App games are wonderful. They’ve brought some seriously top-notch gaming experiences to our fingertips, quite literally, and they never stop coming.
Each and every week there are fresh app games coming out, and the bulk of them tend to be entertaining in one way or another. The trouble is that there are almost too many of them.
So rather than singling out one or two hit games to review, I want to use this post to highlight a few popular categories and point to my own pick for the top game in each one. Consider it one writer’s sampler platter of terrific gaming apps.
ACTION – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Defining what comprises an action game in the app marketplaces is tricky. There are strategy games, shooters, fighters, dungeon crawlers, imitations of console experiences, and more or less everything else you could think of. But of the bunch I have a hard time choosing any above this one. Rockstar’s games are always action-packed and engaging, but it’s rare for a console game shrunk to mobile size to work this well. Sure, controls can be slightly aggravating now and then, but aside from that this app makes you feel like you’re playing a full-fledged Grand Theft Auto game on your phone.
ARCADE – Smashy Road: Wanted
Like the action genre, arcade games are difficult to define. Most anything played on a mobile touchscreen could go in this category. But to preserve the notion of an arcade game as an old school, individual experience, I have to go with this amusing title. Smashy Road: Wanted challenges you to drive a tiny pixellated car around a town as fast and as long as you can without crashing too badly or being cornered by police vehicles. The longer you drive the harder it gets, and of course after each level you earn upgrades that can be used to purchase new cars. It’s simple and repetitive but incredibly fun.
CASINO – Betfair Poker
The casino genre is mostly filled with cheesy imitations of card and slot machine games, yet it remains a pretty popular gaming category. But for a more serious casino gaming experience, this app is worth looking into. Essentially it delivers Gala Casino’s poker platform to mobile players, resulting in a sleek and professional feeling poker gaming program. The game involves real money betting so it’s only accessible where mobile gambling is legal, but if that works for you you’ll be in for a safe, secure game with 24/7 matches against live opponents.
PUZZLE – Monument Valley
This might be my least original pick, but I’m okay with that. When Monument Valley came out a few years ago it made an unusual number of headlines for a mobile game, largely because it was just so beautiful. Soothing music combined with an incredible range of colors to create a game that was as much about atmospheric pleasures as actual puzzle solving. Still, the puzzles themselves are plenty of fun to work out as well. It plays sort of like MC Escher painted a warped chessboard and you have to get to the end.
SPORTS – Flick Kick Football Legends
There are several mobile developers that have become leaders in app gaming, but Pik Pok’s collection of app experiences is hard for any of them to top. They’ve made zombie survival games, brought Robot Unicorn Attack to app form, and even turned a game called “Diner Dynasty” into a fun experience. They’ve simply had a lot of success. And near the top of the heap is Flick Kick Football Legends, a cartoonish soccer app that’s as good a sports app as you’ll ever find. Embracing the spirit of an older era of the sport, the game spins a bizarre story about a team whose coach has died. You’re the new coach (though “Ghost Coach” interacts with you) and your job is to gather players and win your way back to the top leagues. The controls are brilliant, the player collection is a blast, and the story, while absurd, is surprisingly engaging.
STRATEGY – Stick War: Legacy
Based on a popular web browser game, Stick War: Legacy tops most other strategy war games with its pure simplicity. Rather than trying too hard with graphics or addictive features, this game simply pits two stick figure armies against one another and asks you to make the most of it.
There are a few other genres that could be singled out, and certainly many more games that could be considered for a list like this. But if you’re someone who enjoys mobile gaming but sometimes gets overwhelmed by the options, these are definitely some of the top titles to consider for your next downloading spree.