The only time I remember pushing the iPhone 11 Pro Max to a point where it runs hot is when I edit and render 4K video on iMovie, on the phone. But then the latest release on the Apple Arcade came along.

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I wanted to write about the game sooner, but in the beginning, my phone ran so warm I didn’t want to risk damaging it in the long term. That is when I realised there are graphics options in the settings menu and I began to see how flexible the game is.

Developed by Scotland based Cobra Games, Towers of Everland looks good, plays alright, and tries to do a lot of things. You can play it with or without a controller and in either portrait or landscape. You even have the option to turn the story off in the settings.

Although I described the game as a dungeon crawler, you actually ascend towers in the game. But, the principles are the same.

As the game progresses you get more difficult dungeons. Meanwhile, craftsmen and traders start opening shops in your town so you can buy, sell, create, and upgrade your gear. You even gain abilities as you level up. And there are classes, four of them in fact!

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Playing the game with all the graphical gimmicks turned off and set to low is alright.

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With all the graphical settings turned up to maximum, the game looks good. However, the sound design is still lacking. Fire sounds like crawling spiders and the sound effects are limited.

Playing with a controller has its advantages. The combat turns from a weird dance to a dangerous game of peek-a-boo. This is because the game is set on a grid and it’s easier to sidestep using the controller.

When an enemy sees me, I just turn the corner and wait. Because of the grid, they will have to take the time to walk in front of me and turn to face me. That’s when I attack.

The “loot the tower, escape, upgrade, and repeat” gameplay loop can get monotonous. The towers lack real variety, and the fiddling with the gear feels like busywork that is made redundant the next time you find higher-level equipment while adventuring or at the shop.

But the enemies are interesting, so it has that going for it.

On one hand, you won’t miss much if you skip this game. On the other hand, you won’t be sorry if you give this adventure a chance.