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Apple Arcade adds new 'Timeless Classics' and 'App Store Greats' categories

"Monument Valley" is now on Apple Arcade

Last updated

As part of its largest single expansion to date, Apple Arcade has added two new categories of games, featuring classics like "Sudoku," and hits such as "Monument Valley."

Apple's subscription game service Apple Arcade has released its greatest number of additional titles since its launch in September 2019. Alongside 30 extra games, Apple Arcade now has two new categories, "Timeless Classics," and "App Store Greats."

"In its inaugural year, Apple Arcade won over media critics and fans for its creativity, diverse portfolio, and commitment to players' privacy, providing a safe gaming service to enjoy with family and friends," said Apple's App Store vice president, Matt Fischer, in a statement. "Today we're launching our biggest expansion since the service debuted... now offering more than 180 great games."

"Whether it's brand new games made exclusively for Arcade like 'NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition,' 'Star Trek: Legends,' and 'The Oregon Trail,' all-time App Store favorites like 'Monument Valley' and 'Threes!,' or traditional games like 'Chess' and 'Solitaire,'" he continued, "we have an incredible variety of gameplay experiences for everyone."

Timeless Classics

The new Timeless Classics category focuses on what Apple describes as "universally loved, quintessential genres" such as Backgammon, Sudoku and Solitaire. Now available on the service are versions of Chess and crosswords, too.

"Really Bad Chess" is an introduction to the game that adds random combinations of pieces. It's meant both to show how to use the knights, rooks, and so on, and to present a new challenge for existing players.

Apple says that the new "Tiny Crossword" comes with access to thousands of crossword puzzles. Not all are tiny, either, and their clues range across sports, movies, history and science.

App Store Greats

A highlight of the new App Store Greats category is "Monument Valley," previously a winner of an Apple Design Award. Its Apple Arcade version also includes the two subsequent game expansions, "Forgotten Shores," and "Ida's Dream."

Apple Arcade is a subscription service where the one monthly fee pays for access acrossiPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV. New buyers of any of these devices get three months of Apple Arcade for free, otherwise it costs $4.99 per month.

The game service is also included in each of the Apple One bundle tiers, which start with an individual plan at $14.95.

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11 Comments

DAalseth 3066 comments · 6 Years

This is very good news. A few more big drops like this and I might try it again. 

KBuffett 101 comments · 8 Years

Apple really should have dominated the Gaming and Streaming markets by now. They seem to be going things by halves far too often now, rather like Google’s long list of failed offerings.

bloggerblog 2520 comments · 16 Years

Apple should regret the days they mistreated game developers like Halo. 

Having said that, Apple should buy Atari and their genuinely classic games. 

Japhey 1772 comments · 6 Years

I’d like to see Arcade broken off into its own separate app on the iPhone and iPad like it is on the Apple TV. 

The optimist in me is hoping that this upgrade is a prelude to a new ATV next week. Or the week after. Or the week after that…

asdasd 5682 comments · 21 Years

I’ll try again. Some of those are good.