Apple Arcade Gets Balatro, NBA 2K25 and More Games Soon [CNET]

On Thursday, Apple announced it will add the deck-building game Balatro, the next installment of the NBA 2K franchise and some pet-filled games to Apple Arcade soon.

Apple Arcade, a CNET Editors’ Choice Award pick, is filled with familiar and classic games, alongside exclusive titles, that you can play for $7 a month (£7, AU$10). You can find many of these games in the App Store, but they have paywalls and ads that might hinder your gaming experience. Using an Apple Arcade subscription, you can play each game without paywalls and ads, a feature usually denoted by “Plus” in the game’s name.

Apple added NFL Retro Bowl 25 and other games to the service in September, and it will add these games later in September and early October.

Balatro Plus

Release date: Sept. 26
Developer: LocalThunk, Playstack

This addictive roguelike deck-building game that has been played for more than 1,742 years on Steam in its first few weeks is coming to Apple Arcade. In this poker-inspired card game, you play illegal poker hands, earn chips to beat blinds and play Joker, Tarot and other types of cards to give you the upperhand. 

NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition

Release date: Oct. 3
Developer: 2K

Take your skills to the next level in the latest installment of this popular basketball franchise. Challenge your friends to one-on-one or three-on-three matches, tackle familiar game modes like The Association and MyCareer and for the first time take on The Neighborhood on mobile. Play on indoor and outdoor courts, explore shops and dunk on the rest of your competition.

Food Truck Pup Plus

Release date: Oct. 3
Developer: Game Start

Get ready to serve up some tasty crepes with some of the best doggie chefs around. This game puts you in control of your own food enterprise as you go from food truck to global food phenomenon. And importantly, you play as an adorable Shiba Inu and can hire other cute pup chefs — what else do I need to say?

Furistas Cat Cafe Plus

Release date: Oct. 3
Developer: Runaway Play

If you’re into cats more than dogs, though, have no fear, this game has you covered. You run your own cat cafe with the goal of matching cats to the right customers for adoption. Each cat is based on real-life rescues with a unique backstory and personality, too. And you can customize your cafe to your liking, but let’s be honest, we’re here for the cats.

Smash Hit Plus

Release date: Oct. 3
Developer: Mediocre AB

Smash your way through surreal environments in this game. You’ll have to focus and concentrate on timing things just right in order to travel as far as possible and smash as many things as possible. 

You can access these games in Apple Arcade soon, but there are plenty of other games to play on the service now for $7 a month or $50 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade for free for one month with your first sign-up, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy a new Apple device. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS or iPadOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.

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