Looking for games like Zelda on iPhone? The five picks below borrow selected ideas—such as exploration, puzzles, dungeons, or action combat—but none is an official Zelda game. Nintendo lists The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as exclusive to Nintendo Switch on its official product page. For iPhone, these independent adventures offer different ways to scratch that Zelda-like itch.
Which Zelda-like iPhone game should you choose?
| Game | What it emphasizes | Access and iPhone details established here |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm | Third-person fantasy adventure, quests, puzzles, bosses, and dungeons | Listed for iPhone in the US App Store; controller support; iOS 13.0 or later. App Store listing also identifies Apple Arcade as an access route. US App Store listing |
| The Pathless | Open-world archery, traversal, and puzzles | Current iPhone availability and price were not established here. |
| Genshin Impact | Free-to-play open-world role-playing adventure | Current iPhone availability and monetization terms should be checked in the relevant regional store. |
| Cat Quest II | Light 2D action RPG with solo or local co-op play | Listed for iPhone in the US App Store at $4.99; controller support; iOS 13.0 or later. Price is regional and may change. US App Store listing |
| Bastion | Action combat, level-based exploration, and a reactive narrator | Current iPhone availability and price were not reverified here. |
For a closest fit to a traditional fantasy quest, start with Oceanhorn 2. Choose The Pathless for movement and archery, Genshin Impact for a large role-playing world, Cat Quest II for an approachable 2D adventure, or Bastion for a more focused action game.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm
Oceanhorn 2 trades Zelda’s familiar top-down view for a third-person perspective. Its fantasy setting, treasure hunting, and quest structure make it a natural pick for players who want an adventure built around exploring a world and taking on varied challenges. The current US App Store listing describes a main quest alongside side quests, bosses, puzzles, and dungeons.
It is not a one-to-one substitute for Tears of the Kingdom: iMore’s 2023 description characterized the experience as more linear. The current US listing supports iPhone and game controllers, and identifies Apple Arcade as one access route. Arcade catalog availability can vary by region and change over time, so check the listing where you live before subscribing or downloading.
#1 Best Overall
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The Pathless
The Pathless centers on an archer known as the Hunter, moving through a cursed world. Its appeal is the combination of fast traversal, archery, and puzzles rather than a close recreation of Zelda’s dungeon-and-weapon formula. iMore’s 2023 article praised the freedom of movement while noting that its world is not as open as Zelda’s.
That description is a useful guide to the game’s feel, not a current store or compatibility guarantee. The available information here does not establish its present iPhone listing, price, or access terms; check your regional App Store before planning to play it on iPhone.
Rank #2
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Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is the pick for players who want an expansive open-world role-playing game. iMore described it as free-to-play and available on iOS and other platforms, while also pointing to its gacha mechanics. Those mechanics are part of the trade-off: the game’s access model is different from buying a fixed-price standalone adventure, and players should review the current in-app purchase details before starting.
Availability, monetization, and game content can change. Confirm current iPhone availability and terms in your regional store and through the publisher’s current information rather than relying on older descriptions.
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Cat Quest II
Cat Quest II is a lighter, 2D take on open-world dungeon crawling, set in a fantasy realm of cats and dogs. It supports solo play or local co-op, making it the clearest choice here if you want a simple adventure to play with someone beside you rather than a sprawling role-playing game.
The US App Store listing describes it as an action RPG, lists iPhone compatibility and controller support, and shows a $4.99 price with iOS 13.0 or later. That price is specific to the US listing and can change. The listing also identifies the game as a former Apple Arcade title now available on the App Store, so the 2023 subscription framing is no longer a safe assumption.
Rank #4
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- Support 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 on mobile.
Bastion
Bastion is an action-focused choice built around the Kid, combat through distinct levels, and exploration of a world of floating islands. Its standout feature is a narrator who reacts to the player’s actions as the adventure unfolds. That makes it less of an open-world Zelda counterpart and more of a tightly paced action game with a distinctive storytelling device.
iMore’s 2023 article reported a free download with a $4.99 in-app purchase to unlock the full game at that time. Those details have not been reverified as current, and present iPhone availability is not established here. Check the current regional listing before downloading or budgeting for it.
Best Value
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Choosing a controller and checking availability
A Bluetooth game controller compatible with iPhone is an optional way to get physical controls. The US App Store listings for Oceanhorn 2 and Cat Quest II explicitly show controller support; this does not establish support for every game in this list, and no particular controller model is endorsed.
Quick Recap
- Check your country’s App Store for current availability, price, iOS requirements, and in-app purchase terms.
- If you are considering Apple Arcade for Oceanhorn 2, confirm that the game is currently included in the catalog available to your region.
- For a controller, confirm compatibility with both your iPhone and the game you plan to play.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
