If you want to know what the best Apple Arcade games are before shelling out for the subscription service, we’re here to help. We’ve played countless titles on the platform just to put together this list of our favorites, including everything from card-play horse-racing simulators to ethereal puzzle games in magical realms. All you need to do is decide which to play first.
If you find this useful and want more lists to explore, you should check out our articles on the best Android games, the best iPad games, and the best iOS games. Or, if you’re more of a Roblox fan, see our list of the best Roblox games and grab some freebies with our Roblox game codes guide.
Here are the best Apple Arcade games:
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! is a revival of a cult 3DS game from Pokémon developer Game Freak that fuses horse racing and solitaire into something that is much more exhilarating than you could imagine from that combination. Really, stick with us on this one.
In our Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! review we said it’s “the best card game on Apple Arcade, the best sports game on Apple Arcade, and, well, it might just be the best game on Apple Arcade. With exhilarating mechanics, hours of content, and idiosyncrasy like no other sports or card game, there’s no reason not to try your luck with the ponies.” Big praise for a banging game.
Wylde Flowers
Are you looking for a spellbinding time in the woods? With Wylde Flower, you can live the life simulation dream while cooking up some spells, and thanks to a recent Wylde Flowers update, you can cook up some romance too.
There are countless crops to go, animals to feed, and plenty of space to zoom about on your broomstick packed in a tiny package here, and you can pick it up on the Apple Arcade any time. If you still need convincing, check out our Wylde Flowers review.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is one of the most acclaimed Metroidvania games of the last few years, right up there with Metroid Dread and Hollow Knight. With a neon-infused art style, combat that keeps you on your toes at all times, and plenty of secrets to uncover as you explore, it’s a truly engaging experience for fans of roguelike games.
With more content than ever before thanks to the Dead Cells Break the Bank update, you can quickly lose hours of your life slicing through enemies and finding new rooms in this colorful celebration of old-school video game violence.
Fantasian
If you like an old-school RPG, this experience from the creator of Final Fantasy is a proper hidden gem. It’s got tight battle mechanics, wonderful hand-drawn in-game art, and an epic story that you can’t help but engross yourself in, and you can play it for no additional cost thanks to Apple Arcade.
Harnessing the spirit of classic turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy 6, this game offers plenty of stunning scenes and tough battles for you to explore. Check out our Fantasian review here to find out more.
Oceanhorn 2
If you’re a Zelda fan, Oceanhorn 2 is a must-play. It raises the stakes of the first game, as well as improving the visuals, to offer a single-player experience that’s reminiscent of some of Link’s greatest adventures.
It’s easy to see some Breath of the Wild inspiration in the art style and runs well on Apple products. With over 20 hours of gameplay, huge boss fights, plenty of side quests, and a heap of puzzles, there’s more than enough to keep you busy.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
This thrumming music-based action game is certainly hypnotic; serving up pop beats and neon visuals as you dodge and skid through a surreal landscape following a tale of heartbreak. It’s visual novel meets Guitar Hero, and yes, that’s as much fun as it sounds.
This is definitely an experience worth your time, though you may want to hook up a controller as touch-screen controls are not the most responsive.
Little Orpheus
Winner of the 2021 Apple Design Award, this stunning, side-scrolling platformer has you hop, skip, and jump across an alien landscape as you explore lost civilizations, undersea kingdoms, prehistoric jungles, and more.
Combining the nostalgia of old-school family blockbusters with a fresh and unique setting, Little Orpheus offers up a brilliant little pocket epic.
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
With stunning, hand-drawn graphics and a story that highlights the real-world ecological threats that gibbons face, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a gorgeous ecological adventure with a vibrant soul.
Felix Bohatsch, CEO of Gibbon: Beyond the Trees developer Broken Rules, said they ‘began this project fascinated by the way apes move through the jungle’, but ‘as [they] researched gibbons and their existence in the world today, we realized there was a deeper story to tell.’ Check out our Gibbon: Beyond the Trees review to find out more.
What the Golf?
If you are a fan of madcap, chaotic fun found in titles like Goat Simulator and I Am Bread, What the Golf? is a great choice for you. As an inventive little game that radiates an aura of anti-golf and goofiness, it will have you swinging and putting around courses with the aid of office chairs, a horse, cannons, and more.
As you can see in the picture above, you’re not stuck with just golf clubs and balls, either – moving house has never been so fun!
Mutazione
Mutazione is a hard one to describe, but it calls itself an adventure exploration game and a… Mutant soap opera? That’s pretty accurate, actually.
Get involved in a tantalizing tale where small-town gossip meets the supernatural, as you tend to magical gardens, meet new friends, and uncover secrets. Featuring a rich story, lush, hand-illustrated graphics, and an ensemble of loveable mutant characters, Mutazione is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Monument Valley
From the same creators that brought you Assemble With Care, Monument Valley is a surreal exploration through fantastical architecture and impossible geometry.
You are tasked with guiding the silent princess Ida through mysterious monuments as you uncover hidden paths, unfolding optical illusions, and outsmart the enigmatic Crow People.
The scenes are completely stunning, each being fit to hang on the wall of an art gallery. Reminiscent of M.C. Escher’s painting ‘Relativity’, levels consist of overlapping staircases, geometric shapes, and twisting pillars that are both intriguing and breath-taking, and fit perfectly with the simple character designs. Monument Valley is certainly a spectacle to behold.
Sonic Dream Team
A 3D Sonic adventure exclusive to Apple Arcade? Yes, please. While the Blue Blur’s had something of a mixed track record over the last few years, this game is one of the most engaging outings for Sega’s mascot yet, with colorful stages, challenging bosses, and as ever, some fantastic platforming.
In this game, it’s your goal to take down Dr. Eggman before he unleashes the power of his diabolical dreams. Fortunately, Sonic doesn’t have to face this fight alone, with Tails, Knuckles, and other members of the gang joining in on the fun. If you’re a fan of this series, this isn’t one to miss.
Football Manager 2024 Touch
If you’re something of a master tactician, you can properly put your skills to the test in Football Manage 2024 Touch. This condensed version of the game is still deeper than soccer sims like EA FC and eFootball, giving you complete control over your squad, training regimes, and new signings.
Admittedly, you need at least a base-level understanding of the beautiful game to enjoy this one, but it’s got a pretty generous amount of tutorials to teach you everything else you need to know. It also now includes better in-game visuals, so you can watch your team go for glory, or fail spectacularly. I’m all too used to the latter.
Mini Motorways
Mini Motorways might not look like much, but it’s one of the most engaging puzzle games of recent years, let alone the Apple Arcade library. The idea is simple, you build roads between locations with limited resources while trying to maximize efficiency. However, it gets complicated before long, especially in cities with complicated geography.
Whether you think of yourself as a budding civil engineer or just love a bit of problem-solving, Mini Motorways is a pretty unique experience that really engages your brain. Better still, there are countless cities to build roads through, so it’ll take you a good while to run out of in-game content to check out.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Imagine Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but instead of having to do the bidding of Tom Nook, you’re hanging out with Hello Kitty and the rest of the gang. That’s exactly what you have here, and more. There are puzzle rooms to solve, crafting and cooking recipes aplenty, and even a spot of bug catching.
Even if you’ve tried this one before, new content is always arriving in-game, so it may well be worth revisiting and catching up with our favorite islander, Big Challenges. What a name. For an in-depth look at this one, check out our Hello Kitty Island Adventure review.
There you have it, our picks of the best Apple Arcade games. If you’re still in need of more details before signing up, check our guide answering the question “What is Apple Arcade?“. Or, if you can’t wait for the next Apple smartphone, see our guide detailing all the latest leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 16.