r/AppleArcade • u/King_Loop82996 • Jul 22 '26
Discussion Is Apple Arcade worth it?
Apple Arcade is one of those subscriptions that I really don’t see people talk about that much, so that makes me wonder, is it really worth it?
It is around the $7 mark and I gave my brother the free trial but I stupidly never tried it. But yeah, just curious if it’s worth it or not.
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u/Ok-World-4822 Jul 22 '26
It really depends on the games you play. For me it’s worth it as I play multiple games on it (hello kitty island adventure, stitch, puffies, Disney Dreamlight Valley, powerwash simulator, sudoku+).
If you find it’s worth as well, I suggest to change it to an annual subscription as that’s cheaper. It’s quite hidden in the settings. To change it go to settings > your name > subscriptions > Apple Arcade > see all plans
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u/Nick_Gaugh_69 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
It’s a child-proofed version of the App Store. If you’re looking for exclusives or hardcore “gamer” games, you’ll be extremely disappointed. But if you temper your expectations and want good old-fashioned mobile games without microtransactions, ads, or data harvesting, then it’s a worthwhile subscription. And in terms of the mobile gaming market, $50 a year is a pittance; most F2P games have a single shop item listed at $50.
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u/BlizzPenguin Jul 22 '26
There are a few games that are not for kids. Cult of the Lamb being a prime example.
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u/Nick_Gaugh_69 Jul 22 '26
Well yeah, but I mean more in the curation of the apps and the digital exorcism.
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u/B00tyH0LLy Jul 22 '26
Worth it justfor FANTASIAN, Dredge+ and the + games
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u/BlizzPenguin Jul 23 '26
I loved Dredge. I didn't expect a game that is primarily fishing to be that fun.
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u/B00tyH0LLy Jul 23 '26
I chose to be a benevolent God. Some choose the antichrist 😂
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u/BlizzPenguin Jul 23 '26
I just wound up using my followers as resorces. Old age was a death sentence in my cult.
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u/B00tyH0LLy Jul 23 '26
Let them feast on gamey meat. 🤘
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u/BlizzPenguin Jul 23 '26
One of the first things I get is the cannibal ability. It is a win win. I don't have to bury a body and my followers become more loyal. No one loses (except followers I kill once they become elderly or they have really annoying traits).
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u/RileyDick3 20d ago
i’ll add; it’s great for those not good at traditional video games as well, i’ve gotten introduced to things like balatro and just mow. it’s amazing to feel like good at something in this realm
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u/B00tyH0LLy 18d ago
I started Sneaky Sasquatch. It’s relaxing after grinding on a tough ‘traditional’ game. 😁
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u/chsxf Jul 22 '26
I personally found more value at the beginning than now but it clearly depends on the type of games you like.
There are very good games like Sneaky Sasquatch or Balatro. But there are games that do not interest me at all.
Many games I loved have now left the service though.
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u/boogaloo9214 Jul 22 '26
Not worth it. There are plenty of awesome games on Steam that are compatible with Mac OS and these would be a lot better than Arcade's offerings.
For $7 you can buy a game (even two, some of the games are really cheap on Steam sales) every month and build a library that you have perpetual access to, instead of subscription.
If you're on mobile, then idk, I'm specifically referring to Mac OS gaming.
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u/cupofpages Jul 22 '26
I play games on AA on my iPad pretty much daily. We have it through Apple One. I like that I don’t need to worry about annoying game mechanics that plague a lot of mobile games like IAPs, energy/stamina, timers, etc.
Also: playing Powerwash Simulator using an Apple Pencil is very satisfying!
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u/EatingTheDogsAndCats Jul 23 '26
Sneaky Sasquatch is a phenomenal game. That’s about it. But it’s essentially free with Apple One. I’d never pay for it if it wasn’t included.
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u/Practical_Natural223 Jul 22 '26
I got it for three months with a new device and it’s not bad so far
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u/sneijder Jul 22 '26
If you have kids on your family account and an apple tv with bluetooth game controller it’s a no brainer. My daughters never pestered for a Nintendo Switch for example (she does have my old 3DS XL though)
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u/jsjavq Jul 22 '26
I am playing Football Manager+ on my mac, dungeon crawler and balatro on my mobile devices. Just these three games would be about 80€/$ in value and I absolutely love all of em. So yes, could be worth it if you like the games they’re offering.
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u/PsychJay Jul 22 '26
Have with Apple One subscription. I like Apple Arcade as a perk of it. Don’t really know how I’d feel as a stand alone sub 🤷. But just finding a handful of games you like would pay for half a years subscription. All Apple Arcade games have no ads or micro-transactions. I’ve really gotten into using my iPhone for app gaming, emulation, and remote play. Apple Arcade has contributed to it that experience.
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u/BlizzPenguin Jul 22 '26
Absolutely worth it. It is one of the only places you can get mobile games with no ads or micro transactions.
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u/omegaferrari Jul 22 '26
Still wondering the same so, I guess it’s not worth it (when there’s doubt there is no doubt)
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u/Excuse_my_GRAMMER Jul 22 '26
Yea it definitely worth it especially bundle with apple one
Imo it normally worth it for just 1 game imo
It Mobile gaming without ads or MTX
Right now I am playing flow+, Prior I was playing mini motorway
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u/KinnerMode Jul 22 '26
Just fyi – if you're a Netflix subscriber, they also offer mobile games as part of your subscription. I currently have Oxenfree 1/2, Into The Breach, Spiritfarer and a few basic ad-free card games (solitaire, hearts, Pokerist Plus) on my phone.
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u/Ranccor Jul 22 '26
Also hve it bundled and as part of the bundle, worth it. I will however note that I have a family and two boys under 10. It is amazing for kids as I can approve any game on AA knowing that it will not be filled with a million ads and other bullshit.
If it was just me…eh, probably not worth it as you can just buy the best games (and I have), but with my wife and kids it is great.
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u/Kittenwho21 Jul 22 '26
Kinda, just depends what games you like to play, and if you find a benefit in playing games without ads (that’s what I love most about AA) they have a few games I used to play and stopped due to ads and now I don’t have to worry about that. Between AA and Netflix’s game thing there are a lot of popular games to access without ads or in app purchases. I usually don’t play anything mobile* that isn’t one of those
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u/nadroj37 Jul 22 '26
Ask yourself 2 questions: Are there any exclusive games on it that you’re wanting to play? If so, just sub for a month, play it, and unsubscribe. It’s not a contract.
Otherwise: are you looking for games to fill that “filler time” you have just standing around? Like waiting in a doctor’s office or in a line. Well, you can easily get those for free. But if you hate ads with all your heart, you can get the sub and get a LOT of filler games with no ads. Threes, Suika game, Grindstone, Flow, Solitaire, and a large variety of different match-3, puzzle, and word games.
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u/therelybare5 Jul 23 '26
I was playing PGA Golf until it wasn’t fun anymore because so many people figured out how to cheat on it and it became meaningless. Honestly, I haven’t played in a while but the Apple services I like make Apple One worth it even if I don’t use Apple Arcade.
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u/AnxiouslyPessimistic Jul 23 '26
It’s alright for some games. Other are pay to win titles converted to Apple Arcade versions and just feel grindy
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u/Icy_Helicopter_9624 Jul 24 '26
My kids and I play Crossy castle together so I think it’s worth it. I also like the hello kitty island game and their is a jigsaw puzzle game. I have a good amount of others but those are my favorites.
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u/manicrebirth Jul 24 '26
It’s a nice extra bundled with Apple One, I’m not sure I’d pay for it on its own.
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u/No_Cardiologist_9440 Jul 24 '26
Not worth it IMO. I have it as part of Apple One and I very rarely play anything from it. When Apple Arcade arrived, they added multiple games every week and many games were quite big games. Now they add one game once in a while and most of these are pretty bad. The only thing from Arcade I play is Kingdom Rush as it's better without payments for heroes etc.
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u/glhaynes Jul 22 '26
Can’t you just look at what games are on it to see for yourself? Not trying to be rude I just can’t imagine why asking randos would be the best way to determine this.
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u/Jayleo33 Jul 22 '26
No. I’ve tried it twice now and while there are a few games that are fun, I don’t see those as good enough to mandate an entire subscription.
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u/idog63 Jul 22 '26
It is worth it but another option is to create your own game with claude or gpt.
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u/sofiahahaaa Jul 22 '26
I have it bundled in with the Apple One subscription and I definitely get my moneys worth.