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[Jedeye Sniv]

It's been a whole year since the last one, and the iOS gaming landscape is ever shifting, so it's time to roll up your sleeves and vote again for your favourite iOS games. The aim here is to produce a list, voted on by GAF, that we can give to people to show the must-plays on the system. What's changed since last time? Are the new games top of the pile, or will old classics hold out? It's up to you.

After talking about it in the iOS megathread, I think it's important to stress that you are choosing your favourite games. Don't over think it, just tell us what your actual favourite games are. What games left a lasting impression? What games do you come back to over and over again. Don't be beholden to some imaginary canon - just go by what you liked. If you didn't like Infinity Blade or Angry Birds, don't include it. We're not making a bland buyer's guide, we're compiling a list of what we play and love.

This list is open to your all time favourites. iPhone and iPad. Pick your favourite 20 games, put them in some rank order that you feel is appropriate. Don't overthink think it. Don't sweat and cry over positions 12 and 13. Number one gets twenty points, number twenty gets one. Figure out the rest.

Please use the following format, it makes it easier for me to tally later:

1. xxxxxxx - comments
2. xxxxxxx - comments
3. xxxxxxx - comments
4. xxxxxxx - comments
5. xxxxxxx - comments
6. xxxxxxx - comments
7. xxxxxxx - comments
8. xxxxxxx - comments
9. xxxxxxx - comments
10. xxxxxxx - comments
11. xxxxxxx - comments
12. xxxxxxx - comments
13. xxxxxxx - comments
14. xxxxxxx - comments
15. xxxxxxx - comments
16. xxxxxxx - comments
17. xxxxxxx - comments
18. xxxxxxx - comments
19. xxxxxxx - comments
20. xxxxxxx - comments

Closing date: Saturday, 6th October. Time: whenever I get around to making the thread in the afternoon.

Tell us about the games too, tell us why you love them. Quotes will be included in the results thread.

Go!

 

[Mysterious Stranger]

Ghost Trick

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Ghost Trick

A perfect example of what not to do.

 

[Wario64]

1. ZiGGURAT - quick high scoring game with awesome chiptune track, you kill a bunch of aliens on a mountain. challenging and playable in short spurts. Also has an interesting 'story arc' for a high score game. 99 cents

2. Super Hexagon - tough but addicting, awesome music, 60 Fps. Feels rewarding if you beat it, which is very possible no matter how impossible you think it is

3. Jetpack Joyride - free. Endless runner, endless challenges, feels good

4. Dungeon Raid - think puzzle + roguelike. Addicting. Fun. Guaranteed to kill your battery

5. Tiny Wings - 99 cents, beautiful graphics, simple but great game play

6. Where's My Water - one of those 3 star-level games focused on puzzles. Very fun and easily worth 99 cents

7. Zookeeper Battle - It's Zookeeper. Except strictly multiplayer, 1 on 1 battles. the best online matchmaking I've seen on iOS (doesn't kick you out to Game Center). F2P but you can easily get away without paying a penny

8. Tiny Tower - Another F2P that does not require dropping a cent. It's no Sim Tower, just one of those time consuming-stocking games. But it's one of the better stocking games. Meant to be played in very short spurts

9. Infinity Blade 1/2 - Good game to show off what your phone can do. It's repetitious but enjoyable if you're the new game+ junkie that likes to level up and get money and buy new stuff, etc.

10. Temple Run - Free, endless runner. Uses swipe/tilt controls. Runs smooth and plays great.

11. Beat Sneak Bandit - Unique puzzle-ish + rhythm game, great art style. All obstacles are built around a rhythm beat. You move around by tapping in rhythm.

12. Forget-Me-Not - Pac Man + Roguelike thats pretty hard. But it looks cool and plays well and feels like a game that actually existed back in the day

13. Oh! Cube - A blatant Picross 3D clone, but it works. And it's only $0.99

Will prob add more later I dunno

 

[methane47]

Dear lord what the heck?

 

[Espresso]

1. Carcassonne - The game board is a medieval landscape built by the players as the game progresses. It is named after the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne in southern France, famed for its city walls.

2. Pocket League Story - Football/soccer simulation by Kairosoft. You manage a team from humble beginnings to world stardom.

3. Lost Cities - From the creators of Carcassonne. The object is to mount profitable expeditions to one or more of the five different lost cities.

4. FFT - It's FFT.

5. Groove Coaster - The best music/rhythm game of all time.

 

[TommyT]

:lol well done

 

[pancakesandsex]

1. Guardian Cross - Addictive new card game (use my invite code OR79712 ).
2. Groove Coaster - Taito making an awesome rhythm game. Zuntata.
3. Espgaluda II - Port better than it has any right to be.
4. Chaos Rings - High quality original ios rpg.
5. Deckmake Fantasy - Cute single player card battler from the people who make touch detective.
6. Knights of the Phantom Castle - RTS game with classes made by hudson soft.
7. The War of Eustrath - Competent super robot wars alike.
8. Hills and Rivers Remain - Interesting strategy game, nice art.

 

[Blablurn]

1. Metal Gear Solid Touch iOS - Best Video Game of all time
2. Phoenix Wright iOS - Best Phoenix Wright Game of all time!!!!
3. Game Dev Story - Best Game Dev Story Game of all time!!!!!!!!

 

[Corto]

1. Superhexagon - Brainmelting digital crack
2. Dodonpachi Resurrection - Never would have imagined that a bullet hell japanese shooter would translate so well to the small screen of an iPhone. Really mindblowing how it really works... and it's fun on top of it.
3. Osmos - Another game that translated perfectly to the touch interface. I already loved the PC version with some cool and relaxing music but the different physics mechanics and the different challenges in latter levels can be nerve wrecking.
4. Dungeon Raid - A fast paced rogue-match3-like-hybrid nothing specially original but fun and easy to jump in/jump out.
5. Ghost Trick - Great story, great animation
6. Rayman Run - Gorgeous visuals, fun and fast paced platformer with great music on top.
7. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP - A great adventure game, really original and a must have for the soundtrack alone.
8. Total War Battles - A simple take on the Total War franchise, with more of a puzzle-like mechanic than the big estrategy setting of the "big-brother" titles. Fun nonetheless though it could have a bit more depth.

 

[Skyzard]

1. Phoenix HD - great shootemup
2. Boost 2 - great tunnel game
3. Dungeon Raid - great arcade puzzle rpg
4. Drop 7 - great puzzle
5. Chu Chu Rocket - great classic sega puzzle game
6. Protoxide - awesome racer (futuristic hovering...with steampunk)
7. Death Worm - classic game, really well made on vita
8. Mechanical Panic - tonnes of fun falling game
9. Rope 'n Fly - swinging game
10. AAaaaaaaa! F=ML - It's the awesome free-falling game from pc! So good.

 

[ImpassionateGods]

1.Super Hexagon-- Flawless music, fantastic reflex game.
2.Hero Academy- the best async game there is.
3.Battleheart- fantastic little rpg with lots of spells and levels
4.Game Dev Story-Speaks for itself really. Sim game by Kairosoft.
5.Rayman Jungle Run- the first platformer that really clicked for me on iOS. Replaying the levels to get perfect is really addicting and it gets challenging without frustrating controls.
6.Kingdom Rush- The definitive tower defense experience. So much to do and it's actually difficult.
7.Puzzle Craft-fun little match-3 time sink with a purpose.
8. Jetpack Joyride-Just an all-around masterpiece.
9.Tiny Wings-beautiful game, fun gameplay, great objectives.
10. Rebuild- It's like Kairosoft, except with the zombie apocalypse!

 

[Smiley90]

1. Summoner Wars - My most played iOS game, possibly. Glorious Boardgame adaption.
2. Nightfall - See above, just got an expansion too, awesome.
3. Dungeon Raid - I retract my Summoner Wars statement - THIS is my most played game. so simple, yet soooo goood.
4. Carcassonne - MORE boardgames. awesome.
5. Game Dev Story - Cost me two full days that I somehow ended up playing it continuously. I am since scared of Kairosoft games.
6. Infinity Blade 2 - Impressive Tech demo.
7. Space Miner - Another "so simple, yet so good" game, one of the few games I actually completed. so much fun.
8. Broken Sword Series (can I nominate a whole series?) - Best iOS point&click adventure series, hands down.
9. Ravenmark - Awesome dev, VERY deep TBS game.
10. Galaxy on Fire 2 - Impressive Tech, long story, fun.
11. Ascension - ANOTHER boardgame!
12. Score! - Is here while waiting for the next full soccer game from the dev
13. Monkey Island Series (same as for Broken Sword series) - 2nd best oint&click series. Classic.
14. New Star Soccer - Came out of nowhere, left everyone baffled and addicted.
15. Plague Inc. - Pandemic on iOS = porofit
16. Temple Run - classic.
17. GTA 3 - Actually liked GTA 3 better than Chinatown wars, it's a great port.
18. Beat Hazard - ALL OF THE LIGHTS.
19. Draw Race 2 - Old, but good, had a lot of fun with this back in the days.
20. Scribblenauts - great port of the DS version.


Like I said in the comments, can I nominate whole adventure game series? There are 3 Monkey Island games and 2 Broken Sword games (I think...), so I'm not sure if it's okay to nominate the whole series since they're similar or if I have to pick individual games. let me know.

 

[Crub]

1. Phoenix Wright
2. Plants vs Zombies
3. Rayman: Jungle Run
4. TokiTori
5. Broken Sword: DC
6. Swords & Soldiers
7. Cut the Rope
8. Cut the Rope: Experiments
9. GameDev Story
10. Ghost Trick
11. Super Monkey Ball 2
12. McPixel
13. Chu Chu Rocket
14. Spider-Man: Total Mayhem

 

[GeekyDad]

In no particular order:

• 5. Kingdom Rush -- who'da thunk it, TD games can actually be a shit-ton of fun. Best out there.
• 3. PvZ -- Still ridiculously relevant and fun.
• 2. Dungeon Raid -- Dungeon Raid
• 6. Civ Rev -- Don't listen to the snobs. It's a great portable Civ solution.
• 4. Deathsmiles -- my personal favorite Cave shooter. Lolis in a Castlevania setting with anime sensibilities.
• 1. Final Fantasy Tactics -- One of the best games evar! Amazing story...amazing.
• 7. Monsters Ate My Condo -- An iOS classic, as far as I'm concerned.
• 8. Sword & Sworcery -- If iOS has a masterpiece, this is it.
• 10. Waking Mars -- One of the coolest adventures I've played in a good, long while.
• 9. Puzzle Craft -- One of the best iOS releases this year, but those fuckers need to fix some serious issues.
• 11. Rayman Jungle Run -- editing this post to add this game...because it totally deserves to be on a "best of" list -- effin' awesome!
• 12. DoDonPachi: Resurrection -- Deathsmiles is my personal favorite Cave shooter on iOS, but this one is a close second and a must-own for any shooter fan with an iOS device.
• 13. Rebuild -- This is a last-minute addition, but it's perfect as lucky 13. This is one of those insanely addictive, "just one more turn, OMG it's three in the morning" games. Only recently discovered it, but in contemplating other great iOS games I've played, it's worthy of any "top" games list.

EDIT: All right, so since they were already bulleted, I just added numbers in the order I guess I could live with.

 

[Sexually Aggressive Uncle]

1. Metal Gear Solid Touch iOS - Best Video Game of all time

You've got to be fucking kidding.

 

[To Far Away Times]

1. Zen Pinball - Fantastic pinball game with great production values and very reasonable prices for new tables.
2. Deathsmiles - Cave on the App Store outclasses just about anything else, but as always, its better in the arcade/or on your console than on your telephone.
3. Bug Princess (Mushihimesama)
4. Blazing Star - Port of an old SNK shmup, fantastic game
5. Dodonpachi Resurrection (Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu)
6. Bug Princess 2 (Mushihimesama Futari 1.5)
7. DoDonPachi Blissful Death (Dodonpachi Daioujou)
8. Espgaluda II
9. Super Hexagon - Obviously not the kind of game you would play all day, but a great way to burn 5 minutes.

 

[zroid]

1. Ziggurat - quick high scoring game with awesome chiptune, challenging. 99 cents
2. Super Hexagon - tough but addicting, awesome music, 60 Fps
3. Jetpack Joyride - free. Endless runner, endless challenges, feels good

Oh snap, thanks for reminding me to get Ziggurat and Jetpack Joyide.

 

[ponpo]

1. Jubeat Plus (JP ver.)
2. Adventure Bar Story
3. Blade Dash
4. Goat Up
5. Taiko no Tatsujin
6. Tonesphere

Though I mostly hate everything that's not jubeat at this point.

 

[BassForever]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought there had been a end to these kind of GAF vote threads outside of the annual end of the year GotY awards?

 

[Puppet Shadow]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought there had been a end to these kind of GAF vote threads outside of the annual end of the year GotY awards?

Ya, I'd wait till January and make it an ios goty thread.

 

[Pachimari]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought there had been a end to these kind of GAF vote threads outside of the annual end of the year GotY awards?

Ya, I'd wait till January and make it an ios goty thread.

They're doing it as a recap kind of thing, as we are going to do weekly/monthly iOS threads from now on.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

1- Bejeweled HD- Brilliant addictive game.
2- IB 2- Very enjoyable and trying to collect weapons take a long time Besides it gets updated with new free content.
3- Jetpack Joyride- Free endless fun.
4- Fruit Ninja- same as bejeweled but not as addictive.

 

[chickdigger802]

1. TWEWY - one of the best ds games, and one of the best game remakes ever. Extremely impressed.
2. Galaxy on Fire 2 HD - visual showcase for modern ios devices. Is quite meaty as well and with 2 meaty dlc expansions.
3. Starbase Orion - favorite 4x game of the system with constant balance changes from community feedback.
4. Kingdom Rush - best TD game of the platform. period.
5. Mega Mall Story - the best kairosoft game in terms of 'carrot on the stick' and balance.
6. Ghost Trick - stellar port of one of the best ds games at a super reasonable price.
7. Shellrazer - giant turtle armed with firepower.
8. Mage gauntlet - best virtual controls for any game. Quite fun as well.
9. modern combat 3 - still the best mp shooter for any portable. period.
10. Sword & Poker 2 - Think puzzle quest, but with a cool tic tac toe style game involving poker hands.
11. Space Miner - classic asteroids with upgradable ships and weapons and a silly story.
12. Game Dev Story - not that great of a game, but if you are on gaf you will find this super addictive for a good dozen hrs or so.
13. Osu! - ouendan on iOS. Get it.
14. Groove Coaster- another awesome music game.
15. Crimsonheart - best Korean action rpg if that's your thing.
16. Aftermath - fun top down zombie survival game that works with the control limitations.
17. Drop7 - best new puzzle game of this gen.
18. Samurai 2 - favorite action game with beautiful okami like cell shaded visuals.
19. Reckless racing 2 - beautiful top down racer with a nice drift heavy feel.
20. Battleheart - beautiful 'mmo raid' style game.

You really should split iphone from ipad though. A lot of games work better on ipad than iphone.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

A question guys! I installed Jetpack Joyride long time ago on my iphone, and i deleted it but i can´t re install it on my Iphone or Ipad because it says it´s already installed. What to do?

 

[Margalis]

1. Fart Cat
2. That game where you run to right and press a button to jump
3. Mosquito Man
4. In app purchase delivery system slightly obscured by a gossamer cloak of irrelevant gameplay
5. There aren't 5 good iPhone games

Oh...was this a serious topic?

 

[tamaster92]

1. Super hexagon
2. Game dev story
3. Plants vs zombies
4. Order and chaos online
5. Draw race 2
6. Infinity blade 2
7. Zen pinball
8. Temple run
9. Tap tap revenge 4
10. Fruit ninja

 

[Nirolak]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought there had been a end to these kind of GAF vote threads outside of the annual end of the year GotY awards?

Ya, I'd wait till January and make it an ios goty thread.

They have approval for this one since it's a precursor to switching over to monthly recommendation threads so people can find out about good iOS games that don't get OTs without wading through the gigantic megathread.

 

[Margalis]

You realize you're no better than the guy who says the Wii only has wagglefest casual games, right?

Not really. Looking at other people's serious top 10 lists I see mostly bad ports and throwaway titles.

I'm not opposed to the concept of iPhone games, there's no reason touch based mobile games can't be awesome. But right now they aren't, and these lists are strong evidence of that. A bunch of these games are simple puzzle games that would have been right at home on Newgrounds a decade ago.

 

[Wario64]

A question guys! I installed Jetpack Joyride long time ago on my iphone, and i deleted it but i can´t re install it on my Iphone or Ipad because it says it´s already installed. What to do?

Never heard of that before. I guess you'd have to restore your device :/

Gonna add a few more games to my list


Also adding some screenshots, hope that's alright. I think visuals help when there's so many games out there

 

[Corto]

Not really. Looking at other people's serious top 10 lists I see mostly bad ports and throwaway titles.

I'm not opposed to the concept of iPhone games, there's no reason touch based mobile games can't be awesome. But right now they aren't, and these lists are strong evidence of that. A bunch of these games are simple puzzle games that would have been right at home on Newgrounds a decade ago.

I'm not opposed to the concept of triple AAA console games, there's no reason home console games can't be awesome. But right now they aren't, and these lists are strong evidence of that. A bunch of these games are simple clones of the same cinematic action packed bullshit tripe that is spoon fed to oligophrenic gamers that can't understand a simple map without a giant arrow flashing over their characters head.

Ahah Inflammatory Hyperbole is indeed fun!

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

Never heard of that before. I guess you'd have to restore your device :/

Thanks. Bummer

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

In no particular order:

• Kingdom Rush -- who'da thunk it, TD games can actually be a shit-ton of fun. Best out there.
• PvZ -- Still ridiculously relevant and fun.
• Dungeon Raid -- Dungeon Raid
• Civ Rev -- Don't listen to the snobs. It's a great portable Civ solution.
• Deathsmiles -- my personal favorite Cave shooter. Lolis in a Castlevania setting with anime sensibilities.
• Final Fantasy Tactics -- One of the best games evar! Amazing story...amazing.
• Monsters Ate My Condo -- An iOS classic, as far as I'm concerned.
• Sword & Sworcery -- If iOS has a masterpiece, this is it.
• Waking Mars -- One of the coolest adventures I've played in a good, long while.
• Puzzle Craft -- One of the best iOS releases this year, but those fuckers need to fix some serious issues.

You're doing it wrong See how everyone else has those numbers?

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Not really. Looking at other people's serious top 10 lists I see mostly bad ports and throwaway titles.

I'm not opposed to the concept of iPhone games, there's no reason touch based mobile games can't be awesome. But right now they aren't, and these lists are strong evidence of that. A bunch of these games are simple puzzle games that would have been right at home on Newgrounds a decade ago.

Oh god just shut up you idiot. This is not the time or the place. If you want to piss a lot of people off, go Troll the main iOS thread. This is for voting.

 

[Wario64]

Added some screenshots to my list too, hope that's okay. Should convey how sweet these games are.

I feel guilty that I haven't played Sworcery yet, despite having it for over a year, haha.

Actually looking at my apps, I have a lot of games that I own that I haven't played. Like Waking Mars, Another World

 

[GeekyDad]

You're doing it wrong See how everyone else has those numbers?

Argh, you want me to pick favorites? All right...let me edit.

 

[polg]

this list needs more 10000000!

I will sit down this afternoon and put a top 20 together...

 

[Wario64]

10000000 was cool but I lost interest in it pretty fast. Maybe I'll spend the next couple weeks picking up the slack on some of these games

 

[Fusebox]

1. Modern Combat 3 - the best paid FPS. Amazing graphics, awesome action, best played on iPad
2. Dead Trigger - the best free FPS. Bite size zombie slaying perfect for mobile gaming, best played on iPad
3. The Walking Dead - fantastic story, perfect controls, iPad only
4. Bastion - yes it's a port, but it has never looked as good as it does on iPad 3. Brilliant game. iPad only
5. Real Racing 2 - still the best racer on iOS after all this time, at least until RR3 comes out. Best played on iPad
6. Wargames - match 3 digital crack, best played on iPhone
7. Pirates - classic game with a modern look perfectly suited to touch controls. Best played on iPad
8. Mage Gauntlet - Flawless action RPG

 

[protonion]

1. Cause of Death. Fun and nicely paced murder stories. It's my most played game on the iPhone. I cannot wait every Monday when a new episode is airing!

2. The Secret of Chateau de Moreau. Best original adventure on the iPhone hands down. Great story, characters, atmosphere and fun gameplay. Could be harder.

3. Doodle Fit. My favorite iOS puzzle game. Tons of content too.

And the rest...

4. Ace Casino. Hours upon hours wasted...

5. Game Dev Story. Once you start you cannot stop.

6. Space Miner. Where's my sequel???

 

[Dingotech]

Is it wrong that I'm waiting for other people to post their lists so I can be reminded about the awesome games that I loved on iOS... XD

I've got a list of about 10 so far, I'm sure there are a heap more that I played to flat battery status that I'm forgetting!

 

[j0hnny_385]

Awesome thread! Will come in handy when I get my hands on iPhone 5. \o/

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

1. Tiny wings

2. Super Hexagon

3. Beat Hazard Ultra

4. Pix'n Love Rush

5. Zombie Gunship

6. Infinity Blade

7. Cordy

8. Bike Baron

9. Super Crate Box

10. Ziggurat

11. Edge

12. Temple Run

13. Asphalt 6

14. Radballs

15. Space Invaders Infinity Gene

16. Jaggy Race

17. Infinity Field

18. Samurai Bloodshow

19. League of Evil 2

20. Angry Birds Space

 

[GeekyDad]

1. Cause of Death. Fun and nicely paced murder stories. It's my most played game on the iPhone. I cannot wait every Monday when a new episode is airing!

2. The Secret of Chateau de Moreau. Best original adventure on the iPhone hands down. Great story, characters, atmosphere and fun gameplay. Could be harder.

3. Doodle Fit. My favorite iOS puzzle game. Tons of content too.

And the rest...

4. Ace Casino. Hours upon hours wasted...

5. Game Dev Story. Once you start you cannot stop.

6. Space Miner. Where's my sequel???

See, this thread already helped me. Your 1 & 2 I'd never heard of, and after checking them out, I see the first one is free. Checking it out now.

 

[NGKrush]

1. King of Dragons Pass - great port of the original pc game
2. Hero Academy - great turn based strategy game. multplayer only.
3. Walking Dead - really great redesign of the traditional PnC genre.
4. Dungeon Raid - still the best match3
5. Spell Tower
6. Rebuild
7. Grim Joggers - one of the most fun endless runners, can be very hard.
8. Small World - great 2p mini version of the analog boardgame
9. Mission Europa - one of the best atmospheric FPS games
10. Drop7 - classic.

 

[infiniteloop]

Last year's results thread for reference:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450257

 

[Ranger X]

01- Game Dev Story - Still my favorite strategy game on the platform
02- League Of Evil - Amazing precision platform. Admittedly beating even Super Meat Boy.
03- MegaMall Story - Second favorite strategy game. It's like if TinyTower had actual gameplay.
04- Doom 2 RPG - First person rogue-like RPG of greatness.
05- Dungeon Raid - Favorite puzzle game. This game is hard drugs.
06- Oh! Edo Towns - Best city builder I played on the platform so far.
07- Grand Prix Story - Excellent strategy game once again.
08- Guardian Saga - Dragon Warrior clone. I love it.
09- DrawRace 2 - Never in million years I thought I'd play a truly original racing game.
10- Pocket League - Kairosoft just rocks.
11- Super Stick Golf - Not really a Golf game and that's what is amazing about it.
12- I Dig It - Not a Minecraft clone but a game that has done something actually interesting out of digging.
13- Dark Nebula 2 - Best Marble game on the platform.
14- Where's My Water? - Original puzzle games. I like that!
15- Final Freeway - Outrun fans, grab this immediately.
16- CrossLogic Unlimited - Best Picross on the platform.
17- Jetpack Joyride - Best Runner on the platform.
18- Canabalt - Great Runner, I like the pixel art.
19- Quell - Original puzzler. I love those.
20- Snuggle Truck - Great feeling and precision challenges.

 

[soldat7]

1. Mage Gauntlet
2. Ravenmark
3. Ascension
4. Carcassonne
5. Metal Slug 3
6. Bastion
7. Machinarium
8. Aquaria
9. Frogatto
10. Emberwind
11. Heroes of Kalevala
12. Spectromancer
13. Shibuya
14. Sushi Cat
15. Knights Rush
16. Flick Kick Football
17. Undercroft
18. Canabalt
19. Terra Noctis
20. Anomaly Warzone Earth

It's tough to put these in order and it's tough to pick just twenty. I'm probably forgetting some that would supplant some of these.

A remarkable platform that's under threat of ruin with the predominance of poisonous IAPs.

 

[Thoraxes]

1. Plants vs. Zombies - It's freaking PvZ
2. Infinity Blade - dat graphics
3. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery - dat music and aesthetic
4. Phoenix Wright - it's Phoenix Wright
5. 嫁コレ - because I like the girls and it's a fun way to get more fun out of the ones you like from different media
6. Words With Friends - an easy casual game that everyone can play, and the social network integration was great

 

[Dog Problems]

I tried to not include ports of games from other platforms but some I've included because I either first played the iOS version or I've played the iOS version the most so it's my preferred way of playing it. Monkey Island 2 is technically my favorite game on the Appstore but I've only played very little of the iOS version, as opposed to the countless times I've played it on PC.

1. Sword & Sworcery - I love point-and-click adventures and I'll admit as far as adventure games go this one is not the best choice to go with if you're looking for a traditional game in the genre. Despite that, I do enjoy the trial-and-error style of gameplay. But where the game really shines, in my opinion, is in the way it tells its story, its aesthetics, and the music. I look at it as an art game or an experience along the lines of something like Journey or Dear Esther. It's always getting recognition for its soundtrack and beautiful pixel art, which well deserved, but I think it deserves more attention for the abstract way it presents itself and tells its story. It's certainly not for everyone but I love everything about it.

2. Super Hexagon - Pretty popular game right now on GAF so there's not much I can say that hasn't been said already. Terry Cavanagh continues to be one of my favorite game developers.

3. Swift Stitch - One of my favorite games of this year and something more people need to check out, especially those who like the difficulty of Super Hexagon. It has a very minimalist visual style but the gameplay is excellent. The first ten levels or so are very easy because they're meant to be like a tutorial but the difficulty ramps up quickly, especially if you're trying to accomplish all three goals that each level has. Also has an excellent soundtrack.

4. Beat Sneak Bandit - One of my favorite games of this year. It's been a very challenging game for me because I can't move on to the next stage until I've gotten all of the collectables on the current level. It's a nice combination of puzzle and rhythm.

5. Bit Pilot - Everything about this game is "simple" but that's why I think it's so good. Simple pixel art, simple gameplay, simple controls. But it's challenging, fun, and has a great soundtrack.

6. Canabalt - Despite of all the auto-runners that come out I still go back to this one. It's the simplicity that makes it so good.

7. Dungeon Raid - Easily the most addictive puzzle game I've ever played, even more than Tetris. I've put so many hours into it.

8. ASYNC Corp. - Incredibly addictive puzzle game that has a nice aesthetic and a very catchy song. It starts off slow and easy in its various modes but the difficulty jumps up and it becomes challenging.

9. lilt line - Dubstep gets a lot of shit but I like the music that's in this game by 16bit. I wish the levels were longer but they can get difficult. Love the art style as well.

10. Gesundheit! - Addicting stealth puzzle game with a great art style and pleasant music. The characters and enemies are all charming. Shooting snot has never been so much fun.

11. ZiGGURAT - This game could have easily came out as an arcade game in the 80's or 90's. Fun, difficult, and addicting.

12. Jetpack Joyride - My second favorite auto-runner and it's mostly because I love all of the power-ups and collectibles.

13. Passage - Another art game, here's the description:

The game lasts exactly five minutes, and focuses on life, mortality and the costs and benefits of marriage.

It's different but that's why I like it. Not much of a game, though.

14. Run, Jump, Kill! - A classic side scrolling action. Yes, it does have virtual controls but they work well. It's like Castlevania.

15. Shibuya - Another puzzle that's addicting and has a great soundtrack. Some of the best music I've heard in an iOS game. Here's an example.

16. SpellTower - Yep, another puzzle game. I love Zach Gage's work and this is definitely his most popular title.

17. Monsters Ate My Condo - Probably my favorite Adult Swim game. Addicting gameplay, awesome aesthetic, and catchy music.

18. Halcyon - iPad-only puzzle game by Zach Gage and probably my second favorite of his. It's a relaxing puzzle game that ramps up in difficulty if you're doing well.

19. Eliss - Another puzzle game but this is one of the harder ones I've played. Nice aesthetic as well.

20. Deathsmiles - I had to put at least one Cave game on here and it was hard to choose, but I ultimately went with Deathsmiles because I prefer horizontal shmups plus I like collecting the various items in the new mode that was added in.

I'll probably edit this numerous times since I'm unsure of the order for some of them.