The introduction of iOS 11 brought a host of new features for Apple users. The biggest and most remarkable feature was the ARKit, as it allowed the developers to integrate top-of-the-line AR experiences straight into the applications and games. Since the release, Apple has made consistent improvements in the ARKit. As a result, Augmented Reality games have become the front-runners in the gaming industry. Apple recently launched its iPad Pro 2020, which features a LiDAR scanner to offer better AR experiences.
AR games are both interesting and addictive. Once you get your hands on them, you never feel like going back. You can fight aliens, equip yourself with futuristic weapons, and defend kingdoms. The best part is that you can explore the AR world without any super-expensive headsets, you just need some interesting AR games for iOS devices.
With hundreds of options to explore, we’ve hand-picked the best AR games for iPhones and iPads in 2022.
List of the Best AR Games for iOS devices in 2022
1. Hot Lava
Price: Requires Apple Arcade subscription
Compatibility: iOS 13 or later
Owning an iPad Pro with LiDAR sensors? Then you must try this classic Hot Lava game on Apple Arcade, which will turn your living room into a lava-filled obstacle course. This AR game for iPad and iPhone will allow you to re-live your childhood memories, where you’ll jump, climb, run, and surf
in the first person across challenging environments flooded with hot molten lava.
- You can enjoy this game alone or join up to 4 of your friends with drop-in-out multiplayer challenges.
- You have to use your skills to cut through the obstacles and nostalgia-packed environments, where danger awaits you at every corner.
- You’ve all the freedom to showcase your skills, but make sure that you don’t touch the floor.
- It’s a must-have AR game for all iPhone and iPad users, who are looking for a challenging game. You’ll have to show your skills and dedication to master this AR game.
2. The Machines
Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iOS 12.0 or later
The Machines is one of the best strategy multiplayer AR games for iOS devices that lets your iPhone or iPad turn any area into a virtual battlefield. Players form and lead a team with powerful machines to shoot and destroy the opponents.
- Players can add their friends directly to the battle by sending them a unique link.
- A player gets a chance to top the global leaderboard by defeating opponents around the world.
- The Machines is a competitive AR game for iOS devices, where a player can go against his friends in the PvP Arenas battle around the same table.
- The game is popular for its 3D sound, stunning graphics, and interesting gameplay.
- When a player rotates his device, the sound gets automatically adjusted based on real-world obstacles.
3. Pokémon Go
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 9.0 or later
Pokémon Go is one of the rare games that involve meeting people in the real world. Undoubtedly, Pokémon Go is one of the most popular and best adventure AR games for iOS devices in 2022.
- The game makes use of the device GPS and AR technology, where people walk around the real-world areas to catch Pokémons. Subsequently, these Pokémons are used in the battle against the opponents.
- Pokémon Go went viral since its release in 2016 and billions of Pokémons have been caught in years. In fact, it was Pokémon Go that brought the AR games in vogue amongst the gamers
- You can also team up with your friends and catch the Pokémons together, and this makes Pokémon Go one of the best multiplayer AR games for iPhones.
4. Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs
Price: Free, Offers in-app purchases to remove ads
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
If you’re looking for an interesting and fun AR game for iOS devices, you should definitely give a shot to the Angry Birds AR.
- It’s an adventure AR game, where a player stands up against the greedy pigs who are in no mood to let him go his way.
- The player has to deploy a smart strategy to destroy the structures of these greedy pigs and earn maximum stars.
- The final goal is to recover all the stolen eggs.
- Angry Birds AR offers over 40 levels and plenty to hidden surprises to keep its players hooked for a very long time.
5. ARise
Price: Free, Offers in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qh2pW7-RqQ
For all the puzzle fans out there, ARise is sure to offer you a rich 3D gaming experience from every angle. It’s one of the best AR puzzle games for iOS devices.
- Players have to align difficult-to-find connections and create paths.
- The player needs to solve puzzles using visual cues.
- The game does not have any touch or swipe controls. The player has to physically move around and change the camera angle to find the correct route.
- New levels are added every month to keep up the excitement level of the players.
6. dARk: Subject One
Price: Free
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Are you fond of horror games? Are you looking for a game that offers you a pure AR thriller adventure on your iOS devices? If so, you must check out dARk: Subject One.
- The game is deployed as a short horror story, right into your own home, using the wonders of AR.
- The basic plot of the game makes you feel as if something shady is happening in your own house.
- The player has to step into a parallel universe to find out a missing person.
- As a player proceeds, the game offers various clues, which have to be dissected to find out the secrets and story behind the person’s disappearance.
- The basic gameplay features a dangerous mission to discover a lost colleague.
7. AR Dragon
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
AR Dragon is a virtual pet simulator game for iOS devices, which is sure to please all the users who love playing pet games.
- The players have to look after their unique Augmented Reality dragon.
- Players have to feed and take care of their dragons, who grow older and larger in size every day.
- The game features over 20 unique hats, toys, and fancy skins to dress up the dragon, as it grows up from baby to teen and then to a massive dragon.
- The player can bring his dragon in the real world with AR and can play catch with it.
8. Kings of Pool
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 10.0 or later
Kings of Pool is one of the best AR sports games for iOS devices, which produces an augmented reality pool table right into your room.
- The game offers amazing gameplay, where players are allowed to play with their friends on multiple devices using a local network, without having the need to pass the same device back and forth.
- A player can play against skilled 8 ball pool players across the globe.
- After winning, the player gets access to high-stakes tables.
- The final goal is to build up as much cash as possible to become the richest billiards player.
9. Stack AR
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNtYdlP1hpQ
Stack AR is one of the best AR arcade games for iPhone and iPad. It’s a fun and interesting game, which allows beginners to experience the world of AR gaming.
- The gameplay is pretty basic- the player has to stack stunning color gradient blocks in the real world, with the aim to neatly create the tallest tower.
- The player just needs to scan a plane surface and start building the tower.
- When the game ends, the player can see the finished tower rising from the ground.
10. Flat Pack
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
Flat Pack is another must-have AR puzzle game for iOS devices, which offers a perfect mix of 2D and 3D platforms.
- The AR mode demands the players to move around the real-world to explore all sides and paths ahead, which makes the game even more interesting.
- Epic boss fights, secret stars, and over 30 levels with unique twists are enough to keep the players engrossed.
- Flat Pack is also one of the best strategy AR games for iOS devices, where a player has to think beyond the normal lines to master it.
11. AR Robot
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
AR Robot is one of the best virtual fighter AR games for iOS devices, where players can create a fully customizable robot, train him up, and battle against other robots. This robot battler for iOS devices is sure to become one of the favorite picks for robot fans.
- AR Robot features over 90 unique robot parts, 60 paints, and a range of power cores to create a robot in your own unique style.
- The players are allowed to upgrade their robots to true mechanical warriors by training their strength, precision, and defense by playing 3 unique mini-games.
- A player can battle against his friends locally using the ARKit 2.0’s Shared Experiences or fight against the rivals online to see who has got the most powerful robot and become the greatest robot warrior.
12. Zombie Gunship Revenant AR
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Zombie Gunship Revenant is one of the best AR Shooter games for iOS devices.
- The game allows you to take charge of a heavily armed helicopter and knock out zombies from the sky.
- The AR mode requires the player to physically move the device around the virtual battlefield to aim and destroy the approaching zombies.
- The player can get close to the zombies by simply bringing the device closer to the surface.
- To fight against dangerous enemies, the player can arm the gunship with advanced guns, missiles, cannons, and rockets.
13. Math Ninja AR
Price: Free
Compatibility: iOS 12.0 or later
Are you looking for an AR game to help your child learn maths in a fun way? If so, you must check out the Math Ninja AR game for iPhone.
- This game aims to develop long-term memory by producing simultaneous stimulation to both the body and brain.
- To solve a problem, the player has to explore every nook and cranny of the 3D Ninja world to find the villager with the correct answer.
- The physical movements, such as walking, squatting, bending, crawling, and peering will stimulate your kid’s memory while giving an opportunity for fun and easy exercise.
14. Army of Robots
Price: $0.99
Compatibility: iOS 11.3 or later
Army of Robots is an AR arcade-style mech shooter for iOS devices, in which the players have to destroy robots that are attacking in their real lives.
- The players have to fight off the robots who have the prime intention to eliminate all humans and take charge of the planet.
- These robots can be anywhere, including your office, living room, and backyard.
- The player has to find and destroy the robots before they shoot and destroy the player.
- The game features 12 different stages and several types of robots to destroy.
15. Euclidean Lands
Price: $0.99
Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
If you love playing with spatial games and looking for a challenging puzzle adventure for iOS devices, Euclidean Lands is worth giving a try.
- The gameplay is both interesting and challenging- A player has to navigate his character on complex 3D structures.
- The player has to kill his enemies and their servants to stay alive until he reaches the exit.
- A player can shift and rotate the world to change perspectives.
- The game features unique mechanics, amazing cubic architecture, and over 40 challenging levels, which allows the players to experience one of the best problem-solving AR games for iOS devices.
16. ARia’s Legacy
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.3 or later
ARia’s legacy is the first mobile escape room AR game for iOS devices. The game creates a virtual environment around the player’s physical space, where the player has to walk around the room to discover the never-seen-before parts.
- The player walks around the room and finds clues, hints, as well as keys to unlock special doors and puzzles.
- It’s one of the must-have AR mystery games for iOS devices, which offers various challenging levels to uncover the story behind ARia’s sudden disappearance and discover her legacy.
- The puzzles are solved on the device, whereas the clues and hints are found in the environment.
17. Jurassic World Alive
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 10.0 or later
For all the game lovers who’re a fan of dinosaurs and Jurassic Park movies, the Jurassic World Alive AR game will bring dinosaurs to life, roaming free in your world. You’ll have to explore your surrounding areas to find your favorite Jurassic World dinosaurs. This AR game for iPhone and iPad includes new breeds of dinosaurs that are more terrifying than ever.
- To level up, you have to gather epic dinosaur DNA and create hybrids in the lab.
- You can make a strong team of dinosaurs and take them into battle in real-time player-vs-player matches.
- You can flaunt your legendary dinosaurs collection by sharing AR images and videos on your social media handles.
- You’ll get rewards for collecting epic and rare dinosaurs on your world, and this will make you fall more for this amazing AR game.
18. Five Nights at Freddy’s
Price: Starts at $2.99
Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
Got the guts for survival horror games? If so, you have to try the Five Nights at Freddy’s AR game. It’s considered one of the scariest games that you can play on your iPhone or iPad.
- The prime attraction of this game is the animatronic robots- Freddy Fazbear and his two friends.
- You’ll have to take up the job of a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
- The gameplay includes watching the security cameras and surviving the night with limited power, without getting attacked by the animatronics that roams in the free mode at night.
- The animatronics will become more active from the third night and you’ll need more power, therefore, make sure to have the most power saved on the first two nights.
- The real challenge is to survive all five nights, which is heavily dependent on getting to know your four enemies and their moves.
19. Leo AR
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Apart from the games, we’ve got a really exciting AR app for all the users, who love shooting videos on their iPhone or iPad. Whether you’re looking for a fun-filled AR app to keep your kids entertained or add graphics and music to your videos, Leo AR is the only app you need. You can customize your real environment, just the way you like it. How about hanging out with astronauts or placing a whale into your living room? Recreate your fantasy with this super-cool AR app for iPad and iPhone.
- Simply place your iPhone or iPad at a surface, tap the screen, and start creating.
- You can build your profile and browse through the videos of other creators too.
- You can be a little more creative to make the best content public and get a chance to be featured on Leo AR.
- It’s an amazing way to keep your kids entertained or spend some family time by bringing your imagination to life.
20. AR Runner
Price: Starts at $1.99
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
For all the fitness enthusiasts and sports lovers, we’ve got a competitive AR game for iPhone and iPad, that will get you moving and compete against the players across the globe. AR Runner has got 4 field sizes and 6 field shapes to match your skills and the environment. Imagine yourself beating a world record by running in your favorite park or ground. Sounds exciting, right?
- AR Runner offers 4 game modes, including Normal, 30-secs rush, Enemies, and Wall-Punch. Want to increase your running speed, go for the 30-secs rush mode. Want to compete with other players? Try out the Enemies mode.
- It’s an exciting sports game that makes inventive use of ARkit on your iPadOS.
- The game offers 60 handcrafted challenges and 36 leaderboards that allow you to see where you rank in comparison to other players.
- It’s a must-have AR app for all iPad and iPhone users, who are looking for ways to make an active lifestyle.
21. The Birdcage 2
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 10.0 or later, iPadOS 10.0 or later
Do you love playing puzzles? Here’s an exciting Augmented-Reality based game for iPad and iPhone that offers a perfect blend of magic, puzzles, and AR.
- You’ll play as a young sorceress who’s looking for a powerful wizard Alzar, in the hope to learn advanced magic. You’ll get to experience a roller-coaster ride that’s full of danger, obstacles, and revelations.
- It’s a challenging AR game for iOS devices that will take your reasoning skills to the next level.
- The amazing original soundtrack, chilling sound design, intuitive touch controls, and mechanical puzzles will keep you hooked to this AR game until you free all innocent magical creatures imprisoned by dark magic.
- If you’ve got the iPad Pro with the LiDAR sensor, the Birdcage 2 is sure to become one of your favorite AR games for iOS devices.
22. Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade
Price: Free, optional in-app purchases
Compatibility: iOS 9.0 or later, iPadOS 9.0 or later
Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade is an action-packed, thrilling AR game for iOS devices. It’s a visually stunning action game that features an epic story with over 170 single-player missions to test your skills.
- You’ll have to lead your Freeblade on a journey of honor, vengeance, and redemption. The mission is to kill all of those who destroyed the noble house.
- This AR game for iPhone and iPad features super high-detailed 3D graphics and an enhanced control system with 3D Touch technology to deliver immersive gameplay on your compatible devices.
- You get to design the look of your Freeblade, forge and equip powerful weapons like the Melta gun.
- There’s a multiplayer mode in which you have to destroy your opponent’s Freeblades with your very own powerhouse.
Also read: Top 5 free fitness apps for iPhone.
23. Smash Tanks
Price: Starts at $0.99
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Smash Tanks is a fantastic AR board game for iPhone and iPad where the user can place the board on any surface in front of them and start playing. It’s a turn-based AR
game for iOS users where you’ll have three tanks on the two sides, and you’ve to fight against your opponent on a destructible battlefield.
- To win a round, you’ve to smash all the three tanks of the opponent’s side. There are three rounds in total, and the player has to win two rounds to win the entire game.
- You can swipe, drag, and release to drive your tank and hit your opponent. Swipe long to hit and destroy your enemy’s tank.
- Interestingly, there are some weak spots that are marked with the exclamation. If you hit those spots, you’ll triple the damage on your enemies.
- This AR game for iPhone also has power-ups that are dropped on the map at random places. Some power-ups include grenades, land mines, protective shields to safeguard your tank, and more. Players can collect these power-ups by smashing the tanks against them.
- With superb game mechanics, this AR game for iPad will encourage precision and tactical thinking in the players.
- There are single-player and multiplayer modes so that you can enjoy this iOS AR game with your friends and family.
24. Star Walk 2: The Night Sky Map
Price: Starts at $2.99
Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Star Walk 2 is an educational AR game for iOS that allows you to explore the night sky through your iPhones and iPads. You’ll just have to point your iOS device to the sky and experience an amazing journey through stars, constellations, comments, and more. This AR game for iPad taps your device’s sensors and the GPS to determine the exact position of stars, planets, satellites, meteor shows, and more in the night sky.
- The Sky Walk 2 AR game for iPhone introduces astronomy to kids as well as adults. This makes it a perfect AR game for all age groups.
- The app brings the map of the sky in real-time and shows you the 3D models of constellations, meteors, and other sky objects.
- This amazing AR game for iOS will keep you updated with all the latest news from the world of astronomy and space. There’s a ‘Visible Tonight’ section that lists all the upcoming astronomical events and celestial objects visible for your location.
- You can easily create shortcuts and take your stargazing experience to a whole new level.
- Interestingly, you can select any date & time to watch the sky of different periods.
- With stunning atmospheric visuals, stirring sound effects, and exclusive handcrafted artwork for constellations, this AR game for iPad is sure to keep you engaged.
- It’s a perfect AR app for all iOS users who have an affinity for space and astronomy.
That was all for our roundup of the best AR games for iOS devices in 2022. We hope you’ve picked your favorites. Download them and experience AR right onto your iPhones and iPads. Also, if we’ve missed any amazing games, do let us know in the comment section below.
Looking for some great multiplayer games for the iPad? Don’t miss our list of the best multiplayer games for the iPad.
