The 21 best iPhone and iPad games of 2014... so far
Zombies! Valleys! Cards! Threes! Vs!
This week marks the middle point of the year.
So, to celebrate the occasion, we're going to take a look at Pocket Gamer's top-rated games (the ones that got Platinum and Gold awards at review) of 2014… so far.
We start with iOS. It's been another stellar six months for the App Store with more Gold than a high street pawnbrokers during austerity measures and the only Platinum Award of the year.
This enormous list has cerebral puzzlers and brainless shooters. Free games and expensive games. Realistic games and abstract games. Something for everyone, basically.
Wayward SoulsBy Rocketcat Games - buy on iPhone and iPad
Rocketcat Games is constantly surprising us with epic iOS greats like Hook Champ and Punch Quest, but this randomly generated action RPG roguelike hat collector is the studio's best game yet.
We said, "One of the finest action-adventure experiences you can have on any device, let alone mobile, Wayward Souls is an essential purchase".
Card City NightsBy Ludosity - buy on iPhone and iPad
Ittle Dew developer Ludosity combines absurd humour with a smart new card battling mechanic for this funny game.
We said, "Fun, funny, and fundamentally unputdownable, Card City Nights is a fantastic mix of casual strategy and collectible card coolness".
KiwanukaBy CMA Megacorp - buy on iPhone and iPad
A weird physics puzzler about building human bridges from your band of survivors, so you can hop between floating rocks and reach safety. Weird, but oh so good.
We said, "Enigmatic and inviting, challenging and intuitive, Kiwanuka truly is a game of alchemy".
BotaniculaBy Amanita Design - buy on iPad
This follow-up to Machinarium trades in robots and machinery for feather and bits of twig. But it's still an engrossing adventure with character and intrigue.
We said, "A bold, bright, and brilliant point-and-click adventure, Botanicula is an experience to be savoured".
VVVVVVBy Terry Cavanagh - buy on iPhone and iPad
Super Hexagon creator Terry Cavanagh took his time when porting his nutso-hard, retro-styled, gravity-flip platformer VVVVVV to touchscreens. It was worth the wait.
We said, "A brilliant port of a brilliant game. VVVVVV on iOS is well worth a first, second, or third download".
Tank DominationBy Game Insight - download for free on iPhone and iPad
It was one of thousands of tank battlers that filled the vast nothingness before World of Tanks Blitz came into our life, but Tank Domination stood out from the crowd.
We said, "It's not as community focused as it could be, but Tank Domination is nonetheless a superb-looking tank combat game with oceans of tactical depth to explore".
Hearthstone: Heroes of WarcraftBy Blizzard Entertainment - download for free on iPad
This iPad port proved that free-to-play isn't evil, that card battlers can have absurdly high production values, and that Hearthstone is best played on the throne.
We said, "A compelling distillation of everything that's great and good in collectible card gaming, brought to your iPad, for free".
LYNEBy Thomas Bowker - buy on iPhone and iPad
This elegant puzzler has you tracing your finger to link up nodes of the same shape. A graceful difficulty curve will gradually ramp up the challenge and introduce new concepts without overwhelming you.
We said, "LYNE is a slick, contemplative puzzler that you'd be a fool to miss".
Monument ValleyBy ustwo - buy on iPhone and iPad
We knew this atmospheric puzzler was destined for greatness ever since we first laid eyes on it at Eurogamer Expo last year.
We said, "A brilliant, breathtaking, and brief adventure, Monument Valley is every bit as good as it looks".
Shadow BladeBy Crescent Moon Games - buy on iPhone and iPad
Shadow Blade was a surprise. It's a little rough around the edges, and it's trying to be a speed-run platformer on a device that's really not suited to such a thing. But it works, and it works really well.
We said, "A vibrant, fast-paced, special platformer that works perfectly on touchscreen, Shadow Blade is well worth as much of your time as you have to spare".
Lionheart TacticsBy Kongregate - download for free on iPhone and iPad
Peter fell in love with this free-to-play turn-based tactics game from Kongregate. He said, "If you even remotely enjoy Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea, you owe it to yourself to play this beautiful, welcoming SRPG".
Table Tennis TouchBy Yakuto - buy on iPhone and iPad
This slick ping pong sim is utterly beautiful, and eminently playable. We said, "A wonderfully well put together table tennis sim that deserves to be played by as many people as possible".
Threes!By Sirvo - buy on iPhone and iPad
No game this year has sapped as much time and productivity as Sirvo's compulsive number-crunching time-sink. It's still my go-to game when I need to kill a few minutes or hours or days.
We said, "Despite some frustrating chaotic elements, Threes! is a dashing, intelligent, and deceptively simple treat. This is your next essential puzzler".
Walking Dead: Season 2 (Episode 2: A House Divided)By Telltale - buy on iPhone and iPad
Telltale took a huge risk in The Walking Dead's second season, by breaking up the relationship that made season one so deeply engrossing. But it worked, albeit briefly, when episode two won a Gold Award.
We said, "A House Divided picks up the threads of the previous Walking Dead chapter and weaves them into a rich, satisfying, and suspenseful follow-up".
Doug dug.By The Electric Toy Company - buy on iPhone and iPad
A charming, retro-inspired mining game that I honestly haven't played. Maybe now's the time to rectify things. Spanner said, "We deeply dig Doug dug. Dig Dug, meanwhile, is downright dung".
Only OneBy Ernest Szoka - download free on iPhone and iPad
A feisty fighting game, inspired by the final scene in Jet Li movie, The One. Knocking little pixelated people off a giant tower is a pure delight. We said, "A brilliantly paced, sharp-edged brawler that isn't afraid of a bit of silliness. Only One is well worth a play".
Sonic & All-Stars Racing TransformedBy SEGA - download free on iPhone and iPad
We don't get Mario Kart on iOS, and Angry Birds Go! isn't an appropriate stand-in. But Sega's mascot racer does an admirable job of giving us a goofy cartoon kart racer on mobile.
We said, "An incredibly slick kart racer that marks a new high point for iOS kart racers and stands as another exemplary console conversion".
Joe Dever's Lone Wolf (Act 2: Forest Hunt)By Bulkypix - buy on iPhone and iPad
This swish gamebook turns into an impressive 3D role-playing game when you enter into battles. The debut act was brilliant, and Act 2 doesn't falter.
We said, "Forest Hunt continues the gripping and well-presented tale which began in Act 1, and while it doesn't bring any groundbreakingly new features, fans will find that it's just as entertaining and action-packed".
Fighting Fantasy: Starship TravellerBy Tin Man Games - buy on iPhone and iPad
More gamebook love, now. This one, re-created by Tin Man Games from the 1984 book of the same name, takes us into space with a Star Trek-inspired romp through the cosmos.
We said, "The original gamebook has been beautifully revived, and now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its sci-fi peers across all entertainment media".
Out ThereBy Mi Clos Studio - buy on iPhone and iPad
A feisty little space survival game, that has you managing resources and yapping to aliens, and then getting your finger lopped off in some dodgy machinery.
We said, "A vast, lonely game about space and time and death, Out There is by turns funny, exciting, and fresh".
FTL: Faster Than LightBy Subset Games - buy on iPad
And if Out There wasn't enough, try FTL: a more full-bodied attempt to simulate a doomed, unpredictable, and thrilling race through the galaxies.
We said, "An incredibly rich, challenging and varied sci-fi experience that seamlessly and creatively blends genres into a brilliant whole".