Apple Arcade is the best Apple service you’re not using

I know what you’re thinking…I’m not going to spend eight bucks a month on a subscription gaming service just full of mobile games! That’s half the price of Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Extra where I have access to hundreds of real games!

But if you spend a fair amount of time playing games on your iPhone or iPad—even if your “real” gaming time is on a PC or console—you should probably give Apple Arcade a shot. It has grown into a big service with an impressive catalog, and perhaps most importantly, it breaks the economic engine that ruins mobile game design.

Plenty to choose from

Just to be clear: the calibre of games on Apple Arcade is decidedly mobile. You’re not going to find a lot of stuff that would compete with your home console or high-end gaming PC. And if you’re looking to play those kinds of games on your Mac, you’d probably get more out of a streaming gaming service.

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But there are lots of top-tier games on Apple Arcade now that would be worth every penny if you bought them on the App Store. Sure, you get mobile classics like Cut the Rope 3, Fruit Ninja, Bloons TD, Threes!, or Crossy Road. But did you know it’s also full of bona fide indie hits like Slay the Spire, Stardew Valley, Return to Monkey Island, Dead Cells, Vampire Survivors, and a handful of great Final Fantasy pixel remasters?

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There are some original greats, such as Grindstone or Sneaky Sasquach, but original titles alone definitely weren’t enough of a draw. So in 2021, Apple changed the rules: Apple Arcade wouldn’t only be for new exclusive titles, but would include games that already appear in the App Store as well. These “plus games” (so-called because they have a “+” at the end of the title to distinguish them from the normal App Store version) have been a huge boon to Apple Arcade over the last few years. Most of the best titles are “plus” games, and there’s finally enough to really justify the price.

No ads or IAPs for the win

Fundamental to Apple Arcade is that every game downloads and plays locally—no streaming (though some games have online features), and crucially, that there are never any ads or in-app purchases. That’s a big deal for parents, who don’t want their young kids to see ads with content they don’t approve of, or to bother with purchase requests for gems or boosts or whatever.

But it’s really a big deal for everyone. Ads and in-app purchases are not just annoying, they warp game design into something that encourages compulsive play that isn’t much fun.

If a game developer is going to give their game away (or charge just a buck or two) they’re either going to have to make that money back by selling in-game currency, boosts, and unlocks (which cost next to nothing to make, of course, so it’s pure profit), or, make you watch occasional un-skippable ads. Often, it’s both.

But the games also need to be designed differently to make these in-app upgrades seem appealing. They have to slowly and increasingly stunt your progress until you buy a boost/gems/energy/whatever. And then later, buy it again, and again, and again. Or they have to artificially extend the time you play so you see more ads.

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Instead of thinking about how your interactions in the game can be more fun or interesting, game design decisions are being made based on how they can make you pay, with your money or your attention.

The result is an epidemic of games that drip-feed you useless rewards just enough to make you want that next dopamine hit. The gameplay is compelling but it’s not fun.

Apple Arcade’s Grindstone is a perfect example of how the total lack of ads or IAPs fixes this broken system. It is exactly the kind of game that could easily be made to fit the freemium mold, but it’s so much more fun precisely because your progress is a reward for good play.

Head over to the Arcade

If you haven’t checked out Apple Arcade in years, it’s time to give it another shot, especially if you play a lot of mobile games. Even if you don’t spend any real money on in-app purchases, trust me, you’re paying a price by playing App Store games. Go take Apple Arcade for a spin and you’ll be amazed at how different the mobile game experience feels.

Between the growing library of hit games, support for Xbox and PlayStation game controllers, and the superior game design that follows from having no ads or IAPs, you might be surprised how much time you spend in the Arcade.