Dead Cells

Dead Cells is one of the best examples of a game that makes difficulty feel fair by making the gameplay fun and responsive. That way, you can’t really blame anyone but yourself when you fail — and you will.

Combat is fast, movement is responsive, and every death tends to feel connected to something you did wrong. That doesn’t make it less frustrating, but it does make it more addictive. When a game kills you and you want to try again immediately, it must be doing something right.

This is a classic learn-through-failure game. You move through an ever-changing castle, gather weapons and skills, and try to survive long enough to make the run count. 

The game won’t hold your hand during your fights, and you’ll get punished pretty fast if you make mistakes. Dead Cells is for players who enjoy the rhythm of improvement through repetition, and on iPhone, it remains one of the strongest hardcore action picks. Granted, it might be best for your gameplay (and your screen) if you try it with a Bluetooth controller. If you’re on the go — or just killing time on the subway — the touch controls are remarkably precise, but a controller is still the gold standard for this level of intensity