This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
On October 1st, the catalog will grow by five games. The most notable of these is the first official adaptation of a cartoon cat that has been circulating online for sixteen years – and three of the new additions will not run on all Apple devices.
Apple has announced the October additions to its gaming service. Two of them are Arcade exclusives, while three are from the App Store and will be available in an ad-free and in-app-purchase-free version. The release schedule follows the pattern of previous months, most recently with the two puzzle titles on September 3rd.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Five new titles will be released on Apple Arcade on October 1st.
- Pusheen's Place is the first officially licensed game featuring the comic cat and remains exclusive to the service.
- River City Survivors brings zombie action with over 20 playable characters.
- Terraria+, Touchgrind BMX 2+ and 4 Pics 1 Word+ are coming as ad-free App Store versions.
- The three Plus titles only run on iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro – not on Mac and Apple TV.
A cozy cat paradise
Pusheen's Place is the title that grabs attention. Players build a living space for the gray cartoon cat, and according to Apple, can collect more than 100 kittens and furnish rooms for familiar variants like Pusheenicorn and Pancake Pusheen. Three mini-games called Snack Stack, Parfait Pop, and Batch Match are also included.
What's remarkable isn't so much the gameplay itself, but the timing. The character originated in 2010 as a supporting character in a webcomic by two artists from Illinois; its name is derived from the Irish word for kitten. Through Tumblr, sticker sets, and plush toys, it became a brand with over a hundred licensees worldwide. Nevertheless, it took sixteen years for the first officially licensed game to be released.
Apple places the title alongside its growing line of relaxed building games, such as Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom, and Cozy Caravan.
Zombies from an old fighting game series
River City Survivors is considerably louder. The game is part of the River City series, which is likely familiar to older gamers in German-speaking countries, and follows the Survivors formula: waves of enemies, special attacks, and random upgrades per run.
There are more than 20 characters to choose from, including series veterans Kunio and Riki. Up to two companions can be hired per round.
Three App Store titles without ads
The remaining three new additions are familiar games in the arcade version, which comes without advertising and without additional purchases.
| Title | Kind | Available on |
|---|---|---|
| Pusheen's Place | Arcade Original | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro |
| River City Survivors | Arcade Original | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro |
| Terraria+ | App Store title | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Touchgrind BMX 2+ | App Store title | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| 4 Pics 1 Word+ | App Store title | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
Terraria+ includes update 1.4.5, which introduces collaborations with Dead Cells and characters from Palworld. Up to seven players can connect via Game Center or local Wi-Fi. Touchgrind BMX 2+ features two-finger controls, while 4 Pics 1 Word+ is the ad-free version of the picture puzzle game.
The difference is stated in the footnote
The device list in the table is not taken from the main text of the announcement, but from its footnotes – and it is practically the most important part of the announcement. Arcade Originals run on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Titles imported from the App Store, however, only run on iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro.
So, if you wanted to play Terraria on a big screen via Apple TV or on your Mac, you're out of luck. For you, this means that with these three Plus titles, the service is only available for mobile phones and tablets, not for your living room. The quickest way to see which titles are available on which device is in the Apple Games app.
Prices in German-speaking countries
According to Apple's announcement, the service costs €6.99 per month, with a free month to start. Anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV receives three months free. Apple Arcade is included in the Apple One plans: €19.95 for an individual, €25.95 for a family plan, and €34.95 for the Premium plan.
One subscription covers up to six people in a Family Sharing plan. According to Apple, the catalog includes over 200 games, though availability may vary depending on the device and region.
What October means for the service
The mix is typical of Apple's strategy over the past few months: an exclusive title with a well-known brand as the flagship, a genre representative for the active target group, and three App Store classics to fill the catalog. The proportion of acquired titles is larger than the proportion of genuine in-house productions – three to two.
This isn't a criticism of the service itself, but rather an observation about its direction: Arcade is increasingly being positioned as an ad-free version of the App Store and less as a home to exclusive games. For families with children, who would otherwise constantly be bombarded with in-app purchases, this is precisely the value of the subscription.
Do you primarily play games on your Apple devices while traveling or on your TV – and does it bother you that the popular App Store titles don't work on Apple TV? Tell us in the comments how you use the service.
