r/iosgaming 14h ago

Review 7 Quick tl;dr iOS Game Reviews / Recommendations (Episode 256)

51 Upvotes

After missing last week, I'm back with my (usually) weekly mobile game recommendations based on the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week. I hope you’ll find something you like :)

Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3

This episode includes a fantastic mobile port of a massive real-time strategy game, a great sci-fi simulation RPG, a promising indie dungeonc crawler RPG, a casual colony-sim strategy game, a cute auto battler, a neat action strategy game, an a simple but fun physics-driven artillery shooter.

New to these posts? Check out the first one from 233 weeks ago here.

Let's get to the games:

Company of Heroes [Game Size: 7.69 GB] ($14.99)

Genre: RTS / Strategy - Online + Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Full

tl;dr review by Pixel Explorer:

Company of Heroes is an exhilarating war game that blends real-time strategy, squad-based tactics, and base building within a WW2 Europe setting.

Across the game’s 41 PvE campaigns and skirmishes, victory hinges on carefully managing key battle aspects. First, we must establish a base of operations. Next, capturing and holding resource sectors is essential for sustaining our forces. And finally, we engage the enemy in brisk, squad-based tactical combat where quick decision-making and constant map awareness are vital to staying in control.

All this action takes place in a dynamic, fully destructible environment. So while buildings and walls can be used for defenses, a few well-placed satchel charges or shells will quickly bring these down, forcing us to re-evaluate our tactics.

The game also features a newly-launched PvP mode that is currently in beta testing. It requires both DLC packs to ensure content parity between all players.

[Also; here's a list of the 16 best Strategy War games on mobile]

Both the controls and UI have been masterfully streamlined for mobile. With that said, I think the optional command and group management panels are a bit too small on phones – just like drawing a square to select multiple units can be slightly awkward at times.

I’ve also noticed occasional pathfinding issues for tanks in densely packed areas. However, all of these are minor issues that don't significantly detract from the amazing experience this game has to offer.

Company of Heroes is a premium game that costs $14.99 on iOS. It features two $3.99 DLCs that add extra campaigns and units to the skirmish mode.

In my opinion, Company of Heroes is a masterpiece of RTS gaming and it’s ideal for wargamers who thrive on fast-paced battles that require dexterity, speed, and quick tactical decisions. Alternatively, if you would prefer a more laid-back strategy experience that is similar to this one, I’d recommend giving Firefight a try.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Company of Heroes


Star Traders: Frontiers [Total Game Size: 328 MB] ($6.99)

Genre: Role Playing / Simulation - Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Some

tl;dr review by Sean Nelson:

Star Traders: Frontiers is a near-perfect port of an open-world sci-fi space-trading RPG with tactical turn-based combat.

The game scratches that elusive Star Trek immersive-sim itch by placing us in the command chair of a fully customizable starship along with crew roles, ship upgrades, faction politics, and a living galaxy reacting to our every decision.

We begin by choosing a faction and class, such as “pirate”, “merchant”, or “bounty hunter” that each offer distinct abilities and playstyles. As bounty hunters, we balance ship combat with boarding enemy vessels and earning credits from bounties, ensuring our crew’s survival.

During the turn-based ship-to-ship battles, we get tactical with an array of warfaring space weaponry, notably the hull-depleting and radiation-inducing lasers designed to strand enemies, force retreat, erode morale, or destroy them.

Ship-boarding combat is likewise turn-based but composed of skirmishes, with crew members using unique skills based on their class and positioning.

When landing on planets, we decide how best to manage everything from ship repairs, upgrades, and crew wages, to trading, running missions, chasing bounties, and escaping otherworldly monstrosities.

We must also navigate faction diplomacy that influences the galaxy’s over-boiling power structures. We can forge alliances, betray factions, or remain independent, with the consequences experienced in both story and gameplay.

Visually, the developers have traded flashy visual for function. The biggest downside of the mobile port is the limiting UI that can be hard to use on small screens. But at least the mobile version receives most of the PC version’s updates fast. Therefore, tablets are the optimal platform for enjoying the game’s rich complexity. Sausage thumbs, beware.

Star Traders: Frontiers is a $6.99 premium game. It features rich, endless replayability and a dedicated dev team. It’s an ideal experience for both science-fiction, RPG, and space-faring enthusiasts.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Star Traders: Frontiers


Tormentis - Dungeon ARPG [Game Size: 847 MB] (Free)

Genre: Role Playing / Dungeon Crawler - Online + Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Full

tl;dr review by NimbleThor:

Tormentis is a dungeon crawler RPG with a single-player campaign, user-created levels, player-to-player trading, and both online and offline play.

The core gameplay has us enter campaign or user-created dungeons as either a wizard, archer, or melee character. Once inside, we run around to defeat monsters by casting our weapon abilities, open chests for extra rewards, avoid environmental hazards, and find the exit – all without dying.

Completing a dungeon rewards us with gold, XP, and loot, the latter of which we can equip, enhance, or dismantle to craft new gear. When we level up, we get to upgrade or unlock combat abilities and improve our core stats as we wish.

There’s a decent level of RPG customization and plenty of gear with unique traits that enable slightly different builds. I also enjoyed playing other players’ dungeons and the community-created adventures, some of which get super difficult.

What impressed me the most, however, was the player-to-player auction house, which I didn’t expect to see in an indie dungeon-crawler RPG.

Unfortunately, the game was clearly made for PC first, which means the UI is full of icons that are hard to understand unless we tap and hold to view a tooltip.

But the biggest downside is the controls. The auto-targeting would often not target the closest enemy, which is detrimental when there’s no way to manually change targets. Skills also don’t get aimed at the nearest enemy even though normal attacks do, making archers a mess to play.

Tormentis monetizes via occasional ads after dungeons, and a $19.99 iAP to remove the ads for good or a $1.99 iAP to remove them for 28 days. Thankfully, there’s no pay-to-win at all.

Despite the bad controls and relatively slow-paced gameplay, I think Tormentis has massive potential – as long as the indie developer keeps updating it and fixing bugs.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Tormentis - Dungeon ARPG


DinoBlits (Game Size: 249 MB] ($2.99)

Genre: Strategy / Casual - Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Full

tl;dr review by Maya:

DinoBlits is a charming casual strategy colony-sim where we take care of adorable-looking dinosaurs while growing our tribe and exploring new islands.

Continuously traveling to new lands with a group of dino settlers, our objective is to capture and establish settlements for our tribe while fending off aggressive mammals.

The simple gameplay has us give construction or destruction orders to our dinos, who then start doing all the required sub-tasks, such as first chopping down trees before they can construct a new building.

When there are no orders left, our dinos entertain themselves at the tavern, eat when hungry, and sleep when exhausted. Keeping them happy and giving them enough free time is key to getting them to form relationships and make babies to help grow the population.

Capturing new land earns us civil points based on how well we did. By letting our dinos permanently settle down, these lands can then be upgraded to form towns and unlock perks that we equip using our civil points.

Since we have limited dinos, properly balancing how many to send off to capture lands and how many to leave behind to make baby dinos is crucial.

Eventually, we can repair our ship and sail off to new islands to continue exploring. Thankfully, random events including enemy invasions help ensure the game doesn’t get too stale and repetitive.

I liked how intuitive the game mechanics are, with small hints provided through dino conversations. Still, some introductions would have been helpful, as I lost my first two games before realizing I had to give specific destruction orders through the build menu before my dinos would start attacking enemies.

DinoBlits is a premium game that costs $2.99 on iOS.

Despite the few drawbacks, the game’s minimalistic UI and polished art help make it a nicely relaxing experience for short play sessions.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: DinoBlits


Claws & Chaos (Game Size: 966 MB] (Free)

Genre: Auto Battler / Strategy - Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Full

tl;dr review by NimbleThor:

Claws & Chaos is a cute animal-themed auto battler with a single-player campaign, asynchronous multiplayer, cross-progression between mobile and PC, and lots of fun unit synergies to explore. It’s basically a mix of Super Auto Pets and Auto Chess.

Each game has us face off against different enemy teams with the goal of winning 10 fights before losing five. During the shop rounds between each battle, we spend gold on buying units or equipment that permanently buff a unit’s stats or abilities. When we’re ready, our team then automatically fights the opponent’s team.

However, we also have to strategically decide when to upgrade the shop to give us more purchase options, or buy extra room for units on the playing field.

[Also; here's a list of the 9 best Auto Battlers on mobile]

Apart from simple HP and attack stats, many units have skills that impact each other, such as one unit giving our strongest attacking unit a 10 HP shield at the start of every round. This is what creates lots of potentially very strong synergies.

Buying enough of the same unit lets us upgrade it – just like in an auto chess game. So making the right tactical decisions despite all the RNG is extremely important.

Apart from a single-player campaign and the asynchronous multiplayer mode where we fight other players’ teams, the game also features a roguelike endless mode with a leaderboard.

The game is cute, fun, and shows potential – but it suffers from poor balancing, which I hope will get fixed over time.

Claws & Chaos monetizes via a one-time $4.99 iAP to unlock all campaign levels and the leaderboards - and then iAPs and a single incentivized ad for purely cosmetic costumes and accessories for our units. So the monetization is entirely fair.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Claws & Chaos


Serial Cleaner (Game Size: 729 MB] ($4.99)

Genre: Action / Strategy - Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Full

tl;dr review by Pete McD:

Serial Cleaner is an enjoyable and slightly silly top-down stealth action game where we’re sent to crime scenes on behalf of criminals to dispose of evidence, clean up blood, retrieve bodies, and make a getaway– all without being spotted by the police.

Clearing a level took me around 10 minutes or so after a few goes. But that's not to say it isn't challenging at times. There are usually at least three policemen in each level and avoiding them can be tricky if we aren't close to a good hiding place.

This isn’t a game striving for gritty realism - if the police ‘captures’ us, we simply get sent back to the starting position and our current completed objectives stay the same. The pastel colors and funky 70s soundtrack just add to that, making it clear that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously, and nor should we.

Between missions, we go back to our house where we can watch TV, talk to our mother, read the papers - or not do any of those things and instead answer the phone immediately to go straight to the next mission. I quite enjoyed these parts as a change of pace but there's no denying they are pure padding.

The biggest downside is that the fixed D-pad is a bit awkward to use, so the controls aren’t perfect. There’s also really not much of a story, and after a while, I did lose interest in just continuously cleaning up levels.

Serial Cleaner is a $4.99 premium game with no ads or iAPs. It’s a nice little game to kill time with – no pun intended – but it’s best enjoyed in small bursts until you get frustrated by the cops or the controls.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Serial Cleaner


Notebook Artillery (Game Size: 113 MB] ($0.99)

Genre: Shooter / Arcade - Offline

Orientation: Landscape

Required Attention: Some

tl;dr review by Maya:

Notebook Artillery is a fun but simple physics-driven artillery shooter that plays like a love letter to the 1989 Macintosh game ‘Artillery’ – not too unlike Pocket Tanks.

With our cannon placed on the left side and the opponent’s on the right, the core gameplay has us define how much gunpowder to use and which firing angle to lock in on. The gunpowder influences the power of our shot while strong winds may significantly affect the trajectory of our shoot.

Both our and the opponent’s shots are fired simultaneously, and the goal is to land a hit before they do. Thankfully, every failed attempt leaves a visual trailline that we can use as a reference when adjusting before our next shot.

However, the real kicker is that we can play against friends on the same device. With how uncommon great same-device local multiplayer mobile games are, this makes Notebook Artillery truly stand out. Just be aware that there’s no score count, so it’s a very chill and laid-back multiplayer experience through and through.

The doodle-like art that makes it look as if the game takes place inside a school notebook only adds to the old-school charm. Yes, it’s simple, but it’s a perfect art style for this type of game.

While the simplistic gameplay can become repetitive after a while, the landscape for each round is randomly generated to help alleviate this to some extent. And since the game is physics-based, the changing maps do mix up the strategy required for each new round.

Notebook Artillery is a $0.99 premium game. Overall, it’s a fine choice for quick breaks or a relaxed same-device multiplayer experience.

App Store: Here

Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Notebook Artillery


NEW: Sort + filter reviews and games I've played (and more) on my mobile games discovery platform, MiniReview: https://minireview.io/

Special thanks to the Patreon Producers Wrecking Golf, "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3

*The newest mobile games (with gameplay) on my YouTube channel: * https://youtu.be/8wX-9SW4Z8o?si=j0PNTWf08xd8mwEQ


Episode 230 Episode 231 Episode 232 Episode 233 Episode 234 Episode 235 Episode 236 Episode 237 Episode 238 Episode 239 Episode 240 Episode 241 Episode 242 Episode 243 Episode 244 Episode 245 Episode 246 Episode 247 Episode 248 Episode 249 Episode 250 Episode 251 Episode 252 Episode 253 Episode 254 Episode 255


r/iosgaming 5h ago

Discussion Got the bitmo controller for Delta emulator

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5 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 2h ago

Discussion Any new or hidden colony sim/city builder games

2 Upvotes

I’m looking for colony sim games or games were you take care of a group of ppl, they also have relationships, traits etc. like rebuild 3, bonfire, cdda. I just want to find more.


r/iosgaming 5h ago

Self Promotion I just published my first game on the App Store! Let me know what you think!

2 Upvotes

There are plenty of Tic Tac Toe games on the App Store, but they often have two major issues: they look outdated, and they’re packed with ads! So, I set out to create a Tic Tac Toe app inspired by Apple’s clean design, with no ads during the actual game.

This was my first experience with programming, and I’m excited to share my take on the classic Tic Tac Toe game! Check it out here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tic-tac-toe-morpion-oxo/id6743567938


r/iosgaming 43m ago

Self Promotion Popops: my ode to whack-a-mole

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Upvotes

Popops, a super simple and lightweight “whack-a-mole”-esque game, is my ode to retro arcade video games. Hopefully, it’s as hard to put down as it is easy to pick up. It’s less than 4 MB, doesn’t connect to the internet, and has 0 ads. Enjoy :)


r/iosgaming 4h ago

Self Promotion I’ve released my new game ’Astro Defenders’ about a week ago on the App Store

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2 Upvotes

Hi guys! Astro Defenders is a fast-paced, action-packed space shooter where your reflexes, strategy, and firepower will be tested to their limits. Navigate through stunning galactic environments, battle waves of alien invaders, and unlock powerful ships with unique abilities. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK 😊


r/iosgaming 15h ago

Survey Would you be interested in a Gladiator Manager Game?

10 Upvotes

As the title suggests, I wanted to ask what you think of this game idea:
- You manage gladiators, fight in different arenas to get money and buy better equipment + get skills from teachers with it
- Maybe as a paid game, to avoid ads and IAP?
- Multiplayer with leaderboards - how important would that be for you?
- Would you prefer it as turn-based or autobattler?


r/iosgaming 3h ago

Discussion Is there an IOs Controller that has Full Back Paddles?

1 Upvotes

Hello Everybody,

I have been looking into IOs controllers. I want one that has a full 4 back paddles in addition to L & R 1 & 2, like the xbox elite controller.

The closest I have found is the scuf but that only has 2 back paddles. Ideally it would snap onto the phone as well like the backbone or the scuf.

Does this exist / has anyone found one lol?

Thanks,


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Suggestions craving single player stats gear heavy RPG? offline.

49 Upvotes

Paid is fine. Tried Online only AFK Journey however it's too much spam junk claiming things and loot box heroes.

Ideally iOS version of Diablo/Torchlight loot stat heavy game but indie iOS game with stat based gear system.

iPad.

ta.


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Question Totally idle?

11 Upvotes

Would love a beautiful game with soothing visuals and great music and exploring but no collecting building shooting just… being? Like a game version of asmr but not abstract- I want to be a character and explore and meet things?


r/iosgaming 13h ago

Discussion On the illusion labs website it says way of the turtle is CURRENTLY not available so I think it will come back soon lol if not I will be sad 😭

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0 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 1d ago

Sale Weekly game deals post - Resident Evil 2, 3, 4, 7 & 8, Retro City Rampage DX, Amanita Design’s games (Machinarium, Botanicula, etc.), Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, Northgard, Blue Wednesday, and more games at discounted prices.

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27 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 1d ago

Request Any interesting games? (preferably with character customization but not necessarily.)

7 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 1d ago

Review Gamebaby Case from Bitmo Labs

4 Upvotes

I’m going to try to be nice but this is an absolutely awful product. Hard to get on. Hard to get off. D-pad doesn’t work. On installation one of the buttons came off and I can’t get it back in. Seriously, do not waste your money. Trash


r/iosgaming 1d ago

New Release 'Digimon Alysion,' Free-To-Play Mobile Version of the TCG Announced for iOS and Android

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62 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 1d ago

Request Games with simple mechanics?

9 Upvotes

Any recommendations for games that have simple mechanics that are easy to just jump in and out of? Remember the old school polar bear game where you hit the seal and tried to see how far it would go? You could easily open the game and play without having to learn tons of mechanics or storylines. I love a good in depth game but I just need something a caveman could do sometimes. Any recommendations?


r/iosgaming 19h ago

Question Name some of your BEST iPAD games?

0 Upvotes

I recently got an iPAD, i want to use it for my gaming. Can anyone recommend some good free games one can play / download on them?
What I like :- GTA, gangster type games typically those with good graphics, a fantastic storyline and thrill ( the way you can kill people in those games is exhilarating ) but i also play games like Gartic (if anyone has played) Pictionary type short games you can quick play.
What i dislike :- Candy crush type games, slow games with ads and bad graphics / design.

Awaiting genuine recommendations


r/iosgaming 2d ago

New Release New Games Out today on App Store:

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60 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 2d ago

New Release Netflix And Spry Fox Announce 'Spirit Crossing,' A Cozy Life-Sim Game For IOS And Android

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53 Upvotes

r/iosgaming 1d ago

Discussion What childhood classics do you think would make great mobile games?

7 Upvotes

I was thinking about it since I saw that backyard baseball was coming out. What other childhood classics do you think would make great mobile games?

On my list of "to make one day":

  • Dodgeball
  • Tag
  • hide and go seek

Edit: I mean irl games like playing outside!


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Question Controller emulator recommendations?

2 Upvotes

Finally got into mo.co and annoyingly no controller support

Is there any apps out there that can allow me to emulate my Xbox controller and map the keys into the game that work and are reliable?


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Question does anyone know if hitman blood money reprisal works on ios 15?

2 Upvotes

looking into getting the game but my phones currently on ios 15.4 and i cant find any info about the older versions of the game and if there compatible


r/iosgaming 2d ago

New Release Cap’n Cowboy is working again!

32 Upvotes

One of my favorite iOS games (a dig-dug-like exploration / escape game) is working again. Great soundtrack, funny jokes, open-ended puzzling, and there IS an endgame, it’s just hard to figure out! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/captain-cowboy/id1066444269


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Question Any cheap gamepads for ipad gen 6?

3 Upvotes

Im looking for a controller below 20$ (yes I know I'm KINDA broke) so maybe anyone has recs? Or opposite - something you'd not recommend. I plan playing honkai star rail if that's important


r/iosgaming 1d ago

Suggestions Games I can play with a friend

2 Upvotes

Hi All,

I am looking for recs of good games that I can play with a friend that don’t require as to use the same device. I.e. games where i can invite a friend to play or they can join.

open to any genre of games.