Apple Arcade to get new Tamagotchi game and more in January 2024

Apple has officially announced the games lineup for its Apple Arcade subscription service in January 2024, with one major surprise hiding amongst the pack: there’s a brand new Tamagotchi mobile game on the way!

I’ve personally spoken about this in the past, but I genuinely believe the Tamagotchi Connection Corner Shop games on Nintendo DS were the most underrated titles on the platform. With colourful and simple mini-games, many of them themed around food, beauty, or hobbies, these games remain brain-tickling, rewarding, and incredibly fun. While the newly-announced Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom seems to feature a different gameplay style to its predecessors, it still looks like an incredibly cute and wholesome game (and it features callbacks to some of the shops featured in the Connection series).

As announced, Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is coming to Apple Arcade on 4 January 2024, with all subscribers able to embark on a “heartwarming experience” in this adventure/life simulator featuring more than 300 iconic Tamagotchi characters.

Here’s the official game description, per Apple:

From the most beloved virtual friend franchise of all time comes a new and wonderful journey for all the adventurers out there. Embark on a heartwarming experience in Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom, joining adorable hero Mametchi in restoring harmony to the Tamagotchi planet after a mysterious impact shakes the kingdom.

The kingdom is a canvas for players, where they can explore quirky landscapes, encounter nearly 300 adorable Tamagotchi characters, and build their own cozy wilderness camp. With regular content updates, Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom offers a whimsical journey filled with surprises for players of all ages – adventure awaits.

And here’s the first trailer for the upcoming game:

Frankly, this news has tickled me – and I can’t wait to jump into this title over the holiday break.

Looking beyond this game, Apple is also introducing the following, additional titles to Apple Arcade on 4 January:

• Cornsweeper (wubttr) – Cornsweeper is developed by Jamaican solo developer wbuttr, whose mission is to spread warmth through hand-crafted, illustrative design and a spirit of giving. A meditative mind-sweep-em-up, players pop delicious popcorn and avoid explosions, all set to a relaxing and original lo-fi inspired soundtrack with some reggae infusions. The game is greatly influenced by wbuttr’s Jamaican cultural heritage, and also even features localization in Jamaican Patois (the local dialect).

• Blackjack (MobilityWare) – Players can immerse themselves in the classic game of Blackjack, mastering its intricacies in Blackjack by MobilityWare+. Go beyond the standard choices of Hit or Stand and explore authentic gameplay with options like splitting and doubling down. Players can choose their table as they travel from iconic locations such as London to Barcelona – each offering a unique gaming atmosphere – as they climb up the Leaderboards and showcase their skills.

In revealing its lineup for the new year, Apple has also detailed the most popular Apple Arcade games of 2023, with titles including NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition, Bloons TD 6+, Cooking Mama: Cuisine!, Angry Birds Reloaded, and Fruit Ninja Classic+ making the top five. You can view the full roundup on the Apple website.

We look forward to seeing more from Apple Arcade in 2024.

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