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BEST
GAMES
of the
YEAR

Unpacking
Daily Dadish
Super Meat Boy Forever
GUBBINS — It's a word game
Boxville
Down in Bermuda
Pokémon Sleep
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

What another banner year for iOS gaming. As usual, there were tons of new games available to try on the App Store in 2023. And we've chosen our top 25 of the year. Our top choice is the zen game Unpacking. See our entire list.

Unpacking
Unpacking

Unpacking

Humble Bundle

Make Your House a Home

If you’re looking for a unique and relaxing puzzle experience, checkout the Unpacking. As you probably guessed by the name, Unpacking is all about pulling things out of boxes and then finding a right place for them in a new home. It combines both a block-fitting puzzle and home decoration. During the course of eight house moves, you’ll learn more about the character you never see.

Daily Dadish

Daily Dadish

Thomas Young

Fun That Lasts All Year

Daily Dadish brings adventure every day. The game features more than 365 levels. Each one is only playable for one day of the year. So that means you’ll need to check back every day to complete each level. During each day, you can attempt the levels as many times as you want. And you’ll definitely need to as the levels provide a fun challenge.

Super Meat Boy Forever

Super Meat Boy Forever

Headup GmbH

Enjoy the Grinder

A sequel to the classic Super Meat Boy is finally here. And just like the original, the new game is a grinder. Taking place a few years after the original, bad guy Dr. Fetus makes his return to capture Meat Boy’s and Bandage Girl’s baby Nugget. They will need to teach Dr. Fetus a lesson he will never forget, full of kicks and punches. Just like the first game, the main challenge of the game is its difficulty level. The auto-runner full of death and much more. The additional fun is that each level is randomly generated. After completing the game is completed, you can replay the game complete with a different levels.

GUBBINS — It's a word game

GUBBINS — It's a word game

Studio Folly Pty Ltd

Goofy and Colorful

Gubbins breaks the mold, in a good way. What seems like a simple game is full of life, and fun. It can be best described as cross between Solitaire and Scrabble in a quirky and colorful world. You’ll be provided tiles with a letter, or multiple letters. With those, you’ll try to make the best words possible, booth horizontally and vertically. But the titular Gubbins provide a dose of fun in that process, both good and bad.

Boxville

Boxville

Triomatica Games

More Than Just a Game

Boxville is both a puzzle game and animated film. Telling the story of speechless cans living in the city of boxes, they draw doodles and cardboards to tell the story. Full of environmental quests and logic puzzles, the game features hand-drawn graphics and a unique music track. It was designed to take away your anxiety and stress as you can explore and observe the world without pressure.

Down in Bermuda

Down in Bermuda

Yak & co

Search for a Way Home

Get ready for mysteries and puzzles in Down in Bermuda. You’ll play as Milton, an aviator who has been stranded for decades in Bermuda. He’ll have to overcome scary creatures and escape six unique islands to make it home.

Pokémon Sleep

Pokémon Sleep

The Pokemon Company

Sleep and Play

The new game Pokémon Sleep gives you something fun to enjoy after waking up. Instead of having to travel around your city, you can catch the fantastical creatures by just sleeping. Every night, place your smartphone by your pillow to record and measure your sleep. In the morning, depending on how long you sleep, the more Pokémon will appear around Snorlax. Each night of sleep will be classified as one of three different styles—dozing, snoring, or slumbering. You’ll see Pokémon each morning that sleep in similar ways.

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Harry Potter

Warner Bros.

Card Collecting and An RPG Come Together

You’ve been accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And it’s time to master the world of magic in the new game Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. The new title combines both a collectible card game and RPG. On the CCG side, as you progress in the game, you can gather new spells and charms to use in duels with foes and elsewhere throughout Hogwarts. You can select from 1v1, 2v2, and other special limited-time game modes. You’ll battle against witches and wizards in The Dueling Club for rewards. Working together with other classmates, you can combine cards to create better spell combination.

Bugsnax

Bugsnax

Young Horses, Inc.

Snack Time

Don’t play Bugsnax hungry. The indie console hit has made its way App Store with tons of adventure, and lots of living snacks. So it’s up to you to save the day and solve the mystery of the Island. You’ll need to find out what happened to Lizbert and more about the Bugsnax and why they are so tasty. While playing, you will discover, hunt, and capture all 100 different species of Bugsnax with both contraptions and bait.

Qwert - A Game of Wordplay

Qwert - A Game of Wordplay

Peter Barnett

Not Your Usual Work Game

Qwert take the usual solo word game in a fun direction. You’ll be tested in both multiplayer and solo world games to find the highest scoring worlds you can. There are no letter tiles, just a keyboard to battle opponents in real time. There are a number of game types to help improve your vocabulary.

Pinball Vs Solitaire

Pinball Vs Solitaire

Sam Hardy

Two Classic Games Combine

Pinball Vs Solitaire combines two classic games for a unique arcade experience. You’ll nudge the paddle as and strike pinballs to collect playing cards and collect suits. Stack a solitaire deck to win.

MONOPOLY GO!

MONOPOLY GO!

Scopely, Inc.

Don't Pass Up This Game

The new title is a reimagining on the iconic board game. But you can still roll the dice and get rich. Join Mr. Monopoly and roll across the classic board with familiar tokens like Racecar, Top Hat, and Battleship. Just like you remember, you can collect properties, pass go, build houses and hotels, pull chance cards, and even make your way to jail. But there’s much more to do. You can build a real estate empire with famous landmarks to help increase your net worth and unlock more than 100 new boards to explore. All of the landmarks can be upgraded to show the world your tycoon status and to get bigger rewards.

Brotato

Brotato

Erabit Studios

A Loaded Potato

Get ready for some potato-based fun in Brotato. In the top-down shooter, you’re a potato sporting up to 6 weapons at a time to fight off the alien horde. Select different traits and items to create unique builds to help fend off a date with the masher. There are dozens of characters to choose from and hundreds of items and weapons.

Molecano

Molecano

Thomas Young

A Hot Word Puzzler

Molecano unique word puzzler with the same fun sense of humor. Prepare to kick back and relax, in a volcano. The premise is simple, you need to help Molene the mole explore the lava landscape using words as a bridge. You need to string words together so she can cross safely and chow down and all of the good spread across each level.

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4

CAPCOM

A Remake of a Horror Classic

In the remake of Resident Evil 4, you’ll join Leon S. Kennedy six years after surviving the biological disaster of Raccoon City. Now reporting directly to he President of the United States, he is dispatched to an isolated village to rescue the president’s missing daughter. At the village, there is something terribly wrong with the locals. Along with modernized gameplay, the game features a reimagined storyline, and improved graphics. The game is available to play on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPad models with an M1 chip or later and all Macs with Apple M-series chips.

Myst Mobile

Myst Mobile

Cyan Worlds

The Classic Game, Remastered

In the remastered version, you’ll head to the titular Myst Island and unravel the mystery and a story of ruthless family betrayal. Along with exploring the beautiful surroundings, you can also find different puzzles to solve. Solving those will allows you to explore more of the island and reveal methods to reach other worlds called Ages. While the original was made with static environments, the new title has been revamped with the Unreal Engine to some fantastic results. There is also new sound, interactions, and even an optional puzzle randomization option.

Underground Blossom

Underground Blossom

Rusty Lake

A Trip to the Past and Future

Underground Blossom, travels through the life and memories of Cube Escape/Rusty Lake series mainstay Laura Vanderboom. You’ll travel from station to station in the Rusty Lake underground in the point-and-click adventure. Each metro stop symbolizes both a piece of Laura’s past and future. At each stop, you can solve puzzles, find the correct metro to board, and then uncover one of Laura’s timelines. Doing that will help her make sense of her life and escape the corruption of her mind.

Pocket City 2

Pocket City 2

Codebrew Games Inc.

Build and Explore Your Own City

Pocket City 2 is a sequel to the original city building game. You can build a unique city by creating zones and special new buildings. And as a fun touch, you can drop in your avatar to freely roam and explore the world you’ve created. The game is available to play in both portrait and landscape mode.

Lucid Lenses

Lucid Lenses

FredBear Games LTD

A Story-Driven Romance

Lucid Love is a captivating adventure game that features love, ambition, and tough decisions. You’ll follow a couple who has fallen in love, but as they pursue their career dreams, they must face difficult choices about the relationship. The original love story features two endings depending on your choices. There are also 15 different mini games that add depth to the story.

Laya's Horizon

Laya's Horizon

Netflix, Inc.

Take to the Skies

From Snowman, the same team behind classic games like Alto’s Odyssey, Alto’s Adventure, Skate City, and Where Cards Fall, the new title is all about flying.You’ll use the ancient power of the Windfolk’s enchanted capes to hone your skills and explore an expansive island in an open-world adventure. Taking inspiration from the real-world sport of wing suit flying, there are a number of touch controls that can change the shape of the cape like a bird’s wings. You can steer, boost, rise, and dive.

Scenic Route's Generations

Scenic Route's Generations

Scenic Route Software

A Popular Playdate Game

Expect to be challenged in Scenic Route's Generations. To begin, you can play as either the Smiths or the Joneses. You’ll then begin to organize family portraits on the wall of you living. But as you might expect, it’s more difficult than it seems. Each time you hang three or more portraits of any family members of the same age group next to each other, their portraits will combine into a new portrait of an older family member.

Return to Monkey Island

Return to Monkey Island

Devolver

The Legendary Series Continues

Most gamers probably know the classic Monkey Island series of adventure games and the trials and tribulations of poor Guybrush Threepwood. The original, The Secret of Monkey Island, arrived in 1990. Four more games, set in the golden era of pirates, have arrived throughout the years. Fans of the series should be happy to hear that the sixth installment, Return to Monkey Island has just arrived on the App Store. Time has taken a toll on Threepwood. It’s been years since he battled his nemesis, LeChuck. And his true love Elaine Marley has turned her focus away from governing. Threepwood is adrift as he never found the Secret of Monkey Island.

Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal

Hitman

Feral Interactive Ltd

Agent 47 Returns

Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal is a remake of the stealth classic. Some of the improvements include an Instinct Mode, an always-present mini map, a touchscreen interface, full controller support, and other gameplay improvements inspired by later games in the series. With Instinct Mode, the game highlights targets, guards, and other critical points of interest to help stealthy kills and a quick getaway. Using the minimal, you’ll see the entire situation in real time and added alters to warn you when you are trespassing our arousing suspicion.

Endling

Endling

HandyGames

Can a Mother Fox Save Her Cubs?

In Endling, you’ll play as the last mother fox on Earth who is trying to save her three little cubs. In the 3D side-scrolling adventure, you’ll defend the cubs, watch them grow after each level, and notice their unique personalities while helping them survive.

subpar pool

subpar pool

webbfarbror AB

Golf and Pool Collide

subpar pool is a hole-in-one and 8-ball in the corner pocket. It’s something you don’t want to miss. Golf and pool collide, and the results are some amazing fun. In each level, there is a series of tables with balls that you must pocket within a set number of shots. Each world is vibrant and full of color while also sporting its own unique constraints and challenges. And just when you think you have the prefect plan, it will likely fail, forcing you to adapt on the fly.