The best iOS and Android games of October 2017: The Talos Principle, Subsurface Circular, Stranger Things and more
Looking back on a month in mobile gaming
Welcome to our round-up of the best mobile games from the previous calendar month.
October is that time of year in the northern hemisphere where things get a whole lot colder and darker, so a bunch of good mobile games is just what the doctor ordered.
Fortunately we've had some beauties, with beloved indie gems, surprisingly accomplished TV tie-ins, and a couple of inspired puzzlers.
Have you been playing anything else in October? Let us know in the comments below.
Campfire CookingBy Layton Hawkes - buy on iOS
An ostensibly simple grid-based puzzler that maintains your attention through a deep level of strategy and a surprising level of challenge. It will make you hungry, though.
The Talos PrincipleBy Croteam - buy on iOS / buy on Android
Last month saw a brilliant first person puzzler making its way over from console in The Witness. This month we've got another in The Talos Principle, though this one's a tad more welcoming and tactile.
SimulcraBy Kaigan Games - buy on iOS / buy on Android
Another gripping mystery from the developer behind Sara is Missing, Simulcra strays further into unsettling horror as you search the phone of a missing woman. It's the most impressive 'phone simulation' game yet.
Warhammer Quest 2By Perchang - buy on iOS
A strategic RPG of uncommon quality, with a taut and tactical combat system and a smart levelling system.
Stranger Things: The GameBy BonusXP - download on iOS / download on Android
No one was expecting this TV tie-in when it broke, and fewer still thought it would be any good. You're in for a generous slab of dungeon-crawling adventure, with plenty of hat-tips to the source material.
REKTBy Little Chicken Game Company - buy on iOS
Part Rocket League, part skateboarding game, REKT is a stunt racer that requires real skill and determination to master.
PUSHBy Maciej Targoni - buy on iOS / buy on Android
PUSH is all about hitting buttons in sequence, but its simple premise and transparent mechanics gradually escalate to offer pleasingly demanding puzzles.
Subsurface CircularBy Bithell Games - buy on iPad
A brilliantly written if all-too-brief narrative adventure starring a cast of sentient robots. There's just the one setting throughout the whole game, but it's a memorable one.
Kick Ass CommandosBy Anarchy Enterprises - buy on iOS / buy on Android
This gleefully violent top-down shooter wears its retro influences on its sleeve. Expect a job load of '80s action movie references in amongst the carnage.
Time RecoilBy 10tons - buy on iOS
Another excellent top-down shooter, Time Recoil's missions play out like particularly violent puzzles thanks to a compelling time-manipulation mechanic.