8 games we can’t wait to play on Apple Arcade

Over the last year, Apple Arcade has been finding its footing in the mobile gaming world. In April, the $5-a-month gaming subscription service also made a splash last month when it added over 30 games in one day, as well as two highly anticipated exclusives: Fantasian from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and Wonderbox: The Adventure Maker from Aquiris. 

Also among the new releases was NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, one of the biggest titles to hit the service to date, along with well-loved games like Monument Valley, Fruit Ninja and The Oregon Trail. After the massive haul, Apple Arcade now has over 180 games in its catalog and there are still more to come. 

Read more: Apple Arcade one year later: Still delivering for casual gamers

Even though there are so many new titles to check out on the service, we’re still waiting on a few games teased at launch like Proxi, from The Sims creator Will Wright, and Artful Escape from Annapurna Interactive. 

Here’s every game we’re looking forward to playing on Apple Arcade.

The Artful Escape 

Developer: Annapurna Interactive

The Artful Escape tells the story of teenage guitar prodigy Francis Vendetti. On the night of his first performance, Francis finds himself on a psychedelic quest of self-discovery. Along the way, he battles dead folk legends and, at times, his own imagination. 

The Artful Escape was first announced at E3 2017 and was listed in the Apple Arcade lineup last year. The X019 trailer promises a colorful, neon, musical side-scroller.

Enter the Construct

Developer: Directive Games

Details have been thin on the ground about Enter the Construct, except that it was expected to be available at Apple Arcade’s launch. At that time, the images and videos showed the game as a first-person sci-fi shooter. Since then, there has been little to no information about Enter the Construct, so it’s possible it’s taken on a new name or has been canceled. Directive Games didn’t respond to a request for comment, but we’ll update if we hear anything. 

Frenzic: Overtime

Developer: Iconfactory

Frenzic: Overtime is a colorful puzzle game reminiscent of an arcade game. Over 45 levels, players must meet their shift goals on a chaotic factory floor where they must assemble Power Cores for Zapbots. Explore different gameplay modes and accomplish mini goals along the way to saving the world.

Inks

Developer: State of Play Games

From the makers of South of the Circle, Inks mixes art and pinball for a gorgeous, colorful game.

Legends of Kingdom Rush

Developer: Ironhide

In this strategy game, you must defend your realm from attack with a party of heroes. Choose from five different hero avatars and 11 companion heroes to build the ultimate team and play through over 100 narrative events. 

Leo’s Fortune 

Developer: 1337 and Senri 

Leo’s Fortune is coming soon to Apple Arcade. In this platformer, you must chase down a sly and mysterious thief who stole your gold. Avoid traps and enemies as you navigate a wide range of terrains.

Proxi

Developers: Will Wright and Gallium Artists

Proxi is an AI simulation game from The Sims creator Will Wright. The game is built out of the player’s memories, using them as building blocks in the 3D world. Instead of creating a city or a house, as the player would do in The Sims, Proxi models the brain. You can store memories and millions of interconnected concepts, according to the website. 

Ultimate Rivals: The Court

Developer: Bit Fry

This is a basketball-based follow-up to 2019’s Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, which was a hyped-up three-on-three ice hockey game where you played as real stars from all kinds of sports — with added superpowers. Future iterations of the game could bring football, baseball or soccer to Apple Arcade. Ultimate Rivals: The Court is coming out in 2021. 

You can get a three-month free trial of Apple Arcade with the purchase of a new device, or one month for free if you’re signing up for the first time. To try the service out, open the App Store and tap the little joystick icon at the bottom of the screen.The Apple One subscription bundle also launched last year, which makes it easier and more affordable to get up to six Apple subscription services, Apple Arcade included, for one price. Apple Arcade also recently teamed up with Verizon to offer a free year-long subscription with unlimited plans.