The best iOS and Android games of January 2018: The Room: Old Sins, Antihero, Super Fancy Pants Adventure and more

Welcome to our round-up of the best mobile games from the previous calendar month.

If it feels like ages since we've done one of these, that's because it has been. We skipped December, what with the whole end-of-year list vibe going on.

We're back with a bang for the first monthly round-up of 2018, and January really did get us off to a great start. In fact, there are several games on this list that we can imagine being on a few of those end-of-year lists come December.

Have you been playing anything else in January? Let us know in the comments below.

The Room: Old Sins
By Fireproof Games - buy on iOS

That old The Room magic remains as strong as ever. Old Sins gives you more of the same intricate locked-box puzzles, but this time based around a clever (and creepy) dolls house hub.

Antihero - Digital Board Game
By Versus Evil - buy on iOS / buy on Android

It's been a good month for clever strategy game/board game hybrids, and Antihero is arguably the best of the lot. Build a crew of thieves, urchins and assassins and loot a steampunk Victorian London.

Super Fancy Pants Adventure
By Kongregate - buy on iOS

One of the finest mobile platformers of recent times, Super Fancy Pants Adventure rushes by with an intoxicating sense of momentum and thrillingly weighty movement.

Meteorfall
By Slothwerks - buy on iOS / buy on Android

If you're a fan of Card Crawl and Tiny Touch Tales's other wonderfully twisted solitaire card games, Meteorfall is a natural next move. It's a beautifully presented deck builder with extra roguelike spice.

Hero Academy 2
By Robot Entertainment - download on iOS / download on Android

A quite brilliant strategy game that isn't nearly as friendly and casual as it initially seems. Think of Hero Academy 2 as a turn-based take on Clash Royale, but with way more tactical scope.

Pathfinder Duels
By 37Games - download on iOS / download on Android

Pathfinder Duels is a digital card game that lets you zip through a round in ten minutes, without sacrificing on strategic depth. It's so good, it actually manages to give Hearthstone some meaningful competition.

The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game
By Hidden Achievement - buy on iOS / buy on Android

Here's another digital card game with a twist - chiefly in the way you can team up with other players to solve the central mystery. It's very clever indeed.

Jydge
By 10tons - buy on iOS

This spinoff from Neon Chrome offers a similar brand of dystopian twin-stick shooter violence, but with a Judge Dredd-inspired spin and more of an open design.

Super Senso
By GungHo Online - download on iOS / download on Android

Super Senso has had a really protracted development phase and a similarly extended release phase, so it's good to finally have it landing in Europe. What we (finally) have is a colourful, fun multiplayer strategy game.

It's Full of Sparks
By Dabadu Games - download on iOS

It's Full of Sparks didn't quite make the bang we were expecting, but it's still a beautifully presented and fun platform-puzzler with an urgent speed-run spirit.