Today Apple announced that it has chosen developer Vlambeer's appropriately titled fishing game Ridiculous Fishing: A Tale of Redemption as the best iPhone game of 2013. For iPad they decided that the best title was Frogmind's stunning sidescroller Badland.
Apple also chose two runners-up for each categories, with Simogo's interactive novel/puzzle game Device 6 and PopCap Games' free-to-play Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time getting acclaim on the iPhone. On the iPad side 2K's incredible XCOM: Enemy Unknown adaptation and Kevin Ng's trippy Impossible Road garnered nods.
You can find all of these games featured right on the front of the App store and all of them are well-deserved. The success of Ridiculous Fishing is remarkable in that it almost didn't even happen- Vlambeer got sick of competitors ripping off their work game after game and almost didn't finish it. Good thing they did because it really is one of the finest games you can own on iOS and absolutely deserves space on your phone. (If you enjoy Ridiculous Fishing and own a Playstation Vita remember that their first title, Super Crate Box, is currently free on there)
Badland at first look can almost be written off as yet another Limbo clone- it does use the silhouette style that Limbo made popular - but it's a wholly unique game that's satisying and haunting and genuinely beautiful. It has also been constantly updated with new levels, the game basically doubling in size since initial release, and all for free. It just keeps getting better and better.
Apple took this moment to shine a light on the best-selling games of the year as well. Minecraft: Pocket Edition easily tops the list of Top Paid Games, along with titles like Temple Run: Oz and Angry Birds Star Wars. Candy Crush Saga and Temple Run 2 are at the head of Top Free Apps. Top Grossing goes to the unstoppable Candy Crush Saga, with Clash of Clans right afterneath it.
Last year for their Best of 2012 Awards Apple chose to highlight Rayman: Jungle Run and The Room as the best iPhone and iPad games, respectively.
