Apple’s new gaming platform, Apple Arcade, bucks the trend towards online streaming by letting users download games and play them in full offline. The platform, which launched in September 2019, provides users with access to more than 100 games for a $4.99/mo. subscription fee.
Apple Arcade features games from some of the world’s leading developers and best indie gaming houses, such as Astwu, Bandai Namco, Devolver Digital, Konami and SEGA. There’s also a solid variety of genres available, from puzzles and quick pick-me-up games to arcade and long-form selections.
The platform is home to games developed specifically for Apple Arcade, and it’s available on all Apple devices. However, you can’t purchase games created for Apple Arcade through the App Store.
We took a look at the pick of the games available on the platform and provided an overview of what to expect and the types of gamers who might enjoy them.
Gaming categories available on Apple Arcade include:
- Adventure
- Arcade
- Card games
- Combat
- Puzzle
- Role-Playing Games (RPG)
- Sports
Games available now on Apple Arcade
Assemble With Care
What is it?: A game for anyone who dreams of becoming an electrician or has a love of fixing things. The story follows globetrotting antique restorer Maria and is all about taking things apart and putting them back together again.
Category: Puzzle
For players of: Land’s End, Monument Valley
LEGO Brawls
What is it?: A quick, simple and fun new LEGO gaming title. Gone are the twists of LEGO’s previous video games, such as those with Star Wars and Harry Potter themes. In their place is the simple concept of smashing your enemies into smithereens in a bid to become the ultimate brawler.
Category: Combat
For players of: Fortnite, LEGO Nexo Knights
Mini Motorways
What is it?: A surprisingly addictive puzzle game. The objective is to keep the traffic flowing around a city. Players build a traffic network one road, bridge and stoplight at a time until they eventually have a bustling metropolis on their hands. Then they can redesign the city to ensure the traffic keeps flowing amid its changing demands.
Category: Puzzle
For players of: Mini Metro, Sim City
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm
What is it?: A breathtaking, visually stunning game. Set 1,000 years before the first Oceanhorn, the user takes control of a young knight faced with the impossible task of uniting men and beasts against Warlock Mesmeroth’s formidable Dark Army.
Category: Puzzle, RPG
For players of: Oceanhorn, The Legend of Zelda
Overland
What is it?: A post-apocalyptic survival game. The player scavenges for supplies, rescues strangers and battles creatures in a bid to road-trip across the US. It combines chaos and calculation in a compelling experience of avoiding increasingly troublesome zombies.
Category: Adventure
For players of: Left 4 Dead, The Walking Dead
Pilgrims
What is it?: An adventure game for purists. This delightful indie offering will sweep you up in its hand-drawn world of adventure and exploration. Players use cards to solve puzzles they encounter in a game that includes no dialog but remains hugely entertaining.
Category: Adventure, Puzzle
For players of: Dicey Dungeons, Paratopic
Projection: First Light
What is it?: A tribute to the world of shadow puppets. But don’t let that put you off. This platform puzzle game leads the curious player through a series of compelling challenges supported by beautiful artwork and an eerie musical backdrop.
Category: Puzzle
For players of: Limbo, Storm Boy
Skate City
What is it?: A fast-paced sports offering. Take to the streets and skateboard to your heart’s content while picking up all sorts of ‘sick tricks’ along the way. It’s ideal for anyone who likes the idea of skateboarding but wants to skip the bruises.
Category: Sports
For players of: Skate 3, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
UFO on Tape: First Contact
What is it?: An adventure game featuring UFOs. Players follow UFOs around the country and decide whether the visitors are good or evil. The game superimposes UFOs over actual footage from your camera for an interesting gaming experience.
Category: Adventure
For players of: Sharks in the Park, Temple Treasure Hunt
What The Golf?
What is it?: A game for golf-haters and golf-lovers alike. There are no golf clubs in sight as players hurl birds, cards, office chairs and themselves in this wild physics-based, loosely golf-themed game. Gamers face a plethora of highly entertaining, increasingly crazy holes with fun graphics, making this one of Apple Arcade’s star games.
Category: Puzzle, Sports
For players of: Golf Battle, Golf Clash
Where Cards Fall
What is it?: A highly immersive game of building houses of cards. Users complete puzzles and explore physics as far as their imaginations can take them. Where Cards Fall is one of the most visually impressive games on Apple Arcade, with superb gameplay to boot.
Category: Card game, Puzzle
For players of: Monument Valley, Puzzle Quest
Games coming soon to Apple Arcade
Beyond A Steel Sky
What is it?: This offering has players fighting for survival in a city under the grip of an AI-controlled utopia. The player takes control of a character who has vowed to rescue a kidnapped child held in Union City. The game is a dynamic remake of the 1994 original.
Category: Adventure
For players of: Batman: The Telltale Series, The Wolf Among Us
Little Orpheus
What is it?: The developers’ description of the game as a ‘pocket-epic in glorious technicolor’ should have you intrigued. Players encounter a series of cryptic coded telegrams in this Russian-made game set at the height of the Cold War.
Category: Adventure
For players of: Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
Understanding Apple Arcade’s features
Apple Arcade initially launched on iPhone on September 19. iPad and Apple TV compatibility followed five days later and the service became available for Mac users in October. It’s only available on Apple devices running the latest operating systems. The platform provides an ad-free gaming environment for $4.99/mo. with a one-month free trial available.
The takeaway
Apple Arcade offers a diverse range of games that will appeal to a wide spectrum of gamers. Some of the world’s leading developers have released games exclusively through Apple Arcade. That guarantees engaging gameplay, beautiful visuals, stunning audio and an addictive mixture of simple and challenging tasks.
For $4.99/mo., Apple Arcade provides access to more than 100 games. This makes it a worthwhile investment for the casual gamer and almost a no-brainer for more avid players.
