Best point-and-click adventure games on iPhone and iPad (iOS)
Talking, puzzling, and exploring, together in harmony
Updated on November 7th, 2025 by Jupiter Hadley - removed old games, reformatted article.
From the late '90s onwards, players have been bemoaning the fact that they don't make point-and-click adventure games anymore. The golden age of LucasArts, such as Monkey Island, has passed, and players have moved on to simpler, less cerebral fare.
Thankfully, the rise of smartphone gaming has seen, if not a full-scale resurgence, then certainly a revived niche in the market for the humble point-and-click. They're often spliced in with other genres, such as narrative adventures and puzzlers, but the DNA is there for all to see.
What are point-and-click adventure games?
If you've never played one before, typical ingredients include a focus on puzzles and dialogue over action. Such tend to feature at their core an elaborate chain of cause-and-effect puzzles involving the unlikely interaction and combination of multiple items.Kicking back with a good point-and-click adventure is kind of the video game equivalent of curling up with a good book. You sit back, tune your brain to another frequency, and enter another world.
These absolutely fantastic point-and-click adventure games for iPhone and iPad should be a great place to start.
1
Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Day of the Tentacle might be old, but that doesn't stop it from being excellent. Like a fine wine, it's only matured with age. This remastered version adds new hand-drawn art, remastered music and sound, and commentary from creator Tim Schafer. The play style is exactly what one might expect from the title - fun, interactive, and packed full of quirky and ingenious puzzles.
Now let's be serious about this for a moment. This is super fun and features the story of a tentacle that plans to take over the world; you can't help but be amused. All of these are just a façade for what it actually is - a masterpiece.
2
Another World - 20th Anniversary
Okay, it's a bit uncertain whether this could be included in the P&C adventure category, but since it's rather slow, I think it's safe. Another World is a marvellous adventure made originally for Amiga. Older players are already sobbing, holding the floppy discs in their hands and remembering how punishable, but extraordinary, this was. While it says 20th Anniversary in the title, it's actually more than 30 years old.
Waking up on an alien planet after being a part of an experiment that went wrong, but being able to breathe was a surprise enough. You'll encounter enemies and friends on your new planet, trying to run away desperately. Try it if you'd like to know what historic games looked like; it's rather short but very enticing.
3
Thimbleweed Park
A point-and-click puzzler with a deeply nostalgic LucasArts feel, Thimbleweed Park revels in its throw-back control system, retro visual style, complex narrative and hilarious dialogue. You can take the puzzle out of a point-and-click adventure and it could still be viable, but you can't just add random puzzles and call it a day. Well, here we've got a creation that far exceeded any expectations and set the bar pretty high for any other entries in the genre.
In Thimbleweed Park, you will have a fairly complicated and not-at-all simple interface, so right off the bat, it's not easy on the eye. However, it more than makes up for it with its creative ways to...well, interact with stuff! You'll discover things you did not even know were possible, and test your problem-solving skills with the ingeniously assembled puzzles.
4
Milo and the Magpies
The plot tells you about the cat Milo, who was walking along the roof of a house one day, but came across hostile magpies. As a result, he will have to go down from the roofs and go through other people's gardens in order to return to the girl who is waiting for him.
The walkthrough will take you half an hour maximum, so get ready for a short story with an unusual ending. And you can expect a really cute story too!
5
Gemini Rue
What if sci-fi met noir? And then they took a stroll down the retro lane? Well, that's what Gemini Rue has to offer. It's a futuristic adventure cleverly designed to bring back the feel of some retro experiences that feature two separate main characters whose stories intertwine. You get to experience all the elements of a well-put-together indie title, with its mandatory hints of romance and intrigue. It's almost out of this world!
The takeaway? If you like your adventures dark, gritty, and moody - go for Gemini Rue. Its narrative is simple but compelling, and the gameplay is better than you might expect!
6
The Silent Age
The Silent Age is an excellent indie adventure set in a dystopian future. You play as a janitor who discovers an item that allows him to travel in time. And he uses it to - you guessed it - save the world. You'll have to make decisions that will impact your future, and let's be honest. Who wouldn't do that if the outcome were a much better future?
Come up with ingenious solutions and interact with the character in, to say the least, interesting ways. The Silent Age is a must-play, and if you want to enjoy it on an even bigger Apple screen, the devs have also made it available for Apple TV!
7
Beyond a Steel Sky
This sequel to the legendary Beneath a Steel Sky presents another classy slice of cyberpunk science fiction adventure. This time it's in full 3D, albeit still with Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons at the artistic helm. It's an adventure that will take you into a whole new universe, and give you a one-of-a-kind experience.
For us, Beyond a Steel Sky easily makes the list of the best point-and-click adventure games for iPhone. There is no doubt about the quality - it's got everything that you might need, so make sure to give it a shot (if you haven't done so yet).
8
The Walking Dead: The Game
Telltale is the king of the modern point-and-click adventure, and the Walking Dead: The Game offers a great showcase for its popular blend of tough narrative decisions, QTE action, and light puzzling. However, it might not be for the faint of heart. The sheer amount of characters meeting untimely deaths and zombies popping up out of nowhere is ridiculous. If you know The Walking Dead, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Along with The Wolf Among Us, it is one of the best point-and-click story-driven adventures for iOS devices that you might ever find. Distinguishing themselves with a unique art style, the gameplay is as engaging as it is appealing - to most of us, at least!
9
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension
A high-concept game-within-a-game that nonetheless doesn't take itself at all seriously. There Is No Game is deeply meta, tugging and twisting at the format in delightfully clever ways. With a unique approach to point-and-click adventures, this masterful creation cleverly encompasses what no title ever could - creating no game (mind the pun).
10
Machinarium
It might be a few years old now, but Machinarium is still one of the best point and clickers out there. Featuring an artful sense of character, storytelling, and beautiful design (of both the characters and the environment), it could easily be considered one of the best. However, what differentiates it from many others is the soothing atmosphere you'll be delving into. With mindful puzzles and various bits and pieces that will fall into place, you'll find yourself agreeing with us, guaranteed.
Oh, and if the name sounds familiar, that's probably because this gorgeous hand-drawn creation is also on PC! Fear not, though - the port has been done flawlessly, so you can enjoy the full experience on your iPhone without fear of missing out on key elements. Read our complete Machinarium review if you're curious!
11
The Stillness of the Wind
It might control like a point-and-click adventure, but The Stillness of the Wind is more concerned with telling a moving story about life and loss than solving silly puzzles. The Stillness of the Wind is exactly what a good story or a good book feels like, except with stunning visuals and a more hands-on approach.
This one's a bit special in the sense that it's going to give you a one-of-a-kind experience which you can't describe as anything other than amazing.
12
OXENFREE
A deeply mysterious adventure with a beautifully artsy aesthetic, OXENFREE is packed with excellent writing, top-notch voice acting, and interesting characters. The best part about it, though, is by far the gameplay. It's got some next-level mechanics that will make it a game worth replaying.
Oh, and did we mention - it's pretty spooky too? Given there's enough play time to keep you busy for quite a few hours, we're positive that you'll find OXENFREE more than enough to fill your mandatory dose of high-quality point and click adventure!
13
Neverending Nightmares
This deeply unsettling point-and-click adventure from Matt Gilgenbach deals with weighty themes like depression and mental illness in a suitably grim, unsettling way. If you're a horror games consumer, then you definitely know that it's difficult to make a high-quality one without the use of jumpscares (especially on mobile). Well, Neverending Nightmares does a terrific job of encompassing true horror in a masterful creation that makes it a great point-and-click adventure for iOS devices.
You could also say it's a bit like playing through a nightmare - black and white with hints of blood, and mildly disturbing cutscenes that will make you think twice.
14
The Last Express
Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner brings us a bonkers murder mystery, set on a train where everything moves in real time. You'll have to be in the right place at the right time to catch the crook. It's incredibly well done, and the point-and-click adventure aspect of things combined with real-time action makes it a must-play.
The Last Express might not seem like the most gorgeous-looking creation since the graphics tend to fall onto the retro side, but that only adds to the overall intrigue and action. Outstanding.
15
Milkmaid of the Milky Way
This award-winning adventure is charming, concise, and refreshingly upbeat - especially if you've been playing a lot of the grimmer games on this list. Written entirely in rhyming poetry, you must guide milkmaid Ruth around the isolated Calf Ledge in 1920s Norway.
The almost-minimalistic approach to a point-and-click adventure gives this a charming and refreshing atmosphere that one wouldn't necessarily associate with the era. However, in Milkmaid of the Milky Way, that's exactly what we need in order to thoroughly enjoy the puzzles and creative challenges ahead.
16
The Procession to Calvary
If Terry Gilliam ever made a point-and-click adventure, it might look a bit like The Procession to Calvary. Its crudely animated Renaissance art and daft sense of humour are positively Pythonesque. We guarantee you haven't played anything quite like this one before.
You have an otherwise beautiful mix of Renaissance paintings, witty dialogue and fancy puzzles that deliver from every point of view. A genuinely fun, unique experience, and an unexpectedly well-done point-and-click adventure. Well worth the money, especially if you're a fan of Monty Python humour.
17
Botanicula
Botanicula is a short and sweet adventure about a bunch of weird plant-like creatures who have to work together to save their tree home from a bunch of parasites. Adorable, colourful and full of life, this is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Worth mentioning is that this is similar in a way to Machinarium, and if you liked that, you'll love this. It's got similar-ish playstyle mechanics, and it's done extremely well.
18
The White Door
Developer Rusty Lake excels at making hybrid point-and-click adventure puzzles with a disquieting edge. In The White Door, you play as an amnesiac who awakens in a featureless Mental Health Facility with no recollection of how he got there. It's got clean graphics and fairly straightforward gameplay. However, it stands out thanks to the creative ways you can interact with the environment.
Since it's minimalistic and mystery-filled, it's going to be an interesting journey trying to put together each piece of the puzzle. The White Door truly is one of the best point-and-click games for iPhone, and if you want a challenge, you should go for it!
19
Kathy Rain
If you are looking for a classic, point-and-click adventure full of drama in a small town, Kathy Rain is one for you! This drama is set in the mid-1990s, when Kathy Rain's grandfather passed away, so she is visiting her hometown for the first time in a long time after going away to study journalism. This town isn't as boring as she remembers - instead, it's full of mystery around this death, which you need to solve for your grandmother.
20
Technobabylon
Wadjet Eye knows what it's doing with this whole point-and-click malarkey. Technobabylon tells a ripping cyberpunk yarn, with elements of Minority Report, The Matrix and of course Bladerunner. Mix in some likeable characters and plenty of trial and error-puzzling, and you're laughing.
With its pixel-perfect setting (quite literally) and ingenious way to integrate the puzzles, this will challenge you to really give it your all for Technobabylon (and you won't regret it).
21
One Way: The Elevator
Described as a "creative point-and-click puzzle game", One Way: The Elevator sees you solving puzzles to power the titular elevator. The real star here is the lovely cartoon art style. It is adorable, and it's everything Distraint 2 is not (from an atmospheric point of view, at least). This will be one engaging adventure with plenty of uniquely designed puzzles.
Make your decisions based on observation, and take your time. You might find yourself replaying it a second time!
