1. Clash Royale – Editor’s choice
What can I say about Clash Royale that you haven’t already heard? This game has had millions of downloads since release and is now its esports title. The game is packed with tons of events and rewards that are constantly updated. Additionally, the gameplay is fun and relevant, even if you’re not someone who plays card and deck-building games. It’s easy to get into the mix of things but nuanced enough to offer a serious challenge. Don’t expect to master this game anytime soon. All you need to do is choose the right cards based on your strategy. After building your card deck, head into PvP battles and climb up the rankings! The only issue with the game is that it may be quite difficult for beginners. The learning curve for this game is steep. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99) Download
2. Dead Cells – Epic RPG action
Whatever I tell you about Dead Cells won’t do justice to how brilliant this game genuinely is. It combines hectic combat and exploration with the platforming elements of roguevania games. Furthermore, it sprinkles difficulty that will remind you of the Dark Souls PC games. With everything together, you get an RPG game with a surprising amount of depth for an indie RPG. Moreover, every time you die in-game, the levels procedurally generate to create a new level for traversal and exploration. This helps keep the gameplay fresh. For the best gaming experience, play the game with a good controller. However, it’s not a game that I’d recommend to beginners and casual RPG players. The exceptional difficulty can get frustrating. Price: $8.99 (In-app purchases start at $3.99) Download
3. Asphalt 9: Legends – For the racing aficionados
If there’s one racing game that almost every smartphone user has heard of, it’s the Asphalt series. That shows how pervasive this game has been in the mobile gaming community. With Asphalt 9: Legends, that too playing at maximum settings on an iPad, you can truly wonder at how far mobile gaming has come. Forget that Asphalt 9: Legends is one of the best racing games you can play today. You’ll just marvel at how gorgeous this game looks on the iPad. That’s not to say that the gameplay won’t hold your attention. Asphalt 9: Legends features over 150 cars and 185 tracks strewn around real-life locations. Moreover, the developers frequently add updates to the game as well. Basically, there’s no end to content in this game! Unfortunately, the game is littered with microtransactions. You’ll have to pay for many in-game items. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99) Download
4. Hearthstone – Engaging card battles
This is another card battle and strategy game that you should check out. If you’re a fan of the World of Warcraft series or have been curious about the franchise, this is a good entry point into its massive world. The game also features a mode that brings in RPG elements, adding a different kind of content to an already varied repertoire. Besides, there’s plenty of depth in the gameplay. You might even take hours to understand its basics. However, once you understand the essentials, this game will be addictive. There are so many characters and card permutations to explore that you’ll find yourself playing this game for days on end. Moreover, its PvE and PvP battle modes are legendary in the mobile gaming scene. However, like every other freemium game, you’ll have to deal with plenty of microtransactions. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99) Download
5. Call of Duty: Mobile – Frantic multiplayer shooting action
You know that a game has outplayed its competition when it has surpassed the creator of the game mode itself. With Call of Duty: Mobile, you get everything that games like PUBG offer, but with much faster gameplay and typical Call of Duty warfare. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best shooting games you can play today. There are multiple game modes, such as Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy, apart from the Battle Royale mode as well. You get to customize the looks of your avatar and the guns that you use in most multiplayer modes. The game’s content is updated every month, with new objectives and rewards to compete for. Lastly, if you’ve played the older Call of Duty games, you’ll get references from fan-favorite characters such as Captain Price. Perfect for adding a tinge of nostalgia to the elegant gameplay, isn’t it? The game’s security patches need to be better, however. Users have reported players hacking and destabilizing the game’s dynamics. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99) Download
6. Minecraft – Endless adventures
When Minecraft was released at the tail end of 2011, people were surprised. How could these pixel art aesthetics and rudimentary gameplay win over the hearts of gamers who were getting into a new generation of consoles? The answer was simple – freedom. Minecraft, as a game, offered a level of freedom to players that they hadn’t seen before. If you wanted a more typical challenge, you could play the Survival mode, with limited resources and your only objective being survival. If you wanted to just sit for hours and build something worthwhile, you could do that in a different mode. With Minecraft, only your imagination is your limit. With community support spanned worldwide, you get a huge number of mods for the game. Some of these mods are complete games themselves! With the larger iPad screen, playing Minecraft will be an amazing experience. You should definitely try it out. Just be mindful of the mod installation system, however. It’s quite a complex process and can damage the game if not done correctly. Price: $6.99 (In-app purchases start at $0.99) Download
7. Among Us! – A pop culture phenomenon
Among Us was released back in 2018. However, it found popularity after the global pandemic forced lockdowns worldwide. People were looking for a way to interact with their loved ones, even through gaming. That was when Among Us came to the rescue. Almost immediately, its unique premise gave rise to the player count and multiple copycat games. Essentially, you’ll play the game online with friends and strangers globally. In a match, one person is the imposter, while the other players have tasks to complete on their spaceship. The imposter’s job is to sabotage the repairs and kill the other crewmates. If the imposter succeeds in this without raising suspicions about themselves, they win the game. All the other players will have to decide and eject one of the members whom they deem to be the imposter. It’s a fun game about deduction and betrayal that will keep you occupied for ages! While the game itself is excellent, its online community hasn’t received rave reviews. Price: Free (in-app purchases start at $1.99) Download
8. The Battle Of Polytopia – Minimalist strategy game
The Battle of Polytopia could be one of the most elegant and aesthetic games you play. It has a minimalist art style that truly resonates with plenty of players. In terms of the gameplay, this is a strategy game that presents a surprising amount of nuance and depth. The game puts you in the shoes of a ruler tasked with expanding their civilization. On the way, you’ll face plenty of trials and tribulations. The turn-based strategy gameplay allows you to dive deep into the consequences of your in-game decisions. Moreover, you can play this game offline as well. Due to this, it can be a perfect traveling companion when you’re bored. The game has a few issues due to the steep learning curve, though. If you’re a complete beginner, you might find some parts of the game overtly difficult. Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $0.99) Download
9. Genshin Impact – Gorgeous visuals
When you play games like Genshin Impact on your iPad, you genuinely realize how far technology has come. Stunning visuals were only available in console and PC gaming before this. With technology today, you can play beautiful games like Genshin Impact and explore an entire virtual world. The game features over 40 unlockable characters and multiple areas to explore. Each area is riddled with tasks and NPCs to engage with. Moreover, there’s a deep gameplay system that involves multiple in-game elements. As the player, you search for your missing sibling in the beautiful but challenging world of Tevyat, fighting enemies, gathering resources, and exploring as much as you can. This seems like an oversimplification of the refined JRPG gameplay that Genshin Impact brings to the table. Regardless, there’s plenty to explore in this game, and it comes with multiple events that you can complete for exciting in-game rewards. The game requires you to put in hours of grinding, however. This mechanic can get a tad frustrating at times. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99) Download
10. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Classic – For nostalgia’s sake
This is one of the retro games remade for the iPad. To be fair, it’s an excellent remake of a classic SEGA game and is one of the best free iPad games you can play today! The game follows the journey of the titular Sonic with his friends, Tails and Knuckles, as they try to stop Dr. Eggman and his nefarious plans. The platforming elements of the game bring back the challenging difficulty that you’d find in older games like these. Regardless of the difficulty, it’s an immensely fun game to play. After you complete the main storyline, there are other modes to play, such as Time Attack and Hidden Palace Zone. You can also play the game online to score the maximum points and move up the world rankings. The biggest issue with this amazing remake is the number of ads. Unless you go for the premium version, the free version can constantly disrupt your gameplay with ads. Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99) Download That’s it! So, what did you think of our picks for the best games for iPad? I’ve tried to include a diversified selection of different genres and preferences. Are there any other iPad games that you prefer? List them in the comment section below, and I’ll check them out! Read more:
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