Peggle

Peggle turns pinball into an arcade puzzle where the player aims a metal ball with a single swipe of the finger at a field scattered with blue and orange pegs; the goal is to hit all the orange ones before the ball falls through the bottom. The controls are trivial — drag a finger across the screen and release — but the bounce trajectories are unpredictable enough that every round feels like a tense game of chance built on both skill and luck, even after dozens of completed levels.

The game was developed by PopCap Games, a studio that had already built a name for itself with simple but polished mechanics like Bejeweled. Peggle took that even further — every time the last orange peg was hit, it added a bombastic fanfare with a slow-motion shot and orchestral music, which became one of the most recognizable moments among games of that era, paid or free-to-play. Many other games still cite this feeling of reward for a single lucky bounce as a model for positive feedback design.

On mobile, the game works flawlessly, since the whole concept rests on a single gesture and short rounds ideal for playing on public transit or in a waiting room. Dozens of levels were gradually added, along with collectible characters with their own abilities that change the rules of individual rounds, and various game modes, all of which helped Peggle keep its audience years after its 2009 release. Electronic Arts later took the title under its wing as well, and after the acquisition PopCap Games continued releasing updates and spin-offs for new platforms.

Why play it: Try it if you like short, nerve-wracking rounds where a single shot decides victory or defeat and the reward for success is unmistakably satisfying.