The 5 Best Games in Apple Arcade (2022)

Mar 23, 2022

With the impressive performance and yearly improvement of iPhones, iPads, and iPods, mobile gaming is getting better and better. Apple's release of Apple Arcade in 2019 came with even more reason to take gaming on the go. While at first, the game selection on Apple Arcade was sparse, in just over two years, Apple Arcade has continued to build out its selection to over 180 games for 4.99$ a month.

What I love about Apple Arcade is that the subscription is all-inclusive. There are no hidden, in-game purchases, or fees. Players get all access to all the games and all their content. As an active mobile gamer, I know with mobile gaming, it can be easy to spend 4.99$ on one gem pack or a few extra lives, but Apple Arcade avoids that money spending trap for its players.

If you are a mobile gamer, consider giving Apple Arcade a go and playing some of the 180 games it has to offer. Whether you love Apple Arcade or have never played any Apple Arcade games, if you are a fan of mobile gaming, Apple Arcade has a game for every type of gamer out there. If you are looking for a new game on mobile, try one, or all, of the 5 best games on Apple Arcade.

iPhone

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Gameplay

Okay, RPG fans, this one is for you. Oceanhorn 2 is an immersive, mobile RPG and adventure game with interesting cut-scenes, a well-written backstory, and fun quests. I knew I would like Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, because I tend to love RPGs, especially when they fit in my pocket and I can pull them out and play whenever I want. Most mobile RPGs are underestimated, but this one received a lot of love from mobile gamers, and for good reason.

Players, in the role of a knight, explore the world of Gaia, fight bad guys and monsters, go head to head with a warlock and dark army, and solve puzzles. There are a lot of small side quests that add to the gameplay, bad guys scattered throughout the land of Gaia, and extremely easy controls. Oceanhorn 2 is by far one of the best RPGs in Apple Arcade that I've played this far.

Weapon types

Shield of chronos
Trencher boots
Astroblade
Caster gun
Bombs
Grappling hook

Cons

As you get further into the game, gameplay in Oceanhorn when it comes to some of the weaker bad guys is a bit unrealistic. Battle can be a bit difficult with some of the weaker bad guys. The difference in difficulty between the smaller bad guys and bosses don't always feel to scale.

Developed by

Cornfox & Brothers Ltd.

Platform(s)

iPhone and iPod- iOS 13.0 or later
iPad- iPadOS 13.0 or later
Apple TV- tvOS 13.0 or later
Nintendo Switch
PC

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Gameplay

I've never watched the popular Simon, the animated series that all the Simon games are based on, so I didn't pick up this game for a while, thinking I would be missing some necessary context that would allow me to fully enjoy the game. I found that, though there are probably some Simon inside jokes I'm missing, not watching the show didn't stop me from enjoying the game. As a proud cat-mom, I appreciate cat-centric storytelling, art, and puzzle making.

Simon's Cat is a wholesome, story-propelled level-based puzzle game where Simon, Cat, and Kitten (cat's loyal sidekick) start by attempting to revamp their garden after a long winter. Each addition to the garden costs stars, which are earned by playing levels and solving puzzles. Just as Simon is almost done with his personal garden, he finds out a big building project is happening right behind them at the old park. So, they take on the job of fixing it up with all the local neighbors, and players beat levels to earn stars. As players make changes, they get to customize it to their taste, and it's tons of fun to watch Cat clumsily destroy things along the way.

Simon's Cat games

Simon's Cat- Crunch Time
Simon's Cat- Pop Time
Simon's Cat Dash
Simon's Cat- Story Time

Cons

My only complaint about Simon's Cat- Story Time would be that sometimes the places that bombs or other boosters tend to appear in the puzzles are completely unhelpful to the puzzle given.

Developed by

Tactile Games Limited

Platform(s)

iPhone and iPod- iOS 13.0 or later
iPad- iPadOS 13.0 or later
Apple TV- tvOS 13.0 or later
Mac- MacOS 11.0 or later
Bluestacks

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Gameplay

As a big fan of platform games, I knew I would love Crossy Road Castle at first sight, but I really, really love Crossy Road Castle. Crossy Road Castle's colorful, cheery, cutesy art and characters are impossible not to love. I never get bored because no runs are repeated, each castle looks unique to the last, and there are adorable, collectible characters. While Crossy Road Castle isn't number one in this list, it certainly is the cutest game out of the bunch.

Crossy Road Castle is an endless 2D co-op platform arcade game with castle after castle after castle. Each castle is full of unique, complicated runs for Crossy Chicken and her friends to explore and survive. The goal is to get as high up as possible in each castle with the three hearts, or lives, players are given while collecting all of the coins spread throughout each run. Each castle, after the first of course, has requirements to unlock them and enjoy the runs it has to offer. It's addictive, tons of fun, and definitely staying on my home screen.

Secret characters

Hipster Whale
Gifty
Crab
Drop Bear
Cai Shen
Andy Sum
Ben Weatherall
Matt Hall
Phone Box
Nessy
Leprechaun
Big Fancy Pig

Cons

The only downside to Crossy Road Castle would be the access to characters. Though the game has tons of "secret characters" to collect, I do think more playable characters should be available earlier in the game.

Developed by

Hipster Whale

Platform(s)

iPhone and iPod- iOS 13.0 or later
iPad- iPadOS 13.0 or later
Apple TV- tvOS 13.0 or later

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Gameplay

I tried my hardest to only include one cat-centric game in this list, but this game simply had to be included in the top 5 best games on Apple Arcade, but Cat Quest II is hands down the best RPG on Apple Arcade. I started playing Cat Quest II with the intention of enjoying some cat cuteness, but I wasn't expecting the gameplay to be as fun and in-depth as it is. The bosses are the real deal, the story is adorable, and there is a lot of punny dialogue that never gets old.

Cat Quest II is a 2D open-world action RPG where players get to play, or alternate between, two kings (one dog, one cat), in a fantasy world where they are both kings who've been overthrown by war and bad guys. The two kings ban together to go on quests and gain control of their land again, explore their kingdoms, help their people, explore dungeons, and beat the bad guys. Cat Quest II has a well-written story, loveable characters, and everything else an open-world RPG should have, mobile or not.

Fun features

Punny dialogue and cat or dog-centric jokes
The ability to play story-mode if players are wanting easier gameplay
The ability to easily switch between cat and dog kings mid-gameplay
The ability to play co-op

Cons

The controls and gameplay felt a bit awkward to me when I first started playing, but that was easily fixed after running my first dungeon and fighting my first boss. It can be easy to run into spikes as you get used to the controls.

Developed by

The Gentlebros.

Platform(s)

iPhone and iPod- iOS 13.0 or later
iPad- iPadOS 13.0 or later
Apple TV- tvOS 13.0 or later
Mac- MacOS 11.0 or later
PC
Bluestacks
Playstation 4
Nintendo Switch

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Gameplay

Sneaky Sasquatch is a 2D adventure game where players get to live the life of an outcasted sasquatch who lives on the outskirts of a park and campground next to his bear and raccoon friends. The main goal of the game is to steal food from coolers, picnic baskets, campers, and even straight off the grill while avoiding the rangers who are out to kick you off the premises. Though the Sneaky Sasquatch is a hungry bigfoot, the food he steals from campers is also the way he makes money and feeds his bear friend.

If you told me a few months ago that my favorite game on Apple Arcade would be a game about a hungry, sleepy, food-thieving sasquatch, I wouldn't have believed you. As someone who tends to play RPGs, runners, and puzzle games on mobile, I didn't expect to fall head over heels for this fridge-raiding bigfoot. Sneaky Sasquatch might not my typical go-to, but I finally understand the enthusiasm behind it and I'm obsessed. This game is incredibly addictive, silly, and great for people of all age groups.

Sasquatch shenanigans

Fish
Cook/grill
Golf
Ski
Surf
Waterski
Adventure the nearby cave
Wear disguises
Find treasure
Race a competitive rabbit
Get a variety of jobs

Cons

Some of the adventures could be a little more in-depth. For example, there's a cave that players can explore, where the sasquatch digs up treasure and collects some Halloween candy. As someone who loves to play Diablo and Elder Scrolls, I am a big fan of these spooky, underground adventures. For me, more of these types of adventures sprinkled throughout the game, and in a more in-depth way, would've made it that much more fun.

Developed by

RAC7 Games

Platform(s)

iPhone and iPod- iOS 13.0 or later
iPad- iPadOS 13.0 or later
Apple TV- tvOS 13.0 or later

NEXT UP

Christina (139)

Aug 2, 2022

Apple Arcade only just came out in 2019, so building up an extensive catalog of good mobile games, the kind of mobile games that gamers love and are loyal to, took time.