With the iTunes holiday freeze upon us, we're finally able to close the books on mobile gaming in 2016 with a massive list of the 100 best games released this year. Instead of just listing off the highest scoring games of the year, we tried to put together 100 of the best games spread across every genre we can think of, with an fairly even split between both mobile exclusives as well as fantastic multi-platform titles. We've reviewed the vast majority of these games, and this list represents the culmination of hundreds of man hours of work through 2016 as we consistently strive to make TouchArcade the place to go to find awesome games to play on your phone. While all the links are to the App Store, practically all of these games are also available on Android and can be found via searching whatever storefront you prefer.
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This list of 100 games was whittled down from a list of thousands of incredible games we covered this year, and the whole staff pitched in on writing the descriptions to fill out the list. Next week we'll be publishing our own personal ten favorite games, so if you don't see a particular niche title in this list, there's way more year-end "best of" coverage to come.
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Adventures of Mana, $6.99 - Review - Forum Thread - It's often the case that remakes change a game so much that the parts you originally loved aren't there anymore. It's a pain that fans of Square's Game Boy classic Final Fantasy Adventure know too well thanks to the Game Boy Advance remake, Sword of Mana. Well, it took another 15 years, but Adventures of Mana finally gives us an authentic remake, all done up with modern visuals and a remastered soundtrack. That slavish accuracy sometimes makes the game feel somewhat aged, but overall, this is a fantastic action-RPG that plays great on mobile. -SM
Apollo Justice Ace Attorney, $0.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Apollo Justice Ace Attorney isn't exactly a a favorite of many Ace Attorney fans, but even a middling game in this series is worth checking out. This was the first game in the series to debut on hardware more powerful than the Game Boy Advance, and the upgrade was put to good use in adding more detailed animations and interesting gimmicks. It also debuts a new hero, taking some of the focus off of Phoenix Wright. For mobile fans, the important thing is that we finally have the strange gap between the Phoenix Wright Trilogy and Dual Destinies filled. Thankfully, this port turned out more like that of the latter than the former. -SM
Assassin's Creed Identity, $0.99 - Launch Announcement - Forum Thread - Assassin's Creed Identity toes a very interesting line as a mobile entry of a fairly popular console series. The visuals are pretty impressive and the controls and general gameplay very much feel like a streamlined mobile version of the real thing (complete with short, mobile-sized missions to boot). It's the freemium trimmings, such as timers and premium currency where it becomes very clear where Identity falls on the gameplay spectrum. Still, it's an excellent example of a title that can offer a core experience in a freemium world. -EF
Assoluto Racing, Free - Update Announcement - Forum Thread - There are actually a ton of great racers on the App Store, plenty of them released this year, but for our money Assoluto Racing is the best all-around racer released in 2016. It straddles the perfect line between racing simulation and the more approachable arcade style of racers. It's also full of real licensed vehicles, has gorgeous graphics and fun tracks, and somehow also manages to be a free to play game that doesn't completely offend all of your senses. -JN
Atomic Super Lander, $0.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Atomic Super Lander combines the fun of jetpacking around and blowing up asteroids, two of TouchArcade's favorite pastimes. The game doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest and is filled with a ton of humor. Most importantly of all though is that this is just a fun game to play, jetting around and trying not to die on the myriad of deadly hazards. Coupled with an almost rogulike "see how many levels you can beat in a row" hook and Atomic Super Lander became a go-to game to find a reliable source of silly fun. -JN
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Avadon 3: The Warborn HD, $11.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Avadon 3: The Warborn is a worthy conclusion to the Avadon trilogy that Jeff Vogel's Spiderweb Software has been working on lately. Excellent writing, a fairly deep character customization system and a smooth, mission-based storyline complement the CRPG visuals that Spiderweb's RPGs are known for. It's an excellent title in a niche genre that's worth checking out. -EF
Banner Saga 2, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - The incredible sequel to Banner Saga hit the App Store earlier this year and our excitement was tempered by a few annoying technical issues with the port which... Have slowly been fixed through updates. If you're looking for a tactical adventure filled with viking battles and a surprisingly gripping storyline, look no further on Banner Saga 2. The game is playable on iPhones, but really shines on the larger screen of the iPad. -EH
Batman - The Telltale Series, $2.99 - Review - Forum Thread - We're not sure if it's the result of a monkey's paw wish, a deal with the devil, or what, but Telltale has been on fire with fantastic narrative-driven game releases this year. Their spin on Batman is fascinating to play through, as the balance between the decisions you make as Bruce Wayne impact your nights as Batman and vice versa. Most (all?) Batman games seem to focus primarily on playing as The Dark Knight, so if nothing else, playing so much as Bruce Wayne feels like an incredibly fresh spin. -EH
Blitz Breaker, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Reece Kelly made a fantastic speedy platformer in Blitz Breaker. The midair dashing is fun to play with, and lends itself to a ton of fun challenges. With tough timing windows, interesting boss fights, and devious optional objectives, the air-dashing is put to its test here. But part of what makes Blitz Breaker so memorable is its unique color palette. Plenty of games have pixel art, but few look quite like this. -CD
Bullet Hell Monday, Free - Review - Forum Thread - Last year, some of the best shoot-em-up action to be had came in the form of the two .Decluster games from developer Masayuki Ito. You would think that would entitle the guy to a break, but he came out just as strong this year with Bullet Hell Monday. Packed with stages and a variety of ships that actually feel quite different from one another, this is a delightful shoot-em-up that nails the core of what makes this genre work so well: tense action, score attacking, and enough near-misses to send you to a fainting couch. -SM
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Bully: Anniversary Edition, $6.99 - Review - Forum Thread - If you missed the original release of Bully, and its remake, perhaps the third time is the charm for this year's annual Rockstar release. Bully is basically a Grand Theft Auto game without cars, set at a private boarding school with a setting and plot line that manages to totally capture the nostalgic feel of what it was like dealing with cliques at school. This iteration of the game is enhanced further beyond the Scholarship Edition that was released a few years ago, making Bully: Anniversary Edition the definitive version of the game. -EH
Burrito Bison: Launcha Libre, Free - Forum Thread - We're not really sure what it is about these sorts of "see how far you can go and constantly upgrade things" games that gets their hooks in us so severely, but Burrito Bison: Launcha Libre is the latest and greatest installment of what once started out as an incredibly popular Flash game. The concept of launching from a wrestling ring and smashing as many gummy bears as you can makes almost no sense, but, that's fine, because there's always another upgrade around the corner and just think of how many gummy bears you'll be able to smash once you get it. -EH
Chameleon Run, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Already winning an Apple Design Award, Chameleon Run has proven its mettle when it comes to being worthy of any best games list this year. We loved how well this game nails a color switching platforming mechanic, and it has an impressive amount of replay value through encouraging players to run through the same courses over and over with slightly different objectives. It's great on mobile, but also a ton of fun on the Apple TV as well. -EH
Circa Infinity, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - 2016 brought us even more simple one-tap games, and Circa Infinity is a fabulously weird entry in that genre. I think of this game as like the title sequence of the movie Twelve Monkeys meets a circular platformer where you jump between levels of a endlessly expanding circle. The primary mechanic is interesting enough on its own, but it's spiced up significantly with all sorts of enemy types, multiple obstacles, and more. -EH
Clash Royale, Free - Review - Forum Thread - Supercell had huge shoes to fill as it searched for a followup to Clash of Clans, the game which effectively rewrote what success on mobile is. They found it in Clash Royale, a real-time player versus player card battler that has practically been glued to the top grossing list since it was released. There are many (very valid) criticisms to be made both on how the game is structured and how the F2P elements come into play, but if you haven't at least tried Clash Royale you're really missing out. -EH
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Crashlands, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - In this post-Minecraft world we live in, you'd think the crafting game genre would be totally saturated, then Butterscotch Shenanigans comes out of the blue with Crashlands. Even those of us at TouchArcade who don't typically like crafting games couldn't put this one down, as they succeeded in removing practically everything that can make crafting games annoying and instead offer a super-pure experience that's enjoyable to both hardcore and ultra-casual gamers alike. Loads of post-launch support has only made Crashlands better and better, making this game as must-have as it gets. -EH
Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - This is is absolutely one of the most original roguelikes you'll ever play, as you have to move to the rhythm while crawling through deadly dungeons. But even for the rhythmically-challenged, alternate game modes and upgrades help make this an accessible experience. There's so much to do, and mastering the game is incredibly rewarding. The mobile port also brought along iCloud syncing, controller support, and Apple TV play. Pretty much the only thing missing from this excellent port was dance pad support. This is one of the most fun and original games of recent vintage. -CD
Dan The Man, Free - Review - Forum Thread - Based on a series of YouTube videos, Halfbrick's Dan the Man is a great action platformer that manages to be free to play without being obnoxious. With graphics that remind us of the Monster World series of old Sega games, Dan the Man is fun from start to finish. The only down-side is it's a little on the short side, but we'll take a great experience over a game that drags on forever any day. -EH
Day of the Tentacle Remastered, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Day of the Tentacle might be the most representative of classic adventure games, released at the peak of the LucasArts era, with many notable names including Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer who worked on this one. If you're revisiting the classic, you get a port that smooths over some of the rough spots of the original, modified for the touchscreen. If you're playing for the first time, the time-travel element makes for some unique puzzles. The dialogue and story holds up rather well, even for first-timers. For newbies and veterans, this is a great point-and-click adventure game. -CD
Deus Ex GO - Puzzle Challenge, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - While Deus Ex Go feels a little same-y when compared to other games in Square Enix's Go lineup, the formula works so damn well we hardly care. These turn-based games manage to distill enough of the original game into a puzzle formula that still oddly make it feel like you're playing a Deus Ex (or Hitman, or Tomb Raider) game. This time around, a hacking mechanic comes into play, which will twist your brain as you attempt to solve each level. -EH
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Dog Sled Saga, $2.99 - Launch Announcement - Forum Thread - What initially seems like a simple side-scrolling timing-based racing mini-game quickly explodes into shocking levels of dog management in Dog Sled Saga. We couldn't get enough of tweaking out our dog racing team and min/maxing everything that goes into winning races and staying ahead of the competition. Once you master the racing mechanics, Dog Sled Saga turns into a hardcore simulation game, which will keep you coming back race after race. -EH
Don't Grind, Free - Review - Forum Thread - One of the prominent game types on the App Store are the "keep up" games, like where you tap to kick a soccer ball and try to keep it in the air. Pretty fun concept, but shallow. This is where Don't Grind comes in. It takes that keep uppy simplicity but adds the ability to move left and right around the screen, collect starts for points, and try to dodge all manner of zany hazards that will inevitably chew you to bits. On top of those strong mechanics is a cast of hilarious unlockable googley-eyed characters that are so darn cute you *almost* feel bad when they get caught in the ol' grinder. -JN
Dungeon Warfare, $1.99 - Launch Announcement - Forum Thread - Dungeon Warfare, the trap-laying dungeon defender with old-school visuals, makes a smooth transition from Steam to iOS. Great visuals, plenty of trap variety and a large amount of replayability make this twist on the genre well worth checking out. As if that wasn't enough, the lack of a connectivity requirement combined with the full premium game experience (i.e. no IAP) adds even more of an incentive to play. -EF
Ember, $9.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Ember is an excellent take on the old-school RPG genre complete with over 30 hours of content, plenty of character customization via stats and inventory and a story worth playing through. Supplemental activities such as leather working, cooking, alchemy and smithing makes Ember as close as you can get to the classic PC RPGs while still maintaining an approachable play style for mobile. The only detraction is the game's controls on iPhone devices. Otherwise, if you play on an iPad, you're looking at a top notch, original RPG. -EF
FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ, $16.99 - Review - Forum Thread - After last year's release of Final Fantasy 7, we were all expecting Final Fantasy 8 to be the next game in the series to hit mobile. Instead, Square Enix took a short hop over to Final Fantasy 9, the last game in the series to release on PlayStation 1. It was designed to be a send-off to many of the traditions of the series, making this a bittersweet experience for long-time fans. The port, done by Silicon Studios, is easily the best work done yet for this series on mobile platforms. A massive, fantastical adventure with an excellent soundtrack and tons of memorable characters, they just don't make them like Final Fantasy 9 anymore. Make sure to check it out. -SM
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Flappy Golf 2, Free - Game of the Week - Forum Thread - While Super Stickman Golf 3 has the more robust arcadey physics golf corner of the world covered, its offshoot Flappy Golf 2 has the frantic flappified version covered. Just because things have gone all flappy doesn't mean this game is less challenging or strategic though, and making it through Flappy Golf 2's levels is a feat in itself. However, the bananas multiplayer mode is what really gives this legs and will be the reason to keep this around on your device. Busting out Flappy Golf 2 at a party is a guaranteed hit. -JN
Galaxy on Fire 3 - Manticore, Free - Launch Announcement - Forum Thread - Potentially once of the most controversial releases in our community this year, Galaxy on Fire 3: Manticore takes the Galaxy on Fire formula and refreshes it into a game that makes more sense on the App Store of 2016. If you're looking for a direct sequel to the Galaxy on Fire you remember from years ago, you'll likely be disappointed. Without any of that baggage in mind, we found ourselves totally lost in one of the coolest (and best looking) space games we've seen in a while. -EH
Goat Simulator Waste of Space, $1.99 - Launch Announcement - Forum Thread - All the Goat Simulator games are great exercises in absurdity, but Waste of Space takes things to another level. Not just because it adds in all sorts of wacky space shenanigans, including a pilotable spacecraft, but because the game serves as a parody of the Star Citizen crowdfunding debacle. It's hard to tell where Goat Simulator's going to go next, but this entry was perhaps its most amusing yet. -CD
Goo Saga, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - As the title hints, Goo Saga is a game that puts you in charge of a cute little blob of goo. Platforming mechanics that revolve around the physics of goo as well as the abilities of your goo such as inflating, deflating, and other tricks create some clever challenges as you play through the game. The production values of Goo Saga are incredibly high, with a host of great animations that truly bring your adorable little goo to life. -EH
Guild of Dungeoneering, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - In this day and age it feels like every variety of roguelike has been done, and we've since moved on to other games that utilize clever mechanics that still play inside of the familiar randomized dungeon universe. In the case of Guild of Dungeoneering, you're assembling a dungeon to traverse via a card mechanic. It's difficult to succinctly describe because there's really nothing like it. When you play it, be sure to have your sound on, the soundtrack is a real treat. -EH
Guns of Infinity, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - We reviewed a lot of gamebooks this year, and from a pure narrative standpoint, Guns of Infinity is easily the top of the pile. While the ChoiceScript engine isn't big on bells and whistles, in the hands of a good author and designer, it's surprisingly flexible. From a gameplay perspective, learning to effectively manage your unit is quite enjoyable. The plot tackles the topic of war in an unusually pragmatic way, and while you may be tempted to further your character's personal life, you'll have to do so knowing full well that it will cost lives. Simply a wonderful example of a solidly-constructed and superbly-written gamebook. -SM
Hatoful Boyfriend, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - The ever-expanding genre of human-animal love got a lot of attention this year on mobile. Even setting aside the silly gimmick, however, Hatoful Boyfriend is a fascinating game. It's a semi-serious parody of romance visual novels, and the more you play it, the stranger and more compelling it gets. The presence of the birds might seem like a toss-away visual gag at first, but there's been a lot more thought put into this game than initial appearances reveal. -SM
Human Resource Machine, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - The best way to describe Human Resource Manager is as a cleverly constructed puzzle game that serves as an educational trojan horse of sorts. You think you're just solving puzzles, but in actuality, the tasks the game asks you to complete are teaching you the fundamentals of low-level programming. If/then statements, loops, math operators, and more will be tying your brain in knots, particularly if you've never worked with those things before, and the whole thing is wrapped in a mysterious narrative that'll keep you powering through levels to reach the ending. -EH
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, $3.99 - Review - Forum Thread - As we mentioned in our review, the worst problem of I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is that the game, and horror stories by Harlan Ellison are criminally under-known. Originally released in 1995 and resurrected for the App Store in 2016, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a point and click adventure puzzle game set in a crazy cyberpunk universe where computers built to manage wars have become self-aware. Loaded with incredibly adult themes, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a dark treat from start to finish. -EH
Imbroglio, $3.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Michael Brough knows how to make some truly intriguing games, and Imbroglio maintains his standards nicely. Like his popular 868-HACK, this game is a twist on the popular roguelite genre, but the player is given a lot more control over the variables here. Gameplay largely revolves around positioning on a board, and while each character in the game comes with their own board, you're eventually allowed to customize it. From there, an enjoyable game quickly becomes an obsession. -SM
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Jade Empire™: Special Edition, $9.99 - Review - Forum Thread - While we were all waiting on an announcement for an iOS version of Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2, Aspyr Media came out of nowhere with this gorgeous port of the classic Bioware martial arts fantasy Jade Empire. This was something of an experimental game for the developer, and combined with its late release during the Xbox's waning years, a lot of people missed out on it. The controls can be a little tricky to wrestle with at times, but it's worth a few problems here and there to be able to enjoy this classic on the go. -SM
Kathy Rain, $4.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Clifftop Games paid homage to the 1990s in Kathy Rain, from the game's setting to its old-school point-and-click adventure gameplay, featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio and chunky pixel art. And it stands up well with the greats of its genre, thanks to a story with full voice acting that is compelling to the very end, and left us wanting more from the smart-aleck young detective. -CD
King Rabbit, Free - Review - Forum Thread - The followup to Furdemption, King Rabbit shares most of the same mechanics in that you're still guiding a rabbit through a series of increasingly treacherous trap-filled levels with a seemingly endless array of different challenges as the game progresses. The difficulty curve of King Rabbit rises flawlessly, as it really eases players in to how the game works before shifting gears and asking you to solve even more elaborate puzzles with all the blocks traps you've already learned how to conquer. Sequels rarely get better than this. -EH
Le Parker: Sous Chef Extraordinaire, $2.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Chef Parker has a strange talent: Making a meringue so light it literally floats. He entrusts his recipe with his best gal The Princess, but unfortunately the evil King wants to use the recipe for nefarious purposes and snatches up Parker's lady in the process of stealing it. This classic platformer plot falls right in line with the classic platformers of old that Le Parker Sous Chef Extraordinaire pays such perfect homage to. A beautiful color pallette and tight controls make this one of the more enjoyable retro-style platformers released this year, and also one of the most challenging. -JN
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens, Free - Review - Forum Thread - If nothing else, LEGO games provide some reliable fun and excellent fan service. While the original LEGO Star Wars was ported to iOS from the console version, that wasn't going to be a realistic outcome for LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fortunately, the handheld/mobile versions of this one were quite good, offering a solid adaptation of the popular film and plenty of side content and bonus characters from outside the story of the movie. The famous LEGO sense of humor is firmly in place here, making this a lively way to revisit the biggest box office smash in American film history. -SM
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Leap Day, Free - Review - Forum Thread - Nitrome was on fire with awesome game releases this year, but few stuck with us like Leap Day. They turned the often exploited freemium mechanic of daily challenges into an entire game, which each new day bringing a whole new level that everyone plays. Movement is handled automatically, which initially seems sort of weird but it quickly lends itself to loads of depth that otherwise wouldn't be as easy to execute with touchscreen controls. Do not miss this game. -EH
Leap of Fate, $3.99 - Review - Forum Thread - It's not often we get fast-paced action games that feel like they're not compromising anything by being made for a touchscreen. That's exactly what Leap of Fate offered with its natural-feeling control scheme and bursts of intense bite-sized action. Its ultra slick cyberpunk theme and interesting characters and lore made this the type of game that you just felt cool playing. It's also a satisfyingly challenging game that's peppered with plenty of long-term progression built around its roguelike core. -JN
Legend of the Skyfish, $1.99 - Review - Forum Thread - Making a Zelda-style game can be tough, because you're trying to imitate some of the masters of game design. Mgaia Studios decided with Legend of the Skyfish to focus just on one aspect, the hookshot, and base the entire game around that. The protagonist's fishing rod opens up unique puzzles to solve, and interesting combat technique. Its inspirations are apparent, but it's a fun and original game worthy of recognition. -CD
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