Given how huge they have become, mobile games don’t get enough space in the critical spheres devoted to them. I decided to rectify that a bit and take a short glance at 5 games I played this year.
Most of the good stuff comes out on iOS as opposed to Android. There are a bunch of technical reasons for that having to do with the non-standard implementation of Android’s open platform that sounds legitimate to my uninformed self. However, I don’t have an iOS device. I have an Android phone and tablet. I borrow an old iPod Touch from a friend if there’s a game I do need to play and the game has to be able to run on the years old hardware. That means I do tend to miss out on a lot of that good stuff. That means I haven’t had to opportunity to try out awesome looking games like Simogo’s The Sailor’s Dream, Giant Spacekat’s Revolution 60, Camouflaj’s Republique or Loveshack’s Framed. Oh well.
One thing I wanted to talk about, but didn’t have the game to back up the thesis (again Android only) is the burgeoning of what could be seen as the art game on mobile platforms in addition to arcade style games and free-to-play time sinks. Among the five games I feature, Monument Valley is the most obvious at a glance evidence of this. It looks like the image conjured up when you think of an art game. 80 Days is bulging with content in the practice of its themes to further the argument. I even put forward that among its simply pick up and play sensibilities that Desert Golfing has art game sensibilities in the subtlety of certain details and its never ending nature.
With the end of the year approaching and me running out of columns get say things before then, I wanted to bring some attention to some great games that may not get it due to preconceived notions about the platform. Mobile games may lead to a certain type of design, but it isn’t beholden to it. Mobile games can break out of the box they are put in, just like any other game on any other platform could as well.
Check out 5 great mobile games on iOS and Android. (PS. I got a review copy of 80 Days for Android, it will be available for everyone else next week.)