Summary
- ARPGs can work well on mobile devices, offering flexible gameplay for players pressed for time.
- Nordicandia, Soul Knight Prequel, and Undead Horde are engaging ARPGs with unique features and gameplay styles.
- Titan Quest Ultimate Edition is a popular and comprehensive ARPG on iOS, offering deep gameplay and engaging storylines.
Games like Diablo and the recently released Path of Exile 2 are known as action role-playing games (ARPGs). These types of games feature fun and addictive gameplay loops that see players kitting out their characters, sending them on quests to slay hordes of enemies, and picking up a lot of loot along the way.
Though coming up with character builds and managing loot can be complex and time-consuming, the ARPG genre is perfect for mobile gaming. Blizzard famously published Diablo Immortal for players who have phones, though the game lacked praise from many longtime fans. There are, however, a slew of incredible ARPGs to enjoy on iOS right now.
5 Best Action RPGs For iPads
Action RPGs may not immediately make players reach for their iPads, but these examples prove that touchscreens and ARPGs can work together.
10 Nordicandia: Semi Idle RPG
Players Can Grind Even When They're Not Playing
- Release Date: August 21, 2022
- Developer: Garden of Dreams, Iterative Studios AB
- Genre: Action RPG
- Price Model: Free-to-play with In-App purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls
Nordicandia is a comfy phone ARPG that is simple by design, allowing players to get into the game loop easily. It can be played in an idle manner, allowing players to collect EXP and loot even when they’re too busy to play. It's also perfect for those who just want to shut off their brain and play.
Nordicandia provides an auto-mode, where characters can move and attack on their own, allowing the game to run independently. Players also get a pet that can run around the map picking up loot. Nordicandia might be a little basic in the graphics department, but it provides a lot of satisfaction for the gamer who loves leveling, collecting, and managing loot. The game also has a development team that frequently makes updates.
9 Soul Knight Prequel
An Unconventional Aesthetic For A Dungeon-Crawler
- Release Date: November 24, 2023
- Developer: ChillyRoom
- Genre: Action RPG
- Price Model: Free-to-play with In-App Purchase
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
There are two versions of Soul Knight: Soul Knight and Soul Knight Prequel. The original Soul Knight is a roguelike, but shares some similarities with ARPGS. Soul Knight Prequel, however, is designed from the ground up to be an RPG; hence, it's more like Diablo.
Soul Knight Prequel’s art style strays from the common ARPG dungeon-crawler aesthetic, with its pixel art RPG design. Despite its difference in appearance, there is much here that’s like classic Diablo. Soul Knight Prequel has satisfying loot farming qualities, gear management, and monster slaying. The game is regularly updated, with a seasonal battle pass that gives additional rewards.
8 Undead Horde
Slay Enemies & Raise The Dead As Allies
- Release Date: March 6, 2019
- Developer: 10tons
- Genre: Action RPG
- Price Model: $5.99 purchase
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
Undead Horde allows the player to dive in and have fun right away. The player is a necromancer that gets set free and goes on a rampage, utilizing their ability to raise the dead and sticking it to their living captors.
Undead Horde is a fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It blends several styles of games together, like hack-and-slash, strategy, and RPG. Players can command their hordes of undead servants, giving the game a small element of strategy when approaching combat. Players can also collect loot and sell it on, a common aspect in any ARPG.
7 Exiled Kingdoms
Makes Finding Magical Items Feel Rewarding
Exiled Kingdoms
- Developer: 4 Dimension Games
- Price Model: Free-to-play with in-app purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls
Exiled Kingdoms is a classic-looking isometric ARPG that allows players to explore a rich and unique world. It features an interesting main story quest, and faction quests that lead to additional content unlocks. The game features secret doors, loot, traps, optional bosses, and all the things a player would expect from an old school dungeon crawler.
Loot is handled in a way that challenges the player to explore. For instance, sticking to low stakes, mundane areas will fetch average loot. But if players manage to track down hidden, unexplored spaces, they’ll come across stronger enemies that drop special loot with magical properties. This is for players who want a more challenging experience without tutorials holding their hand.
6 Almora Darkosen RPG
An Action-Packed Top-Down Hack 'N Slash RPG
- Release Date: June 3, 2022
- Developer: Grzegorz Borkowski
- Genre: Action RPG
- Price Model: Free-to-play, with an optional $4.99 premium option
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
Almora Darkosen is an impressive ARPG for fans of the old-school Diablo style of game. The environment feels less open-world, and more like individual maps designed in a maze format. Considering it’s developed by one person, the love put into the game shines through. The developer was a real fan of these styles of role-playing game and wanted to contribute to the genre.
There are all sorts of impressive features, in addition to the common ARPG mechanics. One example is the merc-for-hire system that allows players to hire an AI-controlled companion, and equip them with potions, food and other goods they’ll need for their adventure.
5 Undecember
Become The Mightiest Rune Hunter
Undecember
- Price Model: Free-to-play with In-App Purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
Undecember is a fast-paced action RPG with a great story that's even voice acted. Players can customize their character at the beginning, but Undecember is flexible, giving players the freedom to change direction with their builds if they wish to.
8 Beginner Tips For Undecember
Players jumping into Undecember's hack-and-slash world will need the following beginner-friendly tips to survive.
The game is dense with materials that can be collected to upgrade runes. This can be tedious for some, but for many players, the genre is all about micromanaging resources to ensure that their build is optimal. The combat is satisfying, and makes up for the complexity of the rune system.
The game doesn’t force players to spend money, but there is a slight paywall in Act 4, and the endgame is largely pay-to-win.
4 Eternium
Encourages Players To Craft Gear
Eternium
- Developer: Making Fun
- Price Model: Free to play with In-App Purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls
Eternium is a fun ARPG, tailored for lovers of old-school classics like Diablo. This game has an in-depth crafting system that features Dungeons & Dragons- style rolls to determine the level of the items.
The main thing holding this game back is that it doesn’t get updated as frequently as some of the other games on this list. This forces players to endlessly fight the same bosses over and over, with slightly varied stats.
3 Torchlight: Infinite
Successor To The Popular Torchlight Games
Torchlight: Infinite
- Price Model: Free-to-play with In-App Purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
Unlike its predecessors, Torchlight Infinite was developed with mobile platforms in mind. It’s often mentioned as one of the best Diablo: Immortal alternatives out there. The game has pre-made characters for players to pick from, but there’s still a bunch of customization involved in fine-tuning them. The art style is anime-inspired, which appeals to modern players, but may turn off traditional ARPG gamers.
Despite often being compared to Diablo: Immortal, the game shares many mechanics with Path of Exile, such as similar mechanics and skills. Because of the game's popularity, there are also many guides for new players.
2 Anima ARPG
No Longer Updated, But Still Worth It
- Release Date: March 5th, 2020
- Developer: Redeev
- Genre: Action RPG
- Price Model: Free-to-play with In-App Purchases
- Control Options: Touch Controls
Anima ARPG is set in a dark, gritty underground environment that looks like an ARPG from the late 90s. It has a persistent world, where monsters will no longer spawn once the player has cleared out the dungeon.
Players to pick between classes like skirmisher, sorcerer, and archer. Each class has its own sub-class types, and the game allows players to have a primary and secondary class. The game is no longer updated with new content, but it does have a NewGame+ mode that allows players to redo the main quest without the story itself.
1 Titan Quest Ultimate Edition
The Port That Stats Relevant
Titan Quest
- Price Model: $16.99 purchase, which comes with all expansions.
- Control Options: Touch Controls & Controller Support
Titan Quest is a popular ARPG that goes way back to 2006, when it was originally released for Windows PC. It has re-released many times over the years. Titan Quest Ultimate Edition bundles the previous expansions with the newest one, creating an elite package.
Titan Quest lets players take control of a Greek adventurer, who must navigate a world where the gods have disowned humanity. Beasts have overrun civilization and are destroying everything. The player must travel through numerous lands, defeating hordes of monsters, developing themselves as the most formidable force of nature in the world.
Titan Quest checks all the boxes that would be expected in a Diablo-esque ARPG. There’s an endless amount of quests and expansions, multiple tiers of loot, runes and enhancements. There’s even cooperative play. When looking for a Diablo alternative on iOS, Titan Quest Ultimate Edition is the go-to.
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For those who've grown tired of Sanctuary and are looking for a new challenge, there are plenty of great games like Diablo 4 that deserve a look.