The App Store offers tens of thousands of games for the iPhone. Although you can find great games by browsing in the store, it’s unlikely that newer generations will easily find them or understand why old iPhone games captured the hearts of many people in the golden era of smartphones and beyond.
Due to Apple pulling old apps from the App Store, it may be even harder to find and play these mobile games in the future. With this spirit, we have compiled a list of the 15 best old iPhone games still worth playing today so that they do not fall into oblivion. The following list is in no particular order; we will let you decide which one you consider the best and why. Let’s go!
List of games
Clash of Clans
It seems like Clash of Clans has been there since the start of mobile gaming, and we wouldn’t be so far from the truth. For good reasons, the App Store has had it in its charts for many years. Launched in 2012, this strategy game offers an addictive mix of base building, resource gathering, creation of armies, and battles. How you build your base is crucial to defend yourself from other players and also ransack others.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Clash of Clans on the App Store
Solitaire
Solitaired is a great destination for those who enjoy old but gold card games. It offers a wide range of classic solitaire games, including variations like Klondike Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, FreeCell, and many others. The site is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, allowing you to play these games for free on your desktop or iPhone. You can enjoy a seamless experience whether you’re playing on a larger screen or on the go. The platform also includes features like unlimited undo, tracking of moves and time, and the ability to create a free account to save your games and pick up where you left off on any device.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 Start playing solitaire
Angry Birds
Angry Birds was a tremendous success both for iOS and Android devices. The game was unparalleled in inventiveness, allowing the user to play with a couple of taps or movements each round. The objective is to eliminate the pig enemies on each level, throwing your birds with a sling in a particular position. Each bird has its own perk, and levels become more complicated as you move along.
The developers brought back the classic version of 2012, so you can still download and play on your iPhone. This re-make is only compatible with iOS 13.0 or later.
💲 Price: $0.99
🎮 View Angry Birds on the App Store
Fruit Ninja Classic
More than just a game, we could say that Fruit Ninja has helped hundreds of thousands of people de-stress and release excess energy. Indeed, the game is not only about slicing fruit; it’s about beating your personal high score while you dodge the bombs that come your way. As you progress, you will be able to use additional gear to chop every fruit and unlock blades and dojos to help you in the next level.
💲 Price: $1.99
🎮 View Fruit Ninja Classic on the App Store
Words With Friends
Certainly, one of the most popular multiplayer games the world has ever seen. Words With Friends was launched in 2009, making it worthy of being on any old iPhone games list. Its turn-based system to form words proves to be the perfect game to play on the move. It may not be the most famous game nowadays, but you can still find players to have fun with from time to time.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Words With Friends on the App Store
Kingdom Rush
It appears that all things related to battles between kingdoms have been an attractive theme for iPhone games. Kingdom Rush is an award-winning tower defense played by millions. The objective is simple: use your strategy to defend and guard the kingdom and its castle against the forces of evil. Customize your towers and upgrade them to maximize your power. Command your army with mighty heroes and earn more than 60 achievements in the process.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Kingdom Rush on the App Store
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage is one of SEGA’s all-time jewels, originally released on the Mega Drive console in 1991. Following a beat ’em up recipe that many players enjoyed in the last century, Streets of Rage features three playable characters with their own skills and combos who must make their way to Mr. X, the ominous final boss. The iOS version also features multiplayer support, leaderboards, and controller support to enhance your experience.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Streets of Rage on the App Store
Crossy Road
Not as old as other iPhone games but nonetheless a classic, Crossy Road is a simple but addictive game that pays homage to Frogger. The one-tap nature of this videogame makes it a perfect companion when you are commuting or gaming on the go. The objective is straightforward: cross the road and don’t die. The game offers several extras, new characters, daily challenges, and coins you can earn by watching an ad video in order to unlock them.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Crossy Road on the App Store
Cut the Rope
The iPhone brought many opportunities to the gaming industry due to the better use of physics in its mobile games, and Cut the Rope jumped into this. The game consists of feeding candy to your pet monster called Om Nom by cutting strings in the right place. The candy sometimes will swing or float across the screen, and you will need to think twice before making your next move. It’s a fun and friendly game to carry on your smartphone.
💲 Price: $1.99
🎮 View Cut the Rope GOLD on the App Store
Heads Up!
Heads Up! is an excellent mobile game for your iPhone to play with your family and friends in person. It’s a guessing game where you need to place your phone on your forehead with a word in it. Then, the other players will help you guess that word in the least amount of time possible. There are a wide variety of themes to play with, including pop culture like Star Wars. In addition, you can also play with other people online.
💲 Price: $1.99
🎮 View Heads Up! on the App Store
Canabalt
Canabalt was not the first runner game, but it was a sensation among gamers. It offered an intense experience with pixel graphics and a greyish atmosphere. The objective is to escape the city’s destruction with just one tap and beat your record high as you evade falling alien ships and into tight office windows. Even today, the game is remarkably addictive, and it has alternate game modes to transform the default experience.
💲 Price: $2.99
🎮 View Canabalt on the App Store
Doodle Jump
Once upon a time, Doodle Jump was a big hit on the App Store, and it has become part of our culture. The gameplay is pretty much the same nowadays: you must guide Doodle the Doodler on a journey up, pick up jet packs, and avoid dangers. The platforms move, disappear, and explode. There are many monsters, traps, black holes, and UFOs to dodge. Doodle Jump features racing against friends, collecting achievements, and competing to appear on the global leaderboards, making the game’s content much richer.
💲 Price: $0.99
🎮 View Doodle Jump on the App Store
Temple Run
Endless running games were a favorite back in the day. Temple Run featured an original 3D running mechanic where you can turn, jump, slide, and tilt, playable with 7 different characters and with achievements and leaderboards for extra fun. Test your reflexes and race down endless ancient temples and sheer cliffs. Simply addictive!
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Temple Run on the App Store
Plants vs. Zombies
Before becoming a franchise, Plants vs. Zombies was a total hit back in 2008. The game can be categorized as a tower defense title, in which you need to protect your house from a zombie invasion… with plants! Journey over 50 different levels, progress collecting coins and power-ups, and earn 46 achievements.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Plants vs. Zombies on the App Store
Where’s My Water?
Where’s My Water? is a physics-based puzzle with excellent mechanics. The objective of the game is to create a path for water, so it reaches Swampy’s bath (yes, an alligator). It takes inspiration from two previous games we saw in this list: Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. If you like experimentation and testing new things, this is your game.
💲 Price: $1.99
🎮 View Where’s My Water? on the App Store
Clash Royale
We started the list with Clash of Clans and ended it with Clash Royale, the spin-off from the same developers. The premise of this popular game is to battle in 1v1 epic multiplayer battles while you unlock new cards and level up to fight more efficiently and destroy the enemy player’s castle. You will need to unleash different kinds of troops on the battlefield and use the rewards you earn on your journey. Despite being more than six years old, the game has everything to become a timeless classic in the years to come.
💲 Price: Free
🎮 View Clash Royale on the App Store
Takeaway
Several of these games can be played on older iPhones, while others have been updated and require a more recent iOS version. If you want to play them and get an iPhone at a lower price, you can consider buying a refurbished model, which has the same functionality as a brand-new device and offers a professional warranty.
To make sure that you will be able to run every game with your handset, you can compare all iPhones compatible with the latest iOS 16 and in excellent cosmetic condition below:
On RefurbMe, we specialize in comparing hundreds of refurbished Apple products. Don’t hesitate to have a look at our best deals to see what you can find at the lowest price possible. See you soon!
