Best iPhone Game Genres You Can Play in 2025

Memes and doomscrolling aren’t the only things an iPhone’s good for. This is the rundown on the top game genres dominating iPhone screens in 2025. Some will outlast your battery, some won’t. Whether you’re spinning reels, chasing leaderboard glory, or unwinding with match-3 sugar bombs, you’ll find them all here.

Gambling Games

There’s never been a wider choice of mobile casino options for iPhone. It’s not just the tired one-armed bandits your uncle used to hammer away at down the club. You can spin the reels on proper old-school 3-reel classics, take on modern heavyweights like Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, and Book of Dead, or go all-in on video slots stacked with bonus features.

And this is where Djordje Bogdanovic’s verdict matters. He’s tested enough apps to spot when a “top pick” is little more than marketing gloss. His recommendations focus on titles that launch quickly, run flawlessly on iOS, and don’t leave you in a three-day stalemate with the banking system. The gameplay is clean, the RTPs are high, and the interfaces are free from unnecessary clutter or fine-print tricks.

Battle Royale & Shooter Mayhem

Free Fire is still holding the crown for quick-fire sessions and long-haul ranked play. With 6.5 million daily log-ins and 36.8 million monthly iOS players worldwide, it’s proof you can top the leaderboards in a lunch break or settle in for a proper grind.

PUBG Mobile hasn’t budged either. Sitting at 32.4 million monthly users and matching Free Fire’s 6.5 million daily log-ins, it’s clear tactical, squad-based shooters aren’t going anywhere. Matches are immersive, pacey, and can turn on a moment. The sort that’ll have you cursing if you hit the wrong button mid-firefight.

And then there’s Fortnite. It’s finally back on iPhones earlier this year after a five-year legal stand-off. It’s not just a quiet return. The new Blitz Royale mode has pulled in four times the player base of its classic battle format. It’s live, it’s fast, and the drop zones are filling quicker than a pub on match day.

RPGs & Strategy

Genshin Impact continues to be a heavyweight on mobile, taking up storage space and battery life without apology. It’s generating over $1 billion annually on mobile alone, with millions logging in daily to chase that perfect artifact drop. As of June 2025, it’s holding 15.2 million monthly active users exploring Teyvat at any given time.

League of Legends: Wild Rift brings the MOBA experience to mobile without the marathon desktop sessions. The Patch 6.2 update landed in mid-July, introducing the new champion Aurora, fresh game modes including AAA ARAM, Arena, and ARURF, plus a new Space Groove Lux skin line for those who like their battles with a bit of style.

For players after tactical thinking without a long commitment, Clash Royale remains the go-to for quick-hit strategy. Now in its ninth year, Supercell’s card-and-tower hybrid boasts over 14 million monthly active iOS users in the US. An impressive feat for a title with such longevity.

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, launched on May 20 as an HBO-licensed spin-off, offers open-world combat and manual swordplay featuring fan favourites from Season 4. Despite pulling in around $1.1 million in its first 36 days, revenues began to slide by June. This is a concerning sign for a game with such a strong brand behind it.

Puzzle & Casual

Candy Crush Saga still wears the crown. Even in 2025, it generates over $600 million annually from players who insist they only play to relax. Its spin-off, Candy Crush Soda Saga, adds new mechanics and enough microtransactions to fund an actual soda factory.

Gardenscapes and Homescapes stick to the match-3 template but build it into storylines about renovating gardens and mansions. Each has amassed hundreds of millions of downloads and a dedicated fan base that blends puzzle fans with design enthusiasts.

Coin Master straddles genres as half slot machine, half village-building sim. It brought in $650 million in revenue last year. Best of all, its social mechanics keep players engaged while raiding friends’ villages and defending their own.

And yes, Subway Surfers is still running strong. With over 4 billion lifetime downloads and a consistent place in the App Store’s top charts, it proves that dodging trains hasn’t lost its appeal.

R & VR Games on iPhone

AR gaming has moved well past being a novelty. Apple has been pushing ARKit for years. And with Vision Pro now in the spotlight, developers are using the iPhone as a genuine portal into interactive worlds.

Pokémon Go remains the flagship title. The game is sending millions into parks, shopping centres, and the occasional awkward social encounter. It generated over $900 million in 2024, showing that the blend of nostalgia and GPS-based gameplay continues to pay off. Ingress keeps the dedicated crowd occupied with global turf wars, while The Walking Dead: Our World transforms familiar streets into zombie-filled gauntlets.

As for VR, the iPhone might not be ready to strap a headset on you just yet. Still, it’s already part of the ecosystem. Companion apps for devices like Meta Quest allow players to manage loadouts, track stats, or even stream a live casino floor in 360°. Whether it’s spinning reels, lining up headshots, sinking hours into RPGs, or sprinting through an AR zombie run, it’s all available on your pocket device.

Classic Shooter “Infantry Online” Revived on Steam After 25 Years

In a move that has delighted fans and gamers alike, the classic multiplayer combat game “Infantry Online” originally launched in 1999 by Sony Online Entertainment, has made a triumphant return to the gaming scene under the new moniker “Free Infantry” After a long hiatus and much anticipation, the game debuted on Steam last week, offering both old fans and newcomers a chance to dive into what has been noted as the world’s first massive multiplayer online isometric shooter.

Infantry was initially first released in the late ‘90s by the team behind space MMO Subspace. In 2001, Infantry’s unique MMO gameplay supported over 140,000 gamers, an unprecedented figure which undoubtedly placed it way ahead of its time. But it was not without financial burden. In fact, readers might remember that in 2020, the players requested a license agreement with Daybreak akin to the one allowing the operation of EverQuest’s fan-led Project 1999.
“Infantry Online” enjoyed a robust following during its initial run, capturing the hearts of gamers with its engaging, fast-paced tactical gameplay. The game’s operation ceased in 2012, leaving a dedicated fan base clamoring for its return. Their persistence paid off when the community revived the game on a rogue server, operating under a license agreement similar to that of the fan-led “Project 1999,” a legacy server for the classic MMORPG “EverQuest.”

Now rebranded as “Free Infantry,” the game has been relaunched and remastered, still maintaining its original charm and challenging gameplay. Available for free on Steam without any microtransactions, “FreeInfantry” offers a variety of gameplay options including standard skirmish, capture-the-flag, and cooperative modes against CPU-controlled adversaries. Players can also indulge in player-based modes that allow for class customization, weapon upgrades, and innovative base-building tactics.

The Steam launch has attracted considerable attention, drawing many long-time fans who have expressed their excitement and approval of the game’s revival. Reviews on Steam reflect a deep appreciation for the game’s return, with one player noting, “Awesome game, played this back in 2002-2012 when the servers shut down. Great to see it back again and on Steam! Give it a try, it’s unique and a very fun shooter once you get the hang of it.” Another reviewer expressed a heartfelt connection to the game, saying, “The game that managed to keep my attention and heart for 25 years is now easily accessible to everybody.”

“FreeInfantry” not only marks a significant return to form for a beloved classic but also introduces a new generation of gamers to a pioneering format in the realm of online multiplayer shooters. With its nostalgic appeal and updated features, “FreeInfantry” promises to capture the imagination and competitive spirit of both veteran gamers and those new to the franchise.

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2830720/FreeInfantry/

https://www.freeinfantry.com/