5 Of The Best Open World Games On iPhone To Check Out In 2023

Games that were once thought to be only possible on consoles and PCs have now made their way to devices such as iPhones. Open-world games are extremely popular in gaming today, so it makes sense a fair share of them would be available on the iPhone as well as Android. While you're not going to hit the cutting-edge graphics a PS5, Xbox Series X, or high-end PC can offer, there are many open-world games worth your time on the iPhone and iOS devices. 

We're now at the point where many PS2-era games run on iPhones natively, so games like "Grand Theft Auto" and "Dragon Quest" can be found on the App Store without compromising the experience. Even vast MMOs can run on mobile devices these days, meaning there's a huge selection on offer for gamers looking for their next game to dive into. Whether you're feeling nostalgic or you want to try something new, the iPhone has you covered.

"Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy" includes "Grand Theft Auto 3," "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," so there's a lot of value to be found in this bundle. All three of these games were originally released during the PS2 and Xbox era, but they all hold up quite well. Although they are from the early 2000s, it's still impressive to see games of this size running on such a small device.

Between the three games, there are hundreds of hours of gameplay here for people returning to the series and newcomers alike. There are some references here and there, but you can tackle the games in any order. "San Andreas" features a cool mechanic that lets you customize the main character's stats as you see fit, something both "Vice City" and "GTA 3" don't allow. That would be one of the downsides to starting with the newest entry and working your way back. If you want to see how the series evolved after making the leap to 3D, you would start with "GTA 3," go to "Vice City," and finish with "San Andreas."

"Genshin Impact" took the world by storm in 2020 and hasn't looked back since. At first glance, it looks like a game akin to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," but playing it will make you realize it's much more than that. It has an engaging combat style that lets you combine elements like electricity and water to make a powerful attack. It has a learning curve, but it feels very nice in practice.

Perhaps the most impressive feat "Genshin Impact" is able to pull off is running on an iPhone. This is a beautiful-looking game on PlayStation and PC, and it still looks good on the small iPhone screen. The on-screen controls work just fine as well, but connecting a controller to your mobile device will feel better if that's an option for you. The cherry on top is it's fully cross-save compatible between mobile, PC, and PlayStation. This means you'll be able to swap around between the various platforms without missing a beat.

"Minecraft" was released all the way back in 2011, and it's still one of the most widely played games today. The open-world sandbox game frequently finds itself near the top of the top paid games chart on the App Store. It helps that Mojang keeps the game feeling fresh with frequent updates, making it so there are always new things to discover. 

Part of what makes "Minecraft" so successful is the freedom it offers players. You start off in a random spot on a random map and just start doing whatever you want. There's a near-limitless amount of things you can do in the game, and it gets even better when playing with friends. "Minecraft" is very easy to pick up, and it's even harder to master all the things to do in it. One thing's for certain and it's that there's tons of fun to be had if you decide to pick it up.

"Albion Online" is a sandbox game, like "Minecraft," but the two games couldn't be more different. "Albion Online" is an MMO where almost everything in it is player-driven. This means the gear, economy, and world itself are controlled by the community. This makes it feel closer to "Runescape" than it does to "World of Warcraft" in terms of MMOs. 

With no class restrictions, "Albion Online" lets you put on anything you find, and it opens up a variety of different options to the players. Like some of the other games on this list, you'll have cross-platform play between mobile and PC. Because of this, many players will find it easier to do more relaxing tasks such as fishing on mobile while saving the tougher stuff like dungeons for PC. Of course, you can do it all on iOS if you choose, but things can get chaotic in a hurry on a small screen.

"Don't Starve: Pocket Edition" shrinks down the PC version of the game, but it's still a formidable port. The goal of the game is to build a camp that allows you to survive the night just so you can explore more of the vast world during the day. It's similar to "Minecraft" in the sense you're just dropped into an area without explanation, but you'll quickly discover the two games are very different.

Unfortunately, "Don't Starve: Pocket Edition" falls behind in features compared to the PC version, most notably lacking any mod support. The touchscreen interface, while solid, pales in comparison to having a keyboard and mouse to play with. You have the option to use a Bluetooth controller if the touch controls are lacking for you. There's still a lot of fun to be had in the game regardless, but if you find yourself wanting more, like the multiplayer expansion, you'll have to snag a PC version.