Top 100 IOS Games
We're proud to present our list of the 100 best games released this year. This list is the culmination of thousands of hours of work throughout the year, constantly combing out the best of the best.

While the quality of the games on the App Store continues to improve, 2017 has been a scary year for us at TouchArcade from a financial perspective. Typically, this time of year the whole site would be filled with ads from developers hoping to score some holiday sales of their new titles. Instead, those ad slots are vacant as developers have continued to shift deeper and deeper into spending their promotional budgets entirely on user acquisition. This has made us completely dependent on reader support to keep the site running, and that support has also significantly dwindled this year.

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With that out of the way, dig into our top 100 mobile games released this year. We've organized them using whatever iTunes subcategory the game is assigned to that makes the most sense. A lot is packed into "Action," "Adventure," and "Puzzle," but that's just sort of how the App Store goes. Either scroll through the list below, or use one of these quick links to jump directly to a specific category:

Action
Adventure
Arcade
Board
Card
Family
Fighting
Puzzle
Racing
Role Playing
Simulation
Sports
Strategy
Trivia

ACTION GAMES

AKA TO BLUE
AKA TO BLUE, $7.99 - Review - Forum Thread - With the library of CAVE shooters largely defunct on the App Store thanks to the iOS 11 64-bit requirement, a project from some former CAVE developers has swooped in to help fill the giant gap the disappearance of those games left. Aka to Blue is a fully premium, no IAP bullet hell shooter that, like CAVE's classics, features a unique scoring system that's a joy to try and master. This is coupled with a slick art style that consists of gorgeous 3D backgrounds and illustrated, almost comic book-like characters that make Aka to Blue a game with both brains and beauty. -JN

Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor, Free - Review - Forum Thread - The world's most popular mobile MOBA finally launched in North America after a international rollout that took forever. Arena of Valor is by Tencent, who also owns the PC hit MOBA League of Legends, so AoV is a shockingly similar game- Raising the somewhat fascinating question of if you're ripping off yourself, does it still count as a ripoff? Truly a debate for the ages. Either way, it makes sense why 100m people play Arena of Valor daily. This is truly a top-tier game. -EH

Beat Street
Beat Street, Free - Forum Thread - A love letter to the classic side-scrolling beat 'em ups of the '80s and '90s, Beat Street captures the essence of what made these button mashers fun back in the day. Namely combat that's simple enough to grasp but strategic enough to be interesting and fun. With a colorful cast of humanoid animal enemies bent on taking over the world, Beat Street also has a lighthearted and humorous style that's easy to enjoy, and its ingenious control scheme makes this a great time in landscape mode or using just one hand in portrait mode. -JN

CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars
CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars, Free - Forum Thread - While this game wasn't really that sticky inside of the TouchArcade community, we thought the core mechanic that powered the whole thing was unbelievably clever. Basically, it's cartoony robot wars, where you build a battle bot with a seemingly endless supply of variety and upgrades. You then engage in PvP battles with other players' battle bots, which more or less just mash together until one of them dies. Even if you don't stick with it, you've got to at least try the tutorial. -EH

Flipping Legend
Flipping Legend, Free - Review - Forum Thread - I've always felt that a two button control scheme is a perfect fit for touchscreens, as you can often just split the screen down the middle and have each side be a big button. That's exactly what Flipping Legend does, and it puts your dexterity to the test as you bound left and right trying to avoid hazards and defeat enemies. The simple fact you can wrap around the screen from one side to the other adds an extra dimension and there's no better feeling than getting your brain "in the zone" as you deftly leap through a level. -JN

Modern Combat Versus
Modern Combat Versus, Free - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - For whatever reason, this most recent iteration of Modern Combat didn't really seem to resonate with our community as much as previous titles, but if you give the game a shot you'll find a shockingly good mobile blend of Overwatch and Call of Duty multiplayer. Characters have their own special abilities which when used at the right time can really turn the tide of a multiplayer match. The visuals in game are fantastic as well, making Versus totally worth checking out if you're looking for something to push your new iPhone to its limit. -EH

Sonic Runners Adventure
Sonic Runners Adventure, $2.99 - Review - Forum Thread - One trend in 2017 that I've liked is seeing games that would normally scream free to play actually release as a premium product. Although it was built on the ashes of the now-defunct free to play Sonic runners that came before it, Sonic Runners Adventure is a breath of fresh air in the tired auto-runner genre. They've absolutely nailed the feeling of a Sonic game here with tons of speed and split-second timing needed, as well as a big roster of characters to unlock and play as, and although it's not quite the same as a traditional Sonic game this one gets right all the important bits while offering up a few twists on the typical formula. -JN

ADVENTURE GAMES

A Boy and His Blob
A Boy and His Blob, $4.99 - Forum Thread - Originally released in 2009, this is a complete reimagining of the 1989 NES title A Boy and His Blob, that features gorgeous new hand-drawn art style with stunning animations as well as a more complete storyline. It's a puzzle platformer where you'll feed your blob friend various types of jelly beans to turn it into various types of items that will help you through the game. It's incredibly inventive, and thanks to its modern reimagining it's also an adorable and heartwarming tale. -JN

A Normal Lost Phone
A Normal Lost Phone, $2.99 - Forum Thread - A Normal Lost Phone from Plug In Digital was the first game in what became a phone game on the phone genre of games to release on mobile and PC. You get to explore an unknown person’s phone and the plot unfolds through discoveries you make while looking through text messages, photos, and more. It has a nice fake phone interface and the narrative explores some topics not touched upon often in gaming. It also has a larger narrative at play that you discover while actually playing it on your phone. While many have come after this release, A Normal Lost Phone remains a must play title and worthy of your time in one of the best years of gaming ever.-MM

Ashworld
Ashworld, $3.99 - Forum Thread - We all love big, open-world games but the traditional style of them doesn't lend itself too well to the type of mobile gaming that most people do. Ashworld is a game that explores this problem by creating an engaging world to run around and create havoc in, but the goals you're trying to achieve all fit nicely into that moment-to-moment style of gaming. It's the type of game you can pop into for a few minutes or a few hours and either way you'll feel like you're doing something meaningful. It's also fast-paced and chaotic in a very satisfying way. -JN

Batman: The Enemy Within
Batman: The Enemy Within, Free - Forum Thread - Telltale has had a major turnaround since the release of the original Walking Dead: The Game [Free], with super high quality releases that explore popular IP's in their trademark Telltale style. Batman: The Enemy Within is particularly unique as a Batman game, since both your actions as Batman and Bruce Wayne play vital roles in the story. It's really fascinating to play as Bruce Wayne, particularly considering how many Batman games really only feature Bruce Wayne in cut scenes or similar before throwing you into Batman action. Good characters, good writing, and an all around great game. -EH

Beholder
Beholder, $2.99 - Review - Forum Thread - It feels like games have been exploring very dark and disturbing themes more in recent years, and Beholder is one of the darker ones. You'll play a landlord who is more or less forced to monitor your tenants' every move by order of the totalitarian government. The strategy of figuring out how to learn the dirty secrets of the folks living in your building is a very satisfying experience, but at the same time it makes you feel pretty gross. Still, you've got to protect yourself and your family, so you suck it up and do what you have to do. -JN

Bury me, my Love
Bury me, my Love, $2.99 - Forum Thread - We're living in an unparalleled time in video games where developers are looking to tackle some pretty heavy issues using games as their medium. Bury Me, My Love is the story of a Syrian couple wanting to escape their war-torn country. The wife embarks on a journey to escape to the safety of Europe while here husband stays behind. He tries to direct her on her journey and the game plays out as a faux text message conversation. It's a powerful story and an experience that anyone who doesn't think games can be art should expose themselves to. -JN

forma.8 GO
forma.8 GO, $2.99 - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - Forma.8 has quite the history around TouchArcade as the game was originally announced way back in June of 2012 and was due that winter. Well that sure didn't happen! After years of development Forma.8 did finally arrive this year on a number of platforms, and yes even its original intended platform of mobile as Forma.8 GO. It was actually worth the wait! This extremely stylish adventure has you exploring gorgeous landscapes inspired by the classic adventure game Another World, and will have you solving mysteries and learning about the game's lore with intuitive touchscreen controls that, in my opinion, feel better than playing it on any other platform. -JN

Full Throttle Remastered
Full Throttle Remastered, $4.99 - Forum Thread - Full Throttle Remastered is the third and final game in the remaster trilogy that had LucasArts classics get remastered for current platforms. Full Throttle Remastered has you play as Ben in a fantastic point and click adventure that features some kickass music from Them Gone Jackals and superb voice acting. While some of the puzzles feel obtuse today, Full Throttle is a wonderful story with memorable characters. The only thing missing here is a ZZ Top song. -MM

Hoggy 2
Hoggy 2, Free - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - The original Hoggywas a massively popular puzzle platformer in the very early days of the App Store, and fans had been waiting many years for a follow-up. It finally arrived this year with Hoggy 2, and in just about every way it has surpassed the original. This is a platformer but you don't actually jump, you move left or right and you can switch your own gravity at will to either be able to walk on the floor or the ceiling. Every level is built around that mechanic, but Hoggy 2 also includes an extensive level creation tool that ensures there's a nearly endless supply of content to play. -JN

Playdead's INSIDE
Playdead's INSIDE, Free - Review - Forum Thread - The highly anticipated follow-up to Playdead's award-winning LIMBO, INSIDE takes the same formula of highly unsettling environments and trial-and-error puzzle platforming and amps it up in a big way. First of all the visuals are now in full 3D as opposed to the iconic silhouette look of LIMBO, and with incredible lighting techniques it creates a truly haunting atmosphere. Some of the puzzling can be frustratingly obtuse, but that's sort of the point too, and INSIDE creates an overall experience that's even more impactful than its fantastic predecessor. -JN

Morphite
Morphite, $7.99 - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - Ever since the first announcement of Morphite, it became one of the most anticipated games in our community. With its stylish low-poly visuals and the promise of countless worlds to explore, it had a lot of promise to live up to. Surprisingly, it succeeded in most regards, and Morphite is a game that's easy to jump into and just get lost exploring new lands and discovering new alien life. There's a cool storyline and campaign to complete too, but for my money there's nothing like just wasting the hours trodding off and seeing what sort of interesting stuff you can find. -JN

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty, $7.99 - Review - Forum Thread - The originalOddworld: Abe's Oddysee propelled a most unlikely protagonist into the spotlight of the PlayStation generation. Abe's got a good heart and he doesn't want to lose it, or any of his other parts, anytime soon. The story of this strange leader has been remade with an impressive amount of love and care in Oddworld: New 'n Tasty!, and whether you're new to Oddworld or an old hat, you'll definitely want to check out this stunning puzzle-platformer. It's hard to imagine how this mobile port could have been pulled off any better. -SM

Portal Knights
Portal Knights, $4.99 - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - The cool thing about the rampant success of Minecraft [$6.99] is the number of incredibly creative spinoffs on the formula. Portal Knights is one of those, and instead of just building a base and exploring, you do all that wrapped in a full-blown RPG experience with spells, monsters, equipment, and more. Local multiplayer only makes the experience more awesome if you have a friend to play with. -EH

Rules of Survival
Rules of Survival, Free - Guide - Forum Thread - The second of NetEase's Playerunknown's Battlegrounds knockoffs, and just as good as Knives Out [Free] but in slightly different ways. We're still scratching our heads why the same developer released multiple games that are so similar, but if you're at all into PUBG and want to play a similar game on your iPhone, these two are the best. -EH

Stranger Things: The Game
Stranger Things: The Game, Free - Making Of - Forum Thread - For the entirety of video gaming, movie and TV tie-in games have been dreadful. There are very few examples that prove that wrong, but Stranger Things: The Game is definitely one of them. It plays as an (appropriately) old-school top-down action RPG as you stomp around the familiar grounds of Hawkins, Indiana playing as and interacting with many of the fan-favorite characters from the show. It doesn't add anything to the main narrative of the show per se, but it's definitely stuffed with fan service and fleshes out the universe on the whole, and remarkably the game is available for free with no ads or costs associated with playing it. Truly a model for future tie-in games to come. -JN

The Talos Principle
The Talos Principle, $4.99 - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - 2017 saw some fantastic puzzle games in general but The Talos Principle from Croteam is easily the developer’s best work. It is a first person (or third person) puzzle adventure game with a very philosophical narrative. It also has a cat that you may or may not ever see. While it may seem easy initially, the difficulty ramps up later on with multiple new mechanics but nothing is ever unfair. It is also a fairly open experience allowing you to revisit previous areas and play at your own pace. While the port isn’t perfect visually, fans of games like Portal 2 should look into getting this. The puzzles are exceptional and the narrative will make this game remain with you long after you’ve completed the final puzzle. -MM

Thimbleweed Park
Thimbleweed Park, $9.99 - Review - Forum Thread - At first, Thimbleweed Park comes off as nothing more than a really great throwback to the classic games that put its creators on the gaming map. The more you play, however, the more you realize that nothing is exactly what it seems in this strange place. Simultaneously an ode to and a deconstruction of vintage point-and-click adventure games, Thimbleweed Park is a must-have for adventure game fans. -SM

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