In the sea of free-to-play games on the App Store, it’s good to know there are still iOS games worth buying outright.
Over the past few years, the iOS App Store has been bombarded with free-to-play games, ranging everywhere from expansive RPGs to simple match-three games. A major complaint from gamers, however, is that these games often surprise you with in-app purchases that enable you to rocket to the top without putting in much effort.
While the debate on whether or not free-to-play is the best model is a healthy one, it’s important to remember that buying a game from the outset can often work to your advantage, even if it is a bit more of a risk. In this article, we’ll cover a few of the games that have come out over the past couple years that are worth your hard-earned cash.
Threes! — £1.49/$1.99
Threes!, a simple tile-sliding game, is a great example of how a simple concept can become extremely complex. In this game, you slide tiles around a board, matching up similar numbers (always multiples of three) and combining twos and ones together to make threes. Combining two threes will give you a six, combining two sixes will get you a twelve, and so on.
What makes this game worth investing in is that it feels like playing an old arcade game: it’s incredibly hard when you start out, but as you get better at it the level of satisfaction grows exponentially. Every time you “unlock” a tile you’ve never seen before all the anxiety of getting to that moment fades away.
The sound in this game is phenomenal as well, from the satisfying “swoosh” of sliding tiles around the board to the yawns and taunts when you take too long to move.
The excellent gameplay and satisfying audio feedback in Threes! are worth paying the meager price for, not to mention the complete lack of ads or in-app purchases.
Hitman Go — £2.99/$4.99
An unlikely addition to the Hitman series, Square Enix Montreal’s tabletop simulator still manages to deliver that feeling of sneaking and striking, all the while maintaining your calm assassin persona. The game allows you to move once per turn, followed by each enemy moving once. Your objective is either to reach the end of the board without being eliminated or to assassinate a target. Additional level goals include picking up a briefcase and not taking out any of the minions before reaching the goal.
Hitman Go’s tricky puzzle designs and smooth aesthetics really work to its advantage. Each level is devilishly clever, especially if you try to complete the additional goals. Not unlike a chess game, you’ll find yourself thinking out enemy moves ten turns in advance.
The game offers a lot of content for the price. You’re given four game “expansions” from the get-go, each one with multiple levels. You unlock each successive board by completing level objectives, although one bonus expansion can be bought with real money if you so choose. The game indicates that there are more expansions on the way.
868-Hack — £3.99/$5.99
To those who have never heard of 868-Hack, it might seem like it’s not worth the hefty price, especially considering its less-than-modern graphics and simple controls. Fortunately, this turn-based, roguelike puzzle game offers much more than the smiley-face avatar would suggest. Complex resource management systems and balanced AI makes this game one of the most challenging yet rewarding games to be released on iOS.
You are tasked with protecting a computer system by taking out various invaders such as viruses and glitches. Throughout the eight procedurally-generated levels, you have the option to pick up either points or powerups (and sometimes both). Each powerup is different and uses one of two different resources picked up off the map. Picking up either points or powerups will spawn enemies, though.
Enemy classes in 868-Hack are extremely well-defined and show their strengths immediately, which is good because you quickly need to learn how to defend against each one of their unique strengths. When you have ten enemies spawning all at once, you immediately have to start thinking ahead.
Rich gameplay and complex strategies are what make this game easily worth the price tag. Because the game is procedurally-generated, there is no end to how many times you can play with the game still feeling fresh every time.
Year Walk —£2.49/$3.99
Based on an old Swedish ritual and sold alongside a free, lore-exploring companion app, Year Walk by Simogo is a first-person puzzle game that doesn’t fall short when it comes to challenging puzzles and an immersive atmosphere. The horror game starts you off at the beginning of a year walk, a midnight excursion into a supernatural world filled with ominous creatures and strange omens.
This game is definitely not one you want to play in the dark. Right from the start, Year Walk creeps you out with labyrinthine paths through the forest and eery puzzles involving wind up dolls whose bloody heads spin around. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
What makes this game worth the purchase is its stimulating, often abstract puzzles as well as how well it accomplishes game immersion. The game’s soundtrack, gameplay, and lighting does a great job of making you feel like you really are creeping through a supernatural landscape.
Monument Valley — £2.49/$3.99
This puzzle game from developers ustwo is more than just a pretty face. While the game looks amazing, decked out with bright colors, smooth animations, and striking level design, it’s the puzzles that really shine.
The game’s premise is fairly simple: reach the top/end of a monument by navigating through its numerous puzzles. Here’s the twist: the world moves in an M.C. Escher-esque way, connecting pathways that make no sense according to traditional laws of the physical universe. Ultimately, it isn’t a game that can be described through words but instead has to be played to really “get it”.
Monument Valley is challenging, visually striking, and asks for nothing in return after your initial purchase. While there are only ten levels in the main game, they are definitely worth the money.
Conclusion
It’s hard to choose when deciding on whether or not to make a financial investment in a game that you know nothing about. With a little research, a little money, and a lot of faith, you could be in for a much better experience with a purchased game instead of downloading the latest free-to-play game, many of which don’t stay free for long.
Remember that, in the end, devleopers still need to make their money back. While the free-to-play model works for some, it has its disadvantages as well. If and when you start getting discouraged by the barrage of free games out there, don’t forget that there are some iOS games worth buying before downloading and not two hours in.
