Best of 2015: Year in Review 2015: The best iOS games

The best of 2015

Hundreds of iPhone games get released each year on the App Store, and though some are quickly forgotten, others stay with us for a long time. If you want to try some of the greatest iOS games ever made, check out our frequently updated lists of the 50 best iPhone games today (featuring both paid and free games) and the 100 best free iPhone games (for priceless gems that will cost you nothing).

But what about 2015? This year brought us plenty of hits and numerous misses, but we've cut through the clutter to showcase a handful of sensational titles that do their genres proud.

Whether you want a shooter, a puzzler, or a racer that will keep you playing it long through 2016, the games on this list are examples of the excellence that can be found on the App Store. They surprise us, touch us, make us laugh, and ultimately deserve a long-term spot on your iPhone or iPad.

Best Word Game

Alphabear (free)

Alphabear is an adorable word game that offers you challenging boards that require you to use the letters on your screen to spell words and meet specific requirements. What makes this word game so special is that you can take collect cuddly teddy bears and take them with you on each game to gain bonuses, extra points, and even more letters. What's more, with each board you finish, you'll get a silly ad lib featuring your bear and the words you spelled. These bears are not only cute but resourceful too.

Best Point-and-Click Adventure Game

Tales from the Borderlands (episodes 2-5) ($14.99/£10.99/AU$22.99)

What truly sets Tales from the Borderlands apart from other games is its impressive writing and witty lines that make the story of a few unexpected friends come alive as they set out on a trip through the barren planet of Pandora. Familiar Borderlands characters and locations make an appearance in this point and click game, and your choices aren't simply there for comedic effect - they can really change how your story plays out. Sit back and enjoy an engaging story and enjoy a few laughs while you're at it.

Best Puzzle Game

Prune ($2.99/£2.29/AU$4.49)

The art of bonsai is a meditative experience, so if you mix in some puzzle elements and a simplistic yet elegant art style, you are bound to get a game unlike any other. Prune will relax you as you solve its puzzles that require you to trim a tree and let it grow tall enough to blossom. Growing challenges like a toxic sun or other environmental obstacles will leave you scratching your head in a good way as you attempt to help your tree flourish under adversity, perhaps even as a metaphor of life.

Best Action Game

Implosion ($9.99/ £7.99/AU$14.99)

Never come back to Earth, he was told - but Jake, on the verge of landing on what seems to be a barren planet, didn't listen. Implosion's opening scenes set the stage to what is an impressive hack and slash title that's dynamic, visually stimulating, and easy-to-control. Your goal in each of its bite sized missions is to reach your destination, but getting there is always different and makes for a surprisingly fresh experience. Levels will leave you in awe, and however you play it, we know you'll enjoy the ride.

Best Strategy Game

Fallout Shelter (free)

What was released as a game to appease people in anticipation for Fallout 4 has grown into a formidable strategy game that rivals others out there. What sets Fallout Shelter apart is its simplistic gameplay that doesn't monetize the experience but instead makes you think under pressure to farm the resources you need when you need them. Assign your dwellers to the right jobs, and you may never need to worry about a thing. And as any good overseer knows, the success of a vault and its residents depend on your actions.

Best Rhythm Game

Guitar Hero Live (free)

Rebooting the franchise in a big way, Guitar Hero Live lets you turn into a rock star right on your phone and tap the screen to the beat of many popular hits either offline or against the world. If you'd prefer, you can also go all out and use its optional guitar controller and master hundreds of tracks that are sure to put your fingers in a dizzy. Its impressive music library will keep you entertained for days and its dynamic audience is sure to let you know how you're doing. No pressure, but don't mess up or you'll get booed.

Best RPG

Chaos Rings III ($19.99/£14.99/AU$30.99)

A good RPG should make you invested in its story and compel you to spend hours of your time exploring its world, leveling up your characters, and enjoying all its intricacies. Chaos Rings III is one such adventure that does all that and then some. Featuring a unique narrative that follows a group of mismatched heroes, this expansive game will take you to a mysterious planet where everyone hopes to travel to so that their wishes may be granted. Exciting battles, beautiful backdrops, and an alluring soundtrack are all part of that majestic journey.

Best Flight Simulator

PixWing ($3.99/£2.99/AU$5.99)

There's a lot of nostalgia at play in the pixelated beauty that is PixWing, but even those who have never played a 16 bit game before are sure to appreciate its subtle touches that truly make this game a joy to see and experience. What's more, its gyro controls turn your whole body into a controller so you can let the game track how many calories you burn while flying. Regardless of how you play, its colorful worlds and intricate missions within each one are sure to leave you in awe of their simplistic splendor.

Best Platformer

I Am Bread ($.99/£.79/AU$.99)

I Am Bread is a unique game that does an amazing job representing what it would feel like to move as a piece of bread. You don't have any limbs so you'll need to rely on throwing yourself and folding your corners in just a way that propels you forward on your quest to get toasted. Find a toaster or any item that may get you nice and toasty but be sure to avoid hitting the ground or rolling over icky areas that may tarnish your glutinous appeal. A dirty piece of bread is a no-no, but this platformer is a delicious taste of the bizarre.

Best Adventure-Puzzle Game

Lara Croft GO ($1.99/£1.49/AU$2.99)

An elegant puzzle adventure featuring everyone's favorite tomb raider, Lara Croft GO showcases that even a seasoned star can shine in a game that's very unlike anything she's been in before. Yes, you're still exploring caves and discovering lost relics on your quest for the big treasure, but you'll also need to use logic and decide which path will lead you to success rather than your ultimate demise. Its gorgeous art style, too, provides a pleasing backdrop to a game that's quite bold, smart, and relaxing.

Best Racing Game

Horizon Chase ($2.99/£2.29/AU$4.49)

Horizon Chase is an amazing example of how a stylish racer can borrow from past games and produce an experience that's both appealing to play as it is to behold. A silky smooth soundtrack and some eye-popping visuals will accompany you as you drive around the world on sidewinding tracks and courses with enough of a difficulty curve to quench anyone's thirst for speed. Your opponents are no pushovers either, and with enough collectibles to keep you busy, this is one game you'll be racing back to every time you take a break.

Best Shooter

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions ($9.99/£7.99/AU$14.99)

Just like its console counterpart, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions brings fireworks of color to your screen with each geometric shape you shoot down. This simple yet effective twin-stick shooter is sure to test your quick thinking skills with its array of levels, modes, and score requirements ensuring you do more than just gawk at its sleek visuals and get mesmerized by its catchy sounds. Keep your finger on the trigger as enemies will come at your from all sides and impressive boss battles will test your quick-thinking skills. It's fast, frenetic, and just plain fun.

December 31, 2015
Giancarlo Saldana

Lenovo said to release an Exynos 8870 device next year

Word travels fast in the mobile realm and once the cat is out of the bag on a topic, follow-up rumors seem to pile up almost instantly. It was only mere hours ago that we first heard of the Exynos 8870 SoC - a Samsung chip that will allegedly offer a toned-down version of the flagship Exynos 8890. That means it will probably feature the same in-house Mongoose 64-bit ARMv8 cores as the performance cluster, along with four more Cortex-A53 ones, just working at lower clock speeds. Initial info on the chip claims that it will be produced specifically for third-party Samsung clients, like Meizu, with the Meizu Pro 6 said to be one of the ambassadors of the SoC. Now, a mysterious industry source claims that Lenovo will be using the Exynos 8870 in one of its 2016 devices as well. Expected performance of the new chipset is along the lines of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, so even though it might not be as powerful as the 8890, it is still a flagship-grade offer, which means the Lenovo in question should be as well. The existence of the Exynos 8870 or any deal with Meizu or Lenovo is yet to be confirmed by Samsung or any of the other parties involved, but such a development does sound pretty plausible. Plus, it is worth noting that both Lenovo and Meizu have used Exynos chips in the past, so the partnership is not entirely new. Also, the Exynos 8870 might not be the only upcoming chip that Samsung is preparing for internal use and possibly third-party sales. Exynos 7650 and Exynos 7880 models were also spotted online, both said to perform in the Snapdragon 652 range (formerly known as the Snapdragon 620, before the renaming fiasco). They could, in turn, power a new line of mid-range offers in 2016. Source (In Chinese) |...

Report: Apple considering LG and Samsung as flexible OLED suppliers

Earlier this month a report came out of Japan that JDI will build up capacity to manufacture OLED displays for an upcoming iPhone. Now a report out of Korea states that Samsung Display and LG Display will be mass producing displays for the iPhones. Like the JDI plans, this is a long-term investment for the Korean giants and the displays will ship in 2017 at the earliest or even 2018. They will invest a total of $12.8 billion over the next couple of years (Apple may provide part of that cash). LG will kick things off with 30,000 a month of Gen. 6 units, later moving to between 45,000 and 60,000 units a month. The upper limit is set by the size of the Gen. 6 substrate - it's enough for 60,000 5" displays (and obviously less for bigger ones). Interestingly, they will reportedly make flexible OLEDs. The LG factory has experience making flexible Gen. 4.5 displays, but the move Gen. 6 will be done cautiously. Samsung Display will provide a bigger share (30% more units) because it already has a functioning manufacturing line that can supply around 90,000 displays. An estimated 200,000 displays a month is required to meet iPhone-scale sales. ETnews reports negotiations between Samsung and Apple are not smooth sailing though. Part of the issue seems to be that Apple wants to buy the displays cheaply (single-digit percent profit margin), while Samsung Display has been making bank on selling Super AMOLEDs to Chinese smartphone companies. Neither Korean company has signed a deal with Apple yet and there are strong expectations that JDI and Foxconn will win the...

Apple agrees to pay €318 million as settlement in Italian tax fraud case

Apple has agreed to pay a sum of €318 million (around $350 million) to settle an Italian tax fraud case, according to a report from the country's daily newspaper La Repubblica. The Cupertino-based company has been accused of tax evasion between 2008 and 2013. It is alleged that the iPhone maker failed to pay €880 million in corporate taxes during this five year period, and the amount was transferred to its subsidiary in Ireland, a country where the corporate tax rate is less than half of that in Italy. Although the probe completed in March this year, the settlement took time as there were reportedly lengthy negotiations between Apple and Italian authorities. On its part, the country's tax office has now confirmed that a deal has been reached, but it did not reveal the financial details of the settlement. While Apple hasn't yet commented on the settlement, it had earlier said that the company is "one of the largest tax payers in the world and paid every euro of tax it owed wherever it did...

Lumia 950 and 950 XL software update starts rolling out in UK and Ireland

Microsoft has started rolling out a new update for the Lumia 950 and the 950 XL, starting in UK and Ireland. The update brings the version number to 01078.00027.15506.020xx. The update includes the following changes: Stability and performance improvements. Improvements for SD memory card support. Improvements for automatic display brightness settings. Fix for a camera problem that was causing noisy images in low-light conditions for some users. Fix for a 4K video problem that was causing stripes to show up while playing back recorded videos for some users. Make sure to check your device to see if the update is available to download....

Sony Xperia Z6 Lite with Snapdragon 620 SoC to come in 2016

The Xperia Z5 family definitely brought a new and very overdue spark of life to the OEM's presence in the mobile realm and naturally got fans excited about the future of the brand. Consequently, rumors of a 2016 Xperia Z6 lineup have been flying all over the pace, but there are often conflicting and seem to raise more questions than they answer. Initial leaks hinted at a total of five models, including a 4-inch Z6 Mini, 4.6-inch Xperia Z6 Compact, 5.2-inch Z6, 5.8-inch Xperia Z6 Plus and a 6.4-inch Xperia Z6 Ultra - talk about spoiled for choice. However, a leaked T-Mobile roadmap later omitted any mention of a Z6 Mini, dropping the number of devices down to four - two allegedly powered by a Snapdragon 820 and the other by a Snapdragon 620 SoC (now renamed by the Snapdragon 652). However, a new Chinese source just added another twist to the mystery with talk of a Z6 Lite. According to Mobile-dad, the device will have a 5.0-inch display, placing it right between the Z6 Compact and basic Z6. The website also claims that said handset will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC (known as the Snapdragon 618, prior to the renaming). A suggested price of $385 is also listed for the handset, along with a May 2016 release frame, but we can't really be sure which market this refers to, nor can we vouch for the authenticity of the source as a whole. Source (in Chinese) |...

Samsung's entire 2016 smart TV line-up will feature IoT support

Samsung has announced that all the TVs in its 2016 line-up will feature Internet of Things (IoT) support as well as SmartThings platform integration. For those wondering, SmartThings is an open platform that lets users connect, manage and control smart devices and IoT services, something which they can do directly from their smartphone and SUHD TV. The South Korean company says that its upcoming SUHD TVs will apply the home-grown IoT hub technology, allowing them to act as the controller for the entire smart home. The IoT ready TVs will be showcased at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is scheduled to be held during January 6 - 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the TVs will be SmartThings-enabled at launch, "the functionality will be activated regionally as SmartThings expands its platform availability," Samsung...