Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
    • Popular Phone Brands
      • iPhone
      • Samsung Galaxy
      • Google Pixel
      • Nothing
      • Motorola
      • OnePlus
      • Xiaomi
      • Honor
      • Oppo
      • Huawei
    • Operating Systems
      • Android
      • iOS
    • More from Phones
      • Network Carriers
      • Phone Accessories
      • Phone Reviews
      • Phone Buying Guides
      • Phone Deals
      • Phone News
  • Computing
    • Laptops
      • Chromebooks
      • MacBooks
      • Windows Laptops
      • Gaming Laptops
    • PCs
      • Desktop PCs
      • Macs
      • Gaming PCs
    • Software
      • Windows
      • macOS
    • Components
      • CPUs
      • GPUs
      • Storage
      • Nvidia
      • Intel
    • Internet
      • Websites & Apps
      • Wi-Fi & Broadband
      • Social Media
      • Wordle
    • Security
      • Antivirus
      • Cyber Security
    • Tablets
      • eReaders
      • iPad
    • VR & AR
    • Peripherals
      • Monitors
      • Keyboards
      • Webcams
      • Mice
    • Popular Computing Brands
      • Dell
      • HP
      • Lenovo
      • Acer
    • More from Computing
      • Computing Reviews
      • Computing Buying Guides
      • Computing Deals
      • Computing News
  • AI
    • AI Platforms & Assistants
    • OpenAI
    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Apple Intelligence
    • Claude
  • TVs
    • TV Insights
      • TV Reviews
      • TV Buying Guides
      • TV Deals
      • TV News
    • More for your TV
      • Home Theatre
      • Soundbars
      • Streaming Devices
      • Projectors
      • Blu-ray
  • Streaming
    • Entertainment
    • Netflix
    • Prime Video
    • Disney+
    • Apple TV+
    • HBO Max
    • Hulu
    • Paramount+
    • How to Watch
  • Fitness
    • Fitness
      • Smartwatches
      • Fitness Trackers
      • Exercise Equipment
      • Fitness Headphones
      • Fitness Apps
      • Smart Rings
    • Watch Brands
      • Apple Watch
      • Fitbit
      • Garmin
      • Google Pixel Watch
      • Samsung Galaxy Watch
    • Wellbeing
      • Sleep
      • Oral Health
    • More from Fitness
      • Fitness News
      • Fitness Reviews
      • Fitness Buying Guides
      • Fitness Deals
  • Audio
    • Headphones
      • Earbus & Airpods
      • Wireless Headphones
    • Speakers
      • Wireless Speakers
      • Sonos
    • Hi-Fi
      • Turntables
      • Portable Players
      • DACs
    • Audio Streaming
      • Spotify
      • Apple Music
    • More from Audio
      • Audio News
      • Audio Reviews
      • Audio Buying Guides
      • Audio Deals
  • VPN
    • VPN Services
    • VPN Security
    • ExpressVPN
    • NordVPN
  • Cameras
    • Camera Types
      • Mirrorless
      • DSLRs
      • Compact
      • Action
      • Video
      • Drones
      • 360 Cameras
      • Dash Cams
    • Camera Brands
      • Canon
      • DJI
      • Fujifilm
      • Nikon
      • GoPro
      • Insta360
    • More from Cameras
      • Camera Accessories
      • Camera Lenses
      • Camera Reviews
      • Camera Buying Guides
      • Camera Deals
      • Camera News
      • Photography
  • Home
    • Smart Home
      • Home Security
      • Smart Speakers
      • Smart Lights
      • Smart Scales
      • Smart Thermostats
      • Amazon Echo
    • Small Appliances
      • Air Fryers
      • Air Quality
      • Coffee Machines
      • Hair Care
      • Vacuums
      • Robot Vacuums
    • Home Brands
      • Dyson
      • Philips Hue
      • Ring
      • Shark
      • Ninja
    • More from Home
      • Home Reviews
      • Home Buying Guides
      • Home Deals
      • Home News
  • EVs
  • Browse
    • By Type
      • News
      • Best
      • Reviews
      • Deals
      • Versus
      • How To
      • Opinion
      • Coupons
    • Popular Brands
      • Samsung
      • Sony
      • Microsoft
      • Apple
  • More
Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming
  • Phones
    • View Phones
    • Popular Phone Brands
      • iPhone
      • Samsung Galaxy
      • Google Pixel
      • Nothing
      • Motorola
      • OnePlus
      • Xiaomi
      • Honor
      • Oppo
      • Huawei
    • Operating Systems
      • Android
      • iOS
    • More from Phones
      • Network Carriers
      • Phone Accessories
      • Phone Reviews
      • Phone Buying Guides
      • Phone Deals
      • Phone News
  • Computing
    • View Computing
    • Laptops
      • View Laptops
      • Chromebooks
      • MacBooks
      • Windows Laptops
      • Gaming Laptops
    • PCs
      • Desktop PCs
      • Macs
      • Gaming PCs
    • Software
      • View Software
      • Windows
      • macOS
    • Components
      • View Components
      • CPUs
      • GPUs
      • Storage
      • Nvidia
      • Intel
    • Internet
      • View Internet
      • Websites & Apps
      • Wi-Fi & Broadband
      • Social Media
      • Wordle
    • Security
      • View Security
      • Antivirus
      • Cyber Security
    • Tablets
      • View Tablets
      • eReaders
      • iPad
    • VR & AR
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Monitors
      • Keyboards
      • Webcams
      • Mice
    • Popular Computing Brands
      • Dell
      • HP
      • Lenovo
      • Acer
    • More from Computing
      • Computing Reviews
      • Computing Buying Guides
      • Computing Deals
      • Computing News
  • AI
    • View AI
    • AI Platforms & Assistants
    • OpenAI
    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Apple Intelligence
    • Claude
  • TVs
    • View TVs
    • TV Insights
      • TV Reviews
      • TV Buying Guides
      • TV Deals
      • TV News
    • More for your TV
      • Home Theatre
      • Soundbars
      • Streaming Devices
      • Projectors
      • Blu-ray
  • Streaming
    • View Streaming
    • Entertainment
    • Netflix
    • Prime Video
    • Disney+
    • Apple TV+
    • HBO Max
    • Hulu
    • Paramount+
    • How to Watch
  • Fitness
    • View Fitness
    • Fitness
      • Smartwatches
      • Fitness Trackers
      • Exercise Equipment
      • Fitness Headphones
      • Fitness Apps
      • Smart Rings
    • Watch Brands
      • Apple Watch
      • Fitbit
      • Garmin
      • Google Pixel Watch
      • Samsung Galaxy Watch
    • Wellbeing
      • Sleep
      • Oral Health
    • More from Fitness
      • Fitness News
      • Fitness Reviews
      • Fitness Buying Guides
      • Fitness Deals
  • Audio
    • View Audio
    • Headphones
      • View Headphones
      • Earbus & Airpods
      • Wireless Headphones
    • Speakers
      • View Speakers
      • Wireless Speakers
      • Sonos
    • Hi-Fi
      • View Hi-Fi
      • Turntables
      • Portable Players
      • DACs
    • Audio Streaming
      • View Audio Streaming
      • Spotify
      • Apple Music
    • More from Audio
      • Audio News
      • Audio Reviews
      • Audio Buying Guides
      • Audio Deals
  • VPN
    • View VPN
    • VPN Services
    • VPN Security
    • ExpressVPN
    • NordVPN
  • Cameras
    • View Cameras
    • Camera Types
      • Mirrorless
      • DSLRs
      • Compact
      • Action
      • Video
      • Drones
      • 360 Cameras
      • Dash Cams
    • Camera Brands
      • Canon
      • DJI
      • Fujifilm
      • Nikon
      • GoPro
      • Insta360
    • More from Cameras
      • Camera Accessories
      • Camera Lenses
      • Camera Reviews
      • Camera Buying Guides
      • Camera Deals
      • Camera News
      • Photography
  • Home
    • View Home
    • Smart Home
      • View Smart Home
      • Home Security
      • Smart Speakers
      • Smart Lights
      • Smart Scales
      • Smart Thermostats
      • Amazon Echo
    • Small Appliances
      • View Small Appliances
      • Air Fryers
      • Air Quality
      • Coffee Machines
      • Hair Care
      • Vacuums
      • Robot Vacuums
    • Home Brands
      • Dyson
      • Philips Hue
      • Ring
      • Shark
      • Ninja
    • More from Home
      • Home Reviews
      • Home Buying Guides
      • Home Deals
      • Home News
  • EVs
  • Browse
    • View Browse
    • By Type
      • News
      • Best
      • Reviews
      • Deals
      • Versus
      • How To
      • Opinion
      • Coupons
    • Popular Brands
      • Samsung
      • Sony
      • Microsoft
      • Apple
Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Best VPN
  • Back to school
  • Best laptop
  • ChatGPT
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Marvel Rivals
Gaming The 17 best free Steam games to play in 2025
Baldur's Gate 3 keyart with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel
PC Gaming The 19 best Mac games to play in 2025
Promotional art for Marvel Rivals.
Gaming The 17 best free games to play in 2025
Upcoming games, Marvel's Midnight Suns image showing Spider-Man
Gaming Drop whatever you're doing right now – two of the best strategy games ever are free with Amazon Prime
Sea of Stars cover art showing protagonists stand back to back against a moonlit forest backdrop
Consoles & PC The 19 best indie games to play in 2025
Solitaire
Websites & Apps No cards, no problem – this app brings a beloved classic to my iPhone – and I can't stop playing
A screenshot of the party members from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Gaming The 24 best Xbox Game Pass games in 2025
  1. Gaming
  2. Mobile Gaming

Best free games for iPhone and iPad

News
By Chethan Rao published 19 July 2017

Download them all

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The best games on the App Store

The best games on the App Store

If you count the number of games on App Store and calculate the time you’ll need to play all of them, you probably got the best task to kill your time. It is almost impossible to play all the games on iOS devices, forget about finishing each of them.

If you like gaming on your phone and have no spare money to spend on them, we have some some games to keep your thumbs busy.

We have listed games across different categories have a variety suiting your taste, and the best part is that all are free to play. Although you cannot ignore the in-app purchases on most of these games. 

After many trials and tribulations, we arrived at the list you're about to dive into: the 10 best games you can enjoy on your iPhone today. We’ll be updating the list every Tuesday so do come back and check for the latest addition to the league. 

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Asphalt 8 (iPhone/iPad)

Asphalt 8 (iPhone/iPad)

One of the most popular free games across mobile platforms, Asphalt 8 is a massive hit on the iTunes App Store as well. The graphics used by Gameloft deserves special mention as it blows every other game out of the water. It’s an exciting game to own, and a must have for any mobile gaming enthusiast. There are a handful of in-app purchases here that can enhance your gameplay.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Clash Royale (iPhone/iPad)

Clash Royale (iPhone/iPad)

Coming from the makers of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale is an equally addictive alternative which comes with in-app purchases ranging in the thousands. Gameplay revolves around setting up your own fortress and fighting against players from all over the world. An important component known as the “elixir” keeps filling up every day, although you can make an in-app purchase to smooth things over. Those who have made purchases within the game have a significant advantage over the free players. Despite this imbalance, the game is definitely worth a shot.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Battle Golf (iPhone/iPad)

Battle Golf (iPhone/iPad)

This is one of the more exciting multiplayer games available out there as it involves the people around you in the gameplay as well. You can play against a buddy and race him/her to five points, or venture out on a single player mission. The goal is to get the ball to safely land in the hole with a single shot, with some obstacles along the way making your lives harder. The app only has one in-app purchase which can be used to get rid of the ads.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Really Bad Chess (iPhone/iPad)

Really Bad Chess (iPhone/iPad)

This is a fairly exciting take on the chess and has been designed to encourage beginners to learn the game. It starts off with a severely imbalanced set of characters by giving you more queens or bishops than your opponent. The AI slowly learns to make things even in subsequent games. It comes with in-app purchases on board.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Beneath the Lighthouse (iPhone/iPad)

Beneath the Lighthouse (iPhone/iPad)

One of the more puzzling and difficult games on this list is Beneath the Lighthouse. This game requires you to use a fair amount of brain and also be quick with your fingers. You basically have to guide the character to the bottom of the lighthouse with clever maneuvers. Your only controls are the onscreen wheels to shift the direction of the setting in order to guide the character out. Users are required to watch an advert once they run out of their three lives.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Alphabear (iPhone/iPad)

Alphabear (iPhone/iPad)

This is more of a children's game really, but a very fun game to play regardless of your age. It’s a classic word game, but with bears. As you uncover more words, the bears take up space, resulting in a table full of small and massive bears. You will require a stable internet connection for the game to sync, however. The free version of the app lets you play only a few rounds every day, but an in-app purchase will ensure you can have as many gaming sessions as you want.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Binary Dash (iPhone/iPad)

Binary Dash (iPhone/iPad)

The game is pretty similar to a handful of auto-runners out there, but Binary Dash makes up for the lack of originality with its amazing design and intuitive gameplay. Users can choose to be a number of characters from the Skins section of the app. Your only controls during the gameplay are the right portion of the display and the left, allowing you to leap up or head down respectively. You will have multiple obstacles to avoid and perks to gain, so there’s plenty of fun to be had along the way.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Circle Affinity (iPhone/iPad)

Circle Affinity (iPhone/iPad)

One of the more complex games on this list, Circle Affinity comes as a reboot of the paid-game Circa Infinity. The idea is to jump into the pie section of a circle, which opens up yet another circle from within and repeat the process for as many levels as possible. There are tiny alien-like monsters that appear and you have to avoid them so as to not get killed. I personally couldn’t get past 11 levels, so it’s probably not that hard. There are in-app purchases to get rid of commercials and to add more levels.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
The Battle of Polytopia (iPhone/iPad)

The Battle of Polytopia (iPhone/iPad)

This one is for the strategy lovers as it allows customers to build their very own kingdom. You have a turns based system here, so there’s a time allotted for each play. At the end of the play, you will receive points, with the goal being to better your points over subsequent plays. The catch here is that the resources available to you are very limited, so you have to make do with what you’re given from the surroundings. Each player gets around 30 turns per play.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Capitals (iPhone/iPad)

Capitals (iPhone/iPad)

This is yet another word game on our list and a very good one. You can compete against players from around the world or play with someone next to you. It’s a bit aggressive compared to conventional word games as you’re required to completely annihilate the opponents. You do that by using alphabets surrounding your rival’s territory and creating a word. It might take a while, but it’s a pretty nifty game to own. You might be a tad annoyed by the fact that it requires you to watch a video before you begin each game, but for a free app, this is a very small sacrifice to make.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Chethan Rao
Read more
Marvel Rivals
The 17 best free Steam games to play in 2025
Baldur's Gate 3 keyart with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel
The 19 best Mac games to play in 2025
Promotional art for Marvel Rivals.
The 17 best free games to play in 2025
Upcoming games, Marvel's Midnight Suns image showing Spider-Man
Drop whatever you're doing right now – two of the best strategy games ever are free with Amazon Prime
Sea of Stars cover art showing protagonists stand back to back against a moonlit forest backdrop
The 19 best indie games to play in 2025
Solitaire
No cards, no problem – this app brings a beloved classic to my iPhone – and I can't stop playing
Latest in Mobile Gaming
Renders of the new Ayaneo Pocket DS and original Nintendo DS
Miss the Nintendo DS? The world's first dual-screen Android handheld just landed to bring that spark back
Asus ROG Ally Z1 on purple background with price cut text overlay
You could buy a gaming laptop for college, but you could also get the excellent Asus ROG Ally for just $499 instead
FInal
I used to play Marvel Snap every day but I’m so frustrated by its recent changes I’m leaving for my new favorite card game
Lenovo Legion Go
As a PC gamer I'm biased, but I'd skip the Switch 2 for this discounted handheld
Fortnite OG Mode
After five long years, Fortnite has finally returned to the iOS App Store - but it's not available everywhere yet
Asus ROG Ally on blue background with lowest price text overlay
The Asus ROG Ally model I'd recommend to most people is back to a record-low price
Latest in News
A close up of a smart phone with the YouTube app logo
YouTube has quietly launched a Premium feature for free users – but it comes with a few catches
Where Winds Meet
Stunning open-world Chinese fantasy RPG Where Winds Meet gets an official release date
Two hands holding the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold phone
Android will finally let Pixel owners adjust flashlight strength, just like on the iPhone
Main page of the Lovable AI no-code platform
Top AI website builder Lovable hit in worrying cyberattack - here's what we know
Towelie looking angry while standing in front of a keypad
Towelie wasn’t even the worst part of South Park season 27 episode 3 – just wait for the ending
The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) on a colored background.
Amazon might soon launch an iPad-rivaling Fire tablet powered by Android
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Top AI website builder Lovable hit in worrying cyberattack - here's what we know
  2. 2
    Stunning open-world Chinese fantasy RPG Where Winds Meet gets an official release date
  3. 3
    Massive Orange Belgium data breach may have hit over 850,000 customers - here's what we know
  4. 4
    Towelie wasn’t even the worst part of South Park season 27 episode 3 – just wait for the ending
  5. 5
    Android will finally let Pixel owners adjust flashlight strength, just like on the iPhone

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...