Apple Arcade: Ranked - 151-175 [Updated 7.6]
This is part 7 of our Apple Arcade rankings. Quick navigation to other parts:
1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-125 | 126-150 | 151-175 | 176-200 | 201+
151. Zen Pinball Party
Description:
Zen Studios brings their expertise at emulating the look and feel of pinball action to Apple Arcade with Zen Pinball Party. This game has a dozen virtualized pinball tables that you can simply play casually or take on to compete in various challenges via online leaderboards.
Rank Explanation:
This is a fine and good pinball game if you want a more pure pinball experience on mobile. It's also definitely captures the feeling of real pinball better than other games on the service like The Pinball Wizard or Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes. That said, the purity of the experience also makes it feel a little sterile, which is good if you're really into straight-up pinball, but not so much if you just kinda like it more in theory. I'm more the latter.
152. Warp Drive - Teleport Racing!
Description:
Warp Drive is a racing game where players can customize their own futuristic hovercraft to speed across racetracks with multiple sections of tracks that racers can teleport between. It also features arcade kart-racing mechanics like random item pickups and boost pads.
Rank Explanation:
I can't think of a racing game with a more bizarre structure than Warp Drive. It's a single-player only game that offers a linear set of random events and... that's it. That's all you can do. Take on the race in front of you or don't play. Weird. Structure aside, it's a neat idea, but feels half-baked. Vehicles move slowly, there's not much choice when it comes to teleporting around tracks, and its style feels like a grabbag of limp references to games that actually have a bold style ad sense of self.
153. lumen.
Description:
lumen. is a puzzle game where you twist light sources and mirrors around a puzzle box to try and develop photos. As you complete puzzles, you'll learn about the puzzle box's creator and her other inventions via bits of dialogue.
Rank Explanation:
This is a very basic puzzle game that feels like a dime a dozen on the App Store. It looks nicer than most (and obviously doesn't have ads, IAPs, or anything like that), but almost nothing about it has much of a personality, even its story bits.
154. CHARRUA SOCCER
Description:
Charrua Soccer is an arcade soccer game inspired by retro classics. There are some stats for teams and players, but with only some light progression. You mostly just pick a team and play in a tournament and see what happens.
Rank Explanation:
Somehow, both Apple Arcade soccer games are a huge letdown. Sociable Soccer nails the game length and feel of an arcade soccer game, but is so heavily dependent on grind that it practically feels like a free-to-play title. Charrua Soccer has almost the opposite problem. It feels too fast and loose, and there’s not much keeping you wanting to come back to it.
155. Down in Bermuda
Description:
Down in Bermuda gives players an isometric view of colorful dioramas that you mostly just tap around in to solve puzzles. It kind of bridges the gap between a hidden object game and adventure game, as some tapping actions revolve around simply spotting certain kinds of objects, where as others require some logic and environmental manipulation.
Rank Explanation:
When I play Down in Bermuda, I’m reminded of titles like GNOG, and Vignettes, though both of those games are more enjoyable. There are some wonky controls in Down in Bermuda that definitely take some getting used to. Also, this game is a little overwhelming with the amount of things it wants you to collect and tap on. Some of these things result in entertaining and clever interactions, but there are other collection objectives that just feel like filler.
156. LEGO Builder’s Journey
Description:
It’s a puzzle game built around Lego. Take random pieces scattered about the world to build bridges, create slides, or solve more complex puzzles. Along the way, you’re treated to a light story and some emotive music.
Rank Explanation:
Builder’s Journey has a lot going for it. It’s a puzzle game where you can actually be creative in building things with Lego, which is a really neat idea. It’s also got a great soundtrack. It even has a great narrative setup. I was harsh on Lego Builder's Journey when it first came out because of how much potential it had that it seems to squander with poor controls, a story that goes nowhere, and some audio bugs that disrupt the incredible soundtrack. The first two things are still a problem in the 2.0 version of the game, which also supports additional levels, but at least now the sound is fixed. The game is now technically better, but still frustratingly kneecapped.
157. Wonderbox
Description:
This game takes the tools of adventure games like The Legend of Zelda and repackages them into small, diorama-like "rooms" that you journey between in a quest to collect "The Heart of Adventure." You can go on these journeys by yourself or with up to three other players. Or you can forgo the adventuring altogether and make your own quests for others.
Rank Explanation:
Wonderbox is less a game and more a level creation platform. The pre-packaged adventures aren't particularly impressive (aside from how they look). This is to say I was largely bored by the game until I started making my own levels. The only thing that has since stopped me is a bug that disabled my character's movement as I was trying to validate my level for publication. Wait for a fix here, folks.
158. Butter Royale
Description:
Butter Royale is a food-themed battle royale game where 32 players loot and shoot each other until one player emerges victorious. It’s basically like a super streamlined and pared down version of PUBG or Fortnite.
Rank Explanation:
This game is a little too simplified for my tastes. It’s only got a handful of weapons and the strategy of combat encounters feels severely limited. As a result, Butter Royale feels like a progression treadmill for unlocking skins more than a legitimately fun battle royale in its own right.
159. Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector+
Description:
Attract cute cats to your backyard by putting out toys and food for them! Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector+ is a premium version of the original free-to-play idle game all about turning a plain outdoor space into a playground for kitties.
Rank Explanation:
There's nothing wrong with the original Neko Atsume, and that makes it a somewhat confusing addition to Apple Arcade. This particular version gives you a head start with currencies, but is otherwise the same idle management game. Games of this ilk just don't seem to be worth paying a subscription for, though I guess as a toss-on to the catalog as a whole it's fine?
160. Sudoku Simple+
Description:
Sudoku Simple+ tries to train your brain to learn and love Sudoku through the power of color. By color-coding the number grid and providing shorter puzzles, the idea is that you'll be able to recognize and untangle the logic of a number puzzle more easily.
Rank Explanation:
Sudoku is great, but the only reason I have come to that conclusion is thanks to Good Sudoku+, which is a better teacher and overall app than Sudoku Simple+. In fairness, this game's color system is surprisingly helpful, but I'm not sure I need two Sudoku apps in my Apple Arcade library.
161. Fruit Ninja Classic+
Description:
Fruit Ninja Classic+ brings the tried-and-true fruit-slicing arcade game to a subscription service. It's simple, slice the fruit as it flies on screen and avoid hitting any bombs. You get bonus points for slicing multiples of fruit, and there are a few modes that switch up some of the ways you can score big.
Rank Explanation:
I feel like Fruit Ninja is upheld as such a classic simply because it came around at the right time at the right price. It's a perfectly fine arcade game and it plays to the strengths of touchscreen devices. Playing it now feels kind of like playing a cultural artifact, though. That can be its own kind of fun, but the game itself feels really past its expiration date.
162. Sonic Dash+
Description:
Sonic Dash+ is a mobile endless runner from 2013 that has made its way to Apple Arcade in a premium version that grants you more currency and easier progress toward unlocking new characters and levels to run around in.
Rank Explanation:
Bringing games like Sonic Dash to Apple Arcade really reveals how empty a lot of free-to-play games are when they no longer constantly taunt you with prizes and rewards that are just out of reach. The running here feels ancient by current mobile standards and sits on a service that has timeless classics like Chameleon Run and Alto's Odyssey, so unless you have some incredibly strong affinity for Sonic, I'm not sure this will do much for you.
163. Spades+
Description:
The team-based card game about collecting spades has made it to Apple Arcade in a very straightforward format.
Rank Explanation:
To its credit, Spades+ does a great job of teaching newcomers to the game how to play, but this version of the card game doesn't have multiplayer and is just not particularly satisfying as a result.
164. Hearts+
Description:
The classic card game about offloading heart cards onto other players to compete for the lowest score comes to Apple Arcade in a very straightforward form.
Rank Explanation:
To its credit, Hearts+ does a great job of teaching newcomers to the game how to play, but this version of the card game doesn't have multiplayer and is just not particularly satisfying as a result.
165. Thumper: Pocket Edition+
Description:
The intense runner set to a cacophonous soundtrack zooms onto Apple Arcade. Control a chrome beetle as it careens down a tight path winding through the netherworld. Hit turns, bust through barriers, and launch mysterious projectiles and monstrous bosses as you try to earn S ranks on this challenging runner.
Rank Explanation:
I hinted at this in my initial review but I'll be clear here: The pitch of Thumper is more appealing than the game itself. It's not really a rhythm game, and the aesthetics are... fine? Maybe it's the age of the game at this point, or the fact that a lot of praise for the game came from its initial VR release (which, in fairness, probably feels a lot cooler and overwhelming in immersive 3D), but Thumper ain't it, even when compared to other mobile rhythm and runner games.
166. Sociable Soccer
Description:
Sociable Soccer is an arcade soccer game where you build a dream team of footballers to try and take down other players’ teams. Along the way, you pick up other players to add to your roster, which you can use to create alternate lineups or feed to your other players to upgrade their stats. The whole thing feels a lot like a gacha game, except you can’t spend any money on it.
Rank Explanation:
I’m very frustrated by Sociable Soccer. It constantly teases you with gestures at good ideas, but they all turn out to be empty. The arcade soccer is so simplistic that it feels kind of random. Collecting and upgrading players is a ridiculously long grind (especially since the game limits how many times you can play matches). Managing your team involves arranging formations of players, and... nothing else. This is to say that Sociable Soccer has set up a bunch of great structures for creating a fun sports game with rpg elements, but said structures aren’t filled with anything satisfying.
167. Ballistic Baseball
Description:
Remember when sports games weren’t hyper-realistic simulations? Remember when they were just cartoony approximations that didn’t take themselves too seriously? That’s the whole deal with Ballistic Baseball. This multiplayer baseball game has players take turns across three innings trying to outwit each other through pitching mind games and quick-reaction hits to bring in runs. The player who sneaks in more runs than their opponent wins. Simple as that.
Rank Explanation:
I don’t like Gameloft. They routinely make gorgeous knock-offs of console and PC games and load them up with in-app purchases in the process. So imagine my surprise when they put out a game on Apple Arcade and it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable multiplayer baseball game. Sure, it’s definitely still derivative, but its bigger problem is a complete lack of online opponents at this time.
168. Beyond Blue
Description:
Beyond Blue is an undersea adventure where you play as a diver named Mirai performing research and scanning wildlife activities in the ocean depths. While on dives, you explore a rich ecosystem full of marine life and between missions you have calls with other members of your research team and even family members, which is how the game tells most of its story.
Rank Explanation:
Many of the technical issues that plagued Beyond Blue at launch are now gone. Its mission structure is still a little onerous, but at least you don't have to replay sections a bunch anymore. The only thing left to fix now is making its oceanscapes feel a little more alive, dangerous, and wonderous. Otherwise, you'll just have to depend on the narrative to drive you along.
169. Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows
Description:
Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows is an idle game where you play as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Your duty is to protect the southern lands from all manner of threats that live in the north, and you do this mostly by sending scout troops beyong the wall, gathering supplies, and making decisions about some of the strange happenings that exist in the Game of Thrones universe.
Rank Explanation:
As it turns out, the day-to-day life of the Night’s Watch isn’t all that exciting, at least not in the world of Tale of Crows. After playing the game incessantly for a couple days, I saw a whole lot of repeated events, and not many of them were all that interesting. The silver lining of this disappointment is that the game is designed for quick check-ins, so it never felt like a huge waste of time. I just wish that there was more to discover whenever I did check in on it.
170. Stellar Commanders
Description:
A portrait-mode real-time strategy about planetary annihilation, Stellar Commanders pits two players against each other in a plodding race to see who can control the most territories before destroying the environment. Combat itself operates a lot like Clash Royale’s Elixr-based system, but involves a lot more management of node control, and subverting your opponent’s expectations.
Rank Explanation:
The store page for Stellar Commanders looks rad as hell. There’s helicopers, rockets, and tanks deploying simultaneously all over the planet. Too bad this isn’t really how the game plays, or—if it is—it’s not how things start. Matches in Stellar Commanders move at an odd, lumbering pace, where it never really feels like you’re particularly productive. You can only really do single actions at a time and spend a lot of time just waiting to see what your enemy does to see if you can counter it. To be clear, this can deliver satisfying moments from time to time, but it’s not enough to make it something you’ll want to return to regularly.
171. Rayman Mini
Description:
Rayman Mini is an auto-runner much in the same vein as other Rayman entries on iOS. Rayman has been shrunk, and the only way to undo this spell is by running through levels full of huge bugs, jumping on giant leaves, mushrooms, and other flora to specified exits, apparently. As you work your way through these levels, you can gather collectibles that unlock new costumes for your limbless protagonist.
Rank Explanation:
There’s a whole lot of auto-runners on Apple Arcade, and Rayman Mini decides to be the one that stands out by using popular characters and being weirdly technical. Even in early levels, collecting every little item is a challenge that requires a high degree of level memorization and sharp reflexes. Part of this is by design. Rayman Mini wants you retrying levels until you’ve perfected runs through them. The only problem is that I find it overly difficult to navigate levels due to Rayman Mini’s controls, which feel weirdly imprecise and slow given the demands of the game.
172. Explottens
Description:
In Explottens, you are a hot shot pilot who also happens to be a cat. The plane bit doesn’t really matter though, because the game itself is basically just a level-based dual-stick shooter where you can move your plane in any direction you want at any time or just hover in mid-air at will.
Rank Explanation:
Explottens feels like a pretty slapped-together game. Your plane doesn’t feel like a plane and there are extreme swings of difficulty between levels. As you play more Explottens the odd choices keep stacking up, and none of them feel intentional. Sometimes they work, but often they don't.
173. Samurai Jack
Description:
Samurai Jack’s archnemesis, Aku, has trapped him in a place "between time" where he’ll have to work together with his allies to defeat all manner of dangerous foes. For fans of Samurai Jack, this means a lot of fan service packed into a pretty straightforward action-combat game.
Rank Explanation:
I was initially very excited when booting up Samurai Jackand seeing how much work went in to make the game look and feel like the classic animated series. However, the game itself feels like older licensed games that just kind of stitch together familiar ideas and faces into a game that otherwise doesn’t feel particularly special.
174. Yaga The Roleplaying Folktale
Description:
Much like its full name suggests, Yaga is an action-rpg steeped in folklore. In it, you play as a one-armed blacksmith who is cursed with bad luck. The tsar of the kingdom sends you out on a quest a variety of quests in hopes to break a curse laid upon him by Baba Yaga. When you aren’t simply wandering through areas and fighting baddies, you can take on quests and make dialog choices that shape your blacksmith’s personality and impact the narrative. This, plus a ton of Slavic influence, are the things that differentiate Yaga from other action-rpgs.
Rank Explanation:
Yaga is a fascinating mishmash of things. Slavic folklore, Mass Effect-esque dialogue wheels, action combat, and rhyming couplets all play a part to make this game undeniably distinct. The only problem is, I’m not sure the blending of these component parts ends up making something cohesive.
175. Kings of the Castle
Description:
Kings of the Castle is a super-colorful first-person platformer about collecting diamonds. Your goal is to parkour all over an environment, collecting these gems so you can pay a dragon to free a prince locked away in a castle.
Rank Explanation:
There’s a lot I like about Kings of the Castle’s style and sense of speed, but it just doesn’t feel like a great fit for Apple Arcade. First-person platforming is tough, especially if you’re doing it via a touch screen, and the game’s multiplayer mode is basically nonexistent unless you can round up some real life friends to play with you.
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