Adventure games have always been my bread and butter. Indeed, I’ve played a lot of truly remarkable titles over the years, and have always been a champion of quality storytelling in video games. When done well, the interactive stories of adventure games can be more compelling than any novel or movie. I will defend this point to my dying breath.
There are a lot of outstanding adventure games available for mobile these days (and not enough time in the world for me to list off all of my recommendations). So I’ve decided to focus this next game roundup on the top 10 adventure titles for iOS.
If you’re looking for a game that combines artful storytelling with engaging gameplay, please read on!
Top 10 Best Adventure Games for iOS
Let’s start with #10 and work our way to the #1 best iOS adventure game.
10. Life Is Strange
The best free adventure game for iPhone
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Release Date: January 30, 2015
- File Size: 1 GB
If you had the power to turn back time and fix any mistake, how would you use it? Players must ask themselves this question as they take on the role of Max Caulfield, a photography student who finds herself wrapped up in a dangerous and mysterious adventure after discovering her bizarre new power. Players will explore the fictional town of Arcadia Bay, collecting clues and twisting time to uncover the town’s dark secrets and mend the broken friendships of Max’s fellow students.
The gameplay of Life Is Strange is relatively simple, letting players immerse themselves more firmly in the story. With the first episode offered for free and the remaining four episodes available for $8.99, players can explore the nature of actions and consequences for relatively cheap.
9. Thimbleweed Park
The best wacky adventure game for iOS
- Publisher: Terrible Toybox, Inc.
- Release Date: March 30, 2017
- File Size: 986 MB
Thimbleweed Park is a game where every turn seems stranger than the last. The premise? Players must follow the stories of five distinct characters whose destinies all mysteriously intersect in the nearly-abandoned town of Thimbleweed Park. As they progress through the game, the dark secrets begin to reveal themselves in the most bizarre of ways.
Thimbleweed Park’s gameplay is reminiscent of early text-based adventure games, prompting players to select an action from a pre-written list. These actions can be combined with items that players have collected throughout the game (think “USE BALLOON ANIMAL with CORPSE”). The game’s wacky sense of humor encourages creative exploration and experimentation, and is excellent for players looking for a fun adventure with a kooky twist.
8. The Wolf Among Us
The best adventure game on the App Store (for fantasy fans)
- Publisher: Athlon Games, Inc.
- Release Date: October 14, 2013
- File Size: 702 MB
The Wolf Among Us is one of Telltale Games’ finest works, exploring the universe of the Fables comics before the events of the first issues. Players act as Bigby Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf and sheriff of Fabletown, as he investigates a series of brutal murders and uncovers the corrupt plot behind them.
Explore various three-dimensional environments, interacting with objects and NPCs to trigger dialogue trees and quick-time events that can affect the outcome of the game. Sounds like fun? Check out The Wolf Among Us on iOS today!
7. Mega Man X
The best retro adventure game for iOS
- Publisher: Capcom
- Release Date: December 21, 2011
- File Size: 93 MB
A beloved classic receives a modern makeover in the mobile version of Mega Man X. In this installment of Capcom’s hit series, X is a new model of robot that has the improved ability to think and feel beyond the orders of his master. After a malicious virus corrupts a series of Reploids and turns them against the human race, X teams up with a group of Hunters to take down the evil Mavericks and save the world.
Mega Man X is similar to its original version in terms of gameplay, but boasts several new additions that improve the overall experience. Players can swap between view modes and difficulty levels, participate in challenges and earn ranks, and even purchase in-game support items to help with their quest.
6. Rayman Adventures
The best platform adventure game for iPhone
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: October 29, 2015
- File Size: 471 MB
Rayman Adventures lets players explore a bright and colorful world of pure platforming pleasure. With the enchanted forest in danger due to an attack on the sacred tree, Rayman must seek out the Ancient Eggs that have been scattered across the world.
Gameplay incorporates basic platforming and combat, along with a few special abilities that allow players to traverse new kinds of obstacles. With over 200 levels across seven unique and breathtaking worlds, as well as a cast of over 55 playable characters, the fun is sure to be never-ending!
5. Burly Men at Sea
The best indie adventure game for iOS
- Publisher: Brain&Brain
- Release Date: September 29, 2016
- File Size: 218 MB
Burly Men at Sea is a delightful game in which players shape their own adventures time and time again. The game features branching, choice-driven stories that allow you to pursue short adventures based on Scandinavian folklore, each with a unique twist that encourages exploration and going with the flow.
The gameplay is extremely simplistic, with most of the focus landing on the art, soundtrack, and storytelling. If you’re the type of gamer that enjoys whimsical storytelling and replayability, Burly Men at Sea is definitely worth checking out!
4. Broken Age
The best iOS puzzle adventure game
- Publisher: Double Fine Productions, Inc.
- Release Date: January 28, 2014
- File Size: 2.9 GB
Broken Age is a story of two different worlds whose fates are intricately woven together in a way that threatens the stability of both. Players assume the roles of Shay and Vella, two teenagers that must navigate their own halves of the world and thwart the mutual danger that lurks in the shadows.
The game is a simple point-and-click adventure, but involves clever puzzle-solving and environmental cues that keep players on their toes. With gorgeous animation and a truly phenomenal voice cast, Broken Age is a must-play.
3. Papers, Please
The best adventure simulation game for iOS
- Publisher: 3909
- Release Date: December 12, 2014
- File Size: 51 MB
Papers, Please combines puzzle and life-simulation mechanics with compelling storytelling to create a truly unique adventure game. As an immigration officer in the fictional country of Arstotzka, players must inspect the documents of hopeful immigrants against varying daily criteria to determine whether or not they’re allowed to cross the border. This task becomes increasingly complex, however, as tensions between Arstotzka and its neighboring country begin to escalate and players are caught in moral dilemmas about who deserves to cross the border.
The game introduces new mechanics over time, ranging from cross-checking papers to interrogating subjects to demanding fingerprints and full-body scans in order to determine legitimacy. Players must also balance this with in-game needs like shopping and eating, creating a delicate balance between life, country, and job. Not stressful at all, right?
2. Grim Fandango Remastered
The best adventure game for iPad
- Publisher: Double Fine Productions, Inc.
- Release Date: May 5, 2015
- File Size: 3.5 GB
Grim Fandango drops players in the Land of the Dead, a surprisingly lively purgatory where wayward souls and demons mingle in the afterlife. The story follows Manny Calavera, a smooth-talking skeleton that acts as a combination grim reaper and travel salesman, as he tries to sell packages to recently-departed souls to help them on their way to their final resting place. After a sale goes wrong and a well-deserving patron is left to travel on foot, Manny chases after her in an attempt to make up for his own sins. Is he able to uncover the mystery that plagues all the lost souls being denied a chance to move on?
The game is another point-and-click adventure, rife with color and cheery nihilism about life and death. The puzzles are interesting without being overly challenging, letting players follow a compelling story through the brilliantly-designed afterlife.
1. Ace Attorney Trilogy HD
The best adventure game for iPhone overall
- Publisher: Capcom
- Release Date: April 9, 2019
- File Size: 401 MB
I have personally been playing the living daylights out of the Ace Attorney series, and cannot recommend it enough. Players can live out their wildest courtroom drama fantasies, investigating murders and playing objection-tennis with a series of increasingly bizarre prosecutors in their ever-earnest pursuit of truth and justice.
The Ace Attorney series is structured like a well-animated visual novel, with most of the gameplay centered around investigating crime scenes, interrogating characters, and presenting evidence and arguments in court in order to win the coveted “Not Guilty” verdict. The entire series is available for download if you enjoy the trilogy, so consider checking out the later main series installments as well!
Related Reading
Thanks for checking out our list of the top adventure games for iOS! If you have any thoughts or would like to recommend a few other games for the High Ground team, feel free to leave a comment.
- Best Shooting Games for iOS
- Best Fighting Games for iOS
- Best RPGs for iOS
- Best Survival Games for iOS
- Best Story Games
Happy gaming!
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