Apple Arcade Lineup Adds Five Games for the 2026 Holidays
Apple Arcade Lineup Adds Five Games for the 2026 Holidays
The Apple Arcade lineup is getting a holiday boost, and football fans can get started right away. Football Manager 27 Touch launched on November 10, 2026, with a redesigned iPhone interface and more tools for managing a club. Four more games arrive on December 3, including Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown+. A new spin on solitaire and a LEGO DUPLO building game round out the December releases. See the official holiday announcement.
Football Manager 27 Touch Leads the Apple Arcade Lineup
Football Manager 27 Touch puts you in charge of a club, from scouting recruits to making tactical calls on match day. The updated match engine gives managers more ways to influence what happens on the pitch. New recruitment and match preparation tools also help you plan for the next fixture and spot players who fit your squad.
The iPhone version has a redesigned interface that makes it easier to reach important controls on a smaller screen. If you already play Football Manager 26 Touch, the new edition arrives through an update to the existing app. It also supports carrying forward saves from past editions and continuing your career across compatible Apple devices through the cloud. Read the Football Manager 27 Touch launch details.
Meanwhile, the service already has other sports games to try between fixtures. NBA 2K27 Arcade Edition takes the action to the basketball court, while Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition offers a different kind of football. That gives sports fans a choice between building a squad over a season and jumping straight into a game.
Two Big Franchises Join the Apple Arcade Lineup on December 3
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted brings the classic backyard battles back in HD. The idea is as simple as ever. Set plants in lanes, gather sunlight and keep waves of zombies from reaching the house. The remaster adds new levels and modes, including a Cloudy Day challenge that limits sunlight and makes every planting decision count.
You can defend the lawn with a friend in local co-op or face off on the same device in local competitive play. The Arcade-exclusive Party Mode adds costumes, confetti and other playful touches to the familiar battles. You can toggle it on whenever you want to give the garden a festive look. See Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted in the App Store.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown+ takes players to Mount Qaf, where sword fights and tricky platforming share the spotlight. Time powers help you navigate an interconnected map and reach areas you may have passed earlier. As you unlock new moves, old routes become worth exploring again. The Arcade edition includes all downloadable content, including the Mask of Darkness story expansion. See Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown+ in the App Store.
The Apple Arcade Lineup Adds Card Games and Creative Play
Solitaire(ish) starts with a familiar deck of cards and asks you to build stacks to hit rising score targets. As you play, you can collect perks and add special cards that change how your deck works. There are more than 150 special cards, giving you room to try different strategies on later runs. Daily streaks and leaderboards offer another reason to come back after a good round. See solitaire(ish) in the App Store.
LEGO DUPLO Playtime offers a gentler pace for younger players. Children can mix and match digital DUPLO bricks, create their own characters and build places for them to explore. The open-ended setup leaves room to change an idea halfway through or start a new creation from scratch. It gives families a creative option alongside the more competitive games in the December drop. See LEGO DUPLO Playtime in the App Store.
Those two releases suit different moments over the break. Solitaire(ish) gives you a scoring challenge when you have time for a few rounds. LEGO DUPLO Playtime gives younger builders a space to follow their own ideas. Both arrive on December 3 alongside the two franchise releases.
How to Play the Apple Arcade Lineup on Your Devices
All five games are included with Apple Arcade access. The service keeps its games free of ads and in-app purchases, and one subscription can cover up to six people through Family Sharing. That makes it easy for one person to manage a club while someone else tries a card game or builds with DUPLO bricks. Check Apple Arcade access and availability.
The device can shape how you play, too. The redesigned iPhone layout makes sense for checking a lineup on the go. A larger screen might be a better fit when you want to spend an evening working through fixtures. And if local multiplayer is what draws you to Plants vs. Zombies, check the game listing for the setup you plan to use.
To find the games, open the App Store and look for the Arcade tab or search by title. Football Manager 27 Touch supports iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. Device support varies by game, so check the compatibility section on each listing before planning to play on a particular screen. Availability can also vary by region.
For now, football fans can start a new season or pick up an existing career. Then on December 3, the rest of the holiday releases bring four different ways to play, from defending the lawn with a friend to exploring Mount Qaf. If you enjoy seeing familiar games return in a new form, catch up on our [Ocarina of Time remake coverage](/ocarina-of-time-remake/).
