Portable gaming isn’t a new thing. Popular products like theNintendo Switchor theSteam Deckallow you to take your gaming on the go. But there may be times when you’re ready for a session of gaming and don’t have your portable gaming device with you. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a gaming machine that you had with you all the time, maybe even when you’re in bed?
Well, there is. TheApple Watchmay have a small screen and limited controls, but there are still some great games that you can play on it. And the best part is, your Apple Watch is always there with you, ready to keep you entertained at a moment’s notice.
Here are ten of the best Apple Watch games that you can play on the games' console on your wrist.
10Mindkeeper
The tiny screen and limited controls of theApple Watchmeans it’s never going to be possible to create an immersive and atmospheric game that you can actually play on your watch, right? Wrong. Mindkeeper does exactly that. It’s a stunning-looking game that has you hunting for the gems you need to activate the portals to the next level. Your character moves forward automatically, but by scrolling the digital crown, you can control the direction that you walk. Before you know it, you’re lost in a game that’s not even two inches high.
DownloadMindkeeperfrom the Apple App Store (Free with in-app purchases)
9Snappy Word
If you loveword puzzles, then why not play them right from your wrist? Snappy Word is deceptively simple; you’re shown four letters, and you have to tap them in order to create a valid word. Once you’ve found a legitimate answer, another four letters appear. You have 30 seconds to complete as many as you can. Despite the simple gameplay, it’s incredibly addictive, leaving you wanting just one more turn to attempt to beat your personal best.
DownloadSnappy Wordfrom the Apple App Store (Free with in-app purchases)
Another game that involves tapping four tiles in order is Rules! In this case, you’re not forming words, but following the predefined rules. The first rule might be to tap the numbers in ascending order. Easy enough. But next another rule is added, such as tapping the upper right corner. Doing so leaves three tiles still untapped, so you then have to revert to the first rule and tap the remaining tiles in ascending order. Before long you have a list of rules that you need to follow in order. It quickly becomes a real challenge.
DownloadRules!from the Apple App Store ($2.99/£2.99)
7Lifeline 2
The Apple Watch is perfectly suited to text-based games and Lifeline 2 is a perfect example of just how good they can be. It’s an old-schoolchoose-your-own-adventuregame in which the story changes depending on the choices that you make. You receive mysterious messages on your Apple Watch and have to choose from two responses. Your choices will take the game in different directions. The story occurs in real time, so you get messages throughout the day.
DownloadLifeline 2from the Apple App Store ($2.99/$2.99)
6Pocket Bandit
Pocket Bandit is one of those ideas that’s so brilliant you wonder why nobody thought of it before. It’s a safe cracking game in which you use thedigital crownon your Apple Watch to rotate the dial of the safe. Haptic feedback tells you when you’re close to the correct number, which you can then lock in. Complete the combination within the time limit, and you’ll crack the safe, granting you the goodies inside.
DownloadPocket Banditfrom the Apple App Store ($0.99/£0.99)
If you’ve never played 2048 :), you may hate me for telling you about this game, because once you start playing it, it’s very, very hard to stop. You get a 4x4 grid and have to swipe across or down to move the numbers within the grid. When two of the same number meet, they’re replaced with a single number that’s the sum of them both. All you have to do is keep going until you create a block that has a value of 2048. It sounds simple, but it can be really challenging.
Download2048 :)from the Apple App Store (Free with in-app purchases)
4Dare the Monkey: Go Bananas
A platformer, on an Apple Watch? Why the hell not? Dare the Monkey: Go Bananas, is a simple side-scroller that allows you to jump by rotating the digital crown. It can be tricky to get your jumps just right, but the game is very good at teasing you as to what’s coming up ahead, which means you’ll be having ‘just one more go’ mentality plenty of times.
DownloadDare the Monkey: Go Bananasfrom the Apple App Store (Free with in-app purchases)
3Tiny Armies
Tiny Armies is astrategy gamethat challenges you to defeat opposing armies by moving your own armies around the board. If you can wipe out your opponents before they wipe you out, you can progress onto the next, more challenging level. It starts out very simply, but you’ll soon be racking your brains trying to figure out the best strategy to ensure that you have the last army standing.
DownloadTiny Armiesfrom the Apple App Store ($0.99/£0.99)
2Jellyfish Tap
Whilst many of the games on this list use the digital crown as the controller, Jellyfish Tap works by tapping thescreen of your Apple Watch. Tapping the screen makes your jellyfish character rise a little in the water, and when you’re not tapping, the jellyfish will sink towards the bottom of the screen. By tapping just the right amounts at just the right times you can navigate through gaps to progress. It’s simple, but very addictive.
DownloadJellyfish Tapfrom the Apple App Store (Free with in-app purchases)
120 Watch Games
If you’re a lover of retro games, then this bundle is for you. It has versions of some classic games such asSnake, Minesweeper, andPong, as well as puzzles like Sudoku. Some games are better than others, but there are more than enough good games in this bundle to keep you entertained for hours. It’s the perfect way to kill a few minutes when you’re waiting for your dentist appointment or on a train journey.
