November came and went, putting all of us in that awkward space between Christmas and Halloween. Half of everyone’s houses smell of pumpkin spice candles and sport spooky decor, while the other half of us have covered our homes with bright holiday lights and shiny tinsel. A small minority of us decorate for Thanksgiving, but there are only so many inflatable turkeys a person can handle. If you’re anything like me, you probably spent your family’s Thanksgiving dinner desperately searching for anything interesting to say.

Everyone loves mobile games, right? I sure hope you do because this column might be a drag otherwise. I have compiled a list of November’s best new mobile games, all of which will make convenient conversation starters for next year’s Thanksgiving!

Honorable Mention: Mister Antonio

I wanted to mention an adorable puzzle game called Mister Antonio, which follows a robot as he attempts to please his cat friend (Mister Antonio) with specific assortments of colorful balls. Mister Antonio is exceedingly picky and will not accept the robot’s toy balls unless they are arranged exactly as he requests. The game has clever puzzles, and its controls are easy to maneuver. I loved the charming environment of tiny planets rotating in space, and I of course fell in love with Mister Antonio as soon as I saw him sitting with his colorful balls. I chose not to include this game in the official top ten list due to its brevity. The game is over very soon, which makes it short and sweet. I thought it unfair to market a game that contained very little content compared to the rest on this list, however.

Mister Antonio is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

10. Honey Grove

Honey Grove is a cozy gardening and farming simulator featuring an adorable team of bees and their various wildlife companions. The game follows a friendly honeybee named Beatrice as she revives a garden alongside a cranky professor bee named Bianca, a reserved bee named Marie, and a boisterous explorer bee named Vivian. The characters of Honey Grove grow along with their beautiful garden, developing surprisingly complex relationships and storylines. Much of the gameplay consists of unlocking and repairing the surrounding island through resource gathering and crafting systems.

This game embodies coziness through both its heartfelt subject matter and visually pleasing art style. I found the game’s character designs especially cute, and loved how their unique appearances actually represented the distinct features of various bee species. Beatrice, for instance, is a European Honeybee and subsequently possesses the species’ distinct stripes and fuzz. Marie, on the other hand, is a Blue Orchard Bee and shares her species’ striking blue-black coloring. Along with referencing real bee species, Honey Grove’s flowers are all real and recognizable. This made me feel as though I was actually learning a thing or two while playing.

Honey Grove is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

9. Drive Ahead! Carcade

In Drive Ahead! Carcade, players customize a variety of vehicles and use them to injure themselves and other. All in good sport, of course! The game mainly consists of multiplayer PvP car battles, wherein players are tasked with driving over their competitors’ exposed heads or tricking them into bashing their own skulls. Players can invite their friends to play with them in co-op matches. If a player lacks said friends, the game conveniently pairs them with random online players from across the globe. Drive Ahead! Carcade is full of different maps and battle arenas, making every round feel unique.

I was pleased by how stylized and polished Drive Ahead! Carcade turned out. Its artwork is full of vibrant blues and purples, with much of the game taking place amid the dreamy backdrop of outer space. I enjoyed the satisfying simplicity of the game’s mechanics, and the thrill I experienced whenever I managed to trick a competitor into bashing their own head. This game can be played with friends in a social setting, but it’s also perfect for slow days and wait rooms. 

Drive Ahead! Carcade is available with through Apple Arcade on iOS devices.

8. King Arthur: Legends Rise

Ever get the urge to dawn your armor and slay infidels with a team of magical warriors? This is the game for you! King Arthur: Legends Rise is a turn-based fantasy RPG that follows King Arthur as he attempts to restore the downtrodden kingdom of Camelot to its original state. This game blends actual history with fantastical legend, blurring the lines of reality and allowing players to embrace a magical world. Players are thrown into medieval Britain as a war between humanity and the gods rages on around them. They control King Arthur, who has made a dark deal with a dragon named Caliburn who is trapped inside Excaliber. He is able to wield the blade’s great power, but at the cost of an evil blood oath and the gods’ ire.

When I first downloaded King Arthur: Legends Rise, I admittedly assumed that it wouldn’t be anything that special. I am intimately familiar with gacha-centered fantasy RPGs and thought that I had this one pegged. I was presently surprised by the high level of quality and passion poured into this game. The many voice actors are all extremely talented, and the game’s graphics and animations are consistently well executed. The cut scenes are all beautifully animated and creative, featuring different forms of medieval artwork. Story is never skimped on in this game, which is a crucial factor that many combat centered games tend to lack.

King Arthur: Legends Rise is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

7. TED Tumblewords

TED Tumblewords is a deceptively simple game that involves sliding rows of scrambled letters in order to spell out words in competitive matches. Certain letters are worth more points than others and players are only allowed to slide rows a few times per round, making a strategic mindset essential for winning. TED Tumblewords is made in part by the non-profit organization behind the iconic “TED Talks.” Curiosity and critical thinking are therefore major themes in the game, with a “Topics” game mode centering matches around complex subjects like Economics, literature, psychology, and many others. Players are able to compete with real people, as well as the “TED Bot,” and can easily pause and resume matches at any time.

I may be a bit biased as an English and Creative Writing major, but this game really makes words fun to play around with. Anyone who enjoys puzzle games like scrabble will soon find themselves deeply obsessed with TED Tumblewords. It’s the perfect game to play with busy friends who don’t have time to log on for long drawn-out matches. I always look forward to checking in on which of my friends are beating me and vice-versa. Who doesn’t love some friendly competition, especially when said competitions make you feel smart?

TED Tumblewords is available on iOS and Android devices with a Netflix subscription.

6. Total War: EMPIRE

Originally released in March 2009, Total War: EMPIRE made history with its ambitious scope, historical depth, and innovative naval battles. Now this classic historical real-time turn-based strategy has made its way to mobile devices, featuring quality of life improvements that help translate the game onto mobile platforms. Total War: EMPIRE is set during Age of Enlightenment, from the early 1700s to the late 18th century. This historical period was ripe with global conflicts and colonial expansion, making it a perfect setting for a Total War game. In the Grand Campaign Mode, players take control of a historical nation and attempt to become the world’s most dominate power. The mobile game also includes a custom battle mode, an episodic mini campaign called “Road to Independence,” and all additional DLC unit packs from the original desktop release.

Fair warning: this game is not for the faint of heart. If you’re used to mobile games that follow more of a simplistic or arcade-like style, then this will undoubtedly be a shock to your system. The game is extremely in-depth and carries all the complexities of the original Total War: EMPIRE, which has the potential to either delight or terrify players. If you were a fan of the original game or typically enjoy highly strategic turn-based games, then this might be your new favorite thing!

Total War: EMPIRE is available for $19.99 on iOS and Android devices.

5. Zombastic: Time to Survive

Zombastic: Time to Survive is a rogue-like game set in a world overrun by all sorts of odd zombies. Players control a man as he wanders through a supermarket with his head buried in his phone, looking for a specific beverage. Seemingly out of nowhere, the store is completely decimated by endless droves of zombies. The protagonist is forced to work with what he has, trading his phone for a gun and his comfy clothes for survival gear. Each level of the game shows his progression as he attempts to escape from the store to its parking lot, and beyond. He grows stronger the longer he survives the zombie hoard, gaining powerful upgrades and new weapons over time.

This game is a wonderful mix of adorable and terrifying. It has cute, stylized graphics that keep the game lighthearted, but the actual gameplay mechanics had my heart racing in no time. The sheer number of enemies that are constantly chasing down the main character is overwhelming in the best possible way. Survival really feels impossible at times, which makes every success in the game feel special. The armies of undead are enormous, but not necessarily smart. Over time I learned ways to trick the zombies by cutting them off and swiftly circling around them. Zombastic: Time to Survive is another game that’s perfect for waiting in lines or playing on the toilet, as its mechanics are simple and relatively consistent.

Zombastic: Time to Survive is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

4. Abalon

Calling all fans of Dungeons and Dragons! This is the game for you. Abalon is a tactical roguelike and deck building RPG, inspired heavily by tabletop fantasy RPGs like D&D. Players control their adventurer like a god from a top-down perspective. The adventurer moves through a world that literally exists on a grid, discovering more hidden areas as they progress. Turn-based combat awaits them around every corner, along with unique and oftentimes humorous scenarios.

My favorite example was when my druid happened to stumble upon a goblin birthday party. Thanks to a lucky dice roll, she was able to eat cake and sing with goblins instead of killing them. Its unexpected moments like this that make RPGs really special, and Abalon has plenty of whimsical moments in store. I really enjoyed the unique perspective this game offered with its top-down view. It worked very well on a mobile format and reminded me of physical table-top RPGs.

Abalon is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

3. Dungeon Clawler

Dungeon Clawler is an unusual dungeon crawl game that follows the perspective of a rabbit after his paw has been chopped off by an evil dungeon lord. His former paw is replaced with a metal claw that ends up becoming a useful tool in his quest for revenge. Players build a deck of items and abilities, which are then placed into a “claw” machine. The rabbit’s claw is used to collect these items in the middle of battle. The inclusion of a claw machine showcases innovation and humor, creating a combat system that I have never before encountered. Each dungeon run that the rabbit endures is procedurally generated, making every playthrough different. Dungeon Clawler has permadeath, forcing players to adapt and overcome previous failures.

This a genuinely well-made game, with a creative concept. It features a variety of visual styles that manage to maintain a unified aesthetic, such as a its minimalistic top-down dungeon crawl view, adorable 2d battles, and detailed 3d cut scenes. It’s refreshing to play a claw machine game that doesn’t take advantage of its player in a predatory way. It feels like a childhood wish is fulfilled each time the claw machine successfully picks up what I need.

Dungeon Clawler is available for $4.99 on iOS and Android devices.

2. Castle Doombad: Free to Slay

Castle Doombad: Free to Slay is a remastered version of the original 2014 tower defense game, Castle Doombad, where players assume the role of Dr. Lord Evilstein’s henchman. They are tasked with defending his castle from invading heroes attempting to rescue a captured princess. While most tower defense games follow the perspective of heroes defending against villainous assaults, Castle Doombad: Free to Slay reverses these roles. The game is hilarious and portrays Dr. Lord Evilstein as the quintessential super villain. It’s hard not to root for him as he sneers down at the knights who break into his castle of terrors.  Castle Doombad: Free to Slay features more than 70 stages across multiple chapters and a roguelite mode, providing players with plenty of content.

I love mobile games that fill a niche, and Castle Doombad: Free to Slay does that.  I’m finally able to live out my dream of being a super villain thanks to this game! I encourage everyone to embrace their evil side and get to eliminating those pesky knights.

Castle Doombad: Free to Slay is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

1. The Abandoned Planet

We’ve finally arrived at the best game released this November! The Abandoned Planet is a 2D, pixel art, first-person point-and-click adventure game that takes place on – you guessed it – an abandoned planet. Players follow the perspective an astronaut who crashes her ship onto a planet that is fortunately strikingly similar to Earth. She progresses through the world by solving a series of increasingly complex puzzles, all in the pursuit of finding out what happened to the former inhabitants and getting back home. The astronaut is fully voiced with a charming Australian accent, guiding players through the game with insightful commentary as they progress.

I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of this game. It features highly detailed pixelated environments, which enhances the game’s retro aesthetic. Every location and cut scene are clearly well thought out and visually pleasing. In addition to stellar visuals, The Abandoned Planet is full of captivating mysteries. The astronaut is introduced to a beautiful world that has been entirely abandoned by its inhabitants. I was desperate to get through the game’s puzzles and find out what had happened! The astronaut also encounters an adorable robot companion, which had me smiling ear to ear.

Act One of The Abandoned Planet is available for free on iOS and Android devices. The full game is available for $5.99 on iOS devices and $5 on Android devices as an in-app purchase.

I’ll be back again next month with even more mobile games!