There’s hardly any movies to watch and most TV shows that are coming out kind of suck. What’s left, you already know - video games. This industry gave the finger to the Corona and kept on going. There’s been some awesome games this year already like Hitman 3, Cyber Shadow and Medium. And even Apple TV has been updated with a slew of ports and Apple Arcade originals.

Here are some awesome games for Apple TV from the recent past.

Before we begin, some of these games only work with controller, so make sure you have one. You can even use your PS4, PS5 and Xbox controller or you can get one on Amazon for 10 or 15 bucks. Funfact: you can also pair your iPhone with your Apple TV to play games that works with Siri remote. To do so, simply bring the Control Center on your iPhone by swiping up to the top of the screen, go all the way to the bottom and there you will see Apple TV remote icon. Tap on that, and from the top arrow, select your Apple TV, pair with 4-digit code and you are all set. 

With that said, let’s get started with my top Apple TV games for 2021

Stela

Ok this one needs a controller for you to actually play it because it’s a proper platformer. If you’ve got one, play it; if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world.

It’s a puzzle-like adventure game along the lines of Insider or Little Nightmares so you can relax on the couch and not clutch your controller panicking or end up breaking it out of frustration. This sides scrolling adventure has gorgeous visuals and light puzzles it’s as cinematic and atmospheric it can get. The music alone just makes you want to vibe. This one is a gem of a game and the fact that’s it’s free on Apple Arcade is hard to believe. Do try it out. You will love it.

What the Golf

It’s a golf game for people who hate golf made by people who didn’t like it either. The goal of this game is to, well, play golf. And like every other game, it gets harder as you move on to a new level. Every level in the game has a unique mechanical twist on traditional golf. Like say, you have to golf in the middle of fireworks avoiding them at the same time. Also, you can easily play this game with your Apple TV remote or even your iPhone, there’s no need for a controller. It’s on Apple Arcade so if you haven’t gotten around to playing it, you definitely should.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens

Shantae is a metroidvania - if you don’t know what that is, it’s games that are like Castlevania and Super Metroid where you gain abilities and revisit areas to progress throughout the game. It’s best played with a controller because Apple TV remote just won’t cut it. You play as the half-genie Shantae who can change into different creatures and gain new powers as you defeat bosses. With gorgeous animation like Mega Man 11 and tight controls this one is a joy to play. It should take you about 10 hours to complete with all the collectibles and backtracking. It was so good that they ported them to consoles. That’s a hell of a compliment in our books.

The Pathless

This open world indie game is all about movement and momentum. You play as a hunter and need to shoot talismans in the world to navigate the world swiftly. It also has no mini map so you’ll have to navigate with spirit vision like the eagle vision from Assassin’s Creed to find locations of interest or the main objective. If that doesn’t make you want to play this, we don’t know what will. Maybe an easy mode? Moving on.

Exit the Gungeon

It’s a bullet hell shooter like old school NES games with roguelike elements. It’s a sequel to Enter the Gungeon but made for iOS and other Apple platforms thanks to Apple Arcade. The catch in this roguelike is that you constantly can change weapons to adapt the boss at hand or your playstyle. Be it shotguns or long range and it’s a dodgefest as it requires constant dodging almost like a Souls game. It’s an easy-pickup-and-play type of game from our experience. Give it a shot.

Oceanhorn Chronos Dungeon: 

It’s another dungeon-crawler like the Gungeon. Man, we really have a thing for roguelikes, don’t we? Inspired by 16-bit classics, but enhanced with randomizing modifiers making each level unique, Chronos Dungeon has players collecting loot and fighting side-by-side in an epic quest against the god that set the events of the main Oceanhorn Universe in motion, Chronos himself. It's another fantastic roguelike.

The Last Campfire

Made by Hello Games, the guy who made No Man’s Sky. Trust me – it’s nothing like that game. This one is another puzzle adventure game like Stela but has progressive skill checks and introduces new mechanics for the Ember (the character you play) to use for solving puzzles. An incredibly charming game that takes about 6-7 hours to complete and is perfect for kids and families alike.

So that’s our list of Apple TV games that we enjoyed. Now these are not some second-rate platformers like Crossy Road or something like that but good indie games that garnered lots of praise and impressed us. Let us know which ones you liked in the comments and like the video if you did.

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Thank you for reading and watching and see you in the next one.