Apple’s brand new gaming service – Apple Arcade lets you play more than a hundred mobile games for $5/month. While, all the Arcade games work for iOS, iPadOS, Mac, and Apple TV; in this article, I’ll only cover the ones that offer the best on Apple TV and have controller support. You can connect a PS4 or an Xbox controller to the Apple TV by navigating to Settings > Bluetooth Devices > Connect the Controller.
Also Read: Best Apple TV Games You Should Play Right Now (2019)
Apple Arcade Games for Apple TV
1. Exit the Gungeon
Sequel to Enter the Gungeon picks up where the first game left off and now our heroes must ascend to ‘exit’ the Gungeon. While you can play this game on the touchscreen of your iPhone or iPad, it works best with PS4 and Xbox controller. You still have the trusty dodge roll and new weapons to escape the smell and dark hellhole. Also, it is not about the destination but the friends we meet along the way and a lot of silly jokes.
Install Exit The Gungeon
2. Ocean Horn
Oceanhorn is a Legend of Zelda clone but a good one at that. It feels like a twilight princess homage being a 3rd Person Action Adventure. Never has another mobile game felt so AAA than this, it almost feels like an actual AAA was ported to mobile. You solve puzzles, slash away at enemies, and progress through a 20-hour story. If you’re a fan of RPG’s this one is a belter.
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3. Super Impossible Road
A racing game that has procedurally generated courses so you can’t really memorize them. You’re also encouraged to go off track with a boost but only for 5 secs after which you can kind reset to your last checkpoint if you don’t land back on the track. It’s engaging and not addictive which is what good developers should strive to make anyway. I’ve been playing at during my coffee breaks at work, it’s rather fun.
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4. Bleak Sword
Made by Devolver digital known for their big fancy press conferences at E3. This lo-fi art style action game is brutal, almost as hard as Cuphead or Dark Souls. With impressive bestiary of creatures to fight and levels the combat is brought to life with a complex yet satisfying formula.
You’d need to be hyper-aware as even a small swarm of bats can kill you right away. You’d need to understand enemy patterns to get through its 9 chapters. It is not appealing in terms of visuals but its pixel art lends itself for amazing gameplay.
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5. Where Cards Fall
A ‘Hitman Go’ styled, a turn-based puzzle game where you use an expandable platform that you can control at will. It’s also a game about growing up, being isolated, and childhood. You wander around in an isometric view and use playing cards that can expand as bridges or become card houses. It becomes a bite-size brain teaser for you to solve, even on the move. I was pleasantly surprised.
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6. Sneaky Sasquatch
Arcade’s been a collection of eclectic games so far, Sneaky Sasquatch which probably has the best name for a game EVER is a game where you play as a Sasquatch robbing parkgoers and camps. You roam around for a full day, grabbing food, finishing quests, buying upgrades, acquiring fat stacks, in any order you like. In the end, you end up at home (either by walking there or using a fast-travel map item), then get up and start the process over again. Playing as a stealthy Sasquatch is more than any MGS game that I’ve played. Come to it with an open mind and you’ll be delighted.
Install Sneaky Sasquatch
7. Shinsekai Into The Depths
A Capcom underwater exploration game that almost feels like a Metroidvania in the Bioshock universe. It also has survival elements as you weave through levels. It’s built with exploration in mind and the sound design is excellent for world-building. Shinsekai is engrossing in the opening hours while you’re still getting a feel for when and where to take risks. About halfway through the game, you’ll have pieced the foundation together, but you won’t have satisfying answers yet. It falters here and there but makes for a great mobile experience overall especially with a controller.
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8. Hot Lava
What starts off as a fun game between friends quickly devolves into a nightmare where the floor is actually lava and the world is burning. You have to find the fastest route to safety by figuring out a passage through the rubble without ever touching the floor. You can play solo or with up to 4 friends and traverse through different mazes built around homes, schools and everything in between. Headphones are a must to have the full experience of this game.
Install Hot Lava
9. Cricket Through the Ages
Before there was the Wheel, there was the bat and the ball. Cricket Through the Ages tells the history using Cricket as the plot and playing it with friends is loads of fun. Forget about all the complicated rules and intricacies of the game, Devolver implements a one-touch control scheme which makes the game so easy, even the Britishers can win this one.
Install Cricket Through the Ages
10. Sayonara Wild Hearts
If you like rhythm action games, you will like this one. The story revolves around heartbroken women and her quest to bring balance to the universe. It consists of activities like riding motorcycles, skateboarding, shooting lasers, wielding swords, and much more.
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Best Apple Arcade Games for Apple TV
These were the ones that I enjoyed quite a bit. Apple Arcade has been tons of fun so far but I am still unsure whether the hype will die down eventually and we’ll go back to buying individual games, only time will tell. If you thought I missed out on some good one or got some of them wrong, let me know in the comments below.
