20+ Highly Addictive Mobile Games to Try
Every day we wake up to a gamescape that’s teeming with new entries, which makes that perfect-match game more and more elusive. If you haven’t tried gamifying your phone experience, research shows you really should give it a go, for the sake of your sanity if nothing else – and one of the best reasons to do so is to relieve stress.
Whether you’re anxious or not, you’ll agree that, whenever you’re tied up in a traffic jam or commuting to work by mass transit, boredom can get the better of you. So why not pull up this helpful list of game apps and download a few, for the fun of it?
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VVVVVV
Created by Terry Cavanagh, an Irish indie developer, VVVVVV is a platformer with spot-on bare-bones pixel graphics, that defies gravity and thankfully has an auto-save function in place to avoid any unnecessary frustration pile-ups.
The game capitalizes on a low-fi retro-nostalgic trend, while the minimalist graphics go hand in hand with its original, ever surprising game mechanics and a real earworm of a chiptune track by Souleye.
Alto’s Adventure
The Toronto-based developers (Ryan Cash and Jordan Rosenberg) going by the name of Snowman started out with productivity app Checkmark, then went on to games via Circles and Super Squares.
For Alto, they got help on the design side by Harry Nesbitt – and the ensuing game soon gained traction: the trailer itself passed the 100,000 views mark 3 days after the big release!
Ridiculous Fishing
Indie Dutch developer Vlambeer’s crazy fish angler ride, Ridiculous Fishing, lets you virtually blow your catch to smithereens, no release, just instant gratification. Now there’s no need for you to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the tasty finned morsels.
The quirky visuals and suitably eerie music will get your head in a game at all hours: just power up, keep calm and cast a wide net! It made 2013’s “Game of the Year” and dubbed “a heroic quest for glory and gills”.
Mr. Jump
From the already roster-heavy game developing trio 1Button, came Mr. Jump, a game banking on the ever popular one-tap mechanic and never amiss streamlined graphics that are so easy on the eyes.
The game’s an uncluttered no brainer, featuring a blank, square-headed avatar that predictably hops forward as best it can to avoid the precipices and hurdles that are deviously peppered along the way.
Two Dots
Released in May 2014, Two Dots is a basic connect-the-dots game. The title pair of dots get dragged across all sorts of uniquely minimalist gameverses, tundras and jungles among them, where a new bit of trouble can always crop up out of left field.
With more than 185 levels to get through, each with varying, unpredictable mechanics, Two Dots was “created with the notion that beauty and fun are not mutually exclusive.”
The team has kept busy, coming up with new levels on a regular basis and updating the dedicated Tumblr blog with inventive new posts (even a webcomic!).
Lastronaut
Lastronaut tells the apocalyptic journey of a pixelated last-man-standing protagonist got a lot of traction on the back of its nice-looking 8-bit graphics and relentlessly catchy gameplay.
Developed as something of an experiment, with the first-time devs trying to answer the question whether a free-to-play game with no pay involved at any level, ever, would take off, Lastronaut was launched to great, immediate acclaim and one million downloads, one week after launch!
Beyond Ynth
Beyond Ynth features a half-airworthy, frustratingly slow bug that you’ll need to guide through to the end of each level by having it move boxes around while avoiding getting squashed under them – basic, but focus-grabbing stuff.
Beyond Ynth was published by FDG Entertainment 5 years ago, and had picked up both the Excellence in Gameplay and the Grand-Prix awards at the 7th International Mobile Gaming Awards.
Coming on the heels of the critical darling Ynth, the beautifully-illustrated (at times hand-drawn) 80-level epic hasn’t needed much in the way of promotion.
Powder
Powder makes you a skier who races downhill, gathering points the longer you stay upright. It’s set against a snow-capped mountainous background that really excels in terms of glacial stylishness.
Conceived by the creative pair of indie devs Dave Chenell and Eric Cleckner, working out of New York, the game’s, as they put it, “simultaneously soothing and stressful”.
The game had more than 200,000 downloads in the first week and was featured by Apple in more than 15 countries.
Timberman
Digital Melody’s Timberman, an arcade game with old-school graphics and a pixel-artsy feel that I know many will enjoy, has been unsurprisingly gobbled up like hot cakes on the app stores.
You get to play as a burly lumberjack, chopping at a tree that keeps going on forever. It sounds like simple gameplay, which is probably why it is super addictive.
“Created by Pawel Kitajewski, creative director for the Polish digital interactive agency Digital Melody, it has had an impressive uptake, boasting over 15 million players, and got named one of the best games to have landed on the Apple store in 2014. There’s now a host of Timberman items you can buy, T-shirts and iPhone cases that bear its pixelated insignia.”
Turbo Bugs 2
Turbo Bugs 2 can at times be just as frustrating as any adult-targeted endless runner out there.
That, added to the cute factor that the bug’s slice of life has well cornered, results in a ride that, while not terribly original in terms of gameplay, keeps your heartbeat elevated and your eyes at ground level, hot on the heels of the lead bug.
From the Bulgarian devs at Zariba, Turbo Bugs 2, through its bug’s eye view and well-drawn, cartoonish characters, stands out from the pack. If you can’t put it down even when the clock’s run out on your coffee break, don’t feel guilty, it’s not just you!
Boson X
In Boson X, you play as a scientist, suit, tie and in active pursuit of the elusive Higgs boson.
Not at all as boring as this description might lead you to imagine, the app will have you quantum-leaping forward into a ceiling- and floor-less race, at an ever-increasing pace.
Launched by Mu and Heyo (namely, Ian MacLarty and Jon Kerney) 2 years ago, the game itself took 3 years to make, since the developers had day jobs. Just as well, since soon after its launch, enough accolades came in to make them feel the moonlighting was worth it.
Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2 is the best bird flinging game you’ll ever find. Your aim is to hit and destroy piggies tower by throwing different birds at them through a slingshot. Each bird has its own features that you can use as a strategy and save the bird eggs.
The game offers daily challenges, multiple levels, and leaderboards. It can also be played with others if you want to compete in an arena with other players or join a clan of your friends to take down the piggies.
Ballz
Either you want to relax your brain or just kill time while waiting, Ballz is an easy and pretty addictive game. You are required to swim your finger to throw the balls and break the bricks.
As you clear a level, another more difficult one comes up. Your success lies in the angle of the ball being thrown which makes it hard to reach the high score. Ballz has an endless gameplay and you can challenge your friends to beat your highest score .
Mini Metro
Mini Metro is an interesting game about designing a subway map for a growing city. To start with, you can draw lines to connect the stations but as the lines grow, you need to redraw the subway lines to keep a smooth flow of the metro.
The best thing about this game is that yo get to build a subway network of real-word cities, like Budapest, Berlin, Hong Kong, and a dozen others. There are daily challenges, regular upgrades, and colorblind and night mode display available.
Crossy Road
Why did the chicken cross the road? We don’t know but we do know how addictive can it be to make the chicken or pigeon cross the road, river, or rail track with Crossy Road.
The game has many retro pop-art inspired characters that you can collect and make them endlessly hop. Also, you can compete with your friends on the same device and can even play it on the big screen with Android TV.
Levelhead
For the fans of Sci-Fi and robotics, Levelhead would offer an interesting pastime. The backstory tells you that you’re a newly-hired employee at the Bureau of Shipping which is the galaxy’s premiere package delivery service.
You get to create your own levels, build incredible machines, create amazing expeditions, and even train your very own GR-18 delivery robot for different delivery scenarios. How cool is that!
Dan The Man
Dan The Man is an action-packed game that works in a story mode with interesting secrets to uncover. It is a very well-designed game and though offers only 12 levels (in the story mode), but these levels are so engaging that you’ll get addicted.
The best thing about the game are the different modes that it offers. Campaign mode, story mode, adventure mode, and a multiplayer mode – and these modes are free. Also, you can upgrade your characters and create your own hero.
Subway Surfers
Subway Surfer is one of those games that keep you hooked for a long time. It is a classic endless runner game full of adventures. You play this game as Jack who surfs subways trying to run from an inspector and his dog.
The game features vivid HD graphics, hoverboard surfing, really fast swipe aerobatics and interesting challenges. Our hero Jack also paints trains and plats trees with his partner Mala.
Snake VS Block
A simple snake game, however with an added challenge of hitting and breaking the bricks. You have to swipe your fingers to move the snake of balls and try to break as many bricks as possible.
You also get additional balls to make the snake bigger. The game has an infinite game play, an easy finger swipe control. You can practice and get an impressive score and then challenge your friends to surpass you.
Flow Free
Free Flow is a simple games in which you have to connect the pipes of same color to create a flow. However, the trick is to avoid the pipes of other colors because if pipes of two different colors cross or overlap, they’ll break.
Free Flow feature more than 2500 free puzzles, free play mode, vivid graphics, and cool sound effects. The game is really fun and relaxing pastime for anyone.
Color Road
A simple ball rolling game, Color Road is free 3D game that might remind you a bit of the Twisty Road. All you need to do is to roll to the ball which has the same color and avoid the one that has a different color.
You aim is to try to reach the finish line to clear a level. It’s a super fun color matching game with endless game play and much potential to keep you hooked.