It seems 2024 is coming to a close after all this time, warranting some reflection. This year, we saw so many new and groundbreaking mobile games emerge, making it nearly impossible to narrow down my favorites to ten. In a year filled with significant political, social, and economic hard shifts, small pleasures like mobile games kept many of us afloat. Mobile games continued to thrive in the face of turmoil, driven onward by innovations such as augmented reality, cloud gaming expansions, and generative artificial intelligence.
It’s time to celebrate ten mobile games that brought us joy, made us laugh, and challenged our outlooks in 2o24, starting with a charming game that has some bite to it.
10. The WereCleaner
This comedic action-simulation game follows an awkward janitor cursed with lycanthropy. By day he is able to go about his business, cleaning the office to pay his rent and make ends meet, while at night he endures his transformation in the safety of his home. Everything changes when his boss demands that he works night shifts for a week without additional pay, lest he lose his entire paycheck. The WereCleaner is left with no choice but to clean the at night in his werewolf form. He is unable to control his bloodlust whenever a worker discovers him, leading to a potentially large number of accidental slaughters. The player’s job is to keep their furry protagonist hidden from everyone, all while covering up his crime scenes and concealing the murders from his gullible security guard friend.
This game is hilarious, and action packed, making it a natural choice to turn to whenever boredom sets in. It’s hard not to love the WereCleaner’s adorable character design, with his derpy tongue and large, puppylike eyes. The game’s cute graphics put a satirical spin on what would otherwise be a horrific ordeal. Every day players get to explore new areas in the office, facing new obstacles and encountering comedic scenarios, such as the reckless aftermath of an “office rebellion.” This gives the game a puzzle aspect, as the WereCleaner is forced to time his cleaning right and dip into empty rooms in order to avoid passersby. This game is perfect for anyone who doesn’t mind pixelated blood!
The WereCleaner is available for free on iOS devices.
9. Scattered Verse
Appreciate the beautiful complexity of poetry? Enjoy word puzzle that challenge your brain? Hate both of those things but want to seem super intelligent around your friends? Then Scattered Verse is the game for you! Developed by a former elementary school teacher named Tony Dong, the game aims to make classical poetry more accessible and engaging to the average person through a unique blend of platforming, wordplay, and beautiful music. Players solve platform levels as a small explorer, filling in blank spaces within lines of poetry by capturing letters in the correct order. Every level is designed with the literature in mind, bringing the detailed imagery and emotional themes of poetry to life on screen. The game’s music greatly enhances the experience, with an original soundtrack composed by the award-winning duo Mark Samani and Meg Short.
More than anything, I always felt the passion and soul of this game’s creator and contributors when I played, making my playthrough a surprisingly emotional experience. Analyzing a poem line by line makes it easy to comprehend and consider on a more profound level. When the blank spaces are all successfully filled, the poem is then displayed to the player in its entirety, as a complete work of art. I felt so much appreciation for poetry that I would have merely glanced over if I hadn’t been considering the minutia of its word choices. This game is for everyone, and you’ll enjoy it whether or not you read poetry in your spare time.
Scattered Verse is available for $2.99 on iOS devices.
8. Children of Morta
This game is absolutely gorgeous, with small, pixelated characters who are dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of a magical environment called Mount Morta. You play as members of the Bergson family, who dedicate their lives to protecting Mount Morta and combatting a dark force called the corruption. Each of the family members have unique personalities, storylines, and fighting styles, and their strong familial bonds remain an ever-present theme throughout the game’s sprawling narrative. The game’s action-packed roguelite portions take place in procedurally generated dungeons crammed full of monsters. The combat is admittedly difficult at first, but the regeneration system is forgiving and encourages players to learn from previous mistakes.
The game puts an emphasis on collaboration, especially within family. Players are able to explore the world together in a multiplayer mode, embodying specific family members and fighting alongside each other. This means that you can play with friends, if you’re lucky enough to some!
Children of Morta is available for $6.99 on iOS and Android devices.
7. The Elder Scrolls: Castles
Castles allows players to rule over their own castle while they build up their royal dynasty in the Elder Scrolls universe. Players will have the opportunity to train their subjects, name heirs, and maintain control over all aspects of production within the castle’s walls. Players choose from three potential rulers when they begin the game, each of which has a different ruling style containing individual strengths and weaknesses. Every day in real life is a year in the game’s reality which means that players will oversee the lives and deaths of subjects and even their own ruler. Characters in the game cycle from child, to adult, to elder, until their subsequent end. When a ruler passes on, players continue on their lineage by appointing a new leader of their choice, and so the cycle continues.
Being able to have a little castle in my pocket that I control on the go is a great feeling. It only took me a day or two of paying Castles before I found myself totally attached to all of the characters in my keep and their different personalities. Every marriage, birth, and funeral were experiences that had my full, undivided attention. I especially loved the game’s cozy graphics and warm color palate, which took a more whimsical, fairytale-like take on the traditionally grim tales told within the Elder Scrolls saga.
The Elder Scrolls: Castles is available for free on iOS and Android devices.
6. Civilization VI: NETFLIX
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is in mobile form now, and it carries all of the advanced graphics and depth of the original game. It introduces initiate and veteran players alike to an accommodating world of strategic turn-based gameplay. Players take on the role of a real historical ruler of their choosing which provides them with specific advantages that influence their approach to global domination. They do whatever they can to expand their empires and increase their nation’s knowledge, all while competing nations do the same. The game offers an amazing multiplayer mode, which lets friends engage in intricate matches against each other as competing nations. Runs span from the dawn of civilization all the way to space age technology, giving players plenty of time to experiment with their strategies and techniques.
As a person who admittedly struggles to immerse myself in grand strategy games like Civilization VI, I genuinely appreciate how approachable and straightforward this game was. Is has the potential to be incredibly complex, but it holds back when it needs to and handholds the easily overwhelmed like myself. This is the perfect grand strategy game for anyone new to the genre.
Civilization VI: NETFLIX is available on iOS and Android devices with a Netflix subscription.
5. Balatro
This roguelike deck-building game has players aim to create high-scoring poker hands using a standard deck of cards, enhanced with unique Joker cards. These Joker cards introduce various effects and synergies to otherwise straight forward poker matches, adding a complex and entertaining layer to the overall experience. Balatro is structured into eight levels, each comprising three rounds where players need to meet or pass the target scores to progress further. It won three categories at the 2024 Game Awards, and for good reason. This game is incredibly addictive due to its innovative game mechanics, chill soundtrack, and charming retro-inspired visuals.
As someone who was pretty much entirely unfamiliar with how Poker worked prior to playing this game, I came into the experience fearing that everything would simply fly over my head. This fortunately proved false, as the game’s user interface and straightforward tutorial sections made the game’s rules exceedingly transparent. Balatro has nothing to do with casino-like aspect of gambling and is instead a clever card game that rewards strategic deckbuilding and adaptability.
Balatro is available with an Apple Arcade subscription on iOS devices, and for $9.99 on Android devices.
4. Yes, Your Grace
Being a King and ruling over a kingdom might sound pretty cool on paper, but playing Yes, Your Grace really put the crushing weight of total control into perspective. This narrative-driven kingdom management simulation game lets players experience the trials and tribulations of running a kingdom in the midst of brutal medieval conflicts. The game’s narrative follows King Eryk, who players control as he rules of the fictional kingdom of Davern. With the total destruction of his kingdom around the corner, Eryk is forced to choose between morality and practicality to prevent the ultimate end of all he holds dear. This often results in hurting those closest to him, including his wife and three daughters. The game’s tense narrative is blended seamlessly with the strategic gameplay aspect of balancing limited resources, and all of it is presented through beautiful, pixelated graphics.
This game kept my toes clenched tight, and every plot twist that it threw at me left my mouth open wide in shock. The story’s narrative is undeniably a core aspect of the game, but by no means is it simply an electronic graphic novel. Every aspect of gameplay in Yes, Your Grace affects the story’s outcome, and the results of your decisions are often severe. Try out the game if you love well-crafted narratives or simply enjoy strategically managing kingdoms.
The beginning of Yes, Your Grace is available for free on iOS and Android devices. The full game is available for $4.99 as an in-app purchase.
3. Universe for Sale
Universe for Sale is an unbelievable gorgeous hand-drawn game that introduces players to a tale full of science fiction blended with mysticism. This point-and-click game works well in a mobile format and lets players experience Jupiter’s ramshackle colony through the convenience of their smartphone. Players control multiple characters depending on what the narrative calls for, starting with a skeletal figure called The Master. This mysterious former cultist is associated with the Cult of Detachment, who has removed much of his physical form in pursuit of enlightenment. He seeks out Lila, who becomes another playable character. Lila is a young, embittered woman with the amazing ability to craft universes with little more than a cup, some innocuous ingredients, and her two hands. She sells these creations in the bustling bazaar of Jupiter’s colony, until her life takes a turn.
I cannot understate the beauty of this game. Its many graphics and character designs all seem to have an inherent warmth to them, like the glow of candlelight. The colony’s surprisingly cozy eclectic structures were made all the more comfortable when contrasted with Jupiter’s toxic rainstorms, which ravage the planet often. When the rainstorms cease, Universe for Sale lets players experience crafting universes as Lila while she works. She takes specific requests, giving players the chance to experiment with ingredients like eggshells and soot to see what universe forms as a result. This game is something special, and lovers of warm fireplaces and rainy days will undoubtedly fall in love with it.
Universe for Sale is available for $5.99 on iOS and Android devices.
2. Monument Valley 3
For years, fans of Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 have eagerly awaited Monument Valley 3. Fortunately, the latest entry of this beloved trilogy does not disappoint in the slightest. Like its predecessors, Monument Valley 3 is a mind-bending puzzle game that involves the exploration of expansive environments inspired by optical illusions and modern architecture. This sequel follows an apprentice lightkeeper named Noor on her quest to save her light house and restore light to the world as dark rising waters threaten innocent voyagers. Without the help of her mentor, Noor is left alone to traverse through puzzling structures in order to capture light. The game introduces brand new mechanics to the Monument Valley franchise, including sailing through vast open waters from puzzle to puzzle.
Monument Valley 3, like Monument Valley 1 and 2, manages to tell a heart wrenching narrative with hardly any dialogue at all. The story is expressed through its puzzles and the way in which Noor overcomes them. Every puzzle serves a purpose and progresses the story forward in a way that tickles the brain with clever illusions. The puzzles don’t ever feel as though they are trying to outsmart the player or make them feel silly. Instead, they function logically and in ways that merely encourage players to think outside the box and view reality from unusual angles.
Monument Valley is available on iOS and Android devices with a Netflix subscription.
1. Infinity Nikki
Infinity Nikki is the fifth installment in the beloved Nikki series, which center around a gentle and optimistic woman named Nikki. In this game, players control Nikki as she traverses through the whimsical world of Miraland alongside her adorable cat companion named Momo. The game takes players through a series of diverse nations, each of which possess their own culture and habitat. While much of the gameplay centers around dressing up, Nikki’s outfits serve an important purpose as their magical abilities allow Nikki to progress through the story. Her clothing items contain the powerful energy of Whimstars, which are the physical embodiments of inspiration. By harnessing said inspiration in the form of clothing, Nikki is able to float, glide, and shrink her way through puzzles.
Many aspects of this game are stereotypically feminine, which might turn a good deal of masculine gamers away, but I love how Infinity Nikki showcases the inherent beauty in expressing imagination through attire. Nikki is a breath of fresh air as a protagonist, and like her, the entire game emphasizes kindness, joy, and self-appreciation. Thats not to imply that the game doesn’t feature any combat, however! Nikki faces adversaries called Esselings as she attempts to save Miraland from chaos by rescuing a god of wishes. The game utilizes the Unreal Engine 5 and features a highly detailed fully open world. I could hardly believe my eyes when I first loaded up the game on my phone. It was one of the most complex and realistic game environments I had ever explored, and I was doing it for free on the go! For these reasons and many more, I believe that Infinity Nikki is the best mobile game of 2024.
Infinity Nikki is available for free on iOS and Android devices.