The Top 10 Most Downloaded iOS Games of All Time

If you've searched for the "Top 20 most popular iOS game apps in iOS 8," you've probably hit a dead end. That's because no reliable, globally ranked top 20 list exists for that specific operating system version. The term "iOS 8" is often confused with "the first 8 years of the iOS App Store," which is a different data set entirely.

This article cuts through the confusion. Here is the verified, source-backed ranking of the most downloaded iOS games of all time, based on data from the App Store's first eight years (2010–2018), compiled by App Annie and reported by multiple outlets.

The All-Time Top 10 iOS Games by Downloads

The following list represents the top 10 most downloaded games on the iOS App Store from July 2010 through May 2018, according to the most widely cited App Annie report.

1. Candy Crush Saga (King) – The undisputed champion, with over 280 million downloads in that period alone.
2. Subway Surfers (Kiloo/SYBO Games)
3. Fruit Ninja (Halfbrick Studios)
4. Clash of Clans (Supercell)
5. Honour of Kings (Tencent)
6. Minion Rush (Gameloft)
7. Angry Birds (Rovio)
8. Temple Run 2 (Imangi Studios)
9. Temple Run (Imangi Studios)
10. Asphalt 8: Airborne (Gameloft)

Important Note: Other sources from the same era offer slightly different rankings. For example, a 2015 report from KamaGames and Cult of Mac lists Despicable Me (likely a version of Minion Rush) at #5 and Angry Birds Rio at #8, omitting Honour of Kings and Asphalt 8 entirely. The list above is based on the 2018 App Annie data, which is the most comprehensive and authoritative source for the full 8-year window.

Why a 'Top 20' List Doesn't Exist

The search for a top 20 list for "iOS 8" fails for two main reasons:

1. The Term 'iOS 8' is Ambiguous: It could refer to the operating system released in 2014, or colloquially to the first 8 years of the App Store. The published App Annie data covers the first 8 years (2010–2018), not the iOS 8 OS period.
2. Data Only Goes to a Top 10: The major reports from 2018, which are the best source for all-time data at that point, only published a top 10 list for games by download. A validated global top 20 was not released.

The Actual iOS 8 Era (2014) Charts

If you genuinely meant the period when iOS 8 was the active operating system (late 2014), the global data is even more fragmented. Apple published country-specific year-end charts for 2014, not a global top 20. For example, the 2014 top paid iPhone games in the US included Heads Up!, Minecraft – Pocket Edition, and Cut the Rope 2. A complete, verifiable global list for that specific year does not exist in the available sources.

From Downloads to Revenue: A Different Story

It's also worth noting that being the most downloaded doesn't make a game the most profitable. The all-time revenue chart for the same 8-year window looks very different:

1. Clash of Clans (Supercell) – Topped the consumer spend chart, despite being #4 in downloads.
2. Candy Crush Saga (King)
3. Monster Strike (Mixi)
4. Puzzle & Dragons (GungHo Online Entertainment)
5. Honour of Kings (Tencent)
6. Fantasy Westward Journey (NetEase)
7. Game of War – Fire Age (Machine Zone)
8. Fate/Grand Order (DELiGHTWORKS)
9. Clash Royale (Supercell)
10. Pokemon GO (Niantic)

Supercell's strategy of monetizing a smaller, highly engaged player base paid off enormously, with Clash of Clans generating more revenue than any other game despite having less than half the downloads of the top game.

The key takeaway: if you need a verified top 20 list for iOS games, the data simply does not support it. This top 10, supported by App Annie's industry-standard tracking, is the most authoritative ranking available for the first 8 years of the App Store.