Apple Arcade: 7 Games You Need to Play Right Now

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Apple Arcade is now available in countries around the world. The tech giant’s new subscription service allows owners of Apple devices to download games from an impressive library of titles, which features new output from loveable indie studios and familiar big-name franchises.

But when you’re looking at the full list of available games on Apple Arcade, it can be hard to know which titles are worth jumping into straight away. Having had a peruse of the selection ourselves, and having had an early look at some of these titles at Gamescom 2019, we decided to put together a little list of recommendations.

So, if you’ve just logged into Apple Arcade for the first time, you might want to check these games out first. It won’t cost you any extra pennies, after all…

Rayman Mini

It has been far too long since the brilliant Rayman Legends provided the most recent installment in Ubisoft‘s much-loved platformer franchise. But now, Ubisoft Montpellier and Pastagames have released Rayman Mini to give fans of the arm-less wonder something new to obsess over. A gorgeous side-scroller using similar designs and mechanics to Rayman Legends, this new game sees our hero shrunk down to a mobile-friendly size and thrust into some fresh levels. 

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Hot Lava

What do you get when you cross the imagination of a child with a Canadian indie developer like Klei? Clearly, you get Hot Lava, a platformer based on the popular playtime flight of fancy in which the floor is transformed into a menacing mess of molten mass. Playing either alone or with friends, you have to run, jump, climb, and surf to work your way through a variety of fiery environments.

LEGO Brawls

LEGO has teamed up with RED Games to unleash LEGO Brawls, a manic 4v4 game that pits players against one another in brick-based battles. You’ll be bashing your enemies whilw also trying to build things in these chaotic conflicts, which seem to capture the simple childhood fun of mucking around with your mates and chucking your creations around. You can expect to see familiar LEGO franchises like Ninjago in the game.

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Mutazione

Described by the Danish developers at Die Gute Fabrik as “a mutant soap opera where small-town gossip meets the supernatural,” Mutazione is a pretty unique game. Weaving together a quiet and contemplative atmosphere through simple visuals, rich sound design, and emotionally resonant characters, this is a game that really stood out when we saw it at Gamescom last month.

The story sees a girl named Kai travel to an island of mutants to meet up with her unwell grandfather. You’ll wander through eye-catching environments, chat with interesting individuals, and do your bit to help an oddball community. There are also deep gardening mechanics, which tie into lofty spiritual ideas. It’s well worth checking this one out if you fancy something very different.

Frogger in Toy Town

The Frogger franchise has made an unexpected comeback with Frogger in Toy Town, which Konami has created especially for Apple Arcade. The iconic gameplay style remains intact, albeit with a new twist: as the title suggests, you’re now in a world of toys, and you’ll have to dodge all sorts of primary-colored playthings in order to complete the different courses. There are rows of toy cars to work your way through, of course, as well as balls to bounce off of and froglets to rescue.

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Speed Demons

From the developers at Radiangames comes Speed Demons, a neat little Apple Arcade alternative to beloved racing games like Burnout. The game drops you into massive races and sets you loose at high speed, and you swipe on the screen to control your car amid the chaos. Expect plenty of crashes: the slightest mistake could cause a massive pile-up, but isn’t that just part of the fun?

What The Golf?

And finally, a game that you can expect us to keep raving on about for quite some time. What The Golf was an absolute show-stealer at Gamescom this year. The Danish developers from Triband united journalists from around the world with a common goal: to carry out absurd tasks and giggle away to ourselves.

This game starts off seeming like a simple swipe-based golf simulator, before descending almost immediately into utterly endearing nonsense. The golf ball is replaced by a series of hilarious objects – everything from a house to a car to the unsuspecting golfer himself – and it’s your job to swipe these items around golf courses and try to hit targets. It’s a rapid-fire series of simple physics-based puzzles, basically, with plenty of puns baked in to keep you entertained. 

All of these games are available on Apple Arcade now.