While gaming phones are picking up steam, there’s often no better gaming phone to buy than the iPhone. With more than a million iPhone apps available in the App Store, the gaming options on the iPhone are nearly limitless. But finding the best iPhone games isn’t always easy. Not every game in Apple’s massive library is worth $1 — or your time, for that matter.Luckily for you, we’ve taken on the burden of sorting through the heaving sea of titles to bring you some of the best iPhone games. So, whether you’re looking for a casual match 3 game, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), or a battle royale, take a look at our list of the best games you’ll find on your iOS device. They’ll even work on an iPad (but don’t let anyone know we told you)
Black Desert Online
One of the few iOS games that can call itself a true mobile MMORPG, Black Desert Online is a free-to-play open-world game with an awful lot to offer if you’re a fan of PC games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, or other MMORPGs. With 14 character classes to choose from, a massive world to explore, and some gorgeous graphics, Black Desert Online is one of the big MMORPGs to choose from on iOS. Unfortunately, it does have quite a few paid elements, including boosts, but if you’re happy to do more legwork, you can ignore those.
SimCity BuildIt
SimCity is the majordomo of city building games, and it’s great to see the legendary game series land on iOS. SimCity BuildIt is initially a straightforward affair: Build your city from the ground up, designing roads, public transit, and different districts so that traffic and commerce can flow freely. But once you’re past the early stages, you’ll need to start juggling, adding serious depth and giving you some big decisions to make. There are microtransactions here, though, so keep a close hand on your wallet.
Street Fighter IV CE ($5)
Street Fighter is one of the world’s biggest fighting game franchises, and now it’s come to your iPhone with Street Fighter IV CE. This mobile port of the 2008 video game gives you access to 31 fighters (including old and new favorites), some impressive graphics, single and multiplayer modes, and full game controller support as well. While you’ll need to pay to play this game, $5 is an absolute bargain for a game of this caliber, and the porting is tight and extremely well done. A great investment if you’re a lover of fighting games.
Super Mario Run
Who doesn’t love Mario? One of the biggest stars of video games is available on your smartphone in a couple of games now, but Super Mario Run is the purest and most true to the original vision, and the one that will make you nostalgic for the first time you played as the Italian plumber. It’s basically an endless runner, so you’ll know what you expect if you’ve played anything like Temple Run. Mario runs towards the right side of the screen, and all you do is control when he jumps. Smush Goombas, break blocks, and collect other characters to play as. The first few levels are free to play, but you’ll need to pay $10 to access the rest.