There are thousands of good games for the iPad. From shooters to adventure games, racing or kids games. And while most people focus on the new hottest game, we decided to create a list with a bit more older games, that you might find better than most games on the App Store right now.
The iPad delivers exceptional performance thanks to its new chip, rendering crisp, detailed visuals and fluid animations. With the larger screen, optimized graphics, and superb performance, the iPad is destined to shine with some of the most impressive mobile games. Considering a larger screen means you would have to position your iPad on a holder, simply because you will get tired of holding it with both hands for too long – it gets cumbersome.
On the other hand, if you have time to kill, there are some of the most visually immersing games out there worth playing on a bigger screen. Puzzlers, board games, but also games with controller support, games with complex interface that look too cluttered on an iPhone, games with complex mechanics, etc. iPad Pro is an amazing gaming device, and the increased performance doubled up by the screen real estate provide an exceptional, engaging and delightful experience. Without further ado, here is the games list we think you shold check out for your iPad Pro.
Battlestation Harbinger
Wonderfully complex, engrossing and quite novel star roaming strategy for the hardcore strategy fans, Battlestation Harbinger is an indie game from European developers. Straightforward spaceship micromanagement gets complicated when you look at the wealth of human and non-human developed weapon types.
As you advance, you get to choose better ships, and build party ships, creating an armada capable of destroying an enemy fleet. It’s not a fly sim, no. You get a detailed map of your galaxy divided by sectors, and the game charges you with different missions. The objective is to warp from sector to sector, completing missions, and staying alive. There are four hostile races, each with their background story, sinister technology and wonderful art work. Battlestation Harbinger offers amazing replayability, and will keep you busy for long. Definitely worth checking out on an iPad Pro bigger screen.
Breakneck
Can there be anything better than Sci-fi speeders swooshing past alien landscapes of a hostile world? Collect supplies, lose your pursuers, customize your speeder and enjoy a new environment every day, so you ‘re never bored. The gameplay is exhilarating and the superb 3D graphics go down to the fact Breakneck perhaps entails everything you want in a racing game, complete with heart throbbing excitement. Can’t recommend it more. Optimized for 3D Touch.
Crashlands
One of the best games that launched in 2016, Crashlands is a great mix of resource management, exploration of an alien world and wonderfully fun interactions. Your hero’s ship crashes on an alien planet, and together with a juice box robot, she roams the lively valleys and swamps, collecting the resources to build the tools she needs to build a radio.
The latter will let her send a distress signal to her peers, but in the meantime a ton of fun and adventure awaits you, as your little hero gets acquainted with the unique and ingenious wildlife and sentient life of the planet. Build a house, tame a pet, create workshops, weapons, complete quests, make friends, help them out in difficult life situations. There is no path that is like the other one, and the map keeps the places you’ve visited before complete with teleporters. Beware of wompits. Excellent design, engrossing gameplay, high replay value, hours of fun.
Don’t Starve
If surviving in a living and breathing world that “hates you and wants you to die” with zero instructions, no hand-holding and a lone hero alone sounds like your cup of tea, check out Don’t Starve. You’re lucky to have a hero that’s also a scientist, but chances are you’ll die anyway. Randomly generated worlds means no attempt at survival is ever the same. With zero help, craft and build your inventory to try and get the heck out of there. The dark and atmospheric 2D visuals complement the eerie and sometimes fun story. Hunt beasts, research technologies, farm, craft tools, fight for your survival. Wonderful replay value. The micromanagement-fit UI is best manged from a larger screen.
Fallout Shelter
It’s difficult to imagine a gamer not playing the Fallout Shelter mobile game, so let’s just assume you know the premise. The mobile game tasks you with constructing a vault, finding survivors, and keeping them happy, employed, well-fed, and safe inside it. Its complex micromanagement system and outstanding design make it a no-brainer for the iPad Pro.
FTL
Classics of the space strategy on mobile, Faster Than Light is a space exploration, ship micromanagement and strategic combat game with quite populated interface, crew management, text-based encounters, and permadeath. It’s deliciously complex, beautiful and replayble, anyone into mobile games must play FTL at least once. It’s also hard, so get ready to invest some brain power into it.
Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions
There is nothing like an intense eye-popping 3D shooter, and Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions delivers in every dimension. Toxic graphics, neck breaking speeds, pesky enemies and head spinning environment combined with quirky controls make for an impressive gameplay experience.
Horizon Chase World Tour
A racer in a 16-bit graphics style that looks as modern as its peers, Horizon Chase is also a challenging game with a high replay value, lots of beautiful tracks, tough competitors and awesome soundtrack. Lots of cups to win, smooth yet challenging controls with MFi gamepad support, and the horizon. Very addicting, don’t play it at work. Unless you play games for money.
Implosion: Never Lose Hope
The graphics are so good it will make you gasp – console-quality, indeed. Implosion has you fighting the last wave of an alien invasion 20 years after Earth has fallen. The last of us stand against XADA, and our last hope is our super, mega tech War-Mech battle suit. Stellar voice acting, cinematic cut scenes and audio production, full orchestral scores from the Lord of The Rings engineer make for a truly cinematic experience. There are plenty of upgradeable weapons and smooth touch controls. It’s a spectacle to behold.
Lara Croft Go
One of the most unexpected takes on the Lara Croft franchise sees you bending your brain in an eerie turn-based puzzle. Watch out for the giant snake, smaller snakes, saws, spiders, alligators and abysmal falls as you try to get Lara through the jungle, collecting parts of artifacts, and enjoying every bit of this visually impressive adventure. Atmospheric and engrossing, Lara Croft Go might not sport an overly high replay value, but you will replay the levels where you missed a part of the artifact. Very smart, and simply one of the best-looking games that deserves to be on your iPad Pro.
Lost Echo
A lengthy adventure with realistic puzzles and an emotional story, Lost Echo is nothing short of brilliant. Control a guy whose girlfriend gets disintegrated by a giant red beam, and every mention of her seems to be wiped out from the fabric of existence. Try to find clues about what happened, talk to people, try to persuade them to help you, make your way to a top-secret facility, face your (that is your hero’s) ego, and discover whatever happened to the woman of your dreams. Besides the amazing sci-fi story, Lost Echo is also a 3D visual masterpiece with a stunning hi-tech world of tomorrow.
Lost In Harmony
If music and rhythm games are your type, Lost In Harmony is one of the best new games that puts an emotional story inside a music adventure, as you control a couple of teens in love across the road filled with dangers, while they ride a skateboard. Spectacular environments, great music, heartbreaking story. There is also a level generator that lets you use your own music to create a challenging level for yourself and the community.
Monument Valley
There needs to be more of Monument Valley, because its replay value is limited and resorts to those moments when you feel nostalgic of its beauty and grandeur. However, if you are one of the few people who’ve never played it, do not hesitate – it’s one of the best mobile games ever. A smart spatial puzzle was based on the impossible architecture and Esher-esque style, while topped with a unique story, it will make you fall in love with itself.
Out There Omega Edition
Static, slo-mo, yet incredible tense, suspenseful and gloomy space saga, Out There is a little bit of a gamebook, a little bit of FTL, and a lot of permadeath. You play as an astronaut whose shuttle got off the course, but since you were in stasis, you had no way of correcting it. So, you wake up, possibly hundreds of years since the moment you got lost. Limited resources, a cripple ship, and a geo probe make for your means of survival. Mine the planets for ore, minerals and seek rare planets with atmosphere to stay alive just one more day. Meet alien life forms, go crazy, explore random alien civilizations, and try to make it back home. Difficult, and spectacular, with one of the best soundtracks in mobile gaming.
Race The Sun
A solar powered glider roams the planet as the world rushes past it. Your aim is to chase the sun to stay powered, and avoid hitting any objects like trees, buildings, and such. Even though the premise is simple, the gameplay is superbly intense, fast and fun. The controls really shine while the seemingly simplistic design looks rich, deep and stunning. It’s a hard and punishing game, but it’s worth it.
Radiation Island
Survival horror with Mfi controller support, amazing graphics, vibrant and deadly world, plenty of complex mechanics to master and things to do, Radiation Island throws you in an alternate reality where you are hunted by wild beasts, zombies, mad scientists, and whatnot. It’s a huge world, and you can walk, run, jump, swim, or try to be still and not breathe, depending on the situation. Survive and hunt or fish, gather fruits, mine resources, craft weapons, and even vehicles, find treasures, loot and weapons. Most importantly, try to survive radiation, zombies and bad weather. Full day and night cycle, and an unlockable multiplayer mode where you can fight other players. For the adrenaline-loving folks.
Shadowmatic
One of the best puzzles of the least year, Shadowmatic is also unique. Twist and turn in the air objects that seemingly make no sense, but when you turn them against the light, their shadows begin to play a game of imagination with you, so you can shape a real world object with the help of a space poop and a bedside lamp. Wonderful, relaxing and mind-boggling experience perfect for a bigger screen. Very beautiful also.
Skylanders Superchargers
Full console video game experience on your iPad Pro speaks for itself – crazy speeds, wild adventures, epic heroes, compatible with the physical toys, controller support, plenty of IAP options.
Smash Hit
Simply one of the best space floating, steel balls throwing game in the world, Smash Hit sees you floating through a series hi-tech chambers, throwing balls at crystals, glass obstacles and buttons. It’s intensely beautiful, with an atmospheric soundtrack and tons of replay value. You will need your both hands to tap fast here.
Templar Battleforce Rpg
I can’t remember how many gameplay hours it took me to review this game it’s so huge and complex, so any RPG fan familiar with Star Traders series can be sure – Templar Battleforce RPG is pure awesomeness and grandeur of an RPG. Your templars landed on an alien planet infested with hostile species, and now they try to protect human colonizers from the onslaught of the space slime. Did I say it was complex? Read the full review.
Tengami
Not like Monument Valley, but in the same niche, Tengami is a paper folding adventure that sees you helping a samurai recover the petals of a cherry tree. Complicated, sometimes outright frustrating, Tengami is a work of art in design. And clever.
The Room Three
If you have played Room One and Room Two, Room Three is a must, and needless to say how gorgeous and eerie it looks on a large screen. Play it for an hour and you will find puzzles and riddles in the world around you. It’s an amazing venture inside the inner dimensions of things invented by a beautiful, yet sadist mind.
This War Of Mine
Based on real events, TWOM puts you in control of a group of civilian survivors caught in the midst of a war. They live in a destroyed building, feed on scarce supplies of canned food, muddy water and raw veggies they find in desolate houses, abandoned supermarkets and bombed yards. Control their health, mental and emotional state, interaction, get to know their background stories. Every night, one of them has to go out find some food, supplies, meds and such. It’s cruel, punishing, and depressing. Complex UI, lengthy gameplay, lots of details to embrace and stellar design make it a must-have on an iPad Pro.
Transistor
Downright gorgeous in its looks, Transistor offers plenty of control systems, a complex gameplay and a mystery to unravel. Wonderful 3D sci-fi environment sees you playing a mix of genres – at one point it’s a fast-paced combat, at another a deep strategic planning and management. An incredible replay value also means you will get hooked on this one as you’ve seldom been before on any game. If you loved Bastion, you will love Transistor. Can’t recommend it enough.
Unpossible
Another twitch game, Unpossible is a gorgeous spectacle in itself. Race across a magnetic tube avoiding obstacles, trying to get as far as you can on an infinite track. It’s fast enough to make you weep, but also sports a zen mode you can just watch on your large screen and get hypnotized by the Tron-like, dark, and intense beauty of it.
Vainglory
Real-time MOBA, anyone? Dubbed as the first gamer’s mobile game on the iPad, Vainglory is by far one of those must-haves you can’t go without. Stunning visuals, great controls and lots of action, Vainglory sees you fighting the enemy to get.. glory. Oh, you know it’s incredibly fun, and offers an immense replay value. So, just go get it.
Wayward Souls
Action-adventure in a procedurally generated maze of a castle’s interiors, Wayward Souls offers quick play, tons of replay value, pixel design that looks incredibly posh, and a gloomy story, with lots of monsters, permadeath and impossible bosses. Gameplay requires precision, and a millisecond delay sends you to Valhalla. It’s one of the best games in its genre, and a bigger screen will let you soak in all its visual and gameplay splendor.
World Of Tanks: Blitz
If it’s not on the iPad Pro, where else but desktop should you be playing World of Tanks: Blitz? It’s a living, breathing and bleeding world of heavy machinery, precision aiming, tactical hide and seek with your opponents, and plenty of spectacular, realistic battlefields you will use to you advantage to seek and destroy the enemy.
Xcom: Enemy Within
Graphically superior, resource-heavy and intense, XCOM: Enemy Within is an excellent investment, and provided it always required that extra juice on iOS, iPad Pro can give it the performance boost it needed badly on some older iOS devices. It’s a wonderful port of a PC title, so if you are in for a hopeless yet spectacular death, tactical skirmishes and amazing futuristic military gear, XCOM Enemy Within is yet another classic title that will shine on the large and crisp iPad Pro screen.
What are your suggestions for the list? Of course, we missed something, and titles like Oceanhorn, Minecraft Pocket Edition, Hearthstone, Bastion, Sproggiwood, and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead should also be on this list, but there’d be no end to it.
