43 near perfect iPhone games

I've been hooked on mobile phone gaming since the earliest days of the iPhone, when the best games were things like LightsOut, Imangi and the incredible Bejeweled 2.

Yes, there were games on phones before then (Nokia's Snake was occasionally fun for a few minutes), but for the most part, mobile games in the early to mid 2000s are best left forgotten.

I grew up with portable gaming devices like the original GameBoy and the subsequent devices that followed, but the ability to download and play good games on an internet-connected device that you already had with you, felt like living in the future. It was the catalyst for the billion dollar mobile gaming industry (which, in the US, saw $42b in revenue last year alone).

And while console-gaming has never lost its charm for me, and I still regularly play World of Warcraft on my Mac, it's my iPhone which occupies most of my gaming attention these days.

So what are the selection criteria?

For me, the criteria when deciding whether a game gets to stay on my phone are complex, but can be whittled down to the following requirements.

1. Was the game designed for mobile first? Dead Cells & GRID Autosport for example, are incredible games, but most people would have a better experience with platformers and driving games on a dedicated console with a controller. Yes you can use controllers on iOS, but I'm a purist and like to keep my collection of games to ones that felt they were created specifically for the platform.
2. Similarly, does it use the touchscreen like a physical controller? I love platform games, and dungeon crawlers, but I'm not a fan of them — even when they are designed for mobile first — if they require you to touch and hold the phone like a game controller, and press particular parts of the screen like buttons.
3. Does the game make full use of the screen? There are certain older games which I'd love to keep installed (Blockwick & Blockwick 2 are among the best puzzle games ever made on the platform in my opinion), but when iPhone screens transitioned to taller, narrower displays, they didn't update to reflect that, and playing it is a constant reminder that the game is abandoned.
4. Does the game require a subscription? There aren't many games which require a subscription specifically, but both Apple Arcade and Netflix offer a wide selection of games as part of a subscription service. This includes the incredible Into The Breach (Netflix), WHAT THE GOLF? & Grindstone (Apple). Maybe it's just old-school thinking, but I like to own the games I play. I don't like the idea that if I had to cancel that subscription, I'd lose all the effort I put into the game. Plus I think we're all starting to get a bit of subscription fatigue.
5. Does the game use In-App Purchases? This is not a blanket ban on IAP; many games offer a free version with a single IAP that removes ads, or unlocks the full game. If a game offers any form of digital currency (coins, tokens, etc) that can be purchased through IAP, the game will likely (but not always) have been designed in a way that will strongly push you towards buying them in order to make progress further or faster. Even those games that were designed to work fine without making a purchase, leave me with the uneasy feeling that my experience would be better if I paid, and I don't want to have to wrestle with temptation when I'm playing a game. What's the point in putting the effort into a level-grind, if you could just pay to skip ahead. It just takes all the fun away. It's a shame, because I would pay good money for a game like Toy Blast but without the pay-to-win mechanic.

I think it's great that games like Mindustry and Civilisation VI exist on mobile. After all, there are many people for whom it's their only gaming platform, but the type of games that I personally enjoy are ones that can be picked up and played after days, weeks, or even months, without having to worry about remembering how to play, or where you are up to in the game.

There's more than a fair share of puzzle games on the list, but there's also hopefully something for everyone on there.

The Games

Knotwords

by Zach Gage

An ingenious cross between sudoku and crosswords, with the usual Zach Gage polish. [Trailer]

SpellTower

by Zach Gage

Find words to clear tiles. Longer words clear extra tiles, but don't let the letters reach the top. Lots of ways to play. [Trailer]

Good Sudoku

by Zach Gage

Sudoku but with (optional) tools to help you solve puzzle, but also learn how to play better, even if you've never played before. [Trailer]

Cracking The Cryptic

by Nick Carney

Sudoku app from YouTube's most popular Sudoku channel, Cracking The Cryptic. Featuring handcrafted and curated puzzles from the world's best Sudoku constructors.

Sumaddle

by Jonathan Buchanan

A new type of addictive number puzzle. With more than 100 puzzles ranging from easy to very difficult, this will keep you occupied for hours.

Threes

by Servo

Easy-to-learn, but tricky to master, this sliding puzzle game won Apple's Game of the Year award back in 2014, but today is still a shining example of gaming perfection through simplicity. [Trailer]

Kensho

by FIFTYTWO

Stunningly beautiful, and incredibly relaxing sliding puzzle game. There's no real "Game Over" when you run out of moves, you just get to start that section again. [Trailer]

twofold inc.

by Grapefrukt

Scroll the playfield to unravel the tiles, then make a path to clear them away by selecting groups of matching colours. [Trailer]

Broki

by Juanma Altamirano

Place the pieces on the grid perfectly to smash the demons while fighting the seven deadly sins. [Trailer]

Evergarden

by Flippfly

Enthralling and relaxing puzzle game which is hard to define, but stunningly beautiful. Once you make it into the game further, it goes way beyond what it first appears to be. [Trailer]

Red's Kingdom

by Cobra Mobile

Beautiful puzzle game, somewhat in the style of old-school Zelda puzzles. Adorably cute, and incredibly stylish. [Trailer]

Rustbucket

by Nitrome

Turn-based dungeon crawler, with a heavy puzzle-based approach. Endless dungeons to explore, you'll keep coming back for "one more go". [Trailer]

Twinfold

by Kenny Sun

A roguelike about merging golden idols and squashing angry faces. Merge and munch on golden idols, level up and gain game-changing abilities. [Trailer]

[the Sequence]

by Maxim Urusov

Unique sequential puzzles that start simple but increase in difficulty, as you gain additional abilities. Stylish and clever, and thoroughly addictive. [Trailer]

the Sequence [2]

by Maxim Urusov

So good I had to include the sequel as well, which expands on the original by using a hexagonal playfield, adding new modules, and new game mechanics. [Trailer]

Unit 404

by Mobaso

Beautiful sci-fi puzzle-platformer. Figure out how to get the little robot to the exit, through 70+ levels of increasing difficulty. [Trailer]

hocus.

by gamebra.in

Navigate mind-bending, impossible shapes in this minimalist puzzle game. You can also create and share your own levels. [Trailer]

Up Left Out

by Maciej Targoni

Spiritual successor to one of my all-time favourite game series, Blockwick, Up Left Out is a relaxing, peaceful sliding unlock puzzle. [Trailer]

Sage Solitaire

by Zach Gage

A beautifully simple and relaxing solitaire variant with a poker twist. Featuring multiple ways to play, and customisable backgrounds/card backs. [Trailer]

Miracle Merchant

by Arnold Rauers

A solitaire style potion brewing card game. Create potions for thirsty adventurers by mixing and combining different ingredient cards to create powerful potions based on their needs. [Trailer]

Baba Is You

by Hempuli

A puzzle game where you can change the rules by which you play. In every level, the rules are present as blocks you can interact with; by manipulating them, you can change how the level works and cause surprising, unexpected interactions! [Trailer]

SPL-T

by Simogo

Minimalist puzzle game with deceptively simple mechanics. Split the boxes early, so the countdown makes them disappear sooner. [Trailer]

Last Voyage

by Semidome

Last Voyage is a cosmic adventure through space and mind in 10 unique chapters. Go through psychedelic portals, solve abstract puzzles, explore grand minimal forms or race against the stars. A science-fiction experience unlike any other game. [Trailer]

Nightgate

by Semidome

Step into the computer and make your way through 50 handcrafted levels. Avoid enemies as you interact with a dark digital world and explore what lies beyond the futuristic landscapes of Nightgate. [Trailer]

Linelight

by BT Productions

Linelight is an elegant, minimalist puzzle game set in a universe of lines. Beautiful and relaxing. [Trailer]

Idle 1

by Cem Games

Idle/incremental game with special emphasis on random upgrades. Elegant in its simplicity. An exercise in patience and resisting the temptation to cheat.

Thumper: Pocket Edition

by Drool

Thumper is rhythm violence: classic action, blistering speed, and brutal physicality. You are a space beetle. Brave the void and confront a maniacal giant head.

Super Hexagon

by Terry Cavanagh

A minimal action game, at first almost impossibly difficult, but with that 'one-more-go' factor. [Trailer]

Hyperburner

by Bad Potion

Hyperburner is a high-speed space flier set in a distant colonial solar system. Take your ship through increasingly dangerous courses, unlocking endless-mode leaderboards as you go. [Trailer]

Alto's Adventure

by Snowman

An endless-runner… well, endless-snowboarder actually. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through sleepy neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins. [Trailer]

Alto's Odyssey

by Team Alto

The perfect sequel to Alto's Adventure with some gameplay twists. Relaxing and joyous, with a beautiful soundtrack. [Trailer]

Tiny Wings

by Andreas Illiger

You have always dreamed of flying — but your wings are tiny. Luckily the world is full of beautiful hills. Use the hills as jumps — slide down, flap your wings and fly! [Trailer]

Leap Day

by Nitrome

The perfect platformer game for mobile, with a new level every single day. Excruciatingly difficult, but also with addictive one-button gameplay and genius level design. [Trailer]

Doug Dug.

by Electric Toy Company

Doug, the dwarf, dug as far as he could, fighting monsters and avoiding massive avalanches of falling rock, in this Mr-Driller-style game. [Trailer]

Fowlst

by Thomas Young

Fowlst is an action game about an owl who is trapped in Hell for some reason. Make your way through chamber after spooky chamber, smashing Demons and grabbing loot. Retro and fresh at the same time, with an amazing chiptune soundtrack. [Trailer]

Super Fowlst

by Thomas Young

The spectacular sequel to Fowlst with 16-bit style graphics and level design. Absolutely brilliant, and the best in the trilogy IMHO, although I also strongly recommend Super Fowlst 2. I'm a renegade! [Trailer]

Monument Valley

by ustwo

One of, if not the most stunning and clever games on iPhone. Manipulate impossible architecture and guide a silent princess through a stunningly beautiful world. [Trailer]

Monument Valley 2

by ustwo

The sequel is just as good, if not better. Help Ro as she teaches her child about the mysteries of the valley, exploring stunning environments and manipulating architecture to guide them on their way. [Trailer]

Pocket Run Pool

by Zach Gage

Pocket-Run Pool combines 8-ball pool with the thrill of chasing the perfect highscore. Your goal is to sink all the balls, but where and when you sink them is what matters most! [Trailer]

Limbo

by Playdead

One of the few games on this list that is better on console, but still sublimely good on phone too. The controls work well and are intuitive and this platform/adventure/puzzle game is haunting, but also filled with intrigue. [Trailer]

Inside

by Playdead

Another stunning game from Playdead. Inside is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has a moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere. [Trailer]

The Witness

by Jonathan Blow

When I think of intrigue and puzzle games, The Witness is the game I think of. An incredible achievement of game design — possibly one of the best puzzle/adventure games ever made. Whilst definitely better on a console or PC, the phone version does it justice (and can also be played with a controller should you wish). [Trailer]

X-Plane

by Laminar Research

X-Plane Mobile is an absolutely incredible achievement of a full-featured flight simulator on a mobile phone. Whilst not quite matching the desktop version in terms of completeness, it uses the same flight model and has a stunning level of detail. It's not a game — it's a simulator. [Trailer]

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Plenty of games didn't quite make the cut for this list (like literally every single one of The Room games), but this won't be the last list like this I put together.