I'm getting a new iPad for the first time in what feels like a decade so I'm excited to check out some games that will function better than on my Galaxy as well as things available only on iOS.
The big one I'm hoping to get into is Civilization VI. I like turned based games that are fully fleshed out where I don't have to use some virtual joystick. Does Civ VI go on sale often?
Any other recommendations where gameplay just works great on an iPad and is more advanced than most phone games?
I don't really know what's on iOS but not on Android, myself, but here's a few suggestions.
I like what I've played of Severed. The gameplay is a bit like Infinity Blade if you're familiar with that, but it feels more complete, and the story and presentation are better.
If you like deckbuilding games, Ascension's not bad, but a bunch of the expansions come free when you buy the PC version, and not on mobile.
The mobile versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are probably the best official versions out there. I don't understand why Sega isn't porting them to other platforms. Sega also has a bunch of other Genesis games for free, as well, though they're ad-supported (I think there's a one-time fee you can pay to get rid of the ads, though).
If you like Monster Hunter and Pokemon-like games, Capcom ported their pokemon-like Monster Hunter spin-off, Monster Hunter Stories, from the 3DS. The resolution and performance are significantly better on iOS.
It's not a complex game by any stretch of the imagination, but I actually quite like 1-Bit Rogue, which is an ultra-simplified take on the roguelike genre. I believe it's free with a purchase that unlocks color graphics.
Cave ported a bunch of their Xbox 360 shmups to iOS, and they control pretty decently even with touchscreen controls. They also support XB1/PS4 controllers.
The Ace Attorney games work great on iOS, but Capcom's been pretty lazy about updating them for newer devices—they still run perfectly, but they don't even fill the full screen on my iPad Air 2, which is what, something like 5 years old now? Maybe more? They also haven't gone on sale in ages, which makes me a bit worried about how much longer they'll be supported going forward.
Phantom Detective also runs great on iOS, but I haven't tried it on my iPad, so I'm not sure if it's suffering from the same problems as Ace Attorney.
Transistor and Bastion both work well with the touch controls, and have XB1/PS4 controller support.
I've heard good things about TheoTown, a city builder, but haven't gotten around to trying it myself.
I would recommend avoiding Oceanhorn despite its relative popularity. The dev tried to ape TLoZ so hard that he forgot to design a halfway decent game under the Zelda trappings.
