Apple Watch doesn't come with games, but it runs them. Games install from the App Store like any other watch app and play right on your wrist with taps, swipes and the Digital Crown. Below: how to get games on Apple Watch, how they play, and what to expect from the small screen.
We make Fish & Chill, a fishing game for Apple Watch and iPhone, and use it as the example in a few places. The install steps work the same for any watch game.
No games come preinstalled, but the watch has its own App Store, and many developers ship watch versions of their games. Some are made only for the watch, others are iPhone games with a companion watch app.
Before you download, scroll down the game's App Store page to Compatibility or Supports. If it lists Apple Watch, there is a watch app. Then read the description to make sure you actually play on the watch and don't just get notifications there.
Press the Digital Crown to open your apps and tap App Store. Search by voice or scribble, or browse what's featured. Open the game and tap Get or the price; the watch asks you to confirm with a double-click of the side button.
The game appears on the app screen when it finishes downloading. Wi-Fi or a connected iPhone speeds things up.
If the game also has an iPhone app, install it on the phone first. Then open the Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch, scroll to Available Apps and tap Install next to the game.
With automatic app install turned on (Watch app → General), watch versions of new iPhone apps land on the watch by themselves. If a game is missing, check this switch first.
Most watch games are built around one or two inputs. You tap or swipe the screen, turn the Digital Crown to scroll, steer or aim, and feel taps on your wrist through the haptic engine. Some games ask for nothing more than a raise of the wrist to check how things are going.
In Fish & Chill you cast with a tap and reel in the line by turning the Digital Crown, and the haptics let you feel the fish pull. Sessions this short suit the watch: a minute in a queue or a break between calls.
Apple Watch needs a paired iPhone to set up, but once a game is installed, many play on the watch alone. Games that sync progress, show leaderboards or download content may want an internet connection or the phone nearby. The game's App Store description usually says.
Fish & Chill runs fully on the watch, works offline and keeps its own time of day: the lake follows your real clock, from dawn to night.
Every game lists its minimum watchOS version on its App Store page. Fish & Chill, for example, needs watchOS 11 or later. Update the watch through the Watch app on iPhone under General → Software Update.
To delete a game, touch and hold it on the watch's app screen and tap the delete button, or turn off Show App on Apple Watch for it in the Watch app on iPhone.
Steps checked for watchOS 11 and later, October 2026.
Yes. Apple Watch has its own App Store, and many games have watch versions that play right on the wrist with taps, swipes and the Digital Crown.
Open the App Store on the watch, find the game and tap Get. Or open the Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch → Available Apps and tap Install next to the game.
Either the game has no watch app (check Compatibility on its App Store page), or it is installed on iPhone but not on the watch. Install it from My Watch → Available Apps in the Watch app, or turn on automatic app install.
Yes. Plenty of watch games are free to download, some with optional in-app purchases. Fish & Chill is free, has no ads and offers an optional one-time PRO purchase.
Many can once installed. Games that sync or download content may need a connection. Fish & Chill plays fully on the watch, offline.