The iPhone 17e is out and if this is your first Apple experience, then you should consider checking out Apple Arcade. It’s a paid service for mobile games that you can download and play as much as you want as long as the subscription is active. And yes, you won’t be bothered by any ads.

Games available in Apple Arcade range from for kids all the way to adults. There is something for everyone out there. I’ve found mobile games are excellent ways to help pass the time. Now, some of these games are dated, but if you haven’t tried any of them, Apple Arcade gives you a chance to catch up.

This was originally a PC game that won Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, Best Mobile Game, and a contender of the Game of the Year in 2024. It is a poker-themed game that uses deckbuilding and roguelite elements where you play poker, while gaining Joker cards and other unique cards to modify card effects, such as earning double the chips per win. It’s a fairly simple game, easy to get into, and easy to get out, just enough to pass the time.

This is a jigsaw puzzle game.It's all about ambiance and mood, where as you build the artwork piece-by-piece, you get stories to go along with the puzzle. More than anything, this game draws from nostalgia, when as kids, one of the things we used to do was solve jigsaw puzzles.

If you’re a big fan of turn-based RPGs, then Fantasian should be among the top of your list. It was developed by Mistwalker, which was founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series. Among its unique game mechanics is that you collect enemy encounters and then have the chance to defeat them all in one battle for one massive payout. It’s a nice way to minimize random encounters. It’s also visually striking, as the maps are real handmade dioramas totalling 150.

Also originally a PC game and another roguelike deckbuilder game. You get a deck based on the character you choose and you ascend the Spire, using the cards you draw for combat, earning new cards as rewards after battle or through the in-game shop. The game is notorious for its difficulty where every decision matters. Currently, the sequel, Slay the Spire 2, is out in early access for PC.

Overwhelmed and stressed out? Unpacking is about… unpacking. Methodical unpacking, if you will. It’s simple and straightforward, and, personally, it helped in processing thoughts more than expected.

Originally launched way back in 2020 first in mobile, and now available in PC and consoles, this puzzle game is about an unnamed protagonist meeting his unexpected neighbors. It is a 2D puzzle game where you manipulate light and enemy behaviors in order to solve puzzles and proceed further into the story.

This one was just shown to me. You play as a sasquatch roaming around a park, picking up food and supplies from unassuming campers while avoiding contact with everyone.

Monument Valley was one of the best iOS games released. It spawned two more sequels in the course of ten or so years. It’s a puzzle game where you navigate through the map by shifting the architecture of the landscape. It’s artful and cozy.

This one is for those who enjoy city-building games. At first it offers a cozy approach, you watch your settlers move around and build your little settlement, turning it into a town, and managing that town. It becomes a little bit more complex later on as you manage food and resources, and issue decrees to control settler behaviors. But it never feels overwhelming.

An OG series in mobile games. It remains a simple, charming game, where you must cut the rope so our friend, Om Nom, can eat the candy. There is a vast number of puzzles, never too complicated but has enough depth to make someone pause and consider their actions.

Apple Arcade is P369 per month. You get a free one-month trial for the first time trying it out. And you get a free three-month subscription when you purchase a new Apple device, perhaps if you just got your hands on an iPhone 17e.