Best Free iPad Games
- jun
- 24
Fun, entertaining games without spending a single cent!
If you're an avid gamer, you know the pain of paying for games. It may seem like a small amount of money at the time — a $1.99 games here, $3.99 game there — but all those little transactions can sure add up!
Luckily for all of us, there are plenty of developers that create fun and entertaining games and choose to not charge you a cent! Here are some of my favorite free games for the iPad!
- Crossy Road
- Asphalt 8: Airborne
- Brawl Stars
- The Elder Scrolls: Legends
- 8 Ball Pool
- Spaceteam
- Fallout Shelter
- Fire Emblem Heroes
Crossy Road
The classic Frogger-like game, Crossy Road, is a great casual game to play in your downtime even when you only have a couple of minutes to spare.
You need to get the chicken across the road by swiping in the direction you want to go, but be careful; the road is a dangerous place! Avoid the cars and get to the other side, and challenge your friend to do the same!
- Free - Download Now
Asphalt 8: Airborne
When it comes to racing games, Asphalt 8: Airborne is my favorite free racing game on iPad. It skips all pretensions of realism and provides an over-the-top, high-octane experience that's incredibly fun!
Players can drive their way through the career mode, unlock new rides, upgrade the ones they have, or take the competition online in staggered or live multiplayer. The usual race modes are there, plus a new Infected mode where players have to tag other racers before succumbing to an explosive virus.
- Free - Download Now
Brawl Stars
The newest game from Supercell is an absolute delight to play, and I have been enjoying it immensely since its release.
Brawl Stars' frantic and fun combat system makes the game easy to pick up and play, but difficult to master. Each character has different abilities, stats, and weapons that give way to endless strategy possibilities regardless of which character you like to play.
Brawl Stars has four main game modes: Smash & Grab, Heist, Showdown, and Bounty, each with a different objective.
Read: Brawl Stars: Everything you need to know!
NOTE: Brawl Stars is currently undergoing a soft launch and is only available in the Canadian App Store; we'll update you as soon as you can play it in other countries.
Free - Download Now
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
The Elder Scrolls: Legends offers a fantastic experience for both people who are new to the strategy card games, and seasoned veterans who love the genre.
What makes The Elder Scrolls: Legends stand out from other games like Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone is it's two-laned battlefield. Each battlefield is split into two lanes and creatures in those lanes can only attack the opponent's creatures in the same lane. The lanes can also have different effects that affect the outcome of the battles going on in that lane.
As I former Magic the Gathering player, I found it hard not to compare The Elder Scrolls: Legends to one of the most popular strategy card games of all time, and I am pleased to say that it held up very well. Bethesda did an excellent job making this game equal parts challenging and rewarding, making it very easy to avoid spending money to get better cards. Something I could not say for some of the Magic the Gathering apps we've seen over the years.
Read my full review of The Elder Scrolls: Legends
- Free - Download Now
8 Ball Pool
Another classic game that is still going strong, 8 Ball Pool is a fantastic pick-up-and-play billiards game!
With several different tables and locations to choose from, you can face off against AI opponents on three different difficulties in the practice arena!
Do you think you have what it takes to be the best pool shark in the world? Take on people from all over the world and show them who's boss!
Whether you want to spend minutes or hours playing pool, 8 Ball Pool has a super active community; you'll never have trouble finding someone to play with!
- Free - Download Now
Spaceteam
I mean, the concept alone is ridiculous: Multiple people get together, enable Spaceteam on their iPhone or iPad, then yell wacky-sounding terms to each other to try and keep their ship from being eaten by a dying sun or falling into a wormhole.
In practice, it's even better; I've played with friends, family, co-workers, and complete strangers, and every time has been whimsical and unique.
If you're already going to be yelling at your family the next time you see them, why not yell about switching off the Eigenthrottle?
- Free - Download Now
Fallout Shelter
Bethesda knocked it out of the park when they made Fallout Shelter, and it's a game I keep coming back to time and time again.
You're in charge of a Vault — an underground bunker built to protect people from the nuclear war — and the future of the community of people in your vault depends on your decisions. You'll need to keep people happy, but also safe, in this crazy post-apocalyptic world.
One of my favorite things about Fallout Shelter is Bethesda's continuing support for Fallout Shelter. The game launched in 2015 and it's still receiving updates, special events, and new content from the developers, making the game stay fresh for the players you have been playing from the beginning.
If you're a fan of the Fallout series of video games, Fallout Shelter will reward your knowledge with familiar names, jokes, and events; however, this game offers plenty of excitement and challenge to newcomers as well, making it a fantastic game for everyone.
- Free - Download Now
Fire Emblem Heroes
Fire Emblem Heroes is a stellar game through and through. Whether you're a fan of the long-running series or a complete newcomer, Nintendo has beautifully designed a game that keeps both groups happy.
While game progression has all the hallmarks of a typical freemium game, such as needing to spend money to reach the top of the leaderboards or waiting various periods of time to unlock game items, you won't need to shell any money out to enjoy 95% of what Fire Emblem Heroes has to offer.
Fire Emblem Heroes is visually breath-taking, and it's clear to anyone who plays it, that Nintendo put a lot of time and effort into creating this game, which means I'm going to enjoy putting a lot of time and effort into playing it.
- Free - Download Now
Which free iPad games are your favorites?
With so many free games to choose from, it's impossible to list them all. Tell us your favorites in the comments below!