How to remember these popular games in the App Store? They are still alive to play today

The App Store has been around for nearly 14 years, and during that time we must have seen over a million games come and go, stay and expand. But only a handful of those titles have become sensations thanks to the massive reach of the App Store on iPhone and iPad, and many of the first big hits are still alive today so you can relive the good old days of mobile gaming.

Games didn’t seem all that repetitive during the first five or so years of the App Store, and there was always a big game that everyone rushed to play as soon as it came out. All of the games on the list below give me that feeling, some of them date back to 2008 when the App Store was born.

Some of these games are free, while others cost a little money. However, most of them have in-app purchases. Some of them will be available for free if you have an Apple Arcade subscription. Either way – rest assured you’ll be playing a fantastic nostalgic game soon.

Unfortunately, there are a few apps that I can’t mention because they were removed for one reason or another. For example, Flappy Bird was removed from the App Store in February 2014 due to its addictive nature.

Go to game:

1. Angry Birds
2. Jeweled
3. Bloons Tower Defense
4. candy crush
5. clan war
6. cut the rope
7. Jump doodle
8. Fruit Ninja
9. Metro surfers
10. Temple Run
11. Trivia Rift
12. Another classic in the App Store

Angry Birds

Rovio Entertainment released Angry Birds on December 11, 2009, almost a year and a half after Apple created the App Store. The premise was simple: hungry pigs steal eggs from birds, and those birds get angry enough to take their eggs back. As a player, you must help the birds by shooting them with a slingshot to destroy the pigs and collect points and stars.

Angry Birds was praised by critics and users from the beginning, and in 2010 the app became the most popular paid iPhone app on the US App Store at $0.99. According to mobile analytics company Sensor Tower, the game has been the top app on the US App Store 311 times during its existence, with at least 80 days without a hit.

Level in the 2010 episode “Ham ‘Em High”. FujiToast/YouTube image.

Rovia removed the original Angry Birds game from the App Store in 2019 but brought it back in 2022 as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, a remastered version that costs $0.99 just like the original. The Classic Edition is based on the 2012 version of the game, which had eight episodes with over 390 levels, no in-app purchases, and no ads.

Another edition you can play today is Angry Birds Reloaded on Apple Arcade. You must pay for an Apple Arcade subscription at $4.99 per month, subscribe using a free trial, or get it as part of a package like Verizon’s 5G Play More and 5G Get More plans.

The Angry Birds Reloaded edition can be found on Apple Arcade.

My favorite:

• Angry Birds Reloaded (Apple Arcade)
• Rovio Classic: Angry Birds ($0.99)

Other editions available:

• Angry Birds 2 (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Blast (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Dream Blast (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Evolution (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Friends (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Journey (Free with in-app purchases)
• Angry Birds Match 3 (Free with in-app purchases)

Jeweled

Officially titled Bejeweled 2 for iOS, your goal in the game was very similar to Candy Crush, another popular game that we’ll get back to in a minute. During the game, you try to match gems of the same color to get the highest score. By combining four gems or different patterns, you can create power-ups to get more points faster.

PopCap Games originally developed the game, but Electronic Arts acquired the company in July 2011 for $650 million in cash and $100 million in stock, so EA has been developing the game and its variants ever since.

Gameplay of Bejeweled 2 on the iPhone before it was discontinued. Images courtesy of Hbkmcmahon Gaming/ YouTube

Unlike Angry Birds, Bejeweled was playable on other platforms before the App Store even existed. It started as a browser game in November 2000, and in September 2006 even appeared on classic iPod models with control wheels. In October 2007, a web app version for Safari on iOS was released.

When it was finally introduced to the App Store in July 2008, it became known as Bejeweled 2 and remained there until September 2015 when EA finally discontinued the game. However, EA released Bejeweled Classic based on the Bejeweled 3 web app in December 2011 and it is still available on the App Store.

In addition to the classic version, there are two more Bejeweled games in the App Store: Bejeweled Blitz and Bejeweled Stars.

Bejeweled Classic is available on the App Store.

Favorite games:

• Bejeweled Classic (Free with in-app purchases)
• Bejeweled Blitz (Free with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Bejeweled Stars (Free with in-app purchases)

Bloons Tower Defense

Bloons Tower Defense, or Bloons TD, has been around since 2007 but didn’t appear on iOS until 2009. Unlike the previous games on this list, it’s even still available on the App Store. The goal of Bloons TD is to make sure the balloons don’t reach the end of the obstacle course. To do this, you need to buy and build towers with different abilities to burst balloons faster. If you miss too many balloons before the finish line, you will lose.

Ninja Kiwi has been developing Bloons TD since August 2007. The title began as an Adobe Flash game that could be played through a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera, and Netscape Navigator. The game was introduced to iOS on September 25, 2009 under the name Bloons TD 3, where the number of users around the world has grown significantly. In February 2022, Bloons TD 6+ joined the hundreds of games available on Apple Arcade. It currently runs on the rather popular Unity engine.

Round in Bloons TD, which is still available for installation today. Image by Ninja Kiwi/Apple

While we could definitely discuss who made this game famous, I would argue that the App Store has propelled this game to its peak. Bloons TD 4 and Bloons TD 5 are among the top 10 paid apps in the App Store. In 2012, Ninja Kiwi was said to have sold over a billion copies of the game.

There are several Bloons TD games available on the App Store today. The core games include the original Bloons TD and its successors, Bloons TD 4, 5, 6, and 6+, while spin-offs include games such as Bloons TD Battles.

Downtown in Bloons TD 6+ on Apple Arcade.

Favorite games:

• Bloons TD 6 ($4.99 with in-app purchases)
• Bloons TD 6+ (Apple Arcade)

Other editions available:

• Bloons TD ($2.99)
• Bloons TD 4 ($2.99 ​​with in-app purchases)
• Bloons TD 5 ($2.99 ​​with in-app purchases)
• Bloons TD Battles (Free with in-app purchases)
• Bloons TD Battles 2 (Free with in-app purchases)
• Bloons Monkey City (Free with in-app purchases)
• Bloons Adventure Time TD (Free with in-app purchases)

candy Crush Saga

Candy Crush Saga is similar to the Bejeweled games (see above). Originally created for Facebook, it became famous thanks to the App Store. The goal of Candy Crush Saga is to match candies to get three or more in a row. You go through different levels to get the most points with other things you need.

The very first level of the Candy Crush Saga. Image of Candy Crush Saga Official/ YouTube

Candy Crush was originally a portal game available on various websites starting in 2011 before appearing on Facebook as Candy Crush Saga in April 2012. The App Store version became available on November 14, 2012. By April 2017, the game had 2.7 billion downloads, and was making about $1 million a day at its peak, making it one of the highest-grossing games ever reported.

At the time of this writing, Candy Crush Saga is still the developer’s most popular game on the App Store, ranking #14 on the free games chart. Several spin-off titles have been created.

Candy Crush Saga in the latest version of the game.

Favorite games:

• Candy Crush Saga (Free with in-app purchases)
• Candy Crush Friends Saga (Free with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Candy Crush Soda Saga (Free with in-app purchases)
• Candy Crush Jelly Saga (Free with in-app purchases)

clan war

Clash of Clans, also known as Clash, was released to the App Store in August 2012 and is still available today. The goal of the game is to build a clan village and compete with other clans. In the village, you can create an army, buildings for resources, defense and traps. When you create an army, you can attack the computer AI in single player mode or attack the villages of real people.

The game was in the top five on the App Store between December 2012 and May 2013. In addition, in 2013, the game ranked third in terms of revenue according to Data.ai (formerly known as App Annie). According to Sensor Tower, Clash of Clans is one of the most profitable apps. At the time of this writing, it was the 15th most profitable game.

Clash of Clans in 2012. Image by Ashley Tan.

The developer, Supercell, hasn’t made another Clash of Clans game. Instead, they updated the original app and created different but relatively similar games called Clash Royale and Boom Beach.

Scene from Clash of Clans for iPhone.

Favorite game:

• Clash of Clans (Free with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Clash Royale (Free with in-app purchases)
• Boom Beach (Free with in-app purchases)

cut the rope

Cut the Rope has been around for over a decade. The goal of Cut the Rope is simple: cut small strings to collect stars. After you have collected all the stars, you must give the candy to the frog.

Promo art for Cut the Rope in 2010. Images via Moby Games.

Chillingo released the first version of the game in October 2010 as part of a series that the developer called Om Nom Stories. By 2015, the app had been downloaded 600 million times. In 2018, the app was downloaded over a billion times.

The original Cut The Rope is still ranked #80 in the App Store for puzzle games.

Cut the Rope, as played today on the iPhone.

Favorite games:

• Cut the Rope (Free with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope 2: Om Nom’s Quest (Free with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Cut the Rope: Experiments (Free with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope: Magic (Free with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope: Time Travel (Free with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope: Time Travel GOLD ($0.99 with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope GOLD ($0.99 with in-app purchases)
• Cut the Rope for iPhone – Value Pack ($3.99 bundle)

Jump doodle

Doodle Jump is one of the longest running games on the App Store since April 2009. The goal of the game is to jump as high as possible to get the most points. You jump by jumping onto the platforms. There are also springs, trampolines and other items to help you get higher. However, objects such as spikes, broken platforms, black holes and other traps make you lose instantly.

Original Doodle Jump promo from 2009. Images via Moby Games.

The game was launched on Windows Phone, iPhone OS, BlackBerry, Android, Java Mobile, Nokia Symbian and Xbox 360 for the Kinect platform. It became a big hit when the game was mentioned in an episode of the popular television series The Big Bang Theory. From this episode, some have speculated that the game has reached a million downloads. In 2010, developer Lima Sky officially announced that the game had 10 million downloads on the App Store and Play Store for Android.

Doodle Jump still works pretty well and is kept up to date. The second iteration is ranked 52nd on the App Store adventure games list. The original paid version of the app ranks 146th among paid games in the App Store. Both apps offer in-app purchases.

Doodle Jump 2 as seen today on the iPhone.

Favorite games:

• Doodle Jump ($0.99 with in-app purchases)
• Doodle Jump 2 (Free with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Doodle Jump Christmas Special (Free with in-app purchases)
• Doodle Jump Christmas PLUS ($0.99 with in-app purchases)
• Doodle Jump Easter Special (Free with in-app purchases)
• Doodle Jump is insanely good! (Free with in-app purchases)
• Doodle Jump Race (Free)

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja was released to the public in April 2010 by Halfbrick. Your goal in the game is very simple: cut fruits and stay away from bombs. You get extra points for slicing multiple fruits at the same time.

The game has received excellent response since its inception; In 2011, it was named one of Time’s Top 50 iPhone Apps and sold over two million copies in six months.

Fruit Ninja Promo in 2010. Image courtesy of Moby Games.

All games in the series are still super successful. Currently, the original game and the second iteration are ranked 160th and 175th in the list of free games on the App Store, respectively. Fruit Ninja also ranks 165th on the App Store’s list of highest paying games. An iteration of the classic game is also featured on Apple Arcade.

A level from the current Fruit Ninja Classic game for iOS.

Favorite games:

• Fruit Ninja Classic+ (Apple Arcade)
• Fruit Ninja Classic ($1.99 with in-app purchases)

Other editions available:

• Fruit Ninja (Free with in-app purchases)
• Fruit Ninja 2 (Free with in-app purchases)

Metro surfers

Subway Surfers was released in May 2012 by Sybo Games. It has since grown in popularity and has become one of the most popular games on the App Store.

Like many of the other games on this list, the overall goal of Subway Surfers is simple: get as far as possible from the peace officer who is chasing you without running into a train or a wall. The game allows you to slide, jump and move left or right. The secondary goal is to collect coins that will allow you to buy upgrades to help you while running, such as a hoverboard, score booster, speed boost, and more.

The latest gameplay from Subway Surfers on iOS.

Subway Surfers was the most installed game in 2017. In 2018, it was the second most downloaded game of all time. Subway Surfers is still number one on the App Store’s Best Free Games.

The developer of the game only made one Subway Surfers game, but added World Tour events and mini-games to make it feel like you’re playing a brand new game.

Edition only available:

• Subway Surfers (Free with in-app purchases)

Temple Run

Then we have Temple Run which has been in the App Store since August 2011. Your goal in the game is very similar to Subway Surfers (see above). Instead of a law enforcement officer, you are running away from the monster from the temple. However, it’s a bit more complicated. To collect coins and avoid obstacles while running, you tilt your device slightly left and right. You either swipe up to jump over objects or swipe down to slide under objects to avoid some objects. The game will also force you to go around corners.

Temple Run commercials in 2011. Images via Moby Games

In 2012, it was the top- grossing iOS app, despite only 1% of users paying money to play. By June 2014, the game had been installed by over a billion users worldwide. The app continues to enjoy great success, ranking 59th on the App Store’s Best Free Games list.

I play Temple Run 2 on iPhone.

All editions available:

• Temple Run (Free with in-app purchases)
• Temple Run 2 (Free with in-app purchases)

Trivia Rift

One of my favorite games, Trivia Crack, developed by Etermax, hit the App Store in October 2013. The idea of ​​the game is quite simple: answer different questions. In the main game mode, questions are divided into six categories: entertainment, arts, sports, history, science, and geography.

Trivia Crack as it appeared on the App Store in 2014. Etermax/ Apple images

Since its introduction, Trivia Crack has been released in 180 countries and has become a number one hit in 125 countries. In addition, the game was reported by Business Wire in 2021 to have over 150 million active users each year.

As you can see from the screenshots below and above, the game hasn’t changed much. However, the developer has added various game options and a PayDay version where you can win real money.

Trivia Crack is in the App Store today.

Favorite games:

• Trivia Crack 2 (Free with in-app purchases)
• Trivia Crack Payday: Win Cash (Free)

Other editions available:

• Trivia Crack (Free with in-app purchases)
• Trivia Crack (no ads) ($6.99 with in-app purchases)
• Trivia Crack Explorer (Free with in-app purchases)
• Trivia Crack Adventure (Free with in-app purchases)
• Trivia Crack Explorer (Free with in-app purchases)

Another classic in the App Store

Many other games were successful on the App Store, but many of them became popular on other platforms before they were available for iPhone and iPad. Here are some examples: