When Apple Arcade launched more than three years ago, many questioned the value of a subscription service for mobile games. Granted, being able to enjoy high-quality mobile titles on the go without being bombarded with ads and messages about microtransactions all sounds very good on paper. In reality though, whether or not Apple could build up a library of games worthy of a subscription fee was always going to be key to the service's success.
The fact that Apple has remained fairly tight-lipped when it comes to the number of people subscribed to the service suggests that things haven't quite gone to plan thus far. That's not to say that the service isn't showing signs of improvement though, with many of the best Apple Arcade games having been released in the past 12 months or so. With a few more games like them, it may soon become an attractive proposition, particularly for those who spend a lot of time on their mobiles.
6 Horizon Chase 2
Released back in 2015, many consider Horizon Chase - World Tour to be one of the best mobile racing games of all time. This led to the console release of Horizon Chase Turbo in 2019, with development on a true sequel beginning not too much longer after that. Horizon Chase 2 arrived on Apple Arcade in September of 2022, with a console port slated for release at some point in 2023.
Horizon Chase 2 is a worthy successor to the original game and manages to improve upon it in just about every possible way. Like its predecessor, it feels like a carefully-crafted love letter to some of the many great racing games of the nineties and early two-thousands. Not only does it manage to perfectly capture just how fun driving can be, but it's able to do so without having to completely abandon realism.
5 Assemble with Care
Games like Lake and Unpacking prove that the market for relaxing zen games is alive and well. Whether Assemble with Care quite falls into this category is perhaps a matter for debate, though there can be no denying the calming vibes that this unique and beautifully presented puzzle game gives off.
Not everybody will be a fan of the game's storybook-style narrative, but the puzzles themselves are really well thought out. The sound design does an excellent job of guiding players' hands too, while the touch controls allow for the kind of precision that's needed to pick up and maneuver the many delicate items that players will need for their repairs.
4 Shovel Knight Dig
Shovel Knight is one of the many great indie game success stories to come out of the 2010s and has since gone on to spawn a wide variety of sequels and spin-offs for a number of different platforms. One such spin-off is Shovel Knight Dig, a roguelite title that was released for PC, Switch, and Apple Arcade in September of 2022.
As far as indie roguelites go, Shovel Knight Dig is up there with the very best. It remains incredibly faithful to the genre, while also boasting the same tight controls and beautiful pixel art for which the original title was so well-liked. Some may be a little overwhelmed by the game's difficulty and the lack of checkpoints can at times be frustrating. Even so, it remains an absolute must-play for fans of the genre.
3 Air Twister
Few people know more about arcades than Yu Suzuki, with the legendary Japanese developer responsible for many of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time. With this in mind, it's very easy to see why Apple approached Suzuki about creating a game for its subscription service. The game that he delivered was Air Twister and it's easily one of the best games on Apple Arcade, not to mention one of the most replayable.
In a 2022 interview with Game ZXC, Suzuki revealed that Apple had asked him to create "a simple, fun game like the good old arcade games of the past." The veteran designer ultimately opted for a rail shooter set in space, which led to many comparing the game to one of his earlier works. Though not a direct sequel to Space Harrier, Air Twister feels very reminiscent of the arcade classic and boasts a surreal soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's striking visuals and unique themes.
2 Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sayonara Wild Hearts isn't an Apple Arcade exclusive, nor has it ever been one. In fact, like many of the other games that are part of the subscription service, it was actually developed for multiple platforms, including home consoles and PC. Despite this, the Apple Arcade launch title remains one of the best games on the platform more than three years on from its release.
The game looks stunning and features one of the best soundtracks to ever grace a mobile game. The rhythm-based gameplay is well thought-out too, with the ever-changing mechanics helping to keep the experience feeling fresh over the title's 23 stages. It's fairly similar to classic rhythm games like Rez and Child of Eden, yet arguably offers up a much better experience than either of those is able to muster.
1 Fantasian
Apple's strategy of approaching acclaimed developers has definitely paid dividends, even if Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker studio had no real experience with arcade games before starting work on Fantasian. Being the man responsible for the Final Fantasy series though, few could question Sakaguchi's credentials, nor did it come as too much of a surprise when he opted to create an RPG for the service rather than a more traditional arcade experience.
Fantasian was released in two parts over the course of 2021 and received plenty of praise from both critics and players alike. Final Fantasy composer and long-time friend of Sakaguchi Nobuo Uematsu composed yet another incredible soundtrack for the game, while Sakaguchi and co-writer Atsuhiro Tomioka came through with a wonderful story and a strong cast of characters. It all blends together perfectly, and, to many, makes for one of the very best games on Apple Arcade so far.