Developer: Devolver

Price: Free
Version: 1.3.3
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

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Devolver Digital is a publisher that goes out of its way to be somewhat goofy and tongue-in-cheek in virtually every aspect of its business. They have a fake CEO named Fork Parker. They make satirical press conferences for trade shows. They try very, very hard to be funny. Sometimes, they are! Other times, like with the case of Devolver Tumble Time--their brand new free-to-play mobile release--they just make some references to things that you might think are funny purely by being able to recognize them. It also doesn't help that this game makes you play through all of the bad free-to-play stuff that Devolver is supposedly trying to critique, which also isn't very fun.

Every day, we pick out a curated list of the best mobile discounts on the App Store and post them here. This list won't be comprehensive, but it every game on it is recommended. Feel free to check out the coverage we did on them in the links below to further vet these discounted games before you decide to buy:

^{Games marked with an asterisk(*) denote that the entire developer/publisher’s catalog is discounted, despite the fact that all of their games may not be listed here.}

Developer: Triomatica Games

Price: $4.99
Version: 1.12
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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Adventure games that adhere very closely to genre convention can be difficult to feel a lot of love for. Unless they do something particularly inventive to tell their story, they run a real risk of simply feeling derivative. Boxvilletoes this line very closely, but it makes up for some of its mechanical familiarity by moving at a swift pace through a charming world.

Developer: Game Stew

Price: $4.99
Version: 1.0.3
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

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Game Stew is back with yet another stylized pixel game with an offbeat structure and rpg mechanics. This one, titled Omega 13, is a mech combat game where you play as some sort of gladiator trying to battle your way through the top ranks to discover some hidden truths. Like many Game Stew games, it's pretty odd. For the most part, it's strangeness adds a lot to its appeal, with the only drawback really being how long and sloggy it can be to make progress.

Developer: Noice2D

Price: Free
Version: 1.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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UFO99 is a quirky little arcade game where you pilot a ship that you have to weave between enemies and obstacles in an arena in order to pick up items that help you score and survive. It almost feels like a mini-game that has been given just enough additional substance to make it a repeatable score-chaser. The game certainly has its charms, but ultimately UFO99 wears thin due to how limited an experience it is.

Developer: BJ Malicoat

Price: $3.99
Version: 1.5
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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Pine Tar Poker is a simple poker variant that injects some folksy charm by setting itself in a country tavern with a chatty barkeep. All seems fine, normal, and perhaps even a bit boring, and that's right when the game starts to pull the rug out from under you. It's an interesting idea that gets some help through some unique challenges and upgrades, though it does feel like Pine Tar Poker saunters along a bit slower than it needs to.

Developer: Andrew Spalato

Price: $1.99
Version: 1.3.1
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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At first glance, Wavecade looks like a mobile knock-off of Geometry Wars. And--while you do indeed pilot a little geometric ship and shoot at little geometric enemies in a neon, spaceage environment--Wavecade is most definitely its own kind of game. It's a very strange game and I'm not sure I understand the reasoning for some of its design choices, but I sure as heck enjoy playing it.

Developer: Noodlecake

Price: Free
Version: 1.1.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

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The template for making action sports like skateboarding work well as video games has been the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series for decades now. So, when a new one comes along and it feels like those old classics it's not entirely surprising. Perfect Grind does a decent job of condensing very similar action to the Tony Hawk games down to a smaller, portrait-mode form factor, but doesn't do a whole lot to change up an age-old formula.

2022 is almost over, and so now in the same fashion as last year, I wanted to model some Game of the Year awards through categories in addition to simply ranking my personal favorites. Between now and the dawn of 2023, I'll be updating this page regularly with new entries for each category, so make sure to check in and see what titles win which awards.

Just before Christmas, Odyssey Interactive brough their fast and fun 3v3 knockout striker title, Omega Strikers, to mobile in the form of an open beta. The game had previously been available to play in beta on Steam since September, but when the game was announced the developers were very clear about their intent to bring the game to smaller screens.

I had been previously dabbling with Omega Strikers on PC, but only truly dove in head-first once I could get my hands on it in mobile form. Since release, I've poured a ton of time into it and can shed some insight on future plans for the game in addition to some tips to help you get started if you want to pick it up yourself and try it out.

Developer: Freebird Games

Price: $4.99
Version: 1.0.7
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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Finding Paradise is the second episode in the To the Moon series, which probably means something to anyone who has played To the Moon. I haven't, but the app description for Finding Paradise accurately notes that this game does not require previous knowledge of other games in the series. This experience ends up being a touching exploration of inner life presented through a very light pixel art style and some sci-fi shennanigans.

Developer: Evan Kice

Price: $6.99
Version: 1.1.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

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From the outside, Afterplace can look a bit like a Legend of Zelda derivative, but after only a short time with the game it's easy to tell there's a distinct vision guiding this experience and that it plans to go places and say things unique to itself. This is (unfortunately) a fairly rare thing to encounter on mobile platforms these days, but Afterplace is also notable for just how strange it insists on getting and the vibe it plays with, even if everything it tries to pull off isn't entirely successful or easy to deal with.

Developer: Poncle

Price: Free
Version: 1.1.105
App Reviewed on: iPhone SE

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Celebrated action roguelite Vampire Survivors made a surprise jump to mobile where players can now mow down walls of enemies with automated weaponry right from their phone. This mobile version arrives as a completely free game and in an uncompromised state, making it a no-brainer to download immediately.

Developer: Cloisters Interactive

Price: $3.99
Version: 1.0.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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The steady flow of reflective and slow adventure games has definitely reached a saturation point where the mere idea of one coming out is no longer notable or celebration-worthy. In fact, there are a lot of games in this category that actually just seem like derivative attempts to ride the coattails of pioneering titles like Dear Esther. In any case, A Memoir Blue is definitely one of these kinds of games, and it manages to distinguish itself through its unique blend of art styles, focus on light puzzle-solving, and simple-yet-powerful storytelling.

Developer: BugBear Entertainment

Price: $9.99
Version: 1.0.5
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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As its name implies, Bugbear's Wreckfest is all about vehicular wreckage. With an impressive physics engine and detailed modeling, everything from the ride-on lawn mowers to giant harvesters smash up really nicely. As cool as all of it can look, though, Wreckfest rarely feels very good, which is the core issue with the game and overall experience.