Whether you bought an iPad for work or as a laptop replacement, it is always a good idea to have a bunch of the best iPad games installed so you never get bored as long as you have this device on you.
Table of Contents
Overview
Apple iPad redefines what it means to be a device that is elegant, functional, productive and entertaining, all at the same time. But more often than not, iPad serves as a great entertainment device and when it comes to entertainment nothing can beat best iPad games that are designed meticulously to give end-users a delightful experience.
There is a catch however with best iPad games, the catch is that there are just so many of these apps available in the App store that it becomes a little more than daunting to find just the right one for you.
Depending on your age, your personal preferences, amount of time on your hand, the meaning of best iPad games becomes a lot more subjective.
So, keeping in view your predilection, we have written this post inclusive of all categories and we are sure that by the end of this post, you will install quite a few best iOS games on your iPad.
What is the Best iPad Game of All Time?
What is the best iPad Game of All time you ask? Well, this question is a lot personal and depends on what genre of games you are into. While RPG games might be the best iPad game for some people, adventure games or puzzles make an equally appealing gaming option for others.
So, in the next section of this post, we have tried to collect the best iPad game in each genre in the hope that everyone gets to know the best of their personal gaming peculiarities.
Best in Role Playing Game (RPG) | Infinity Blade III
Price: $5.99
Infinity Blade was the first game to introduce touch-style elements to control the gameplay, and that and everything else has only gotten better with each update. The latest version, Infinity Blade III gives you a great gaming experience with awe-inspiring graphics that put most games to shame with its sharpness and immersions.
Best in Strategy Games | XCOM Enemy Within
Price: $9.99
The original version of the name, Named Enemy Unknown was released alongside its console version and received many positive reviews, to the point that it bagged the first spot in the strategy game, the year 2012. The game is graphically very rich and full of features that will keep all your strategy appetite satiated.
Best in Puzzle Games | The Room
Price: $0.99
Add in a really hard, mind-boggling, difficult puzzle on top of a brilliantly organized and subtly integrated graphics and you have the best iPad puzzle game.
The basic concept, as the name suggests is to present you with a Room full of puzzles that only get tougher as you progress through the game.
Best in Addictive Games for iPad | Temple Run 2
Price: Free with in-app purchases
With only in-app purchases, better graphics than the previous version and an addictive gameplay, this game will take you on a running spree. With different characters on top of new gaming environments and hurdles, Temple Run 2 is a classic and remains to attract players, irrespective of age.
Best of Card Battle Games | Hearthstone
Price: Free
If you are into card battle games but also want to take it to next level with some digitization, then Hearthstone might just be the one for you. There are plenty of reasons why this game is one of the best, not only in Card games but also across categories.
Some of the main reasons that make us say so include, a free-to-play experience, gameplay rewards can be used to unlock new packages and cards and is very easy to play without being mundane.
Best iPad Games of 2017
Keeping in view the high demand for Best iPad Games of 2017, in the next section of this post we are going to comprehensively collect only the best iPad games that have recently gained some limelight.
The games have been collected on the basis of their ratings, reviews, and most importantly, their ability to stand out from the rest of the games released in 2017.
Banner Saga 2
Price: $9.99
Banner Saga 2 is an impeccably updated addition to the award-winning story-based role-playing game and promises to take you on an emotional journey across the breaking world. The game will allow you to make bold leadership decisions, manage resources wisely and strike skillfully in a battle which eventually leads to some accolades and a lot of satisfaction.
Broken Age
Price: $4.99
An adventure game with an all-star cast, including Elijah Wood, Jack Black, and Masasa Moyo. The game is completely family friendly, hand-animated and puzzle-filled that will keep you on the edge and craving for more adventure.
Grim Fandango Remastered
Price: $4.99
Not hopping on to the intense gameplay and graphics bandwagon. Grim Fandango Remastered is actually a point-and-click adventure that involves talking, thinking and problem-solving, all factoring in to keep you interested, all the time.
The storyline sets in the Land of the Dead and will be a treat to your senses if you like the classic-black-and-white film approach with witty dialogues, art deco style, and slithering jazz soundtracks.
Papers, Please
Price: $7.99
If you want to put your critical reading and reasoning skills to test and meanwhile enjoy the process, this game might just be the one for you. The game is basically a dystopian thriller where you judge people on the basis of papers they present and your judgment is going to determine the entire course of the game.
AG Drive
Price: $3.99
This section would be incomplete if we didn’t mention a racing game, and when it comes that AG Drive seems to have done great on every front. The game looks superb on iPad with gleaming metal tracks, electrical zaps, and above all the futuristic cars and the whole modern vibe of the complete set.
Year Walk
Price: $3.99
Year Walk has a phenomenal storyline set in Ancient Sweden and with its great adventures, graphics and novelty, it will have you transfixed and bind you to keep coming back for more. The game promises to be a perfect blend of supernatural and reality, as well as a mesmerizing intersection of two and three dimensions.
World of Goo
Price: $4.99
World of Goo is a game that works so much better on a touch device and therefore can easily be considered as one of the best iPad game. The 2D game mostly involves a creative way for you to figure out how to place the Goo balls to build a pipe structure that sucks all the Goo creatures into Goo heaven through a target pipe.
Limbo
Price: $3.99
Limbo is a grim game that presents with all the puzzles set in dark locations and will fulfill your logical and reasoning appetite without consuming your senses with overwhelming graphics.
Geometry Wars 3
Price: $9.99
Geometry Wars 3 is a full-blown three-dimensional shooting game that redefines what it means to have an awesome gaming experience on your iPad, to the point that it almost feels like a full-blown console game.
The game has over 100 levels and boasts a classic arcade mode inspired by franchise heritage and a bunch of other cool gaming stuff.
Osmos
Price: $0.99
Osmos is Darwinian, which simply means that the game is all about Survival of the fittest, and you either have to absorb smaller organism or be absorbed by bigger predators. The game is full of awesome graphics and is based on unique physics with stellar settings and an almost hypnotic ambient soundtrack.
Best Free iPad Games
If you don’t have enough dough to spend on entertainment and more precisely games but still want to experience some good games on your iPad, then Best Free iPad Games are here to the rescue.
These games are super sleek and come with pretty intense graphics and percussions that will keep you playing for hours at stretch.
Keeping all that in view, in the next section of this post we have collected only the 7 Best Free iPad Games, and since you are not paying any greens we suggest you install all of them and see what entertains you best.
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Price: Free iPad Game
Asphalt 8 is probably the best free iPad game in general and definitely one of the best Car racing games in particular. It is named AirBorne because of the ability of cars to fly off in the air when you hit them, and the nitro filled tanks makes everything a bit more “airborne”.
Bejeweled Classic
Price: Free
Bejeweled is a gem game, both literally as well as figuratively, and the iPad version is no exception. The gameplay is simple and just like the one you are used to, you match 3 or more gems in a column or row, only to make them explode and keep more coming, and earning reward points while at it.
Crossy Road
Price: Free
This game is meticulously designed to kill time, even if you have only a little or a lot to kill. The game has great graphics and you basically have to get the chicken across, all simple and easy right? Except there are a lot of hurdles and dangers you have to be careful about.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Price: Free
If you are just new to strategy game but want to quench your curiosity with a game that feeds your strategy intrigue, then Elder Scrolls might just be the best Free iPad game for you. But, don’t let that distract you from the fact that the game is equally satiating for expert card game players.
Big Bang Racing
Price: Free
Despite the freemium and ad peculiarities of this game, when you give it enough time to settle, it is actually quite a good iPad free game. The game has two modes, the single player where you collect maps, drive through taverns and do a bunch of other cool stuff without getting electrocuted. The multiplayer mode allows you to have a full-blown head-on racing collision with your driving nemesis.
8 Ball Pool
Price: Free
It would be bonkers not to mention 8 Ball Pool on this list of Best Free iPad games. Not only because the game puts your reasoning and dexterity skills to great use but also because there is nothing that speaks pure entertainment like a quintessential Pool game.
Fallout Shelter
Price: Free
Fallout Shelter is a game you will often find yourself coming back to, the gameplay is easy and you pretty much have to test your reasoning and aptitude while you protect people in bunkers from all the calamities of a post-nuclear apocalypse.
iPad Games for Kids
iPad is a great device, not only for adults but also for kids and this is quite evident from the fact that all kids can barely keep their hands off of this beautiful and intuitive device. There are therefore iPad games for Kids that have been developed precisely to keep kids engrossed and entertained so you can run errands without having to worry about them all the time.
Note: It is recommended you disable the in-app purchases to prevent inadvertent payments and a whopping bill on your credit card at the end of the month.
Angry Bird Series
Price: Free
Angry Birds represents what it means to be entertaining, irrespective of age. It goes without saying that the game is more captivating for children with its simple and interactive gameplay and funny bird noises and chill music.
Laugh and Learn Shapes and Colors Music Show
A simple app that has been designed for babies and toddlers, the game has two modes, in the first mode the toddler taps on a shape to hear the name of the shape while in the second mode a keyboard is presented. On the keyboard, each keyboard plays a specific song to sing along with.
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga is an equally addictive game for both adults as well as kids. But if you wish to enhance the creative and reasoning aptitude of your kids while keeping them entertained, then this is the app you should definitely give a go. Even if the kids don’t put their mind to it, the intense graphics and animations will keep their hyperactive brains busy.
Peek-a-Zoo
Peek-a-Zoo is an educational game for kids that will not only keep them entertained but will also teach them a thing or two about animals, types of dresses and major actions.
Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja has the best reviews in the iPad games for kids category, and this is quite justified by the simplicity and challenging nature of the game.
Simple because all your kids have to do is cut through different fruits, complex because it takes a bit of thinking on feet to cut through them while avoiding the bombs that proverbially cut your fingers off.
Endless Alphabet
Price: $8.99
A letter based game that might sound mundane but is a lot interesting, at least for kids. The game allows kids to shuffle through words and then put them back in place to build a comprehensive word prompted on the screen.
Where’s My Water
Price: $1.99
Where’s my Water is a game for kids on the upper spectrum of age as it is a puzzle based game and requires a bit of rational thinking. The overarching aim of the game is to keep Swampy the alligator clean by bringing water from places after careful planning and avoiding the antagonist Cranky.
SquiggleFish
Enough gaming apps to check and build your kid’s analytical mind have been covered in this section, and now it is the right time to end this section with something equally great for creativity. This app is a bit different from the rest of the games, the basic idea is to allow your kids to draw fishes on a paper with colors and pencil and then use the iPad’s camera to bring them to life on the game’s built-in digital fish tank.
iPad Games for Adults
Moving right into the iPad games for adults section after finishing off with games for kids. We have collected all these keeping in view the growing demand from adults as iPad has a lot to offer, both in terms of portability as well as performance clocking.
All the hardware and software features in iPad make for a great, almost console-like gaming experience right on your iPad. Being mindful of graphic intrusiveness and gaming complexity that adult gamers desire from a typical game, we have collected only the 5 Best iPad Games for adults in the next section of this post.
80 Days
Price: $4.99
Based on Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”, this game is sure a treat for adults who are into high adventure as well as a great storyline and graphical interface. You are allowed to choose any route around the graphical 3D globe, traveling by airship, steam-train, mechanical camel and more while competing with other players and a clock that never stops.
BadLand 2
Price: $3.99
A sequel to Apple’s game of the year featuring a diverse game field with diversely imaginative levels and global online challenges that will keep you coming back for more. The game prompts you to carefully flap a weird winged creature thing through alien shadow worlds.
Vainglory
A perfect Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game that collects three players from each team in a battle that is almost like League of Legends or DOTA. If you are just curious about MOBA games and want to try it while on the go, definitely give this one a go.
Hitman Go
Price: $4.99
Hitman Go is a game you can enjoy while commuting as the game is pretty easy to play and gets very intense as you progress through the game and complexity levels.
The Walking Dead
An animated comic book styled game that is based on the famous Walking Dead series and presents with a zombie apocalypse where you call the shots and therefore decide the fate of all the people in the game; who to kill, who to save and what to do to progress in the game and earn some serious accolades.
Best iPad Games For Cats
Cats are the most intriguing and beautiful creatures nature has created but having one around in your home has its lows and highs. Highs you might already be familiar with; lows need some explanation. It’s quite irksome to see your cats acting out when they don’t have something to quench their hyperactive instincts, so if you have an iPad lying around (Protected Of course) then it is best to install one of the Best iPad Games for cats listed in this post and keep them out of your hair for a while. And also, it is quite entertaining to see the cats enjoying themselves gaming on your iPad.
Game for Cats
Cats have a natural instinct to follow small things and this iPad game for cats takes advantage of that instinct and gives your cats a great time at it. The basic version of the game presents with a small laser dot that dances on the screen so your cat can tap on it and be amused at the randomness all the time. The laser can be upgraded to a more luring rat or butterfly with in-app purchases.
Paint for Cats
Price: $1.99
Unearth the inner creativity of your cat with this best iPad game for cats, with this app your cat will not only be entertained but will also keep you entertained with each brush stroke your cats make. Plus, the sharing option on Twitter and Facebook makes everything that much satisfying.
Catch The Mouse
Price: $0.99
As the name quite suggests, this iPad game for kittens keeps your cats engrossed with a mouse that squeals and taunts your kittens to bat on it. The background and mouse color can be changed according to your cat’s preferences and that’s about the extent of flexibility this app provides.
Cat Fishing 2
Cats might be allergic to water but the same cannot be said for fishes and therefore this game. The main aim of the game is to allow cats to tap on the fish and as soon as they tap on it, the fish disappears and that’s about the gist of this game.
Pocket Pond 2
This app has also been designed for cats keeping in view the unflinching love of cats for fishes. This game gives your cats a digital fishbowl to look at so your real fishes can relax without your cat’s hungry eyes on them all the time.
Cat Toys Lite
A game that presents a mouse trapped around four walls and your cat’s goal is to tap on it which makes the mouse squeal and speed up. You can also toggle sound on or off and also tweak speed and squeal of the mouse.
Top Rated iPad Games
In the next section of this post, we have collected some of the top rated iPad Games that you can download on your device and rest assured that they are going to keep you entertained even better than movies and TV shows.
These Top Rated iPad Games have been collected on the basis of their constant high rating on App Store and the number of people that actually rated for these games as the best games on an iPad. Depending on what genre of games you like to tinker with, we are sure by the end of this section of this post, you will at least have one app that you can very well add to your own list of Top rated iPad games.
Real Racing 3
Rated number one free game over 100 countries, this game’s ratings speak for itself. The game has beautiful graphics on top of an ergonomic gameplay that will keep you consumed in a great gaming experience for hours at stretch.
Monument Valley
Price: $3.99
Monument Valley allows you to build ways for a princess with architectural maneuvering in a world that is full of perfection and stun. The gaming experience is almost surreal with an exploratory expansion of impossible geometry and mysterious monuments.
QuizUp
QuizUp is one of the top rated games for a reason, and that reason is that besides providing thorough entertainment this game also builds your general knowledge which spans across almost every topic you can think of. The best part of the game though is that you are able to compete with people around the world.
Alpha Bear
Alpha Bear works on a simple principle, you spell words by selecting letters on a grid and when you use letters that are next to each other bears appear and if you are good enough with words, you might end up earning a whole bear for keeping, forever.
Threes!
Price: $2.99
Threes is a puzzle game that begins slow but slowly grows on you as you progress through levels and face endless challenges. The endearing cast of characters and a heart-warming soundtrack makes everything even more interesting.
Best iPad Strategy Games
A lot of iPad strategy games have been introduced into the iPad since the first one came out; this is primarily because iPad is such a great strategy gaming device with its intuitive touch-screen controls and enormous battery backup.
These games range from high tactical and reasoning games to games that not only put your aptitude to test but also entertain you with a twisted sense of humor. Depending on what type of games you are into, ranging from traditional turn-based strategy games, classic tower defense to real-time strategy games, we have covered something for everything in the next section of Best iPad Strategy Games.
Civilization Revolution II
Price: $9.99
This strategy game was originally released for PC back in 1991 and since then the game has received five sequels. The game for iPad has been designed in a way that satiates both strategy prodigies as well as people who are just dipping their toes in this genre.
Autumn Dynasty
Price: $1.99
The game is set in Autumn Empire and your job is to protect the weakened government and protect the secrets of empire from barbarians. The game has a unique drawing interface where players can paint their battle plans directly on to the maps and use brush strokes to direct their armies, invoke powerful strategies and conquer enemies.
RymdKapsel
Price: $3.99
A meditative strategy game set in space where you have to take on daunting challenges of building the best possible station from where you can command your minions and explore the galaxy around you.
FTL: Faster Than Light
Price: $9.99
FTL is an award-winning PC spaceship game and its porting to iPad has earned it many accolades, including being one of the best iPad Strategy game. With this game, you will experience the atmosphere of running spaceships trying to save the galaxy while facing all the animosities and dangers.
Best Offline iPad Games
Offline iPad games have been created keeping in mind that most people don’t have access to an internet access all the time and also because offline games can be played in a plane when you are on a long flight.
These games require a one time download and sometimes a one-time purchase. In the next section of this post, we have therefore collected some of the best Offline iPad Games.
Device 6
Price: $3.99
Device 6 is a one of kind game, both in terms of underlying idea and because of its subtle design, which in fact bagged it the coveted Apple Design Award. The basic idea behind the game is adventure genre book based where you have to solve puzzles and find your way through a series of choices. These choices will sometimes unravel new stories and sometimes lead to a dead end.
Day of Tentacle
Price: $4.99
A timeless classic that was revealed in 1987 as Maniac Mansion and has received huge renditions since then to give birth to, quite possibly, the best Offline iPad game. The game presents a sentient tentacle who drinks radioactive water and becomes evil and your job is to restore all the chaos that comes after.
Minecraft Pocket Edition
Price: $6.99
Nothing can beat the classic Minecraft when it comes to sheer simplicity of gameplay and complexity that pushes your thinking, just like the classic. A graphical wonder and a bunch of other elements have been added to this offline iPad game where you make wondrous blocks out of legos.
Tales of Monkey Island
Price: $2.99
Monkey Island has been retouched to make it a treat for modern generations and tells a story of Guybrush Threepwood attempting to save himself from becoming a Zombie while protecting his wife Elaine Marley from the Zombie pirate LeChuck.
The Escapists
Price: $3.99
An updated version of one of the best selling offline games for iPad with over a million downloads. You are the protagonist of the game and are trapped in a prison and to escape you have plenty of maneuvers and cunning plans at your disposal, needless to say, that the game demands a bit of thought and apt calculations.
Best Online iPad Games
Moving right along to the section of Online iPad games, most of these games are either multiplayer or use internet for some elements in the game.
These games can be played over any internet connection and the fact that you can compete with your friends, family and even some of the best gamers around the world makes the experience all the more exciting. In the next of this post, we have therefore collected a comprehensive list of only the best Online iPad games that you should definitely give a go.
Asphalt 8: Airborne
We have covered this game in the best free iPad games section but because the game has a multiplayer option with compatibility with 8 different opponents also makes it the best Online iPad game as well.
Zen Pinball HD
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Pin Ball machine experience has been digitized with this game and gets almost everything right, right from physics to responsive control system. While the original table is free to try, if you want something a little more exciting and a lot authentic, you can buy a better table (like the Star Wars Table) through in-app purchases.
Gun Bros 2
Although this game is best played online with friends and family through multiplayer option, the game also provides an offline option where you can play solo just like the good old Contra. Apart from an amazing interface and a huge arsenal of weapons the game also allows you to add favorite friends that you can play with every time you both are online.
Pocket Legends
An MMO game with millions of users from around the world that play with you through creepy dungeons, frigid mountain peaks, and steamy swamps. The cherry on top is that the online version allows you to play with your friends either in PVP action or face paced co-op mode.
Dungeon Hunter 4
An extremely addictive online iPad game where your goal is to slash your way through a dark fantasy adventure and kill demons while constantly upgrading your skills and strengths. You can choose between 4 different types of characters that have their own unique style of combat and then play with your friends in the co-op or PVP mode.
Best RPG Games for iPad
RPG games or Role Playing games are games where people take the role of a fictional character and engage in unfathomable adventures. This makes RPG games a lot more entertaining and immersive and the fact that a lot of these games have been ported to iPad makes them all the more exciting. Unfortunately, there are just so many RPG games for iPad in the app store and so it becomes a lot more daunting to pick up the right one for you. Keeping in mind that very problem, in the next section of this post we have collected only the 5 Best RPG games for iPad, that should serve both beginners as well an RPG prodigies.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Price: $9.99
An RPG iPad game set in the Star Wars universe about 4000 thousand years before the Galactic Empire where hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen battling the ruthless Sith and you are the only hope in this dystopia.
The Banner Saga
Price: $9.99
The Banner Saga is a unique fantasy realm game set in Norse Mythology where your goal is to explore the grim world shaped by the Vikings. The game has beautiful 2D animations and is beautifully hand drawn with combat sequences and animations that will unequivocally fulfill all your role-playing senses.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Price: $15.99
Final Fantasy Tactics was one of the very first RPG games in the Final Fantasy series that was originally released on the PlayStation in 1997 and since then the game has sold over 1.3 million units. The version for iPad was released in 2012 that makes everything ten-folds better.
Bastion
Price: $4.99
A game that earned editor’s choice and a lot of hype right after it was released, and judging by the download and positive ratings of the game, it would be safe to say that this game certainly qualifies as one of the best RPG game for iPad. The game features the classic artwork, music and narration Bastion is famous for and then laces it under a layer of elegance and functionality of iPad touch control.
Infinity Blade III
Price: $5.99
Infinity Blade was the first game to introduce touch-style elements to control the gameplay, and since then everything has only gotten better with each update. The latest version, Infinity Blade III gives you a great gaming experience with awe-inspiring graphics that put even some console games to shame with its sharpness and immersions.
Best iPad Puzzle Games
In the last section of this post, we decided to collect some of the very best iPad Puzzle Games, we did this because we think that iPad puzzle games represent the epitome of portable entertainment. We say this because these games are not only entertaining but also force you to think on your feet which makes everything a bit more fascinating. With that in mind, we end this extensive article on best iPad games with the 5 Best iPad Puzzle Games.
Monument Valley
Price: $3.99
In this game, you have to guide the princess towards her destination by twisting and turning the building blocks of castles.
Threes
Price: $2.99
Threes is a puzzle game that begins slow but slowly grows on you as you progress through levels and face endless challenges. The endearing cast of characters and a heart-warming soundtrack makes everything even more interesting.
The Room
Price: $0.99
The Room is a mind-boggling, difficult puzzle game with brilliant organization and subtly integrated graphics. It is easily one of the best iPad puzzle games out there. The basic concept, as the name suggests is to present you with a Room full of puzzles that only get tougher as you progress through the game.
Hitman Go
Price: $4.99
Hitman Go is a game you can enjoy while commuting as the game is pretty easy to play and gets pretty intense as you progress through the game and complexity levels.
The Room Three
Price: $3.99
The Room is so great that it did not get a sequel but instead got a new game altogether, so people can enjoy both the versions. The game is a physical puzzle with beautiful tactile world lured to a remote island where all your puzzle solving skills are put to test.
We hope you found quite a few iPad games to install on your device from this extensive list of Best iPad games. If you have any other personal favorites that you think we missed, feel free to reach to us anytime.
Sara is a Voice assistant alternative (Siri) for non-iPhone 4s users and works well with iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPad 1G and iPod touch 4G. On the graphical and User Interface front, it resembles Siri but has much more functions and commands up its sleeve than its respective counterpart.
