13 iPhone Gaming Apps That We’ve All Been Addicted To At Some Point
I’ll be honest, I was a spoilt brat and got my first iPhone when I was 12. It was an iPhone 3GS, and the same day I got it was the same day I downloaded every single gaming app there was and played them on repeat non-stop until I started hallucinating from the LED blue-light.
If you’ve never downloaded a gaming app, you’re lying, because there is no one on this earth who didn’t go through a Flappy Bird or Fruit Ninja phase when every man and his dog was playing it.
Nowadays, there are way more apps than there are Kardashians, and it seems as though kids these days would rather scroll through TikTok for hours on end rather than sling a grumpy bird at a poorly stabilised box just to level up.
We’ve put together a throwback list of the iPhone gaming apps we’ve all downloaded at least once, that’ll be sure to transport you back to the early 2010s.
1. Doodle Jump
Doodle Jump was more than just a game, it was a journey. Amazingly, I still could play this even though my fear of heights had me quaking. I fkn rode that mofo up and above the galaxies, fighting poorly animated monsters and disappearing steps. For some reason tho I would always play on the Christmas theme?? The shooting balls were just better on there, I swear.
2. Angry Birds
Am I the only one who didn’t give two shits about Angry Birds yet kept playing cos I’m a sheep? I mean, there’s only so many times flinging a bird at a box is entertaining, after a while you start to wonder the game is PETA approved.
Also, there are literally 2000+ levels on this game and they were always so easy??? Like tf, I don’t HAVE to get three stars why would I bother?
3. Candy Crush
You were literally either one of two people: you were addicted to Candy Crush, and spent every free second of every day levelling up until you finished the entire game OR you played it for one day, thought it was cute, and then moved on with your life.
Also, if you’re still sending me Candy Crush invites on Facebook in 2019, I’ve lost all respect for you.
4. Flappy Bird
Anyone who breathes has had Flappy Bird on their phone at some point. It was a worldwide phenomenon bigger than Psy, and everyone spent at least three hours trying to get a score of four, MAX.
Does anyone else remember how the app got deleted because the owner went insane and felt guilty for making everyone so addicted to it? Dafuq? The people at Mrs Fields Cookies seem fine exploiting my addiction…
5. Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja was THE app of apps. It was the game nobody asked for but everyone needed and, like herpes, it continues to pop up every now and then. The concept? Simple. Slice all the fruit thrown at you, avoid the bombs, and you’re pretty much set for a few decades.
6. TapTap Revenge
Was I the only one who used to think TapTap Revenge was the coolest game ever? The fact that you could ADD your own music and play the game was literally some revolutionary 2025 type ‘ish. I’d be TapTapping to Khia’s ‘My Neck My Back’ all night long.
Although once Guitar Hero came out and I made my transition, I learnt that the specs were waaay off, and the time at which you hit the button on each of them was completely different and just setting you up to fail.
7. Clash Of Clans
Clash Of Clans will still remain one of those most randomly addictive games I have ever played. Why did I care so much about building a big-ass village, and then attacking others? Was I not happy with what I had? Could we not live in peace and help each other?
Also, why did it take me, like, eight months to level up? I’ll tell ya, Clash Of Clans was money hungry asf, always asking me for my credit card… like PIPE DOWN you’re not that good.
8. Touch Hockey
Looking back, why does Touch Hockey feel like the first app ever created? It had literally the most basic premise, but for some reason it was like ‘why has anyone spent money on a real Air Hockey table when this exists?’
In classic ’10s fashion, the game only had three levels on CPU: easy, medium and hard. And am I the only one that remembers that hard was still so fkn easy? Like c’mon, give me a challenge!
9. Temple Run
Temple Run was one of those games that everyone pretended like they barely played, when really they were up until 1am swiping up and down tryna beat that high score.
The premise of the game involved more exercise than I’ve ever done in my life, which was to just run, jump, slide, and everything else that would make you TikTok famous in 2019.
10. Words With Friends
Anyone else had so many words, but not enough friends?
I don’t care who you are, you and I both know that you have cheated on Words With Friends one way or another. Me, personally? I used to use that app that would let you screenshot the board, upload the photo, and then it would then spit out every possible word ranked from most to least amount of points. Is it fair? Of course not, but literally everyone was doing it as made evident by you using GREGARIOUS for 18 points.
11. Draw Something
If you got bored of spelling out words, Draw Something was your forte. The app probably had like 100 set words that they would just rotate constantly until you gave up and deleted.
Don’t judge me but I paid $2.99 to get more colours on the app. I mean, come on, how tf are you going to tell me to draw a Monkey and then NOT give me brown??? B*TCH I NEED BROWN.
12. Bubble Wrap
The premise of this game? Absolutely nothing. Is it even a game? Probably not, but there’s just something so satisfying about popping bubble wrap, whether that’s physically IRL, or digitally.
Literally you can go one by one, or just run your fingers across the screen and hear that noise that’s oh-so-satisfying.
13. Subway Surfers
My literal only memory of high school (yes, only) was sitting in class with my phone in my pencil case, playing Subway Surfers until the recess bell rang (where I would then proceed to play more Subway Surfers). Collecting coins, jumping on trains, flying high and skateboarding was all I needed to get me the highest score amongst my friends and fail miserably at the HSC.