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The 100 greatest mobile games EVER (60 - 51)

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The 100 greatest mobile games EVER (60 - 51)
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We continue our countdown of the 100 greatest mobile games.


100

Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers


iOS and Android | 2013 | Wizards of the Coast

Top 100

Magic: the Gathering existed as a collectible card game years before people were regularly playing games online. And its sedate pace with frequent back and forth between the players makes it a poor candidate for the mobile treatment.

So it's a testament to the quality of the game itself that it manages to make this list in spite of these limitations. What it lacks in terms of speed and adrenaline it makes up for in depth and variety.

There are so many ways to win, so many ways to attack, defend and bamboozle your opponent that there's months of play time here for the committed.

After several failed attempts, Duels 2014 finally managed to nail the formula in the perfect place between the physical and the digital realms. There's a big selection of cards to use from and a variety of play formats, including a surprisingly fun solitaire mode. - Matt Thrower


100

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP


iOS and Android | 2011 | Capybara Games

Top 100

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery is a blend of lots of different games and genres. It's a little bit point and click adventure, a little bit RPG, and even a little bit like The Legend of Zelda.

That's all wrapped up in absolutely gorgeous pixel art visuals that arguably still haven't been bested on iOS since.

Despite that, we still haven't mentioned the killer aspect of this game and that's the music and sound, which was all designed by the talented Jim Guthrie. It was so good, in fact, that he released it as a separate EP.

We don't want to spoil anything in terms of the plot, as that's best experienced for yourself. So do yourself a favour and go play it right now. You won't regret it. - Glen Fox


100

Galaxy on Fire 2


Mobile, iOS and Android | 2009 | Fishlabs

Top 100

Imagine a galaxy on fire. That’s a lot of flames, right? Well, Gof 2 is a lot of game.

A vast universe boasting an impressive and balanced market system and within which you play as bounty hunter Keith T Maxwell, taking on space missions, fighting pirates, upgrading weapons, swapping ships, and generally working your way up the galactic hierarchy.

It’s a game that demands a sizeable investment from players but is undeniably a very competent, considered, carefully crafted affair that boasts the kind of deep and absorbing play experience that’s still rarely found on mobile. - Joao Diniz Sanches


100

Crossy Road


iOS and Android | 2014 | Hipster Whale

Top 100

Why did the chicken cross the road? To cross another road. And another road. And another road. And oh god what time is it.

To call it Frogger would be a mistake. This is Frogger ingeniously reinvented for the modern generation with simple scores, social media integration, gacha mechanics, and voxel art.

It makes for a brazenly simple game, but that just makes it impossibly easy to pick up and play, whether you plan to play for hours or just want to kill a few minutes. - Mark Brown


100

Framed


iOS and Android | 2014 | Loveshack

Top 100

There are so many puzzle games on the App Store that it's easy to get a little jaded.

Most of them trade on the same tired mechanics. Match stuff, pop stuff, pay for stuff. Framed does things differently. Like, really differently.

It's a brilliant narrative-driven adventure that sees you rearranging the panels of a comic book. You might need to shuffle it around so your route through the story bypasses some guards, leads you on to a ledge, then lets you escape down a pipe.

It's a brilliantly thought out game, and the story is strong enough that you'll want to see it through to the bitter end. - Harry Slater


100

The Walking Dead: Season 1


iOS and Android | 2012 | Telltale

Top 100

There are moments in Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season One where the road ahead is coloured in so many shades of grey that it's almost impossible to know which is the right choice to make.

At its heart this is the story of a man and a young girl trying to cope with the zombie apocalypse. It's touching and tender at times, and unflinchingly bleak at others.

But it tells its story with such aplomb, such vigour, that it's almost impossible not to get caught up in its triumphs and tragedies. -Harry Slater


100

Slamjet Stadium


iOS | 2013 | Alistair Aitcheson

Top 100

Slamjet Stadium is a game that brings people together. Granted it might bring them together in a scrap after a particularly close-fought match, but we're focusing on proximity rather than intent here.

This is a one-on-one sports game that draws its influences from air hockey, Hungry Hungry Hippos, and Speedball 2. It then splurges a coat of cartoon paint over everything, and tasks you with scoring as many goals against your opponent as you can.

The end result is the sort of riotous same-device fun that the iPad really should be more famous for. - Harry Slater


100

Rally Master Pro


Mobile | 2008 | Fishlabs

Top 100

If you’re reading this, and you’re not the world record holder for open-mindedness, and you’re too young to have experienced Rally Master Pro first hand, it’s very possible you’ll be viewing this entry as somewhat suspicious.

But in managing to cram a console-like rally experience into meagre feature phone handsets, what Fishlabs did back in 2008 remains a remarkable feat of development by a team that mastered the medium it delivered its (often highly accomplished) experiences on.

Yes, things have moved on but in setting a new benchmark for mobile driving games, Rally Master Pro deserves its moment on the podium. - Joao Diniz Sanches


100

Spaceteam


iOS and Android | 2012 | Henry Smith

Top 100

I can honestly say that the most fun I've had with an iOS device happened because of Spaceteam.

It's a game where you connect multiple devices, then follow on-screen instructions to pilot your spacecraft. Except some of the buttons you'll need to press will be on other people's screens. Or covered in goo. Or on fire.

It makes use of so many of the functions of your smartphone, and uses them brilliantly, that it's almost impossible not to get swept away in its wonderful nonsense. - Harry Slater


100

SolaRola


Mobile | 2007 | Progressive Media

Top 100

Come now, the fact it’s generally considered a mobile homage to PSP’s joyful LocoRoco doesn’t prevent SolaRola from being very much its own game.

You roll, you bounce, you distend your way through 25 levels by manipulating the terrain yet despite the simplicity of the mechanics on offer, so masterful is their implementation they result in a remarkable range of in-game activities.

And the fact everything occurs with a cartoon-like fluidity that envelops the game’s core straightforwardness within a thick layer of pure gaming delight further explains the game’s outstanding contribution to early mobile gaming. - Joao Diniz Sanches

See numbers 50 - 41 or get the entire list


What's all this, then? The Pocket Gamer 10th anniversary is a month-long celebration of the last decade of mobile games running March 10th - April 10th and featuring a stream of retrospective articles and fun stuff, supported by our friends at Gram Games, Gamevil, JoyCity, Rovio, Nordeus, and Ninja Kiwi. Head over to the PG 10th anniversary homepage for more information.
Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer