The Rise of Mobile Games
Mobile gaming has exploded in the past decade, with thousands of new releases added to the App Store and Google Play every year. By the mid-2010s, it had already surpassed console and PC games in terms of both popularity and revenues. Hundreds of titles have surpassed 500 million downloads and a handful have breached the billion mark, including Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, PUBG Mobile and Subway Surfers.
The rise of mobile has seen developers rethinking traditional game mechanics and embracing new formats for the medium. Some of the biggest names in console and PC gaming, like Activision and EA, have even begun developing exclusive titles for mobile that aim to capitalize on the platform’s growing audience and lower hardware requirements. But it’s not just the major players that have taken advantage of mobile, with a host of independent developers releasing fresh and imaginative titles that take full advantage of smartphones’ small screen and intuitive touch controls.
Some of the best mobile games combine pick-up-and-play ease with elegant design and the kind of magnetic gameplay loops that keep you enthralled far longer than you’d expect. And while the App Store is still dominated by shallow F2P and gacha shit, there are plenty of gems to find if you know where to look.
The most popular games on the market have been able to make big money by selling in-app purchases to players, often to speed up their progress or give them a temporary advantage over other competitors. But not all titles are designed to monetize in this way, with hyper casuals and social-network games relying on advertising for the bulk of their revenue. Some more niche genres, such as strategy and MMORPGs, can also bring in significant consumer revenues through in-app payments.
For many people, mobile games are not just entertainment, they’re a vital part of their daily lives. They can lift your mood during a long commute or help you wind down after a stressful day, and offer that great feeling of achievement when you see how much you’ve improved over time.
Whether you want to relax with a simple match-3 puzzler or go on an epic adventure in a fantasy world, there’s a mobile game out there for you. So instead of doomscrolling more depressing news, why not use your smartphone to boost your mood with one of these top ten mobile games?