The best iOS and Android games of October 2017: The Talos Principle, Subsurface Circular, Stranger Things and more

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 Cooking
By 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 Principle
By 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.

Simulcra
By 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 2
By 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 Game
By 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.

REKT
By 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.

PUSH
By 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 Circular
By 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 Commandos
By 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 Recoil
By 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.