The mobile games market is often derided by gamers, known more for its predatory games and cheap licensed titles. But there are actually a lot of great games on iOS, including long-time classics and new games that redefine what mobile gaming can be.
RPGs are aplenty on iOS, and the best ones use the platform to their advantage. The genre tends to be full of games with epic length, and that’s what makes them so great. You can jump in, complete a quest or two, and you’ll have plenty to go back to later.
Updated July 18, 2023 by Jacqueline Zalace: Having a mobile RPG lets you play anywhere you want. We've added even more RPGs available on iOS to our list, giving you plenty of choices pick from, no matter where you are.
18 Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 is regarded by some as one of the greatest video games of all time. Its sweeping story, epic set-piece battles, and interesting environments represent the height of the Final Fantasy franchise. The fact that you can play it at all on iOS is incredible.
The touch controls work surprisingly well on this version. Turn-based, menu-based combat means you’re able to control your party easily, and exploring the relatively small environments with touch controls is likewise a breeze.
17 The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga is a modern take on a tactical RPG that features a heavy emphasis on player choice. In between battles, the game plays like a choose-your-own-adventure story, following your choices as you guide your Viking tribe through war, famine, and near death.
The name of the game here is story and immersion. The Banner Saga intentionally avoids typical RPG conventions like looting, buying, and selling, and the game even prevents you from loading a save if you’re beaten in battle. All of this is in an effort to immerse you in the story of your tribe as a whole, rather than a single individual.
16 Fate/Grand Order
One of the most profitable mobile games ever, Fate/Grand Order was produced by Sony based on the Fate/Stay Night visual novel series that originated in 2004. Like other mobile RPGs, the game is based on traditional turn-based combat and pulling gacha rolls to get new characters and weapons.
What makes Fate/Grand Order stand out from other games on this list is that rather than playing a central protagonist or even controlling a party, you instead play the role of a “Master,” and must guide an entire group of adventurers – knights, magicians, mages, etc. - and who you take into battle and adventures is up to you.
15 Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon has a reputation for being a brutally difficult game, and rightfully so. A roguelike with permanent death for your characters, Darkest Dungeon is in many ways the perfect game for mobile. It allows you to quickly jump to set up a party and head straight into a dungeon to perform some turn-based combat.
This game is all about positioning. Taking place in 2D, battles happen in a line of your party and your enemies. Who is positioned where will partially determine their stats, including their chances to hit or get hit with sickness or injury.
14 Neverwinter Nights
Based on the Forgotten Realms campaign of Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter Nights is another example of a classic RPG making its way to iOS, with surprisingly good results. This version of the game is the Enhanced Edition, which comes with improved graphics and a host of free DLC included.
Being set in the D&D universe, the plot of Neverwinter Nights is deep - perhaps a little too deep for first-time players. But with a 100-hour-long campaign and an emphasis on vast player choice that has serious repercussions, it’s worth giving the game a shot, even if you aren’t into the fantasy setting.
13 Chroma Squad
Chroma Squad is a criminally underrated tactical RPG where you manage a TV studio making a Power Rangers-esque show. Part of the gameplay is managing the studio – setting schedules, buying equipment – but the majority of the game is the humorous story and set-piece battles.
Despite its looks and silly premise, Chroma Squad has a deep but simple battle system that’s perfect for iOS. You take a team of four (later five) of your Power Rangers out into the field, customize their abilities and weapons, and have free rein to use them however you like, with a wide range of abilities and teamwork attacks. And yes, there is even giant robot versus monster fights.
12 Fantasian
Gorgeous dioramas like the one you see above aren't the exception in Fantasian. They're the rule. Every single place in this huge JRPG is just as beautiful or more so, and the game's creative pedigree will tell most Final Fantasy fans it's worth checking out; Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy, spearheaded the development.
Sakaguchi's influence is found all over the place, from the melancholy and wide-eyed cast of characters to the strategic battles and classical themes. Fantasian's won plenty of awards, and for darn good reason. We hope it launches on other platforms than just Apple Arcade someday so that more gamers can enjoy it.
11 Vampire’s Fall: Origins
Vampire’s Fall: Origins is a fascinating blend of RPG mechanics and styles. In the overworld, you can freely move around using an overhead, but combat plays out in a 2D plane which is turn-based, similar to Darkest Dungeon. With the local town threatened by an evil magician, you join the militia to defend your homeland, but as the title suggests, fate has other plans for you.
Like many games on this list, Vampire’s Fall is all about player choice and freedom. You can choose your looks, your class, and your moralities. For a game originally designed specifically for mobile, there is a lot of depth in its gameplay.
10 Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is one of the biggest games in the world. It’s a giant, epic RPG by Chinese developer Mihoyo, featuring a sweeping quest, multiple unlockable characters, and plenty of things to do. Genshin is always changing, getting new worlds to explore, characters to play as, and even new gameplay mechanics.
While it’s true this is a gacha game, you can play Genshin Impact without ever spending any money on it all. All quests are freely available to you, and you can earn in-game currency relatively quickly.
9 Another Eden
Another Eden was built from the ground up to run on mobile. It may not look like much, with its simplistic sprites and background art, but what it lacks in visuals, it makes up for with its story, characters, and combat. You play as Aldo on his quest to save his sister from the Beast King, who uses the dormant power in her to wipe out humanity to leave Earth for demons.
Doing so, Aldo is thrust 800 years into the future, where humanity barely survives. Thankfully, there are 84 chapters for you to play through. That's right, this amount of content will keep you entertained for hours.
8 Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is available on several platforms, allowing you to make the farm of your dreams pretty much anywhere you want. This farming RPG is a household name by this point, but if you somehow haven't heard of the game, you are in for a treat.
The goal is simple, make a farm and live in the valley. Along the way, you can make friends, get married, and build your empire. You have the freedom to focus on anything, from combat to a mono-crop monopoly. The iOS version of Stardew Valley is a bit behind in terms of updates, but Concerned Ape works diligently to offer updates to all platforms.
7 Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia
Next up, we have another Final Fantasy game. Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia contains characters from every Final Fantasy game, as well as several spin-off games. In it, you can build a party with a mixture of heroes and villains and play through the story in order to save the world.
That's right, you can have a party with Sephiroth and Y'shtola together. Overall, if you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series, then this is the game for you.
6 Honkai Impact 3rd
Before Genshin Impact, there was Honkai Impact 3rd. This mobile game, also developed by Mihoyo, has a similar vibe to Genshin. In it, you can summon Valkyries, who head into battle for you. Think Genshin Impact with Mechs, similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Rather than sticking to just one genre, Honkai Impact combines several. For example, the classic gacha mechanic is there, but you can also experience hack-and-slash combat, platforming elements, and bullet hell stages. The world in Honkai Impact is apocalyptic and interesting, with the titular danger, "Honkai", being a destructive wave that wipes out humanity.
5 Knights Of Pen And Paper
If you are looking to make your iOS RPG experience truly your own, then Knights of Pen and Paper may be the game for you. In this pixelated RPG, you are essentially playing Dungeons and Dragons as both a player and Dungeon Master.
Knights of Pen and Paper is very similar to a tabletop game, feeling classic yet refreshing at the same time. You can choose which battles are worth fighting and how many enemies you will face, and then plan on how to be successful.
4 Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent
Octopath Traveler is a popular JPRG series that currently consists of two games. In the games, you essentially assemble a group of eight characters, completing various chapters of their story. Now, you can bring this cozy JRPG straight to your phone.
Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent isn't a mobile port of the original game; instead, it's a gacha game set before the events of the first game. As such, you will still be within Osterra, with many familiar sights. There are three story paths that you can choose, giving plenty of content for you to enjoy.
3 Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition
The first Baldur's Gate game launched back in 1998. Since then, we've seen several additional games, spin-offs, and expansions. In addition to this content, we also have the enhanced edition of the first game. Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition brings the original game straight to your phone, and can even be played on tablets.
Rather than playing a 'lite' version of Baldur's Gate, this game delivers everything; the store page even boasts above 75 hours of content. If you are looking for a nostalgic gaming experience, Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition is the way to go.
2 Secrets Of Mana
Next, we have Secrets of Mana. This is a classic JRPG, first released in 1993. Interestingly, the Mana series started off as a Final Fantasy spin-off, with the first game being called Final Fantasy Adventure. This is also available on iOS, although it has been remade with 3D graphics and named Adventures of Mana.
Secrets of Mana on iOS preserves the original pixels of the game, bringing this iconic classic right to your phone. The combat mechanic utilized real-time battles; at the time of release, this was quite innovative and not used too often. Fans of Final Fantasy and JRPGs alike will enjoy the nostalgia this game brings.
1 Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is another classic RPG that has been ported straight to your phone. Like Baldur's Gate and Secrets of Mana, the original game launched in the '90s. Time definitely was not cruel to this title, as Chrono Trigger is still, without a doubt, worth it.
While the controls may take a bit of getting used to, Chrono Trigger does not lose any of its classic charm when played on your phone.