It's a dream for a lot of mobile gamers to be able to play PC games on mobile. Sure, we're getting closer each year – even closer with Nintendo Switch out and about – but there's no need to feel lost.
There are far more than five cracking iOS ports to knuckle down with, but these are a few you simply cannot miss out on. They're nitty, gritty, rich, deep, and well worth the money you pay for them.
What's more, these titles actually feel rather at home on iOS. Yep, you can feel at ease, people, there aren't any vexing controls or questionable framerates to be seen here.
Papers, Please – download on iOS
Ooo, if you haven't yet had the chance to have a go at this one yet on any platform you should definitely make room in your library for Papers, Please. You take up a post on the Arstotzka border as an immigration officer.
Your job? To check travellers' passports and make sure that everything is hunky-dory. That doesn't sound too hard, right? Er, wrong. Hidden among the genuine folk are terrorists, spies, smugglers, and even people who need your help.
While it seems logical to aid those that need it, you'd be sticking more than your own neck on the line. You're paid next to nothing and have a family to take care of, so doing an excellent job is in your interest.
This War of Mine – download on iOS
As far as management-style games go, This War of Mine is an exceptionally powerful one with a deep message. Before war hits we're all average folk, interested in getting a coffee, doing our jobs, and kicking our feet up in the evening.
But when you're caught right in the middle of chaos with no chance of evacuation, it's every man for themselves. There's no one to lean on besides yourself and your band of survivors. You need to scavenge, allocate duties, defend your territory, and try to last through the horrors of war.
What makes this game so notable is its resonating moral decisions. In one scenario your crew are starving and you find food easily in an elderly couple's fridge. They won't put up a fight, but taking it means sentencing them to a likely death. Ack, that one still gets me years later.
Darkest Dungeon – download on iPad
If you're in the market for a turn-based RPG with roguelike elements, Darkest Dungeon should absolutely be on your list. Not only is it a marvellous adventure, it's incredibly hard and will probably make you feel awful more than once.
"That sounds like a bad thing, Emily!" True, but the more you put into the game, the more you get out of it and there's a real thrill of having to stay on your toes. I wouldn't go into it expecting to master it first time and rather, you should expect to make the best of an awful hand.
However, that's the charm of the game. I guess it's got a bit of a Game of Thrones mentality – don't get attached to your characters.
ROME: Total War – download on iOS
Get ready to command battalions of soldiers in ROME: Total War and avoid defeat by any means in a very portable fashion.
Running from the late Roman Republic to the early Roman Empire and launching campaigns across Europe and North Africa, you'll have to use your skills in war strategy, diplomacy, deception, and assassination to come out victorious.
I'm sure there are some of you who have, or know someone who's, logged in a bunch of hours of the game on PC. Well, you'll be pleased to know that it's the full deal on iPad and now on iPhone, with fully implemented controls and an adapted UI just for touchscreen.
Inside – download on iOS
Playdead's Inside is another harrowing and melancholy side-scrolling puzzler that feels right at home on your phone. Though, personally, I think the best way to play is with an iPad.
You play as a young boy who, for whatever reason, finds himself alone in a dull world where everything is a bit… off. As you work through the levels, you need to manoeuvre your way through platformer bits as well as figure out its challenges and discover the story as you go.
While LIMBO is also a fantastic choice for this list, Inside exceeds its predecessor in terms of visuals and its audio (be sure to play with headphones). You'll definitely get a bit creeped out by what the game has to offer and love every second of it.
