30. Her Story
Genre: Adventure
Price: $3.99 | £3.99
Her Story blew up a few years ago thanks to its innovative gameplay that cast players as investigators watching interrogation tapes of a woman and trying to determine the truth of the matter. It's brilliant because it never holds your hand and really doesn't even care to resolve things for you. Once you think you've pieced it together, you signal that in-game and… that's it. Unorthodox, and likely never to be repeated, Her Story is one of the best narrative games ever seen on iPhone.
29. Hyper Light Drifter
Genre: Action-RPG
Price: $4.99 | £4.99
Hyper Light Drifter is one of those games where you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy it. A killer soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, precise, engaging melee gameplay and fun RPG elements make it one of the most well-rounded games on all its many platforms, but sometimes that makes it even better on mobile, when it feels like nothing was compromised for mobile delivery.
28. Stardew Valley
Genre: Simulation
Price: $4.99 | £4.99
The indie scene has played host to numerous spiritual successors that outperformed their inspirators. The Harvest Moon-inspired Stardew Valley is one of the biggest success stories in that field. It's got everything farm life sim fans want, like relationship dynamics, fishing tournaments, a big corporate bad guy, and crop rotation. You know, the essentials.
27. Oddmar
Genre: Platformer
Price: $4.99 | £4.99
Oddmar has been one of my favorite surprise hits as of late, offering levels intricately crafted and visuals unlike anything else I've seen on iPhones. It's an action game with platforming elements, or maybe a platformer with action combat? It's hard to say, it straddles that line really well, and wow does it play great doing it.
26. SpellTower
Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free with in-game purchases
SpellTower is a Zach Gage game, which is an endorsement in itself for those in-the-know. If you're not familiar with Gage's apps, he reimagines classic games like Solitaire and Chess with new and interesting rule sets and game mechanics. In SpellTower, Gage reconstructs the word search with new ideas that make the game more complex, more enjoyable, and longer-lasting thanks to daily challenges that will keep you coming back on ever train or bus ride.
25. Hearthstone
Genre: Card
Price: free with in-game purchases
Royalty among collectible card games, Hearthstone has earned its throne with some of the deepest, most rewarding systems to play with and cards to chase in all the genre. Sure, being a Blizzard product gives it a good start too, but naturally it's earned that head start because Blizzard so often delivers something excellent. If you like CCGs, this is likely going to be your new obsession.
24. Behind the Frame
Genre: Adventure
Price: $4.99 / £4.49
I'm not shy about highlighting a memorable short game, and so Behind The Frame's 60-minute playtime does not sway me from recommending it. Part Ghibli-like animation, part puzzle/painting game, players explore the memories of a nostalgic artist as she paints monuments to her past. It's tranquil, gorgeous, and meditative.
23. Pokemon Go
Genre: augmented reality
Price: free with in-game purchases
It probably needs no introduction, but let's pretend it does. Pokemon Go is the game that brought catching Pokemon halfway into the real world. Thanks to satellite map data and the entire Pokedex to chase, Pokemon Go became a worldwide phenomenon five years ago and is fending off all AR competitors today too. If you love Pokemon or just need an excuse to go on more walks, nothing will serve you better.
22. Under: Depths of Fear
Genre: horror-adventure
Price: $5.99 / £5.99
There are countless first-person horror games on iOS, but few I've found thus far have been as worthwhile as Under: Depths of Fear. Set on a steamship decades ago, the historical horror makes for an unnerving story. Players will wander the ship, dodging an It Follows-like monster while picking up old-timey voice memos and solving puzzles. The game abides by a lot of horror tropes, but in that familiarity it breeds genuinely effective scares.
21. The Longest Road on Earth
Genre: Adventure
Price: $3.99 / £3.99
The Longest Road on Earth is perhaps too weird of a game to be widely enjoyed, but it's daring and soothing at once and deserves your attention. In it, players take on the roles of several people, anthropomorphic animals really, and live out their pixelated, black and white lives to the tune of a stellar indie pop soundtrack. Think of the game as akin to Sayonara Wild Hearts, but instead of heart-pumping dreampop, it's folksy, melancholic, and reflective.
Turn to page four for our pick of the top 20 best iPhone games to play right now...
