Apple Arcade's first release of 2023 is the interactive storytelling game Episode XOXO. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade ($5 a month), you can play this game free of cost, ads and in-app purchases.
Developed by Pocket Gems, Episode XOXO has a catalog of interactive stories written by different writers. At launch, you can choose between eight stories, including The Royal Bachelor and No Time for Love. More stories will be added periodically, and one story, Game of Hearts, is already listed as coming soon.
In each story, you can customize your character's appearance and sexuality, to an extent. Then, throughout each story, you're given dialogue options in different scenarios to choose from. The dialogue you choose affects how the story plays out. You can flirt with your crush or spurn them, depending on how you're feeling. Go ahead -- tell them this is crazy, but here's your number... so call you, maybe?
Apple Arcade adds new games and content updates every week. If you're interested in trying Apple Arcade, you can get a three-month free trial with the purchase of a new device, or one month for free if you're signing up for the first time. Open the App Store and tap the joystick icon at the bottom of the screen to launch the service.
