on a virtual gacha machine.