Best Games

Top 18 best physics games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

|
iOS
Top 18 best physics games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

Being fascinated with physics in games made this list

Left Arrow
0/18
Right Arrow
Updated on October 11th, 2023 - added more games.

Physics-based games have been around for a long time, and they come in quite a variety. There are tons of wacky physics games for iPhones, with recent successful examples using physics to trigger funny animations and gameplay mechanics. In our opinion, these are some of the best physics-based games out there, but other games tend to just use physics to keep their puzzles interesting or add some realism to their game that otherwise might not be there.

Whatever the reason, we have compiled the best physics-based games on iOS - from some of the classics that have held onto their place on mobile devices over the years, to newer games that have been recently released but found massive success through their clever use of physics, be that for puzzling, humour or anything in between.

There's everything here from wacky golf parodies through to timeless, beautiful infinite runners which have you crest across snow-swept landscapes. You'll also spend some time delivering parcels, doing science with portals, and swallowing up a town with an ever-expanding hole. 

If any of those pique your interest then click on through below to check out our list of the 15 best physics games for iPhone & iPad. And, remember, if you think we've missed something then leave us a comment because we do occasionally revisit our various lists to make sure that we've kept them completely up to date.

Click Here To View The List »

1
Stickfight: Legend of Survival

Available on: iOS
Genre: Action
Find out more about Stickfight: Legend of Survival
Stickfight: Legend of Survival

Stickfight: Legend of Survival is a physics-based fighting game where you can play as stick figures, fighting against other stick figures. Not only is your movement physics based, but the environment itself can be prone to being knocked over or moved in various ways. These individual, one screen fights often have weapons to collect that then can be upgraded. It's a fun, simple fighting game that is really enhanced with the physic elements.

2
Drive Ahead

Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Multiplayer, Racing
Find out more about Drive Ahead
Drive Ahead

Drive Ahead is an action-packed, fighting game where you are actually inside of your monster truck! There are a bunch of different racing cars to master and many different arenas that you can battle in. Battles take place in 2v2, 3v3 or 4v4 quick-fire rounds, and are real time. You can drive your enemies off the edge of the arena, ram into them, find weapons to go on your car, and destroy them! It's a game with lots of traps, explosions, and fighting.

3
Cut the Rope: Magic

Publisher: ZeptoLab
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Arcade, Puzzle
Find out more about Cut the Rope: Magic
Cut the Rope: Magic

Cut the Rope is another game that seems to have been around forever. The Magic addition just has some more effects and polish visually, but still is the same initial game that we all know and have seen. You are helping a little green monster get to some candy, by cutting ropes that are attached to balloons, platforms, and sometimes the monster themselves. Gravity does work in mysterious ways in this game, but that’s all a part of the magic.

4
World of Goo

Developer: 2D Boy
Available on: iOS + Android + Steam
Genre: Casual, Puzzle
Find out more about World of Goo
World of Goo

World of Goo always stands out to me, visually, as you can see these colorful and bright worlds - but also these strange black goo monsters connecting their weird structures to get over obstacles and deliver more of themselves to the end of the level. It’s fun building up, but you will need to make sure your structures are sound in World of Goo!

5
Save the Zacks

Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Puzzle
Find out more about Save the Zacks
Save the Zacks

Save the Zacks is a newer physics-based puzzle game where you need to help the white blobs - called Zacks - escape from their dying planet. You can’t control the zacks directly, but instead can draw paths through the land, allowing them to roll, fall, or glide down to exits. There are monsters and dangers along the way, as well as Zacks that might need to be sacrificed for the good of the others - but it’s up to you to help as many as you can.

6
Gladihoppers

Publisher: Dreamon Studios
Available on: iOS
Genre: Fighting
Find out more about Gladihoppers
Gladihoppers

Gladihoppers is a Romen-fighting-game that has two players going into a battle arena, now looking to be the one to make it out. Gladihoppers is a funny game, as these gladiators can only hop forward and backwards, with their arms flailing about! There are different weapons to whack or fire at each other, coins to be earned, and you can also level up as you get through more arenas. Having a quick reaction and good speed will end with you lasting longer in this fight.

7
Angry Birds 2

Publisher: Rovio
Available on: iOS + Android + Windows Phone
Genre: Action, Arcade, Puzzle
Find out more about Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2

Angry Birds have been around for quite some time, creating many versions of their bird, sling-shot based game. In this game, you are just flinging birds to knock over structures, made with materials that can take set amounts of damage. Your goal is to destroy the pigs that are within these structures! Watching buildings fall, however, is one of my favorite things to see in this game.

8
Bridge Constructor Portal

Publisher: Headup Games
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Puzzle
Find out more about Bridge Constructor Portal
Bridge Constructor Portal

Portal is always a fun time, with their sassy robot tutorial character and their huge number of puzzles, but in Bridge Constructor Portal, you are creating bridges to get cars from one side of the level to the other. Like most portal games, there are portals involved in this one - challenging you to build bridges that use these portals to get to the exit, while avoiding lasers and dangerous goo along the way.

9
Okay?

Publisher: Kamibox
Available on: iOS
Genre: Action, Puzzle
Find out more about Okay?
Okay?

Okay? Is a more minimalist physics-based puzzler, where you are able to shoot a ball into a level - watching it bounce off of platforms, following the angle it’s hit as, hoping to hit everything that’s white on the screen. The levels are pretty easy to see and understand - sometimes with shapes that are a bit more challenging than rectangles, but always with beautiful music that seems to be created as the ball bounces.

10
Alto's Adventure

Developer: Snowman
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Endless running
Find out more about Alto's Adventure
Alto's Adventure

Alto’s Adventure is a beautiful physics-based platformer where you find yourself snowboarding down mountains, through different biomes, completing quests along the way. Each play is an endless run, only stopping when you’ve hit obstacles or fallen into holes. You can jump over rocks, help herd llamas, collect coins and defeat these quests to level up and gain even more. The game itself is challenging, but very addictive.

11
iBlast Moki 2 HD

Developer: In-house
Publisher: Godzilab
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Casual, Puzzle
Find out more about iBlast Moki 2 HD
iBlast Moki 2 HD

iBlast Moki 2 is a very colorful and bright physics-based game where you can build vehicles and structures to help your little monster faces make it to the end of each level. Some of these vehicles need to last through the sky, others need to work like biles, and some need to withstand bombs and other dangers as you try to help all of your characters make it to the end of their levels. It’s adorable and very fun!

12
Part Time UFO

Publisher: HAL Egg
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Puzzle
Find out more about Part Time UFO
Part Time UFO

Playing as a very helpful little alien, Part Time UFO has you trying to lift and carry items up, grabbing them with your claw and getting them into designated end zones. This game has some cute pixelated graphics, and it’s quite fun to play a helpful little alien spaceship, even if sometimes animals can be hard to move and items can be hard to stack up, as they tilt and turn.

13
Gumslinger

Developer: Itatake
Publisher: Itatake
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Action, Multiplayer
Find out more about Gumslinger
Gumslinger

Most of us aren’t made of jelly, but if we were, we’d fit perfectly into Gumslinger - a game where you play a jelly character trying to dool another jelly character. Despite only needing to shoot, the knockback can giggle your arm - being knocked down and springing back up can take time, and it’s all a bit challenging when you are made of jelly! It’s a wacky and fun game well worth a bit of your time.

14
Totally Reliable Delivery Service

Developer: tinyBuild Games
Publisher: tinyBuild Games
Available on: iOS + Android + Switch
Totally Reliable Delivery Service

Totally Reliable Delivery Service is not at all reliable, as it’s very hard to actually deliver items within the game! You play as a nearly-jelly character with limited grip, grabbing packages and trying to move them across quite large maps, without breaking the packages! You can utilise vehicles - if you are able to keep your packages in them - to get across the map quicker, but if you are like me, you probably will be breaking your box.

15
What the Golf?

Available on: iOS + Apple Arcade
Genre: Sports
Find out more about What the Golf?
What the Golf?

What the Golf? Should really be higher on this list, however, it’s only available using Apple Arcade, so I have mixed feelings! This is a golf-based game that’s super funny, having you launch far more than just golf balls, around courses that are unique and fun to explore. It’s whacky, it uses physics well, and it’s a game that makes some very nice gifs!

16
supertype

Developer: Philipp Stollenmayer
Publisher: Game Insight
Available on: iOS
Genre: Brain training
Find out more about supertype
supertype

Supertype is a really interesting physics-based puzzler where you can type out letters, which will then appear in the game as the graphics for the puzzle that you are trying to solve. Your goal is to collect tiny cubes using your letters, even if that means falling off the screen or possibly typing too many letters! There are no timers in the game, making it quite relaxing and fun to play.

17
Ocmo

Available on: iOS
Genre: Platform
Find out more about Ocmo
Ocmo

OCMO has you playing as a strange creature that is looking to get to the end of each level and eat bunny creatures along the way. Using your long, twisty arms, you are able to grab onto walls, fling yourself, get around edges, build up momentum and more. Movement feels very fluid in the game - and you are a hungry little monster, so why not make your way over to the bunny and eat.

18
Donut County

Developer: Little Flag
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Virtual Pet/Toy
Find out more about Donut County
Donut County

Donut County is a story-based game where you are dragging a hole around the level, sucking up everything you can find and watching it fall. Often you will need to suck up smaller items before dealing with bigger items, but watching areas be destroyed and broken down to nothing is always fun! The story about why the town is being eaten into a hole is interesting to follow and there are a bunch of small puzzles to keep challenges coming!

Left Arrow
0/18
Right Arrow
Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter is a prolific indie game journalist with a focus on smaller indie gems. She covers thousands of game jams and indie games on her YouTube channel, letting every game have a moment in the spotlight. She runs indiegamejams.com, a calendar of all of the game jams going on in the world, and judges many jams and events. You can find her on Twitter as @Jupiter_Hadley