Now that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have been released, now’s as good a time as any to check out some new games. Whether you have an older iPhone, iPad Pro, or even an iPod touch, these titles will provide hours of entertainment, from simple platformers to tricky puzzlers. Hopefully, a lot of titles in this list you haven’t tried yet. If you have, leave some recommendations down below for us to check out.
As a side note, many of these games are available for Android, too.
Hidden Folks
I grew up with Where’s Waldo, a series of books that challenged readers to find the titular character among a detailed scene, usually illustrated around a certain theme or era. Hidden Folks is a lot like Where’s Waldo, taking the hidden object idea and turning illustrations into sprawling, interactive scenes where players are challenged to find items, objects and animals. It’s a charming and entertaining game that should be enjoyed for its beautiful monochrome art and quirky sound effects. $3.99 [Download]
Monument Valley 2
The first Monument Valley took mobile by storm thanks to its vibrant visuals and brain-twisting optical illusions. Then the second game made a surprise debut at Apple’s WWDC conference this summer, and it’s everything fans wanted in the sequel. Puzzle games on iOS are a dime a dozen, but Monument Valley 2 stands tall by offering a deep, charming, and challenging experience. $4.99 [Download]
Super Mario Run
Nintendo has historically been pretty cold toward the mobile industry, but that all changed last year when the company released Super Mario Run. The title is similar to other mobile runners, but adds a level of charm and polish only Nintendo can pull off. Super Mario Run features a surprisingly deep experience—and if you’re just playing it now, know that it just got a big update full of new levels and mechanics. Free with in-app purchases [Download]
The Witness
Are you a patient person? If not, then The Witness isn’t the game for you. If you are patient, however, you’ll be rewarded with a game that’s beautiful, surprisingly moving, and deeply mysterious. This one has a very high learning curve, so it’s not something you can just pickup and play. But if you do, you’ll fall in love with the beautiful visuals and hard to master puzzles. $9.99 [Download]
Thimbleweed Park
If you missed the era of point-and-click adventure games, Thimbleweed Park is a fantastic introduction, as it was created by some of the genre’s greats, including Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick. The title tells the story of FBI agents sent to the small town of Thimbleweed Park to investigate a murder—and it’s up to the player to find out what really happened. Download it for the humor, stay for the tricky puzzles. $19.99 [Download]
Full Throttle Remastered
Mobile is the perfect platform to resurrect old classics, and Full Throttle Remastered works wonderfully on the iPhone. Originally released in 1995, the point-and-click adventure featured plenty of sarcastic humor, difficult puzzles, and memorable characters. It’s made all the better thanks to the updated graphics, improved controls, and wonderfully wild developer commentary. $4.99 [Download]
Day of the Tentacle
The third point-and-click adventure on this list is also the best. Day of the Tentacle really helped solidify the genre and cemented developer Tim Schafer as one of the industry’s great. It combines smart humor, slick puzzles, and a ridiculously charming story with plenty of fantastic voice acting. Games like Day of the Tentacle must be experienced to fully appreciate the point-and-click genre. $4.99 [Download]
LIMBO
LIMBO excels for its clever puzzles and dark visuals, using a noir color palette to convey a deeply unsettling mood. You’ll die a lot in LIMBO, but the puzzles are never so hard that you want to give up; it’s just the right amount of challenging. The game is gruesome, mysterious, but above all fun as hell to play. It’s easy to see why LIMBO is so universally beloved. $3.99 [Download]
Fallout Shelter
Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. Fallout Shelter is one of those games that’s deceptively addictive. One more minute, you tell yourself. Suddenly you check the clock and two hours have flown by. Fallout Shelter presents players with a simple concept—build and manage their fallout shelter—but it offers enough RPG elements that you’ll never get bored. Just don’t get sucked into the microtransactions (like me). Free with in-app purchases [Download]
Flower
One of the PlayStation 3’s best games only just became available for the iPhone this week, so get it while it’s hot. I know Flower doesn’t look like the most engrossing game around, but I assure you it’s a lot more engaging than it looks. Years after the game released, Flower remains an artistic experience that shouldn’t be missed. $4.99 [Download]
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