Apple Arcade goes live today (September 19) after a few days in soft launch, and its catalog of premium games continues to impress. Arcade is free to try for a month, and then $5/£5 monthly.
If you have iOS 13 on your iPhone or iPod touch, you’ll find the service under the Arcade tab of the App Store. (iOS 13 also launches today, though it might not be available in your region until later if you’re reading this early). iPad users will have to wait until iPadOS launches on September 30 to join the fun, though beta testers can access it now. Likewise for Apple TV support, and Mac users will have to wait until macOS Catalina drops in October.
Apple originally promised over 100 new and exclusive games at launch, although not quite that many have surfaced yet. However, having spent the last few days digging into those launch titles, what’s apparent is the sheer quality of the line-up.
There are a lot of great games here, and enough variation to cater to almost all audiences. Even if you don’t consider yourself a gamer, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to enjoy – and with the low-cost subscription servicing up to six users via Family Sharing, it feels like a no-brainer unless you really hate games.
So what kind of titles can you expect to find in Apple Arcade? To celebrate the launch of iOS 13, here are 13 examples to whet your appetite.
First up, there are some compelling titles from well-known franchises like the kart-drifting Sonic Racing, action battler LEGO Brawls, and side-scrolling Rayman Mini.
Other games appeal to the senses: Sayonara Wild Hearts is a breathtaking pop music romp, while Projection: First Light takes players on a gorgeous shadow puppet adventure.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
You’ve got mysteries aplenty to solve, from the murderific Tangle Tower to spy thriller Agent Intercept to the exploits of child detective Jenny Leclue.
If you’ve got time to dig a little deeper and really get stuck into a virtual world, expansive roleplaying games like the Zelda-esque Oceanhorn 2 and pun-tastic Cat Quest II await.
Oceanhorn 2
Elsewhere, Arcade serves up a joyful dose of throwaway silliness, like the charmingly bizarre WHATTHEGOLF or the adorable Sneaky Sasquatch.
And there and plenty of big names working behind the scenes on these titles – Card of Darkness is one such example, a tight collaboration between App Store legend Zach Gage and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward.
Card of Darkness
That’s just for starters. You’ll also find word puzzles, multiplayer challenges, and plenty of stuff targeted at kids. Not everything here hits the mark, but the bar is so much higher than your average App Store nonsense and on average these games are surprisingly good.
If any of the above sound appealing, you can find them all in the Arcade tab of the App Store on iOS 13. Enjoy!