Pocket Gamer's best mobile games of the year 2016 - Dave's top 5
There's a definitive Pocket Gamer list, but what do we each think?
I chose a vintage year to get back into mobile gaming. I'm relatively new to the Pocket Gamer posse, but since May I've been swiping, tapping and in-app-purchasing like a maniac.
My weapon of choice? An iPhone 6. And I've been spoiled. There's a huge list of great games already compiled on the site over here and, despite the obvious travesty that Supercell's multiplayer masterpiece isn't number one, it's a solid summary of 2016.
I right that wrong below, in my list of the games that have occupied my time. It's been tough to choose, and my final list could easily have included Super Mario Run or Shuffle Cats (damn you Glen for getting me into that).
By all means drop me a comment in the thread below if you (dis)agree with my selection...
Clash Royale
This is far and away my most played game of the year. I've joined a clan and even dropped a few quid on it. Supercell did something wonderful with their Clash franchise.
This is eSport's gateway drug, an entry-level MOBA. It's stupidly easy to join tournaments or watch others fight. It's clever and fun, and it's possible to play an entire battle between bus stops.
I'm now at level nine with 2337 trophies, which I thought was okay until our boss Chris pointed out how far ahead of me he is.
My favourite tactic is to tank rush with Hogrider and Minion Horde and Spear Goblins. The real achievement here is just how efficiently it pairs you and fires up a match - after you’ve played Clash Royale you’ll be impatient with any other synchronous game that doesn’t drop you into the action as fast. Read the Pocket Gamer review here.
Guild Of Dungeoneering
Released for iOS back in July, this is a clever, modern take on the dungeon crawler RPG.
You don't control an adventurer, instead you lay tiles that construct the scenario around him or her. A lot of dungeoneers will die and getting used to that is your first challenge.
Guild boasts very high production values - despite a handmade aesthetic - and a superbly balanced card-based combat system. It takes a lot of effort to look this simple and stupid.
The parody minstrel music is also excellent, making this one of the few games I’m allowed to play around the house without my earphones in.Read the Pocket Gamer review here.
PinOut
Who'd have thought you could make an endless runner out of a pinball table. It's pinball on steroids, where the table goes on and on as long as you can keep pinging the ball upwards.
Ramps, bridges, and alleys swirl around the board, thrumming with energy, and the ball behaves in a satisfyingly solid manner.
Tron-like visuals and the occasional fun subgame make this a perfect time killer. Read the Pocket Gamer review here.
Reigns
Reigns casts you as king in a realm beset by religious, military and social strife. The game is played through a series of illustrated cards that present choices, and you swipe right to say YES or left to say NO.
Sounds simple, but you're trying to balance four measures - throw the nation into imbalance and you're toast. It's like Tinder, but swiping right could send an entire country to war.
It has a distinctive appearance and dark sense of humour. After a while it gets a little repetitive but until then it's a genuinely funny little card game.
You will die a lot, probably on the steps of your throne room, or eaten by rats in the crypt. I spent hours leading king after king to ignominious death in front of the TV. Read the Pocket Gamer review here.
Deus Ex GO
I love Deus Ex - have done since the 1990s - and I love puzzle games. Therefore this Deus Ex puzzle game, which was released this August, might have been engineered specifically for me.
The GO series, which includes Lara Croft GO and Hitman GO, are all excellent. What a great idea - take a much-loved hardcore action franchise, and turn it into a turn-based isometric sliding-block puzzle.
The result? In Deus Ex's case it's a sneak-'em-up where you have a limited number of moves to negotiate rooms full of baddies.
Sure, it came out as part of the marketing campaign for console blockbuster Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, but Deus Ex GO is a treat for mobile gamers.
Visually appealing and just frustrating enough to keep you hooked. You guessed it, there's a Pocket Gamer review here.
Merry Christmas, Pocket Gamers!
