Best IOS Games

This month was one of the most interesting months for IOS games in 2019 so far. Thatgamecompany released its first game in ages—and on IOS first, no less—and Nintendo revived Dr. Mario and packaged it for the tastes of players accustomed to Candy Crush Saga. The App Store also gave us a port of one of the best recent action RPGS from consoles, and the surprise return of Apple’s own Texas Hold’em after years of absence. (And it looks like it’s barely aged.)

HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER go.macworld.com/hld

Hyper Light Drifter ($4.99) is an action RPG that’s only three years old, although its pixel art style makes it look like a relic from my childhood. It’s almost as timeless as those digital ’80s adventures, and it combines artful minimalist storytelling about a “drifter” suffering from a mysterious illness with gameplay that was pulled straight from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It’s also famously intense, but the touch controls translate well (aside from some annoyances such as having to reach too far to trigger health boosts).

Sky: Children of the Light (free) is a visually striking game about empathy, cooperation with other players, and lightweight puzzle solving that’s framed as a tale about restoring spirits to their rightful place among the constellations. As with developer Thatgamecompany’s previous games Flower and Journey, its appeal springs from the intensity of emotions you feel while playing rather than competition or combat prowess. I initially worried the in-app purchases would smother the intensity of that experience, but happily they’re benign.