by Ryan O.
There are several mobile games for our smartphones, but with games coming out every week, it’s hard to tell what’s good and what’s worth our time or money. While we use our smartphone for practical things like task lists, connecting to Facebook and occasionally using it to call people, half of the time we’re playing games like Angry Birds, Candy Crush or whatever keeps us occupied while waiting for the DMV.
Some of these games are good for a few minutes and others will remind you of those games that you used to play on your Nintendo or Playstation, but more compact for a phone.
Disclaimer: I go through about 100 game apps per year. I get bored FAST. These 20 games are gems among the expanse of the app world. For purposes of this article, we are going to set aside idle games (the type of games that require repeatedly tapping the screen to build up your resources) and casino games since a lot of slot machines and card games are a matter of visual preference but the mechanics are all the same.
And yes, at one point any of these games listed have been in my smartphone.
Mario Run
In Ten words: Super Mario Bros. that you can play with one hand.
Why is this game fun?
It’s a popular classic game adapted for the phone with cute characters and strategic jumping, giving the feeling of being an active platformer but with far less commitment. There are other challenges even when completing the world for high replayability.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Mastering the wall jump will be super handy when trying to find special coins. A wall jump will allow you to jump backward with more distance than you think, giving you a second chance to collect a coin you may have missed.
Price: FREE to play the first few games, but $9.99 to unlock the full game
Apple App Store Link:
Google Play Link
Hungry Dragon
In Ten words: Dragon is perpetually hungry and must eat everything including humans.
Why is this game fun?
There’s a satisfying feeling roaming around the landscape eating everything that moves in this side-scrolling action-adventure game. The graphics are beautiful and upgrading to bigger, badder dragons gives you access to different part of the game world and there’s more to explore than you think there is.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
There’s a mini-map that allows you to see where secret treasures are in the upper right-hand corner; it’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Minion Rush
In Ten words: Minion runs through different environments eating bananas and wearing costumes.
Why is this game fun?
Minion Rush is a well-designed running game played from a third-person POV (you’re seeing the minion run through the course rather than looking through the Minion’s eyes) and there are different avenues and power-ups to explore with each successive run through the game. It’s also just cute.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Upgrade your banana collecting power-ups first to maximize your bananas. Bananas are used to purchase upgrades and having more of them means having more options.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Pac-Man 256 Endless Arcade Maze
In Ten words: Pac-Man where you are outrunning ghosts and the kill screen.
Why is this game fun?
It is still the same Pac-Man with a huge twist: It’s been turned into a runner game but you still want to munch on dots, fruit and energizer pellets to turn the ghosts into snacks. With exciting new upgrades like slowing down or sending tornadoes at ghosts, this game has very high replayability.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Laser is the best upgrade in this game.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Piffle
In Ten words:
Break bricks by launching cat balls in this puzzle game.
Why is this game fun?
Here are a lot of breaking brick games but this one is especially cute. With many interesting puzzles, the aiming angles matter as much as upgrades you choose; you don’t require upgrades to solve any of the puzzles but they will help if a puzzle is a little too challenging.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
You can hit more bricks by banking off the walls at the smallest angle possible rather than aiming directly.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Assassin’s Creed Rebellion
In Ten words: Tactical strategy game using several chibi assassins to complete missions.
Why is this game fun?
You employ a variety of different characters, specialized in different things to accomplish missions. Watching the animations where they sneak past guards or perform quick slayings is half of the fun in this tactical game; this is a unique strategy RPG (Role Playing Game) that is worth looking at.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
When in doubt use Aguilar, your main character, in everything. He is well-rounded, powerful and versatile to use in nearly every mission.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Stardew Valley
In Ten words:
Farm simulation game with mini-games and tons to explore.
Why is this game fun?
If you are a fan of farm simulation games like Harvest Moon where you have plenty of activities and can develop character relationships in the community, Stardew Valley is an excellent game that is very immersive and boasts over 50+ hours of gameplay.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
If you plan to fight in the mines, I strongly suggest using the automatic attack/defense mode. It will make your life easier.
Price: $7.99
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link Not yet available
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
In Ten words:
Do favors for characters and collect décor for your camp.
Why is this game fun?
Based on the Animal Crossing series, this is a simplified version of the game where you are still collecting things, talking with the cute residents that traveling in and out of the camping space and playing mini-games.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
I know people want to craft everything, but to reach certain friendship levels of some characters, you need to craft specific items. Save your time and energy for those for more variety of décor available to you.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Pocket Academy
In Ten words:
Build classrooms and watch students progress and fall in love.
Why is this game fun?
There’s something addicting about having several named students attending the school you built and seeing that each kid is good in certain classes, has interests in certain clubs and occasionally falls in love throughout the school year. It’s like Sims but more immediate and satisfying with less effort.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
If you put certain buildings or items together, they create “popular spots” for students and will be a significant boost to those areas. You can overlap them to strengthen the boosts.
Price: There is a trial version called “Pocket Academy Lite” that is free; $4.99 for full game
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Dungeon Village
In Ten words:
Build a town to equip several heroes to fight monsters.
Why is this game fun?
Made by the same company that created Pocket Academy, Kairosoft, instead of running of building a school from the ground up, you are building a village that equips fighters with weapons, armor, accessories and even magic.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Just because you have lots of space doesn’t mean that you need to build continuously; there will be new buildings and adventurers to unlock as you complete missions, so it’s a better strategy to maximize the level of a building more than build several of them.
Price: There is a trial version called “Dungeon Village Lite” that is free; $4.99 for full game
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Magic: The Gathering Puzzle Quest
In Ten words: Match-three puzzle game with beautiful art and deck building.
Why is this game fun?
There are several Match-three games around the market but this one raises the game by adding a deckbuilding with special mechanics based on matching colors (mana in Magic: the Gathering terminology) while battling your opponents. With options to construct different decks and have planeswalkers with different abilities, this becomes a unique game, unlike the other match puzzle games. This game also has the best art of any Match 3 puzzle game I’ve seen.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Play all the different events. Even if you do not rank in the competitions, you will still get rewards for playing. It’s also just fun to open new packs of cards.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Sir Questionnaire
In Ten words: A simple roguelike game where every decision has two choices.
Why is this game fun?
It’s hard to imagine a game that can be wholly interesting when you have one two action buttons, but this roguelike (random dungeon creation) game is a distilled version of a dungeon crawl where you encounter the monster, relic or event right away without going through long passages of nothing.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Whenever you come across a better weapon or shield, use it right away rather than wait for a time that an enemy is too difficult to beat. You might find multiples of the same weapon so don’t deny yourself advantages if you got them!
Price: $1.99 for iOS, $0.99 for Android
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Paperback
In Ten words: Deckbuilding game where you build better words to outscore opponents.
Why is this game fun?
This is a perfect game for both word lovers and gaming strategists where you build up a deck of letters with bonuses to have enough pennies to either buy more powerful letters on the board or victory points.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Don’t discount higher level cards that you only use once to double your points and lose them after your hand. The right timing and word will send you over the top using those cards because of the big point grab.
Price: $3.99
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Alphabear 2
In Ten words: Letter puzzle game using bonus bears to score big points.
Why is this game fun?
Alphabear 2 is a perfect game for both word lovers and gaming strategists where you build up a deck of letters with bonuses to have enough pennies to either buy more powerful letters on the board or victory points.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Words using more tiles may give you higher points, but then they reveal more tiles that you have to use before they count down to zero and block you from any final bonuses. Aim for the largest, final bear possible for maximum points.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Plague Inc
In Ten words: You are a mutating plague looking to eradicate all humans.
Why is this game fun?
You are a mutating plague that is looking to infect the entire human race before scientists can detect and develop a cure for it to stop you. Strategic transmissions and mutations are vital to winning this simulation game.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
You will not have total victory if you have any country left alive with survivors. Look at places like Greenland that are isolated with very few means of transport to target.
Price: $0.99 with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Happy Glass
In Ten words: Draw a line to fill the glass tumbler with water.
Why is this game fun?
Happy Glass is a simple physics game with the aim to get water into the glass. As the levels progress, you have to incorporate more creative versions of a single line to fill the glass. It is short, sweet and addicting. This feels like the world’s easiest game until you realize how clever you need to be in later levels.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
You may be tempted to buy colorful pencils or add-ons, but save them for hints instead.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Kemono Mahjong
In Ten words:
Play a traditional game of Japanese mahjong with furry friends.
Why is this game fun?
If you are a fan of the traditional version of Mahjong, not the solitaire version where you are matching pairs, but the game similar to gin rummy where you yell out “Chow,” “Pong,” and “Kong,” this is an excellent gaming app to play several rounds with NPCs that will strategize around certain play styles.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
This is the Japanese version of Mahjong which will not allow you to declare a victory unless you have a bonus point in your hand. When in doubt, the best way to do this is never open up your hand with an opponent’s discard since winning with a concealed hand scores one bonus point.
Price: $2.79
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Game of Dice
In Ten words: Play Monopoly with different boards, more options, and better graphics.
Why is this game fun?
If you like games like Monopoly but don’t like playing on a single board, Game of Dice has more options like different boards, cards with different abilities that affect gameplay and a more controlled dice throw that can give you a range of numbers and a higher probability to throw doubles if needed.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Use cards that allow you to travel further spaces early. Later in the game, these cards will not be as handy if you potentially will land on an opponent’s space to pay them massive rent, especially if they are all in a row.
Price: FREE to play with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Ticket to Ride
In Ten words: Build continuous trains across America and score the most points.
Why is this game fun?
This is an excellent portal of the physical board game, Ticket to Ride, where you are trying to claim the most points with hidden bonus points to connect two cities by rail and scoring points with the most tracks.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Half of winning the game is making sure that you have one long continuous train from the West to the East Coasts and then branching off from there to reach your hidden destinations.
Price: $1.99 with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
Teen Titans Go! Figure
In Ten words: Collect toy figures and beat up other evil toy figures.
Why is this game fun?
This is a game with a great sense of humor based around your toy figures completing missions by challenging other toy figure battlers by fighting them. Imagine the collectivity of Pokemon with far more humor and part of the fun is buying toy figures from store shelves and occasionally getting rare editions from completing missions.
A tip or trick to playing this game:
Healing and fast ability gauges are
Price: $3.99 with In-App Purchase options
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Link
I’m discovering more promising games to play in 2019. What are your favorite time wasters for your smartphone? Comment below!