The App Store's golden age of indie gaming is getting a second life. Swedish developer Simogo just launched their Legacy Collection on Switch and Steam, bundling seven groundbreaking mobile games that defined the platform's creative peak between 2010-2015. It's both a nostalgic trip and crucial preservation effort as Apple's ecosystem becomes increasingly hostile to older titles.
The Simogo Legacy Collection isn't just another retro gaming package - it's digital archaeology. The Swedish studio behind recent hits like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes has rescued seven of their most innovative mobile games from the iPhone's creative heyday, when the App Store was actually a place for bold experimentation rather than clone farms and microtransaction traps.
The collection spans a remarkable five-year run from 2010 to 2015, capturing a moment when small studios could reach massive audiences through Apple's then-nascent platform. What's striking is the sheer creative range on display - these games feel like they came from completely different studios, yet they're all unmistakably Simogo.
The early entries like Kosmo Spin and Bumpy Road feel almost quaint now, polished takes on familiar mobile genres. But you can watch the studio's confidence grow in real time. Beat Sneak Bandit transforms rhythm gaming into something genuinely fresh, while Year Walk - perhaps their masterpiece - turns Scandinavian folklore into an haunting adventure that still feels unlike anything else.
Then things get really weird. Device 6 blurs the line between game and interactive novel so thoroughly it's hard to categorize. The Sailor's Dream becomes a multimedia storytelling experiment that pushes the medium's boundaries. Even the most traditional title, the puzzle game SPL-T, burrows into your brain with Tetris-level addictiveness.
Playing the collection on Nintendo Switch (it's also available on Steam) recreates the mobile experience by essentially turning your device into a giant iPhone, complete with app icons and that familiar home screen feel. But this isn't just nostalgic window dressing - there's real substance here. Playable prototypes show the development process, while bonus materials like The Sailor's Dream's companion podcast series add layers of context.
The preservation angle can't be overstated. While these games are technically still available on the App Store, Apple's increasingly hostile approach to older titles means they could vanish at any moment. The company regularly purges apps that don't meet current technical standards, treating gaming history like disposable content.
