Play games on iPad

In the App Store app , you can discover new games and play with your friends using Game Center.

Note: Game Center, Apple Arcade, and Apple One aren’t available in all countries or regions. See the Apple Support article Availability of Apple Media Services.

Find and download games

Tap any of the following tabs:
- Games: Explore new releases, see the top charts, or browse by category.
- Arcade: See the games available in Apple Arcade.
- Search: Enter what you’re looking for, then tap Search on the keyboard.
To buy a game, tap the price or, if the game is free, tap Get. If the game is included with your Apple Arcade subscription, tap Play.
If you see instead of a price, you already purchased the game, and you can download it again without a charge.
If required, authenticate your Apple ID with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to complete your purchase.

Play Apple Arcade games on your other Apple devices

All of the games in Apple Arcade on iPad are also available in Apple Arcade on other devices. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade, you can access your game progress on devices where you’re signed in with your Apple ID.

See the Apple Support article Access your Apple Arcade gameplay data on all of your devices.

Connect a wireless game controller to iPad

See the Apple Support article Connect a wireless game controller to your Apple device.

Play with your friends in Game Center

You can send friend requests, manage your public profile, and track your high scores across your Apple devices using Game Center.

Go to Settings > Game Center, then sign in with your Apple ID.
To create a Game Center profile, do any of the following:
- Choose a nickname: Tap Nickname, then enter a name or choose one of the suggestions. Your friends see your nickname when you play games together.
- Personalize your profile picture: Tap Edit at the top, then create a new Memoji, use an existing Memoji, or customize how your initials appear.
To add friends, tap Friends, tap Add Friends, then enter their phone number or Apple ID, or tap to invite someone in your Contacts list.
To accept a friend request, the recipient must click the link in the text message on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac that meets the minimum system requirements for Apple Arcade.

In your list of friends, tap a friend to see games they recently played and their achievements. You can also report a user for cheating, an inappropriate picture or nickname, or another problem. To remove a friend, tap Remove Friend.

Set Game Center restrictions

You can set restrictions for multiplayer games, adding friends, private messaging, and more.

Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, then turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Tap Content Restrictions, scroll down to Game Center, then set restrictions.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide