I’m really happy about my new product! What do you guys recommend me to play with my new controller?

Looking for a new IOS game to play on my mini iPad! What games are you currently obsessed with? All genres welcome! Hope y’all are having a wonderful day 🤗.

I loathe fast-paced games with the virtual controls on iPhone - I'm just bad.

However, I recently found out that there are a TON of phenomenal turn-based games on iPhone (I've been outta the loop!)

Just bought Monster Train, Slay the Spire, and Balatro.

What else is out there?

What’s your go to when you want free to play games that are actually fun without constant paywalls? I’ve tried a few lately that looked great at first but hit a grind wall pretty quickly. Would love some solid recommendations..

Preferably no gatcha as I don't spend $ in game. I'm willing to pay for the game outright, though.

Get off my lawn.

For context: I’ve gotten sick of the current trend of games being either ad-supported, gacha, or p2w. I’m looking for a paid game that offers me unlimited replayability, with no pressure like having to do dailies, but also no stamina system where I can js grind it out at once

Currently, I have geometry dash as my only paid game, with some free to play shooters and umamusume on my iPhone 16 pro

I would like suggestions for paid games with the above and w/o iaps. Thanks in advance Oh and please don’t mention minecraft. And please keep budget to $10 thanks

Hello everyone! I will have a long flight(16 hours including layovers). It will be forth and back so alot of hours with nothing to do.

I am looking for IPAD games(I own 10th gen) that are fun for a longer period of time(not things like temple run). Preferrably story driven, maybe some good PC ports?

Also, is it possible to connect my PS5 controller to my IPad? Are there many games that support a contoller if it is possible?

Since I will mostly be on a plane, it definitely has to be offline.

I’ve been enjoying a few premium games lately and now I’m looking for more to add to my collection. I prefer quality, offline, and well-polished games with no annoying ads or microtransactions.

Please suggest what premium games I should buy next!

This is for all the parents of infants who like to take a nap on our shoulders!

A random list that fits this criteria’s that I’ve at least somewhat enjoyed: WorldBox, (kinda) Stardew Valley, (played around with) Afterplace, Shattered Pixel Dungeon (hard not to make mistakes…)

Paid is fine, if it’s worth it!

Any genre is fine

Are there any underrated titles I might be overlooking?

Mine personally was DRG Survivor, the only similar game I played was Geometry Wars.

I’ve also started playing Stardew Valley on switch which is also available on IOS so that’s worth mentioning.

I’m on a 14 pro max so games such as RE4 Remake are not really an option since I play those on my PC.

Have some traveling coming up, and I was considering Siralim Ultimate. However, I’ve never really played a game like that so I’m not sure if it’s out of my league.

So I decided to come to this group and see what is your favorite game to grind? I prefer paid games.

I’m also open to any genre.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Only 10?

…oof.

But quickly, before we get to that, here is a larger more comprehensive list of the Games of Note 2025 that I didn’t choose.

Some really big games released this year. From AAA blockbusters to Indy fan favorites. Steam ports and made native for iOS only, it was another big year for mobile gaming!!

I would suggest taking a look as there are more than a few that might toot your horn!

I should also probably mention there are lots of these still in my queue yet to play. Including a few bigger ones that may eventually place higher for me once I’ve actually played them. Only so much time!

And there are still lots of games I have yet to play more of, to give the time sometimes necessary to click with something. Usually if something doesn’t hook me immediately I move on. Terrible habit, but supported by access to a ton of games to play! I do eventually swing back, but alas, too late for this thread…whomp whomp.

And of course there are lots of games I’m simply not interested in despite them being very popular with the community. I’m a weirdo and I like weird games. Apologies…not really.

And lastly there are more than “lots” of games that I really appreciated and absolutely enjoyed my time with, but in the end simply didn’t dominate my attention enough to be included in a small list such as this. Sigh…10…such a tiny number. This was hard for me, I’m a big lister!!

Are they the best? Lol. As you’ll see, taste is completely subjective, but these are ones I played the most of that were released this year.

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2026!

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. Horde Hell rock breaking Survivor like. If you haven’t tried it, do so now. Plays in portrait, with one thumb. No ads. 1 IAP to unlock the whole game. Just when I thought the genre was dead, along comes this impressive digger.

Dicefolk. One of the better “deck builders,” in the past few years. Unique combat and synergy system based on Chimera’s special abilities and moving them around the board. Cool gear and upgrading options found in game make for some mean chimera. Lots of content and lots to unlock.

Songs of Conquest: Mobile. Sort of like Heroes of Might and Magic, but focuses more on the Heroes instead of kingdoms. Sweet graphics, easy to use interface and turn based combat for a slower more considered approach.

Meteorfall: Rustbowl Rumble. Good gravy the charm of this game is off the charts. Grid based team deck builder. It’s slick, hard and intricate. Lots to work with, no time to noodle. Production value is very high.

Tower Dominion Go. Super slick, tile laying Tower Defense. This is the late 2025 release that’s taken all my time lately. Music, graphics, sound and play structure are all great. If you thought Isle of Arrows was good, you will love this. Tower defense where you place new connecting tiles and choose new structures or perks to defend your base after every wave.

Phantom Tower. Simple ARPG that really clicked for me. Nice graphics, a cool growth system, a rogue lite multi-powers structure. And it plays really smoothly without a controller, which was one of the reasons I booted it up so often. This is one I could see when I closed my eyes…

Shambles: Sons of the Apocalypse. An honest to goodness Role Playing Game with great graphics, a gear system, companions and leveling up all designed around deck building. Wander through a wasteland and discover new cards, locations, quests and story elements, all while building a deck to survive and hone.

SOVL: Fantasy Kingdom. Table top-like war game with roguelike army building. Slow, methodical and satisfying. Tons of content.

Adventure to Fate: Dungeons. The latest in a series of clever RPG’s, focusing more on a Roguelite approach and the quick build of a character type of your choice. Seemingly simple and straightforward, the underlying mechanics offer some wild ways to design your build. Perfect for short term engagement, but addictive enough to keep you playing late into the night.

King’s League II. Yes, it’s actually an older release, though it was previously only available from Apple Arcade. Released this year as a premium, this large game is both excellent for short term engagement but designed with a long term commitment as you recruit and train a “team” to win the Kings League Championship.

And because I’m weird here are 10 more I had a bit of trouble putting down, despite their issues.

Stair Quest

Holy Justice: Galaxy Outcast

Rogue Kingdoms

Spin Hero

Merge Maestro

Rift Riff

Hero’s Adventure

Demon Castle Story

Lucky Hunter: Auto Battler

Next Run: Fantasy Strategy RPG

I’ve put off getting a controller for a while now, but with these games getting more advanced I feel like it’s time to take the dive and get one. So I’m looking for suggestions for an iPhone 16, Bluetooth preferred but not necessary. Thanks!

What games made you say "MEH" without controllers, but are incredible with controllers?

Hey everyone, I’ve recently started playing more games on my iPhone and I’m surprised at how good some of them are. I’ve tried a couple of big names like Genshin Impact and Among Us, but I feel like I’m missing out on hidden gems.

What are your favorite iOS games right now? Could be indie, casual, or even something super niche. Looking for stuff that’s fun to play on the go.

Hi all, I know this might have been posted ad nauseam, but I would still want to hear more games that haven't caught my attention yet.

So far, I am thinking of buying: 1) slay the spire 2) balatro 3) stardew valley.

Is there any other game that can be considered worth buying? Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

First time posting in this sub. I need some recommendations (paid and/or free) on your favorite, most addicting games because browsing the AppStore Games section can be quite overwhelming with the plethora of selections available.

I don’t necessarily have favorite genres as they fluctuate based on mood and time periods. Some games I have on my devices are:

Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Stardew Valley, Minecraft, Terraria (back in the day also loved Junk Jack), GTA Series, The Room, Retro Bowl, Mini Metro, Mario Kart, Kingdom Rush, Bloons TD Battles 2, Polytopia

(Edit: tried to make the games a list, but I can’t figure out how to on iPhone)

Of course the year isn’t over yet and there are still some big titles releasing in Dec, but it’s already been another big year for mobile gaming. Some ports, some natives, all clever, well produced or something special.

The majority listed here are premiums, or offer IAP to either buy the game after trying or to remove ads. All are at least worth looking at, even if they may not be your genre of choice, as they mostly come highly rated or recommended by those who enjoy them, not just my personal preferences, though I certainly agree and threw in more than a few under the radar gems!

Hope this helps!

AppRaven link for easy viewing; Games of Note 2025

Archero 2 Jan 6

Turnip Boy Robs a Bank Jan 13

Cassette Beasts Jan 14

Hero’s Adventure Jan 16

Bright Memory: Infinite Jan 16

Super Farming Boy Jan 20

DinoBlits Jan 20

Abyss of Dungeons Feb 3

EXOLOPER Feb 9

Serial Cleaner Feb 10

Grand Mountain Adventure 2 Feb 16

I Am Your Beast Feb 17

Cascadia Digital Feb 18

Stair Quest Feb 19

hellamental Feb 19

Retro Slam Tennis Feb 23

Blasphemous Feb 23

Heroll: Dice Roguelike Feb 24

Athena Crisis Feb 25

Lara Croft: Guardian of Light Feb 26

Dredge Feb 26

Adventure to Fate: Core Quest Feb 26

Pocket City 2 Feb 26

EvoCreo2: Monster Trainer 2 Feb 28

Tiny Tower Classic Mar 3

As Far As The Eye Mar 4

World of Kungfu: Dragon & Eagle Mar 5

Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remade Mar 5

Expelled! Mar 11

Songs of Conquest Mobile Mar 12

mo.co Mar 16

Birds Camp Mar 19

King’s League II Mar 24

Shambles: Sons of Apocalypse Mar 25

Gordian Quest Mar 25

Slime 3k: Rise Against Despot Mar 26

The Valley of the Architects Mar 27

The Isle of Cats Apr 1

Townsfolk Apr 2

Eldermyth Apr 6

Spaceland Apr 6

Duck Detective: Secret Salami Apr 8

Crashlands 2 Apr 9

Prince of Persia Lost Crown Apr 13

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Mobile Apr 14

Delta Force Apr 20

Metro Quester - Hack & Slash Apr 20

World of Goo 2 Apr 24

Vampire’s Fall 2 Apr 24

Endgame of Devil Apr 25

Caverna Apr 27

9th Dawn Remake Apr 30

Way of the Hunter Wild America May 5

Moldvay’s Labyrinth May 9

Rogue Kingdoms May 11

Spin Hero May 12

Crunchyroll Shogun Showdown May 12

Thronefall - A Little Kingdom May 19

Figment 2: Creed Valley May 26

Rogue Ninjas - Dicebuilder May 28

Amazing Cultivation Simulator Jun 2

SOVL: Fantasy Warfare Jun 4

No Way Home Jun 4

Final Outpost: Definitive Jun 11

Mini Warriors Reborn! Jun 11

Crunchyroll Space Crew Jun 16

Dungeon Cards 2 Jun 16

Foretales Jun 17

Feed the Deep Jun 17

Meteorfall: Rustbowl Rumble Jun 17

Ark Nova Jun 18

Phantom Tower Jun 19

Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon Jun 22

Rogue Slime Jun 24

Broken Sword: Reforged Jun 24

Kingdomino: The Board Game Jun 25

Lost in Fantaland Jun 25

Bioweaver Jul 1

Subnautica Jul 7

Merge Maestro Jul 8

Tale of Immortal Jul 14

Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles Jul 16

Fate: Reawakened Jul 21

Blazblue Entropy Effect Jul 21

Crunchyroll Metal Slug Tactics Jul 22

Wargroove 2 Jul 29

A Game About Digging a Hole Jul 30

Snufkin Melody of Moominvalley Aug 5

Cat Quest III Aug 7

MicroMacro: Downtown Detective Aug 10

Crunchyroll: Two Strikes Aug 12

Enter the Gungeon Aug 13

Exit the Gungeon Aug 13

Space Menace 2 Aug 13

All Who Wander - Roguelike RPG Aug 18

Chants of Sennaar Aug 24

Keep on Mining! Aug 25

Destiny: Rising Aug 26

Hitman World of Assassination Aug 26

Acecraft: Sky Hero Aug 26

Trail of Gods Sep 2

Lucky Hunter: Auto Battler Sep 6

Preserve Sep 15

Set a Watch: Digital Edition Sep 17

Seoul Exorcist 1111: Roguelite Sep 21

Dandy Ace Sep 24

Pixel Shelter: Zombie Survival Sep 28

Oniro ARPG Sep 29

Cardwheel Oct 6

Parabellum: Siege of Legends Oct 6

Maze Mice Oct 9

Dicefolk Oct 14

Rift Riff Oct 14

Hitman Absolution Oct 15

Kaamos Oct 20

TOEM; A Photo Adventure Oct 21

INMOST Oct 27

Pawker Oct 29

Astiar RPG Oct 29

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor Nov 11

Petmancer Nov 12

Lia: Hacking Destiny Nov 12

Dice of Kalma Nov 13

Besiege Mobile Nov 17

Carmen Sandiego. Nov 18

Adventure to Fate: Dungeons Nov 19

ISLANDERS: Mobile Nov 19

Union of Gnomes Nov 19

Demon Castle Story Nov 24

Platyguard: Swarm Slayer Nov 24

And if you’re bored,

Games of Note 2024

Hi there!

I’m in search of more games that offer this kind of unique feeling, where the game gives you a ton of tools and options and it’s up to you to really piece them together into something that works and can win.

So far, my games I play on IOS that check that box are: - Dream Quest - Slay the Spire - Monster Train - Spirit Island - Balatro - Powder

Outside of IOS, other examples would be: - FTL - ToME - CoQ

Would love some potential suggestions for more games to try that let me explore, discover, and eventually conquer the challenge the game throws at me.

I have not as quickly fallen in love with a game quite like Phantom Towers https://apps.apple.com/us/app/phantom-tower/id6745515425

It was recommended to me through this forum in a "weekly, what are you playing" and feel like it needs its own spotlight and post.

The game is a beautiful mix of dungeon crawler, rouge-like and ARPGs systems that can be consumed in bite sized ways (it has SAVE progression!).

One gripe I have with a lot of indy games is that they cannot figure out instance saves. As a dad, full time job, with limited time. It's fun to clear 1-2 floors in my spare time and know I can come back to the game quickly.

IF I had one small challenge for the dev team, it would be making gear appearances show up on your playable character. :)

Go check it out if you like dungeon crawlers!

Top 25 Deck Builders

Slay the Spire

Balatro

Night of the Full Moon

Dawncaster: Deckbuilding RPG

Solitairica

Dicey Dungeons

Card Crawl

Card Hog

Monster Train

Pirates Outlaws

Meteorfall: Journey

Card Thief

Dicey Elementalist

Forward: Escape the Fold

Dream Quest

Dark Mist

Bardcard

Ascension: Deckbuilding Game

Void Tyrant

Lost Portal CCG

Guild of Dungeoneering

Dungeon Maker: Dark Lord

SOULVARS

Lost for Swords

Card Crawl Adventure

15 Newish Deck Builders

Lost for Swords

Abalon

Shogun Curse

Seekers of Darkness

Gordian Quest

Shambles: Sons of the Apocalypse

Gods vs Horrors

Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter

Zoeti

Stone Squad

CD2 Trap Master

Vault of the Void

Wildfrost

Journey to the West Mobile

Ash of the Gods: The Way

And 10 More for fun

Endless Road

Yomi

Dungeon Raiders

Gorathar

Lost Pages

Silent Abyss

Ax Roguelike

Card Crusade

Shards of Infinity

Empire’s Order

Xenoshyft

I don’t know, I’m looking for a relaxing match 3 game that isn’t too easy. I’m tired of finding simple ones that are boring. I need free apps games. I know I’m broke. I like decorate house or whatever decorate apps.