6 Of the Best Mobile Games You Can Play Right Now, from Pokémon Go to PUBG

In its relatively short history, the mobile gaming platform has seen some highs and some lows. Those of us who grew up in the smartphone era have lived through many mobile game crazes — I’m still trying to pretend the Flappy Bird era never happened — and while some parts of the gaming world might hold mobile gaming to a lower standard (boo!), these games can provide amazing experiences for players.

Given that 60 per cent of the entire gaming market is made up of mobile gaming, it’s high time we all jumped on the bandwagon, or at least gave it a fair chance. If you’re wondering where to start, we’ve got you covered. Here are six of the best mobile games you can play right now that prove there’s no shame in mobile games.

Pokémon Go

Spanning more than 20 years and multiple platforms, I’d argue there are very few people who haven’t fallen prey to Pokémon games, and it seemed like everyone and their mum (including mine) was playing Pokémon Go when it was first released. The augmented-reality game lets you encounter, battle and catch Pokémon in the real world via your phone.

Although it’s not played as much as it was in its heyday, the catch ‘em all AR game is still as close as you can get to being a real-life Pokémon trainer and is still played by a huge and welcoming online community.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

Among Us

Mafia (the social deduction party game version, we mean) meets the digital world in Among Us. Although it’s also on PC, Among Us has found great popularity on mobile. The multiplayer game involves up to three people being randomly selected as ‘imposters’ while the rest are ‘crewmates’. You’re then dropped into a top-down map where the crewmates have to complete tasks and identify the imposters before the imposters kill them all.

Whether you think red is “sus” or you get killed in electrical, Among Us on mobile is a perfect pocket-sized psychological thriller game.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

PUBG Mobile

Originally launched on PC as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the mobile version, condensed to PUBG Mobile, has become one of the most played games on mobile. PUBG was the original battle royale game, where the last player left alive wins the game. And there’s a reason we love the mobile version. The gameplay? Smooth. The controls? Ideal. The cost? Free.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

Clash of Clans

It would be impossible to name the best mobile games and leave out Clash of Clans, the strategy game that dominated an entire generation of mobile gaming.

It’s arguable that it has such a far-reaching fan base because of its entertaining, yet very simple gameplay. A hybrid of strategy and base building games, players band together in communities — or clans — to train their troops, attack other players and earn resources like gems, gold and elixirs which they can then use to upgrade their own clan.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley might just be the mobile gaming success story —first a mobile game, its popularity led to the developers releasing a standalone PC version. Like Clash of Clans, the simplicity of Monument Valley is what makes it appealing. You don’t need a tutorial or a walkthrough to play — you’re thrown into the game and figure it out pretty quickly.

You play as Princess Ida as she journeys through optical illusions, mazes and sacred geometry. By rotating the camera and certain sections of each level, Ida can open up new paths, pass by obstacles and navigate worlds that look like an M.C. Escher painting. Between the simplistic yet satisfying gameplay and the soothing colours and graphics, Monument Valley is 100 per cent worth spending the money.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

Florence

This is the game for you if you want an interactive, narrative-driven experience on mobile. It follows Florence Yeoh, a young woman stuck in a bland daily routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media until she meets a cello player named Krish who changes how she sees the world. As you play through the game’s 20 chapters, you watch Florence fall in and out of love and interact with her life in a series of minigames.

Play it on iPhone and Android.

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