Max and Chloe are the two main characters of "Life is Strange."dontnod
One of the best features of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, is its immense catalog of apps.
Almost 2.5 million applications populate the store, and while not all of them are top-notch, there certainly is a good selection. Games in particular are a crown jewel, so much so that Apple has dedicated them an entire, separate tab in the big redesign unveiled last year at WWDC.
iPhones and iPads have titles that span from those that are sheer fun to small, artistic-driven gems, all the way to powerful, decision-making, story-focused games that have little to envy to triple-A titles on consoles and PC.
Here are 11 great games no iPhone user should miss:
1. The End of The World â $0.99/£0.99
"The End of The World" is not a game for everyone. Its beauty is born out of an overwhelming sadness, which would suit best broken-hearted people.
But that shouldn't be a reason not give developer Sean Wenham your money â whatever his motives were, this game's polarising, almost magnetic setting (a beautifully recreated Newcastle, England) will keep luring you in, as the story of how the world has ended unfolds.
Slowly, the sadness gives way to glimmers of hope, and the message changes from one of depression to one of recovery in the search for a way to move on.
The side-scrolling exploration title won't remain in your head because it's fun, but its gorgeous artistic direction and the rollercoaster-like feelings it evokes will certainly make you think.
If anything, by not treating its themes with a black-or-white, right-or-wrong perspective, The End of The World makes you reflect at each point; and in doing so, it has something many games lack: A distinctively human feel.
If you're looking for a game that screams happiness, you should look elsewhere. For anyone in search of something that will make them think and feel, the emotional charge of "The End of The World" will almost certainly leave you better than it found you.
2. Life is Strange â $2.99/£2.99
"Life is Strange" is one of the few titles in this list that was not born on mobile, but it's such a beautiful game that developer dontnod made the right call when it decided to port it over to iOS (there is no Android version yet, though one is supposed to come out "soon").
And the good thing is that its simplistic controls work just fine on your iPhone's touchscreen, so you won't have to worry about that.
The driving theme of "Life is Strange" is its story: Beautifully written, thought-provoking, full of twists, and often gut-wrenching.
The protagonist is Max, a teenage girl who moves back to her hometown â a fictional city in the Pacific Northwest â to study photography; but, in a sudden moment, she discovers that she has the power to rewind time.
Time-bending is the mechanic that unlocks all of Life is Strange's possibilities as a fun game, and that sits perfectly with the role play aspect of it.
You will live a week in Max's life between home and school, as the plot thickens and the events unravel. And bear in mind: This, too, is a game where every single decision you make has consequences, so be careful in the way you want to shape your own story.
The beautiful cartoon-ish art will also help you to fully immerse in a deep, rich, satisfying, powerful game, which will inevitably leave you asking for more.
3. Far From Noise â $2.99/£2.99
"Far From Noise" is a weird game. For starters, it's almost hard to classify it as a game at all.
What happens, when the game starts, is that you find yourself inside your car, teetering on the edge of a cliff, and likely about to meet your death.
There's not much you can do, obviously, except talk. But there's no trace of fellow humans: Your interlocutor is in fact not a person, but a deer.
Death seems impending throughout your talk â which can go on from one to two hours in a single run â but the setting is still remarkably serene, between the sun setting on the horizon and the waves crushing onto the shore.
The dialogue itself manages to be funny and thoughtful all at once, inspired both by transcendentalist philosophy and just the right pinch of wit.
The decisions you make throughout the story influence what happens next, so replayability is high in "Far From Noise."
However, make no mistake â this is a game that asks you to take your time to think, not to smash buttons or run like crazy.
If you want an interesting, thought-provoking name that remains enjoyable while doubling down on a frenetic pace, you really should look no further.
4. INSIDE â Free
"INSIDE," the spiritual sequel to "LIMBO," first appeared on consoles and PC, but was later ported to iOS.
Like "Life is Strange," LIMBO didn't suffer the transition from consoles to mobile, and its incredibly minimal user interface â with no visual elements whatsoever â remains just as enjoyable after a few minutes playing the game as it does after having put hours in it.
"INSIDE" is a game that tells its story in a curious way, essentially dragging you forward in increasingly dystopic scenarios with new and more intricate puzzles.
Some are blatantly obvious and so easy they become almost annoying, while others can prove tremendously challenging, and the absence of clues can easily lead to roadblocks.
The one constant thing about "INSIDE" is that you will die â a lot. There are so many ways you will die (unexpectedly) it would be impossible to list them all here; and they're often brutal, gruesome, grotesque â if a bit creative â deaths.
But trial and error is part of the game's mechanics, and in a way a theme of the story itself.
Other high points come in the art and sound department: Use headphones if you have a chance, and do take your time to appreciate the hand-drawn panels one by one.
5. Wheels of Aurelia â $3.99/£3.99
"Wheels of Aurelia" is another title that tries to bring the interactive component of videogames to the forefront and use it to tell a story, rather than the other way around.
The "Aurelia" is a road that goes along most of the coast of west Italy, from Rome all the way up to Ventimiglia and then Nice, France, and was originally built during the Roman age.
The game is set towards the end of the 1970s in Italy, where the protagonist â Lella, who was born in one of the wealthiest parts of town â decides to grab her car and go.
The game itself will require you to drive along the road, and the low-poly style makes for a good mixture of artistic freedom and a somewhat correct representation of how that part of Italy looked at the time.
However, "Aurelia" cannot be described as a driving game, as the story itself is still the most important element.
The Italian culture of the time is strongly present here, with numerous references to famous events and people, so some basic knowledge of that is required to appreciate the game's nuances fully.
However, it's Lella's story that will ultimately drive users forward, alongside the array of secondary characters that will accompany her throughout the journey.
6. Sky â TBD
"Sky" is the upcoming game from ThatGameCompany, the studio behind the critically praised PlayStation 4 hit "Journey."
Not much is known about the game itself, except that it will look, feel â and, presumably, play â a lot like its spiritual predecessor.
ThatGameCompany describes it as "a social adventure game," where multiplayer will be a major component of the experience.
Moving from one place to another, and exploring the various areas of the figurative cloud mountain will have a big role in the game; light, too, is expected to be a major factor, although it's still unclear how that will come into play in terms of gameplay.
Not unlike other titles in this list (and, indeed, "Journey" itself), Sky will be a game that relies a lot on its sound and visual components, and tries to lure you in with an immersive story and adventure rather than addictive mechanics.
The anticipated title should be released sometime in 2018, and when it does, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV users will be the first ones able to enjoy it.
7. Blackbox â Free
This unique puzzle game is unlike anything else you've played on your phone before.
It uses your iPhone's various sensors and settings to unlock different puzzles, which encourages you to use things like the flashlight, microphone, even Wi-Fi settings to solve puzzles.
8. Infinity Blade (I, II, III) â $5.99/£5.99, $6.99/£6.99, $6.99/£6.99
The "Infinity Blade" trilogy is a series of games that sees you fight fearsome opponents and monsters using swords and other weapons.
The games have gorgeous environments and some of the best graphics in iPhone games.
9. Tiny Wings â $2.99/£2.99
Sometimes you don't want to play a stressful game. Instead, you want to relax.
"Tiny Wings" is perfect for those moments. This sweet game sees you play as a bird trying to get to its nest to go to sleep.
You have to try to get there as quickly as possible, using the natural contour of the land to propel you forwards.
It's easy to get started, but there's a surprising amount of skill involved.
10. Beat Sneak Bandit $2.99/£2.99
Rhythm-action games don't typically involved stealth, but that's exactly how you play "Beat Sneak Bandit."
Move in time with the beat to sneak past guards and traps.
Mess up your timing and it's game over.
11. Puzzle Agent 2 HD â $2.99/£2.99
"Puzzle Agent 2" is an intriguing puzzle game you can play right on your iPhone.
It's the sequel to an earlier game, but this one can be played on its own.
Get ready for puzzles that will test your maths, logic, and geometry skills, all in a creepy setting.