Say goodbye to your phone battery, and say hello to the best and brightest mobile games of August 2019. This month’s roundup of the top iPhone games on the market brings a healthy blend of free-to-play and paid games that all have one thing in common: they’re worth sacrificing your battery for.
At The Top
In August, some new faces appeared next to the familiar ones that dominate the charts week in and week out. Minecraft is still the king of paid games, while the brand new game Sandwich! takes the top spot in the free-to-play section. Pokémon GO’s water festival gave players an opportunity to collect some candy for their water-type Pokémon, and Clash of Clans players are reaping the rewards earned throughout last weekend’s Clan Games. Already-established games have a lot to offer right now, but here are a few new titles that are worth checking out.
Gears POP!
Cost: Free To Play
Genre: Strategy
“The Year of Gears” is in full swing. With Gears 5 set for release later this year, Microsoft has been doing everything in its power to build some hype around the game. The most recent effort in their lineup of Gears-related releases was Gears POP! In collaboration with Funko POP!, Coalition, and Mediatonic, Microsoft released this marketing-focused crossover earlier this month. As unsettling as they are, the Funko versions of General RAAM and Marcus Fenix are undeniably cute. The game doesn’t offer much in terms of gameplay—feeling a lot like Clash Royale with cover mechanics. If you’re a fan of the franchise, it’s worth a download for the novelty alone. It is free to play. So, why not?
The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot
Cost: Free To Play
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game
Games don’t often come back from the dead. The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot was originally released as a PC game in 2015, before the game’s servers were shut down for good in 2016. Fans quietly protested their loss in the dark, and, three years later, Ubisoft reimagined the game for mobile platforms. The original game combined dungeon-crawling and castle-building mechanics. The result was a unique game that added another dimension to your average dungeon crawler. The mobile version isn’t far off. Updated graphics, simple gameplay, and tiered progression systems allow you to build up your skills and uncover truly epic loot. The only thing the mobile Mighty Quest leaves out is the castle-building component. This may leave fans of the original a bit cold, but, for a mobile game, the current meta makes more sense. Mighty Quest offers the familiarity of the classic version without closing the door on newcomers.
Sandwich!
Cost: Free To Play
Genre: Puzzle
Atypicality is a magnetic quality in the world of casual games. Sandwich!, a meditative puzzle game that forces players to build the perfect sandwich out of provided ingredients, is one of a kind. You can scoff at the premise all you want, but don’t expect to be able to put your phone down after downloading this game. Addictive and surprisingly challenging, Sandwich! is number one in the App Store for the month of August for a reason. The game probably doesn’t have the legs to stay in first for long, but charming gameplay, delightful audio, and just-hard-enough puzzles are only a small part of this game’s appeal. Sandwich! is a testament to the certitude that solid mechanics and intuitive UIs are what count in the mobile arena.
Transistor: Game Of The Week
Cost: On Sale For $1.99
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game
Technically, this game isn’t new. Transistor is a few years old but just went on sale for $1.99. For a game as polished and acclaimed as Transistor, $1.99 is practically stealing. When it comes to paying for mobile games, $2.00 seems to be the magic number. Few are willing to shell out much more for a game that stays in their pocket. Hopefully, Transistor’s new sticker price will give more people a chance to enjoy the powerful narrative that sits at the heart of this action RPG. The story begins in media res, which forces players to uncover the protagonist's past on their own. As you weave your way through the narrative, players will face engaging battles, stunning graphics, and well-balanced mechanics. Transistor is truly one of the most memorable iOS games ever built. Now, you can download it in the App Store for just $1.99.
What’s Next?
There’s more to look forward to in the next few weeks than usual. The biggest story of next month is the rollout of the Apple Arcade. Apple just announced a brand new subscription service that allows you to play games from an extensive list of Apple exclusives that can’t be bought in the app store. If it sounds exciting, that’s because it is. Mac users have sat on the sidelines long enough. Now PC players will be the ones left in the lurch. A few new games are on the horizon as well. Pokémon Masters and Mario Kart Tour are two highly anticipated games that are slated for release next month. It’s a busy time for gamers on the go. Stay on top of the hottest new iOS releases by following our monthly roundup!