Save the world as a tech-savvy spider in Apple Arcade's new game

Spyder is available to play on Apple Arcade right now.

Shelby Brown Editor II

Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.

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She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.

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Shelby Brown

March 24, 2020 2:55 p.m. PT

2 min read

spyder-2 — Use your size to your advantage and don't get caught.
Apple

Apple Arcade on Friday added Spyder from Sumo Digital to its growing catalog of over 100 games. In Spyder, you must save the world as Agent 8 -- a sophisticated miniature robot spider deployed by the British Spy Agency.

Use all of your built-in spy gadgets, gizmos and tools as you scurry to sabotage the dastardly plans of SIN, an evil organization bent on destroying the world.

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"I really love the unique perspective you get from being a tiny character in a human scale world where every surface is climbable. It really encourages the player to explore and find new and interesting solutions to the puzzles in the game," Nic Cusworth, lead game designer for Spyder told CNET.

Agent 8 is immediately dropped into The War Room and tasked with preventing the launch of a missile. The controls are easy to get the hang of and the details in the game, like Agent 8's interactions with "large" objects like pens. Although you have the stealth element, navigating the environment requires more strategy.

"Really take some time to explore the environments to get a different perspective on the world. Some puzzles in the game might be a little perplexing up close, but viewing a puzzle from a different angle often reveals the solution," Cusworth said.

With Apple Arcade's release in September, Apple firmly staked its claim in the mobile gaming world. The subscription gaming service costs $4.99 a month (£4.99, AU$7.99) and lets you play 100 new and exclusive games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod Touch and Apple TV.