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These are the best iPhone and iPad games from June 2015

Crimes, adventures, and sick wheelies

These are the best iPhone and iPad games from June 2015
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iOS

June. June. Big silly June. Got a bit hot there for a while, didn't it? Or was that July? I don't know, I've lost track of your human concept of time.

I live in App Store time, which is made up by people in Cupertino.

Anyway, June was a pretty good month for iPhone and iPad games. We've had better, we've had worse. We've had similar. So I guess that covers all of the bases.

That said, June saw the release of at least one game that's probably going to be pretty high on our game of the year lists in a few months time. Can you guess what it is? It's...

Her Story
By Sam Barlow - buy on iPhone and iPad
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Basically just wow. If you haven't played this clever exploration of a crime yet, then you're doing something wrong with your life.

You sit behind an old computer, typing in search queries to watch snippets of interviews with a woman who may or may not have murdered her husband. And nothing is as it seems.

An exercise in interactive storytelling that pushes the boundaries of the term game. Just go and buy it if you haven't yet. You will not regret it.

Panzerkampf 3
By Acmee - buy on iPhone and iPad
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Tanks. But not just your average tanks. Retro vector tanks. Shooting each other in mighty battles. What on earth is not to like about that?

Our reviewer called the game "a high-octane and exhilarating mobile title that will leave you breathless." And then gave it a Gold Award. Wowzers.

It's got a pointy arcade heart beating at its core, and while it eases you into its challenges, you'll still find a hefty bundle of game to sink your teeth into.

Lego Minifigures Online
By Funcom - buy on iPhone and iPad
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An MMO that might be aimed at the youngsters, but that offers enough snappy action and Lego silliness that anyone playing is going to smile.

The aim of the game is collecting Minifigures. Doing that involves smashing a lot of things. And building some things. And dealing with cheeky pirates.

It might not have the depth of a traditional MMO, but this is probably the best example of the genre on iOS. Well worth a look.

Dragon Quest VI
By SquareEnix - buy on iPhone and iPad

Another month, another Dragon Quest game. This is the sixth one apparently. It's more of the same, but if you're a fan of the JRPG then that's not going to be a bad thing.

It might not have the polish of more modern examples of the genre, and there's a lot of grind to get through, but there's a charm to DQ6 that makes it almost impossible to dislike.

If you fancy revisiting a classic game on a device that fits in your pocket, then this is going to be right up your street.

Tales From Deep Space
By Amazon Game Studios - buy on iPhone and iPad
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A cheery adventure game set on a space station, starring a floating suitcase and an adorable astronaut.

There are plenty of puzzles to solve, swapping between the two characters to use their unique skills. You can even play with a friend if you'd prefer.

After a couple of near-misses, this is a game from Amazon Game Studios that truly deserves a good chunk of your attention.

Piloteer
By Fixpoint Productions - buy on iPhone and iPad
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A jet-pack simulator with an intriguing art style, and an outlook that celebrates your hilarious failures as much as it cheers on your glorious successes.

It's from the dev behind the excellent Pivvot, and while it might not have the instant, hateful glee of that game, it's still a lot of fun.

It takes a while for everything to pop into place, thanks to an unforgiving control system, but when it does it's a crazy, flailing ride.

SBK15
By Digital Tales - buy on iPhone and iPad
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A motorbike racing game with a mean streak. Or at least it's got a mean streak if you let it. If you don't let it it's surprisingly accessible.

There's plenty to do, and you can pull off wheelies and endos. Whatever that means. The racing is slick, and you can jump into a full season or just have a quick bash.

I mentioned the wheelies as well, right? This is a top-notch production that fans of two-wheeled excitement are going to lap up.

SpikeDislike3
By Jayenkai - buy on iPhone and iPad
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It might have got banned for a bit because Apple was being silly, but it was worth the wait. This is a super-tough game that's all about avoiding spikes. Obviously.

It adds to the template that the first two games built, with some intriguing ideas and some sharp mechanics that'll keep you on your toes.

Plus there are 150 levels here for you to try and finish. I'll be impressed if you do that. And you want to impress me, right?

FireWhip By Dan Fitzgerald - buy on iPhone and iPad
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A slightly abstract action game that involves a flailing whip of gorgeously pixelated fire. Try saying that after half a bottle of gin. Hell, try saying anything after half a bottle of gin.

This is a score action game that takes brains as well as swift reactions, and while it takes some time to master, it's worth putting the time into.

And on top of that it lets you make GIFs out of your dying moments. I'm pretty sure all games should do that.

Transistor
By Super Giant Games - buy on iPhone and iPad
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A brilliant action RPG with a gorgeous art style from the dev behind Bastion. It's set in a strange future, and features a talking sword.

There are some really clever ideas on show here, a brilliant art style, and it all transfers to touchscreen brilliantly.

It's not cheap, but this is the full console experience at your fingertips, and it's worth the asking price.


Previously... sproggiwood April 2015 March 2015 May 2015 - April 2015 - March 2015
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.