Best games
Best iOS games of 2001
The 10 best iOS games released in 2001, ranked from 4,254 critic and player ratings.
The best iOS game of 2001 is Grand Theft Auto III, with a critic score of 93/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2001.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 4,254 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 10
01
S
Grand Theft Auto III
Featuring a fully 3-D living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto III represents a huge leap forward in interactive entertainment. For the first time, players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realised 3 dimensional city, in which anything can happen and probably will. With a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, a huge array of street ready weapons and some of the seediest characters in video game history, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a sprawling epic which will show you that sometimes, crime can pay and sometimes it can pay you back. Available now for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC and Macintosh.
93
/100
02
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a revolutionary action adventure with an epic tale of intrigue, fierce alliances, explosive spell effects and highly detailed creatures and environments. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a benchmark of technology and gameplay.
85
/100
03
Tropico
As the newly instated dictator of an obscure Caribbean Island, you will build a path of progress for your sapling nation, overcoming poverty, strife and other evils. Combining building-oriented gameplay with a healthy dose of Latin American political intrigue - Tropico bundles it all up in a fun, totally original and utterly addictive package.
82
/100
S
Grand Theft Auto III
Featuring a fully 3-D living city, a combination of narrative driven and non-linear gameplay and a completely open environment, Grand Theft Auto III represents a huge leap forward in interactive entertainment. For the first time, players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realised 3 dimensional city, in which anything can happen and probably will. With a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, a huge array of street ready weapons and some of the seediest characters in video game history, Grand Theft Auto 3 is a sprawling epic which will show you that sometimes, crime can pay and sometimes it can pay you back. Available now for PlayStation2, Xbox, PC and Macintosh.
93
/100
02
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a revolutionary action adventure with an epic tale of intrigue, fierce alliances, explosive spell effects and highly detailed creatures and environments. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a benchmark of technology and gameplay.
85
/100
03
Tropico
As the newly instated dictator of an obscure Caribbean Island, you will build a path of progress for your sapling nation, overcoming poverty, strife and other evils. Combining building-oriented gameplay with a healthy dose of Latin American political intrigue - Tropico bundles it all up in a fun, totally original and utterly addictive package.
82
/100
04
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Gyakuten Saiban is a visual novel adventure game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom. It was released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. The story follows Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney who attempts to have his clients declared "not guilty". Among other characters are Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey; his assistant and Mia's sister, Maya; and prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. The player controls Phoenix through two sets of sections: investigations and courtroom trials. During investigations they gather information and evidence. During trials they cross-examine witnesses, and answer questions from the judge, the prosecutor, and the witnesses. The story is split into four cases.
80
/100
05
The Settlers 4
The Romans, the Mayans, the Vikings, and the Trojans are the four industrious little races you'll be settling with. The seamless zoom function allows you to take a close-up peek as your settlers go about their daily business, or to zoom out for a bird's-eye view of how your very own empire is coming along. Put your settling skills to the test as you gather resources, establish and manage trade routes, manufacture goods, or wage war. It's up to you to lead your tiny settlers to victory! Are you up to the task?
81
/100
06
RuneScape
RuneScape is a high fantasy open world MMORPG. Explore an ever changing and evolving living world where new challenges, skills, and quests await. Featuring unprecedented player freedom, you choose how to play, adventure, and grow.
78
/100
07
Runaway, A Road Adventure
Runaway: A Road Adventure is a point and click adventure game developed by Péndulo Studios, S.L. in 2001. The game follows the long tradition of two-dimensional adventure games like the first two installments of the Broken Sword series. It enjoyed immense popularity in countries like Germany and France, where the adventure genre is still popular.
74
/100
08
S
Max Payne
Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard. The groundbreaking original cinematic action-shooter, Max Payne introduced the concept of Bullet Time in videogames. Through its stylish slow-motion gunplay combined with a dark and twisted story, Max Payne redefined the action-shooter genre.
74
/100
09
Louvre: The Final Curse
61
/100
10
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is set in the fictional Oddworld universe and take place after those of Abe's Exoddus. The player controls Munch as well as Abe, the hero of the previous Oddworld games. Abe's abilities haven't changed much since the last installment: as before, GameSpeak must be used to communicate with other creatures, leading them to safety. His fellow Mudokons can now be ordered to attack enemies. Abe can also grab and toss Mudokons or Munch to lead them to area they cannot access otherwise. Possessing enemies also comes into play, and is needed to solve many of the puzzles. Possession abilities can now be used to ignite quarrels between enemies and make them fight each other. The player can change between Abe and Munch instantly throughout most of the game. Munch brings on the table new abilities of his own: he can use his sonar to control or immobilize specific creatures, as well as swim. Another new addition is the possibility to use vending machines, which sell various items that enhance the abilities of the protagonists. At certain points Abe and Munch can also remote-control mechanical creatures.
55
/100
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Gyakuten Saiban is a visual novel adventure game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom. It was released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. The story follows Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney who attempts to have his clients declared "not guilty". Among other characters are Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey; his assistant and Mia's sister, Maya; and prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. The player controls Phoenix through two sets of sections: investigations and courtroom trials. During investigations they gather information and evidence. During trials they cross-examine witnesses, and answer questions from the judge, the prosecutor, and the witnesses. The story is split into four cases.
80
/100
05
The Settlers 4
The Romans, the Mayans, the Vikings, and the Trojans are the four industrious little races you'll be settling with. The seamless zoom function allows you to take a close-up peek as your settlers go about their daily business, or to zoom out for a bird's-eye view of how your very own empire is coming along. Put your settling skills to the test as you gather resources, establish and manage trade routes, manufacture goods, or wage war. It's up to you to lead your tiny settlers to victory! Are you up to the task?
81
/100
06
RuneScape
RuneScape is a high fantasy open world MMORPG. Explore an ever changing and evolving living world where new challenges, skills, and quests await. Featuring unprecedented player freedom, you choose how to play, adventure, and grow.
78
/100
07
Runaway, A Road Adventure
Runaway: A Road Adventure is a point and click adventure game developed by Péndulo Studios, S.L. in 2001. The game follows the long tradition of two-dimensional adventure games like the first two installments of the Broken Sword series. It enjoyed immense popularity in countries like Germany and France, where the adventure genre is still popular.
74
/100
08
S
Max Payne
Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. A fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Max Payne is a relentless story-driven game about a man on the edge, fighting to clear his name while struggling to uncover the truth about his slain family amongst a myriad of plot-twists and twisted thugs in the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard. The groundbreaking original cinematic action-shooter, Max Payne introduced the concept of Bullet Time in videogames. Through its stylish slow-motion gunplay combined with a dark and twisted story, Max Payne redefined the action-shooter genre.
74
/100
09
Louvre: The Final Curse
61
/100
10
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is set in the fictional Oddworld universe and take place after those of Abe's Exoddus. The player controls Munch as well as Abe, the hero of the previous Oddworld games. Abe's abilities haven't changed much since the last installment: as before, GameSpeak must be used to communicate with other creatures, leading them to safety. His fellow Mudokons can now be ordered to attack enemies. Abe can also grab and toss Mudokons or Munch to lead them to area they cannot access otherwise. Possessing enemies also comes into play, and is needed to solve many of the puzzles. Possession abilities can now be used to ignite quarrels between enemies and make them fight each other. The player can change between Abe and Munch instantly throughout most of the game. Munch brings on the table new abilities of his own: he can use his sonar to control or immobilize specific creatures, as well as swim. Another new addition is the possibility to use vending machines, which sell various items that enhance the abilities of the protagonists. At certain points Abe and Munch can also remote-control mechanical creatures.
55
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best iOS game of 2001?
Grand Theft Auto III currently tops the ranking with a score of 93/100 across 1,647 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.