The end of the year is here again! What are the best games you’ve played? Here’s a list of the top iOS games that impressed gamers with their graphics, mechanics and oodles of entertainment value. Did you favorites make the list? Find out here.
A few months after the game’s release, it was estimated that as many as 15.5 million players are matching candies numerous times daily, to the point of addiction. This leads to the game being accessed and played a massive half a billion times per day!
The makers of the game attribute its popularity to the fact that the highly social game is widely available on all platforms and is “something you can do with your friends and family”.
Elements and features that helped make this game popular:
- Delicious, dynamic graphics that appeal to both youths and adults alike
- Unlockable items and missions
- Light-hearted fun sprinkled with adorable candy cutscenes
- Intuitive gaming, leaving players never to wonder what to do next
The successor to the wildly successful Temple Run, Temple Run 2 became even more attractive as millions and millions of players download the game from the App Store to fulfill their desire of running infinite paths ala Indiana Jones.
Players maneuver across endless traps, twists and turns, pits and obstacles, as well as ride in creaky cars in dark, labyrinth-like mines. Imangi Studios made running, jumping, turning and sliding so much fun that players do not mind doing it infinite times, muttering to themselves, “Just. One. More. Time.”
The appeal here is the missions that players need to complete to gain more points, gems and bragging rights. We don’t care if we start from scratch all over again, but are completely happy to do it all over again to clock in an extra mile in our quest to reach the temple that we hardly get to glance longer than 2 seconds
In what seemed like a surprise entry into the list of best iOS gaming apps of 2013, Despicable Me: Minion Rush is considered just as much a success as its sequel. Released this year, “Despicable Me 2” has grossed $800 million globally, so it came as not odd to see the game following in its footsteps.
Knowing that the Minions are arguably what made the movies so popular, the makersdecided to capitalize on this fact and made them the main protagonists in Despicable Me: Minion Rush. Players play as the Minions (what else) in what seemed like a more fun, albeit yellower, version of Temple Run. Less temples, more bananas that is.
Besides feasting your eyes on the glorious 3D graphics, you get to encounter secret areas, participate in exciting boss fights and just generally laugh at the Minions’ hilarious antics that you grew you know and love so well.
It’s a well-known fact that not everyone plays poker to rake in the cash (although that IS a sound motivation). Some play to enhance their mental mindset, while others are excited by the mechanics of the game and the competitive edge it allows them to gain. No matter what your motivations are, if you love poker, then it’s safe to say that you’ve played online poker.
One app that should be a fixture on every poker player’s smartphone or tablet is the World Series of Poker game. Touted as “the Most Authentic Poker Game on iOS” by Ty Stewart, Vice President and Executive Director of the WSOP, this game doesn’t get any better than that. The World Series of Poker game is as authentic as they come, and perhaps even better because you can fulfil your dream of becoming a high roller without paying anything for a seat at the poker table.
- Indulge in Texas Hold’em, Omaha poker and more
- Tired of playing with newbies? Enhance your game with a PRO status and challenge elite players, accumulate your kingdom of chips and build your reputation as a card shark
- Just like in the good ol’ WSOP tournaments, you get to win WSOP rings and bracelets in the game, albeit virtual ones. But hey, they’d still net you bragging rights!
- Want to play with big boys? Get a VIP membership that will be your passport to private VIP-only tables, instantly elevating your game to greater heights
Free games may have dominated the list of best iOS games in 2013, but the Minecraft Pocket Edition has proven to be one of the biggest moneymakers all year. The game has topped the charts since its release in 2011, and it looks like the phenomenon isn’t about to halt anytime soon.
Makers of the game from Mojang, claimed that their success was partly attributed to the fact that they have a growing fanbase consisting of children who may have seen the appeal as their older siblings indulge in endless Minecraft sessions on the PC. So when it arrives on the iOS, it’s only fair to see the game flourish on mobile devices.
Ever wondered what it would be like to see iconic Star Wars characters such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Han Solo with wings, or in Darth Vader’s case, as a pig? Wonder no more, and download the hit game of Angry Birds Star Wars HD that made the hit game list of 2013.
Rovio, the makers of the original Angry Birds game, has teamed up with LucasArts and created a legend in the form of this highly addictive and thought-provoking game.
- Exhaust yourself joyfully as you explore over 100 levels Star Wars fans would recognize (think Tatooine and the Pig (Death) Star).
- Relive old Star Wars memories as you battle Imperial Pigs, destroy laser turrets and defeat countless Tusken Raider pigs while using iconic lightsabers, blasters and awesome Jedi powers to wreak havoc on Darth Vader’s battalion of Imperial Pigs.
- Unlock R2-D2 and C-3PO bonus levels as you go, and enjoy free updates along the way.
Two Rovio games in the same best-games-of-the-year list? You’d better believe it, this game maker IS going places.
If you’re tired of playing angry bird characters, you may want to jump ship and try your hand at creating a variety of creative vehicles to aid the piggies.
The game description on the App Store claims that you can build your own flying machines, but we players beg to differ. There’s so much more than just building these machines, which by the way, can not only fly, but are able to bounce, zip, leap and skyrocket to the checkpoint. This spin-off lets you outwit the birds for a change, so for you Team Piggies, this game deserves to be on top.
Author bio: Jeremy Henderson is an avid gamer, who also loves writing. He has for years played in poker tournaments around the world and made a living off it. He has also ghost written a number of articles that have been featured in reputed journals.
