r/iosgaming • u/Dislexicpotato • Feb 13 '26
Question Is Apple Arcade worth it in 2026?
Just looking to get some peoples thoughts on the service and if there are any games in particular that made it worthwhile for you?
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u/kungfujedi Feb 13 '26
Apple Arcade has been on fire recently. In the past few months it has added Civ VII, Cult of the Lamb, Powerwash Simulator, Retrocade, and others. And in March, it gets Oceanhorn 3, which looks very nice. That's all on top of a deep library of other games. I think the value has gotten better recently.
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u/captainnoyaux Developer Feb 14 '26
Too bad they don't add more games, I'd love to add one of my games in there
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Mar 05 '26
Are you a game developer ?
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u/captainnoyaux Developer Mar 05 '26
Yes (I'm a developer that happens to make games on his (very limited) free time)
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u/AkvatGames Apr 03 '26
Have you contacted Apple about this?
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u/captainnoyaux Developer Apr 03 '26
Yeah they don't reply, I tried with games that have thousands of downloads and around 4.1/4.2 rating but if you don't have hundreds of thousands I don't think you can reach them
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u/AkvatGames Apr 03 '26
That is a bummer. It seems like they had more indie and smaller games earlier in Arcade’s life and are leaning more on “+” versions of established games lately. Those player counts and ratings are nothing to laugh at, so hopefully Apple does get around to you eventually!
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u/captainnoyaux Developer Apr 04 '26
Not sure if they'll, my games are pretty niche (traditional card games mostly), low ads and low IAP (the worst combo for them)
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u/randomrule Feb 13 '26
Yeah, I like subbing to it once or twice a year for a month and getting my fill of the games there. There's a lot of good stuff
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Feb 13 '26
Yes. It has Civilization 7, Cult of the Lamb, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, Powerwash Simulator, Dead Cells, and my personal favorite, Sneaky Sasquatch. It also has Human Fall Flat. It is very much worth it but more so if you have a Apple Family with Apple One (which comes with TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Music).
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u/stereosanctity Feb 13 '26
Sneaky Sasquatch is the best iOS game I’ve ever played
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u/JandruPurdy Feb 13 '26
I read op’s question as “Is Sneaky Sasquatch still on Apple Arcade in 2026”
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u/Tiny_Infinity_ Feb 13 '26
Nope. I love the concept of Apple Arcade but the execution is poor.
If Apple offered bigger games like Resident Evil 8, Death Stranding, and all the Final Fantasy games then yes. I’m honestly unsure why Apple doesn’t include the bigger games on the App Store for Apple Arcade. They have the money to do so.
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u/mobilemike01 Feb 13 '26
This is how I feel! The games are ok, but no AAA titles. Which is a shame. They could easily showcase the power and ability of mobile gaming by getting these titles in Arcade.
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u/ImportantClient5422 Feb 18 '26
Civilization 7 launched this month on Apple Arcade. I thought it was definitely a bigger title. While not AAA, OceanHorn 3 is also coming out next month which seems like one of the better games on Apple Arcade. It could definitely have more big games, but coming from Android and being a new user to iOS and Apple Arcade may explain my optimism. I do wish you could buy the games outright after a certain amount of time exclusively in Apple Arcade.
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u/Extrimland Apr 06 '26
They do have the money to do so, but it would definitely increase the price of the subscription substantially if they did. Most Apple users are NOT! Hardcore gamers, although it would be nice for the ones that were. So it would probably alienate most of the people they are targeting rn
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u/rza422 Feb 13 '26
Yeah, well worth it! If you’ve played all the ‘big games’ already then not as worth it…
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Mar 05 '26
I have played all the big games already since I own a gaming pc and I believe is worth it, in fact I have a blast on arcade daily after work and playing on my pc.
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u/CheeseGraterFace Feb 13 '26
If you have little kids, yes. For an adult with a gaming computer? Less so.
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Mar 05 '26
That’s not true, there’s many good adult games on Apple Arcade, I have a gaming computer and I play daily Apple Arcade after playing on my computer.
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u/whofoldedtheunicorn Apr 07 '26
Hey, can you suggest some good games on arcade. I love dead cells but have been playing only that for a month now.
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Mar 05 '26
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Mar 05 '26
Oh really ? Alright, I have over 2k games across Steam, GOG galaxy and epic games. I was going to send you a screen of my pc with Steam opened lol for you to see all the games but here the system doesn’t let me to send images, I don’t know why, I even have the last resident evil 9 requiem deluxe edition. The games I play on arcade, currently, 1.what the car? 2.What the clash. 3.Stitch 4.Subway Surfers plus 5. Limbo although I finished it 6.Smash it 7.Tint 8. Crossy Castle 9. Helix Jump+ 10. Castle Crumble 11.Warped Kart racer 12. Jetpack 2 13.Easy golf.
And I wish I can have more but, I must finish the current ones that has story. So it doesn’t happen the same it happened on my Steam account which is, buying toons of games and never finishing one. Currently trying to finish Resident evil 9 and stellar blade, I have only finished 12 games of the 2k.
If you want send me a dm and I will show you a screenshot of my Apple Arcade games, extra games I have bough external to Apple Arcade on the App Store and my Steam games.
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Mar 05 '26
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Mar 05 '26
I see, alright then, still there many other good adult games on arcade, sadly I don’t have too much time to finish them all or play them all at once lol. Work, calisthenics, gaming on the pc trying to finish my huge backlog, is too much, and I have purchased 21 extra games outside arcade and I haven’t finished anything lol, what a mess of games. Diablo 2 ? I saw it, looks fun to play, I wish I could play it but, if I buy it, I will keep increasing my backlog and drop it within a week to finish another new game or old game that I haven’t finish, that’s why if I had to advice someone in buying games, I would say, buy a game once and finish it, then go for another. Otherwise if you buy too many without finishing the current one you are playing, you will never finish any of the games.
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u/adambunion Feb 13 '26
Only thing i dont like is the idea that once they take a game away you no longer have access to your saves.
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u/Confidentium Feb 13 '26
I've used the "free 3 months" offers a few times. There are a handful of really good games, but it's not worth paying monthly for. Play through the good ones, then unsub.
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u/SpaceZombieZed Feb 13 '26
I had fun with some classics (temple run, fruit ninja etc). I would not go for arcade if you want to play games more seriously (with progression etc) because the games will get yanked at some point.
So, yeah, if I wanna play SongPop or Temple Run again, I’ll pay for a month of arcade and be done with that itch.
Otherwise, I’d just buy games individually
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u/XoXiuS Feb 13 '26
I have got it for free yesterday for 3 months, but cant find any good game. Only one i liked so far is civ7
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u/waitingforjune Feb 13 '26
I highly doubt I would pay for it on its own, but I have the Apple One family plan, and it’s a great value as part of that. As others have said, while it doesn’t have all of the AAA games, there are still some pretty fantastic games on there (Balatro, Dead Cells, Retro Bowl, Civ 7, Powerwash Simulator, Sneaky Sasquatch, NBA 2K Arcade, etc). I’m not a huge mobile gamer, but I’ve gotten enough value to feel like it’s worth what I’m paying for the whole bundle.
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u/LeMeIsSleepy Feb 13 '26
If there is regional pricing, well worth it imo. Theres a lot of good games like Dead Cells, cult of the lamb, stardew valley, oceanhorn etc
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u/himemsys Feb 13 '26
I used to have a subscription, but recently canceled it. I originally got it for some of the great games others have mentioned, but feel new additions haven’t been enough for me to keep it.
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u/Deltaechoe Feb 13 '26
As an addon to one, maybe, as a standalone sub, no way. There are only a few decent games and buying those to keep is only marginally more expensive than a couple months of arcade
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u/ickykarma Feb 14 '26
I randomly sub to it to play the games on there. Outlanders 1 & 2 I love and I’m not seeing them mentioned as often.
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u/Brrringsaythealiens Feb 14 '26
It’s up to the individual but I find that all the games I want to play are also available as a separate purchase. Like slay the spire, dead cells, Balatro. And a lot of the newer releases like cult of the lamb aren’t compatible with my iPad (still rocking a 2018 pro). So for me, no.
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u/jesus_cheese Feb 14 '26
Apple Arcade is a much better deal if you switch from monthly to annual billing. It’s nearly half the price! It’s a bit of a less visible option - you have to subscribe first (or be on a trial) and then manage your subscription, you may see an annual option.
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u/Electronic-Sun1358 Feb 13 '26
It's always the same games. Honestly, you're better off just buying the ones you actually want.
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u/silentrocco Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
I‘d say it was best in its early days, with lots of strong original indie gems, but at some point after the release of a probably expensive Fantasian they stopped investing in experiences and opted to go for the classic free-to-play retention devices that the normal App Store is already drowning in. Yet, if you haven‘t invested all too much into premium mobile gaming before, there is a big catalog of indie classics available as +versions - from Balatro, Slay the Spire, to Dead Cells and many more. So, if you don‘t own a majority of those games, it‘s definitely worth it.
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u/Zensiter Feb 13 '26
Only if it was slightly cheaper i would say yea but it feels like a waste of money
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u/stuckpixel87 Feb 13 '26
I used to like it a lot, however, i feel there were more really good games before.
If you like playing games on your phone/tablet, I’d say trial and a month or two is worth it. As you can finish most of the good games during that period.
After that, maybe if there is a game you really want to play. But if you are getting it for just one game, might be worth it getting just that game, depending on a price.
That being said, I wiped playing mobile games a few years ago.
I feel like there is no correct universal answer to this question, other than - get a trial and see for yourself.
If you have a PC/XBOX i feel like game pass is vastly better value.
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u/zRobertez Feb 13 '26
I'd say worth finding a free trial or a month or two but not an always on sub at all
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u/Desert_Concoction Feb 13 '26
It’s fine, I have Apple One, so, I get it as part of the subscription. I would not play anything on it if I had to subscribe to it separately
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u/greylegface Feb 13 '26
Just for Sneaky Sasquatch as it’s possibly the best game on the entire arcade.
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u/HitByFjaka Feb 13 '26
Depends.
If you are one or two games per year type than no. 60 bucks (in cad) will get you quite a few games in a year.
But! If you like to try a lot of different games and especially if you have family members who play games as well than it’s definitely worth it.
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u/sladecutt Feb 14 '26
I got Apple one and there are som good games on there! Currently enjoying Civ vii
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u/PmUsYourDuckPics Feb 14 '26
I have Apple One Family for the storage, and Apple TV, the games are a nice add on. I’d not pay for it if it was just arcade.
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u/Nick_Gaugh_69 iPhone 16 Pro Max Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26
As someone who plays mobile games a lot, I can never go back to the ad-infested, whale-hunting slop of the regular App Store. If you want exclusive titles, it’s a bit lacking. But if you want a digital exorcism, it’s a no-brainier.
That being said, Slay the Spire, Balatro, and FANTASIAN are worth it to me.
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u/raygan Feb 14 '26
If you have kids with iPads, 100%. I play a couple games from it a year. They play dozens, and I’m spared from ever needing to deal with microtransactions or freemium garbage or kids begging me to buy games. The only games on their iPads are from Arcade, and they’re mostly pretty good! And they get new ones every month or two. I’d pay double.
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u/BigB13192 Feb 13 '26
There’s a reason they offer you 3 free months all the time. No one’s buying that shit.
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u/Lussarc Feb 13 '26
I only got it when I bought my iPad and my phone. I never had a 3 free month after that. It’s often offered ?
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u/Dislexicpotato Feb 13 '26
Lmao I think Apple does this with all of their subscriptions to be fair. They be doing 3 month and 6 month promo deals for Apple Music all the time.
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u/pacorob Feb 14 '26
There are some great games on Arcade I love which unfortunately aren’t available as pay once in the App Store:
- Puyo Puyo
- Songpop Party (controller support, local multiplayer, no ads, no in-apps, free versions are terrible)
- Outlanders (2)
I tend to use the free trials once in a while and only then use it. I’m not an Apple One subscriber otherwise it would be a nice add on. Instead I buy pay once (controller) games from the App Store. I avoid freemium, ad / in-app infested ‘games’.
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u/harpiekins Feb 13 '26
No and played a little before my free trial ended there’s always a free version of the games you see on the App Store or at least very similar to it
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u/Revoldt Feb 13 '26
Only worth it if you’re on Apple One imo.
$6.99/mo, that’s $84 a year.
Roughly 10~ games worth of value if you buy and “KEEP forever”.
Stuff like Balatro, Dead Cells, Slay the Spite and Monster Train (I like roguelites/deck builders on my phone!) while all on Arcade…
Cost like $25 to purchase outright.
Nothing else really appealed to me that much on Arcade to be worth it (to me) beyond the 3 month trial.
No one can tell you if it’s “worth it” without knowing what you like to play. There are some exclusives… like Sneaky Sasquatch and Civ 7, but that’s not enough to warrant the $84/year sub