This year marked the arrival of the apple arcade, adding more to the iOS lineup of high quality
games. From the thousands released this year, whatoplay presents the Top 10 iOS Games of 2020,
arranged by playscore. To see the complete list, visit our page on our Top iOS Games of 2020.
10. Fruit Ninja 2 Yes, the popular casual game that people
raved about in the early days of mobile gaming has come out with a sequel. There’s still that
casual feel to its gameplay, but now it’s added a multitude of new features and content to the mix.
On top of the fruit slicing that we grew to love, this second installment also offers a new garden,
a ninja storyline, and a handful of new game modes. But perhaps what’s
most exciting is its multiplayer that will have you swiping at the screen till the last second.
It’s pretty much the whole mobile shebang, while still staying true to their original,
straightforward yet addicting formula. It’s more of a refinement, giving players more
reason to stay other than to beat their old high scores. It receives a playscore of 8.58.
9. Kick-Flight This action game from Grenge certainly knows
how to make an impression. At a glance, it has that premium feel to it, thanks to its blend of 3D
environments and stylish, anime visuals. And when it comes to gameplay, it has plenty to show for,
especially with their three dimensional aerial combat. All of these on offer for free, opening it
up to anyone that can carry its heavy file size. The only downside could be its paywalls that will
be a hindrance to those who don't wanna shell out for a mobile game. However, with the exhilarating
feel of its high flying, team-based combat, it might just be well worth the investment. First
released early this year, it remains at the top of the charts till the end with a playscore of 8.6.
8. Magic: ManaStrike Strategy is big this year. For big names
like Magic: The Gathering, it was the perfect time to strike. Teaming up with Netmarble, it offers
real-time combat action using the characters of the popular CCG. As such, Manastrike is a dazzling
spectacle of spells and strategy. Although it pretty much has the same formula as Clash Royale,
being based on a cardgame, its card mechanics feels a whole lot deeper, and its presentations,
a world brighter. Just as Gamezebo notes, "It offers the same casual friendly fun of Clash
Royale but in a format that shares a lot of similarities with proper card games." A
nice middle ground for newbies looking to explore the card-genre, it receives a playscore of 8.62.
7. Grand Mountain Adventure Grab your snowboard and skis
and tackle the fresh powder with Grand Mountain Adventure by Toppluva Studios.
This game offers graphics that are certainly easy on the eyes, on top of smooth and easy to control
gameplay. It doesn't hold your hand, meaning it allows you to explore the mountain environment
in several directions; if you're a fan of exploration and non-linear gameplay,
this will be up your alley. Partake in challenge courses that put your skills to the test,
or you can just blissfully glide down the mountainside.
Gamezebo gave it a perfect score of 5 in their review for capturing the essence of adventure of
mountaintop skiing. “Grand Mountain Adventure has a lot going for it. The tricks are fun,
the challenges satisfying, and the mountains a true joy to explore.” It has a playscore of 8.63.
6. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Fans of the DanganRonpa series can now enjoy
the port of the first installment: DanganRonpa Trigger Happy Havoc on mobile devices. Though the
pricetag may be intimidating, this visual novel mystery-adventure offers an engaging storyline
filled with fascinating characters, and appealing worldbuilding that has garnered fans since it's
original release over half a decade ago. Now on the mobile, it has the complete package, plus
a few extra features. With updates to the UI and some gallery bonuses, it’s already an improvement
over the versions on the PC and the PS4, as well as being the most accessible it’s ever been.
For 148apps, “This port is still not perfect, but at least now there’s little getting in the way of
you completing it.” Showing great promise for the rest of the trilogy, it has a playscore of 8.65.
5. Reigns: Beyond The new Reigns game is
certainly different but still has all of the card-swiping roguelike gameplay we enjoyed.
Play as the space captain turned rock band manager and help your group break it into cosmic stardom.
There’s a whole lot more decisions to make as you recruit aliens into your band, all while managing
resources on your spaceship. The key difference in this entry is the addition of rhythm gameplay,
which might be a little repetitive but adds to the musical feel of the title. For pocket
tactics reviewers, it’s much less the rhythm and more the humor that makes it a standout. “Though
its rhythm component is a little lacklustre, Reigns: Beyond is still a great choice for
anyone who wants a funny sci-fi take on the roguelike card genre” It has a playscore of 8.66.
4. KartRider Rush If there’s anything that’s certain,
it’s that Kartrider has its quality in check. This game brings its own charm to the kartracing
genre and it does so with a polish that you wouldn’t even expect from free to play racers
on the mobile. A portable first experience of a game coming to the PC and Xbox One,
Rush is rich with features and game modes that any racer would enjoy. Apart from the straightforward
race to the finish line, there’s also the item races for solo and teams, as well as a story mode.
When there’s such a shortage of good kart-racers, it’s amazing to see one that exceeds expectations.
So much so that it also earned a perfect score from Gamezebo, calling it a “brilliant,
engaging, bright and entertaining racer.” It receives a playscore of 8.67.
3. Crossy Road Castle These adorable farm animals have given up on their
quest to cross sidewalks. This brand new iteration of the Crossy Road universe takes players in yet
another endless quest, this time set in a towering castle. Move your way up and reach as high as
you can. For subscribers to the Apple Arcade, this is one great addition to their collection.
Not only is there a multitude of inventive levels, it also has an intense local multiplayer for up to
four players that unleashes a whole bunch of choas in its colorful arenas. As simple as it is, it's
earned the praise of multiplayer focused critics, calling it "a real blast, able to entertain thanks
to its crazy style and solid and impeccable gameplay..." It has a playscore of 8.67.
2. Company of Heroes The legacy of Relic
Entertainment’s title lives on. After almost 15 years since its first release on the PC,
we get to experience the critically acclaimed game on the iOS. And,
it seems it made the transition without a hitch. As a game that’s widely regarded as the best RTS,
the presentations are as beautiful as ever, and its performance is buttery smooth. So many of
its campaigns, skirmishes, and cutscenes have been preserved well in this port.
Boasting some new control modes for its move to touch-mode, it might take a little bit of
adjustment to get used to. All in all though, it is a spectacular refurbishing of a classic game.
Touch Arcade calls it an “essential purchase” for fans of RTS and it gets a playscore 8.75.
1. Legends of Runeterra Riot has been spreading out of the comforts of
MOBA, and it seems they've struck gold with their dive into the world of collectible card gaming.
They gather up the champions from their league to pit them in 1v1 battles of wit.
The energy of its turn-based battles is what sets them apart from the competition. Along with Riot's
high production value, the gameplay itself is also pretty dynamic, with spells and cards that
stir up the usually rigid turn-based system. As IGN puts it: "...it has discarded many of the
genre’s conventions to create deep and dynamic conversational gameplay." Riot's new title is
arguably the new bar for mobile CCGs, and it's this year's best iOS game with a playscore of 8.9.