The Best iPhone Games You’ve Never Heard Of

Uncharted Gems

We at Hardcore iOS love discovering unique and exciting mobile games that keep us basking in the blue light of our iPhones. For your gaming pleasure, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of the best iPhone games you’ve (probably) never heard of. No matter your favorite genre, we guarantee you’ll find something on our list to satisfy your gaming cravings. Pretty sweet, right? Let’s dive in.

15. Good Pizza, Great Pizza

Kicking off our list of the best iPhone games you’ve (probably) never heard of, have you ever wanted to run your own pizzeria? Well, now you can with Good Pizza, Great Pizza, a food management simulation game from indie developer TapBlaze. Fulfill unique orders for over 100 customers and earn money to upgrade your dining area, equipment and pizza toppings. Unlock surprising stories and events by completing orders, all while competing against rival restaurant Alicante. Created by real pizza makers, you’ll need to roll, build, bake and slice your way to pizzeria greatness.
Available on the App Store

14. Able Black

Secrets abound in Able Black, a story-driven game from developer Scott Leach. Able Black finds himself alone in the dark. Shine some light on his predicament by helping him solve a series of puzzles guided by text, sound and images. Discover what lurks beneath humanity’s  underground habitat, Ark 19, and prevent Able’s impending decommission by passing his Citizenship Exam. Use your wits to uncover the truth behind Able’s isolation and identity and save Able from a terrible fate.
Available in the App Store

13. Cats are Liquid – A Better Place

Play as a liquid kitty in 2D adventure platformer Cats are Liquid – A Better Place from developer Last Quarter Studios. Explore over 120 rooms with your feline friends. Transform into an ice block and glide across rooms, float as a cloud or hookshot using your tail. Unlock new abilities like light burst as you traverse the game’s environments and experience the story. Throughout the story, you’ll learn all about how this mercurial paradise came to be. You can even create your own rooms via the same room editor used to build the game’s preexisting levels!
Available on the App Store

12. Path of Adventure

Embark on the quest of a lifetime in survival, text-based roguelike Path of Adventure from developer Keeweed. Slay monsters, crawl dungeons and amass a hoard of treasures while gaining experience and leveling up your character. Inspired by classic D&D and modern RPG games, Path of Adventure features turn-based combat and procedurally generated dungeons. Choose from six different characters and build your own legend.

The game features tons of weapons, items, monsters and a tutorial for beginners. Players can purchase Resurrects and Undos to avoid permadeaths, but these are completely optional for this free-to-play offline RPG. While Path of Adventure is only available in English, the game includes screen reader support for the visually impaired. May the road rise to meet you and the monsters refuse to eat you.
Available on the App Store

11. Werewolf Tycoon

Become a nocturnal nightmare and feast on unsuspecting humans in Werewolf Tycoon from developer Joe Williamson. Stealthily devour as many people as possible before daybreak in this 2D casual action game. Be careful and remain undetected. If you’re photographed, or should a witness escape, it’s game over for your furry hide. With a retro-inspired soundtrack, colorful pixel art and unlockable accessories, you’ll howl with delight.
Available on the App Store 

10. The Trail

Embark on a journey and discover a new life in the simulation adventure game, The Trail, from developer Kongregate. Journey to the New World and begin your path to fortune. Drink in the breathtaking views as you hike to the town of Eden Falls alongside your interactive pet dog. Explore various terrains and collect resources used to craft items. Hone your crafting abilities to create goods and trade with others. Join the town and work together with the other citizens to make your new home a better place. But your pioneering adventure won’t end there. Eventually, set out again to build your own settlement in a frontier of near-limitless possibilities.
Available on the App Store

9. Flutter: Starlight

Enter a magical forest and become its resident lepidopterist (a moth-studying scientist) in Flutter: Starlight from developer Runaway. In this casual simulation game, you’ll live in a magical moonlit forest and raise stunningly-illustrated moths as they grow throughout their lifecycles. Collect and nurture moths from over 300 real-life species, and fill out your Flutterpedia. Cultivate and expand your environment with an extensive array of flora and fauna with unique mystical properties. Get to know your fellow forest residents and unearth their mysteries. With the game’s gorgeous visuals and regular content updates, you’ll never want to leave your personal Garden of Eden.
Available on the App Store

8. Hyperforma

Explore what remains of the 256-year-old relic cyberspace, Ancient Network in the multi-award-winning cyberpunk action/puzzle game Hyperforma from developer HeroCraft. Delve into the ruins of an ancient civilization and expose its masters’ secrets. Communicate with the Titanic Interfaces and hack their secured Forms. Spin Forms, destroy blocks and hit the cores. Inspired by the works of William Gibson, Dan Simmons and Peter Watts, this dystopian sci-fi game promises challenges and thought-provoking gameplay.
Available on the App Store

7. Mousebusters

Don’t let the cute appearance fool you. Horror lurks just beneath the surface in Mousebusters from developer Odencat. This causal horror adventure tasks players with clearing out the ghastly specters invading apartments and corrupting the hearts of the tenants. Play as a mouse exterminator, and tap the screen to interact with items and talk to characters. Exorcise the spiritual pests before it’s too late!
Available on the App Store

6. Marginalia Hero

Enter the tapestry and become a medieval knight in the next entry of our list of the best iPhone games you’ve (probably) never heard of. In Crescent Moon Games’ action game Marginalia Hero, players will slay weird and terrifying creatures painted by real medieval artists centuries ago. Choose between over a hundred weapons, shield, charms and companions to aid your in your battles. Tap to defeat weird creatures and collect coins to upgrade your equipment. Conquer the game’s 100 regular battles and boss fights or challenge yourself in the Endless Tournament mode. With plenty of battles and 50 achievements to add to your résumé, you’ll be a hero in no time.
Available on the App Store

5. Feist

Save your beloved from the terrible jaws of vicious monsters in the multi-award-winning game Feist from Developer Finji. In this hauntingly colorful action-adventure title, play as a fragile fur creature on a quest through a dangerous forest. Tap to outmaneuver your way to safety in a merciless environment full of hungry creatures. Will you manage to survive the journey and rescue your love?
Available on the App Store

4. Brotato

Aliens are invading the planet! Play as a potato with the ability to wield six weapons at once and defend the Earth in Brotato. Equip weapons and eliminate 20-90-second waves of aliens in this action roguelike game from Erabit Studios. Gather materials, gain experience and purchase items from the shop in between skirmishes. Concentrate on eliminating the invading forces thanks to simple, auto-aiming controls or challenge yourself by switching to manual aim. Choose between dozens of characters and hundreds of items and weapons like sticks and stones or flamethrowers.
Available on the App Store

3. Necromerger – Idle Merge Game

Summon terrifying creatures to feed to your insatiable pet, The Devourer, in NecroMerger – Idle Merge Game from developer Grumpy Rhino Games. Become the NecroMerger and conjure skeletons, zombies and banshees amongst 70 other classic horror monsters. Merge these minor critters into major snacks to feed and grow your Devourer. Attract merchants, champions and rivals to work with, fight or feed to your eldritch horror. Expand your lair and unlock potent abilities and spells as you grow your monstrous pet. Complete tasks to earn new stations and equipment, as well as summon new and stronger creatures. And like other idle games, you’ll earn rewards even when you’re not actively feeding ancient gods. Nifty!
Available on the App Store

2. Like Dino!

Enjoy a calm and heartening moment with the adorable music game Like Dino! from developer Hyun-Joong Kim. Help your Dino buddy reach his fullest potential by dragging your finger along the screen and gathering the falling bars. Hear the full song by successfully collecting the notes and growing Dino’s neck as tall as possible. After each level, you’ll earn coins to purchase additional tracks from the game’s library of 10 different tunes. Miss a bar? No problem. The adorable Dino offers a few kind words of wisdom and gives you a moment to collect yourself before resuming. Like my new dinosaur pal says, “Nobody’s perfect.” That is, except for him.
Available on the App Store

1. Evan’s Remains

We’ve reached the last entry of the best iPhone games you’ve (probably) never heard of and this game is one of my personal favorites. Part graphic novel, part puzzle platformer, Evan’s Remains from Whitethorn Games takes its inspiration from classic Japanese graphic adventure games. Play as Dysis, a girl on a journey to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of the titular boy genius. Years after Evan’s disappearance, Dysis receives a letter from Evan bidding her to come find him. Solve a series of intricate, logic-based puzzles to explore a beautiful, uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean and reveal the truth behind Evan’s disappearance. Do you have what it takes to bring Evan home?
Available on the App Store

Did you enjoy our list of the best iPhone games you’ve (probably) never heard of? Need more recommendations? Check out lists of our favorite casual games or most-played RPG games.