This recent entry in the Apple Arcade catalogue, like most games there, blend into the curated collective. Perhaps the only reason it stood out was because it was new and I wanted to test a game on the iPad Air (4th Gen). It fit the bill.

The gameplay is open-world, the environment is in 3D, and the theme is contemporary. It has everything I was looking for to push the tablet.

I played Alba: A Wildlife Adventure using a PlayStation 4 controller. I wanted a lean-back experience when gaming on the iPad Air, full screen and no motion or touch controls. It can be played on an iPhone with all that if you want to.

In the game, we play as Alba, a little girl who is on a vacation with her grandparents to a small island. It started with a small act of kindness and it set Alba on a path to becoming a nature conservationist and on a head-on collision with the mayor and a resort developer.

How well the story developed and how dark it got near the end surprised me. It kept me playing, but it is not a long game. It spans a few in-game days, and depending on how thorough you play the game, it can be completed in less than 5 hours.

I spent most of my time in the game spotting the 62 animals that made the Mediterranean island their home, mostly birds. There is a guide book that helps keep track of where the animals live, which ones you’ve spotted, and importantly, how they sound like. 

The animals are added to the record by using an in-game iPhone. Take a picture, scan it, and it is added to the collection. The trick is to spot these animals. Domesticated animals are easy, little land mammals are challenging, and some birds are difficult. That’s why sound is important, their unique call can sometimes be heard when they are nearby.

Also, some animals are tied to story events, so don’t expect to find them all until the end of the story.

There are some simple puzzles and side tasks here and there, but I had the most fun spotting all the birds.

The game has a good universal message, is simple enough for kids, but is not so simple that it is boring. It also has the depth and width of a mobile game which is fine for an Apple Arcade game.

I’d recommend Alba: A Wildlife Adventure to kids and adults who are looking for a short casual adventure.