10. Call of Duty Mobile
Genre: Shooter
Price: Free with in-game purchases
Call of Duty has dominated the console sales charts annually for the better part of two decades straight, and now mobile game studios have to contend with it taking over their platform too. COD Mobile burst onto the scene and quickly became a hit thanks to excellent mechanics and unlockables as deep as the ocean. With constant content updates, it's the sort of live-service game console and PC players are used to, translated perfectly to their iPhones.
9. Among Us
Genre: Social deduction
Price: Free with in-game purchases
This Little Game That Could was built by just three people in 2018 (the team now numbers four) but during the pandemic, its fun blend of deception and deduction caught on with millions of players around the world. If you've ever played Werewolf, think of Among Us like that but in space with silly little spacepeople avatars. It's wicked when played right and can be as casual or strategic as your group makes it out to be.
8. GTA: San Andreas
Genre: Open-world action-adventure
Price: $6.99 | £6.99
The classics never really fade away, and San Andreas, GTA's biggest of its PS2-era games, is still a classic well-deserving of playtime today. With a story that starts serious about a street gang torn apart before getting into wild missions like stealing secret jetpacks from Area 51 analogs, GTA San Andreas is the biggest and often considered best of the yesteryear GTA collection. Then again, if you're more of a Vice City fan, that's available on iPhone too.
7. The Jackbox Party Pack
Genre: Party/trivia
Price: Various
It's the most expensive game on this list no matter which of the seven (and counting) Party Packs you buy, but consider that the $30 or so it'll cost you will turn a profit of countless hours laughing with friends, we think Jackbox is a strong investment. These party game collections work whether you're a comedic genius or not, as the setups they give you so often end up in hilarity no matter what you do.
6. A Normal Lost Phone
Genre: Adventure
Price: $1.99 | £1.99
As one of the cheapest paid experiences on this list, A Normal Lost Phone has the most bang for your buck. This adventure game inventively pretends your phone is someone else's and asks you to snoop around to solve the story of who's phone it is and what their life is like. It's a one-off tale, so don't expect some procedurally-generated mysteries, but that one story is a memorable one. I think of it as if Gone Home was told through a fake phone interface instead of a first-person story.
5. Sky: Children of the Light
Genre: Adventure
Price: Free with in-game purchases
If you've seen Sky in action, you were maybe reminded of Journey. That's because they're made by the same team, thatgamecompany. This is its mobile follow-up and could be considered a spiritual successor. The social dynamics of interacting with others and exploring the gorgeous dunes of a fantasy world are all there, but there's a longer tail to draw players in and keep them there this time. You won't find many games as beautiful as this one on iPhone.
4. Mario Kart Tour
Genre: Racer
Price: Free with in-game purchases
Who doesn't love Mario Kart? Seriously. I don't know anyone who would sayso, do you? While this isn't a 1:1 translation of Mario Kart 8, it's a great mobile spinoff that still contains the charm and deceptive skill ceiling of Nintendo's best-seller. It's also one of the best-supported games on this list, with regular updates adding new courses and events to keep you drifting around the next turn forever.
3. Minecraft
Genre: Simulation
Price: $6.99 | £6.99
The indomitable Minecraft of course deserves a spot high on our list, especially when it's not compromised by the platform at all. With crossplay and the full range of features on offer, this is the pure Minecraft experience players would want. Bring to life unique worlds full of contraptions, landmarks, and plenty of mobs to fight - or go into creative mode and just build, build, build. If you can think it, you can create it.
2. Geoguesser
Genre: Trivia
Price: Free
There is something so absorbing about GeoGuessr's odd gameplay loop. It's truly unlike anything else on this list. You're shown an image from Google Maps data somewhere in the world. Then you guess where it's from. The closer you are, the more points you score. It's simple, yet irresistible. Sure, it's probably just a program to train AI location services or something, but I don't mind giving our robot overlords a hand in exchange for the thrill of nailing a bullseye.
1. Florence
Genre: Adventure
Price: $2.99 | £2.99
Most games on this list are built to be played forever. Florence is built to be played once, and depending on how long your commute is, perhaps even in just one sitting. At about 40 minutes long, this relationship drama rethinks gameplay by giving players WarioWare-like tasks to simulate daily life, like brushing teeth, going to school, and sadly breaking up with your partner. It's a human story full of rich art and music and despite its brevity, may stay with you for a long time.
