Mobile gaming is on the rise as big game companies and independent developers focus more attention to producing games for smart devices like the iPad and iPhone. Not everyone has a PC or console for gaming, but almost everyone you see walking down the street has a smartphone or tablet.
The 25 games listed in this post takes gaming on mobile devices to the next level. Many of them have made Editor’s Choice in both the App Store and Play Store, on top of the many awards they win in the game-making arena.
Note: that while some of them are free to play, there are in-app purchases for certain features of the games.
1. Dead Trigger 2
by MADFINGER Games
A kill-or-be-killed zombie shooter with an evolving story. Think of The Walking Dead, only you get to shoot zombies, join weekly global tournaments, and win real prizes.
2. Need for Speed – Most Wanted
by Electronic Arts
Live the life of a wanted man and escape police and rivals while on the road. Need for Speed – Most Wanted has over 40 cars to choose from and you can customize them all you want. Crash and burn, win every race, and evade capture.
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android ($5.60)
3. Castle of Illusion
by Disney
An evil witch by the name of Mizrabel kidnaps Minnie. Mickey sets out on an adventure to save his beloved by traversing the dangers in this remake of Sega Genesis’s Castle of Illusions.
Download: iOS ($9.99) | Android ($9.99)
4. Shadowrun Dragonfall – Director’s Cut
by Harebrained Schemes
A story-driven RPG that is set in a place of fantasy and cyberpunk called Shadowrun, where elves, trolls, and men live together in discord, mainly due to unchecked technological and scientific advancement. As the player, you lead a group of shadowrunners to complete missions.
Download: iOS ($2.99) | Android ($2.99)
5. Chaos Rings
by SQUARE ENIX
Choose a pair of characters and fight with other pairs in the Ark Arena. Battle with humans and monsters alike in order to survive. Great for fans of Final Fantasy, Valkyrie Profile, and similar turn-based games.
Download: iOS ($6.99) | Android ($7.99)
6. Modern Combat 5: Blackout
by Gameloft
The world is at the brink of collapse and it’s your duty to find the person responsible for all the commotion. Create your own squad of soldiers either by teaming up with players from all over the globe or by inviting friends, to fight off other soldiers in team battles.
7. Anomaly 2
by Chillingo and 11 bit studios
Earth has been overrun by aliens but humans aren’t giving up just yet. Anomaly 2 is set in the future where a few surviving humans have banded together for security. Driven with the desire to live another day, they must search for necessary supplies and food but not without hindrance from the aliens.
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android ($4.99)
8. Deer Hunter
by Glu Games
Deer Hunter is, as the name implies, a first-person-shooter hunting game. However, it does not only feature deers. The game offers over 100 animals, from small critters down to huge predators like wolves, bears, and the like.
9. Dead Space
by Electronic Arts
Step into the deep space and feel the chill of the horror it presents. Survive deep space by fending off Necromorphs, corpses that were infected by an alien virus which reanimated them. Zombies in space!
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android ($6.99)
10. Asphalt 8: Airborne
by Gameloft
Race with other cars using top car brands and perform stunts while on the road or while on the air. Barrel roll, fly on ramps, and wreck other cars as you race against them towards the finish line.
11. Walking Dead: The Game
by Telltale
Live the life of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies have overrun civilization. Play as Lee Everett and redeem yourself by protecting an orphan named Clementine. Maintain your group’s safety, meet people, visit places you see in the show in this 5-episode gaming experience.
12. Blood & Glory: Legend
by Glu Games
Live the life of a gladiator in an arena. Hear the audience’s cheers, spill the blood of your enemies, join and win all of the tournaments in the empire, and become a legend. There is also Blood & Glory 2, Blood & Glory: Immortals and an Unrated Android version.
Download: iOS | Android
13. Deus Ex: The Fall
by SQUARE ENIX
Uncover the truth behind the global conspiracy in this new installation of the award-winning game series Deus Ex. The game is set in the year 2027, a time where human augmentation is widely available due to several advances in science and technology.
Download: iOS ($6.99) | Android ($0.99)
14. N.O.V.A. 3: Freedom Edition
by Gameloft
After years of exile, humans finally return to a war-torn terraformed Earth in order to save humanity. Play with friends in an epic terraformed landscape, team up with friends, communicate in real-time through voice chat, and use different kinds of weapons and vehicles.
Download: iOS | Android
15. République
by Camouflaj
Hope, a woman trapped inside a totalitarian state, calls for your aid. And you must guide her to her freedom by hacking into the mysterious nation’s network. There are 3 additional installations freely available to those who bought the first episode.
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android
16. Bastion
by Warner Bros
Bastion follows the story of a survivor who is trying to make sense of the ruins around him in an attempt to rebuild a sanctuary to, perhaps, rebuild a what was once a bustling city in the sky. This game is not available for Android users.
Download: iOS ($4.99)
17. Spirit Lords
by Kabam
Be at the forefront of humanity’s last city. Defend it at all costs and fight back against the invading forces from the Spirit World. Learn over 200 abilities, go to several quests, rebuild, and bring back balance to the world.
Download: iOS | Android
18. Sky Force 2014
by Infinite Dreams
Save the world by joining the Sky Force. Defeat the forces of evil by laying waste to their air force. Blast through legions of enemies, upgrade your ship and weapons, and fire at everything that crosses your path.
19. Space Marshals
by Pixelbite
Imagine the wild west… in space! Play as the space marshal and hunt down fugitives who are enjoying their illegal freedom after a prison break. Develop strategies based on your environment, approach enemies with care by being a stealth marshal, and hunt every dangerous fugitives out there.
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android ($4.99)
20. Heroes and Castles
by Foursaken Media
The Undead Horde is at the gates of your castle and you must protect your king against their Orcs and Goblins. You, along with your army, are the only ones who can defend the king and drive away the evil forces.
Download: iOS ($1.99) | Android ($1.99)
21. Adventures of Poco Eco
by POSSIBLE GAMES
Solve puzzles and clear all levels in order to help Poco Eco, a curious explorer, find his tribe’s lost “Sound”. Navigate through visually rich 3D landscapes and get lost in a world full of colors and astonishing music.
Download: iOS ($2.99) | Android ($1.98)
22. Occupation
by Vyacheslav Khaynyuk and the3daction
The world is over-run by zombies and chaos. With few surviving people left, it is your mission to protect and save your wife from all kinds of danger. Run, take cover, shoot zombies and survive. You play in an open 3D world with non-linear missions, which means anything goes. The game also has VR support.
23. Dungeon Hunter 5
by Gameloft
The world is in ruins after the Kingdom of Valenthia successfully stops the demon invasion, and the only people who can save the world from destruction is you along with the warriors of the Bounty Hunter guilds.
24. EPOCH.2
by Uppercut Games
EPOCH was programmed to find and protect a woman, Princess Amelia, and for a long time he has torn through a war-ravaged land just to find her. You play as a robot in this game; upgrade yourself and destroy your enemies in order to succeed.
Download: iOS ($4.99) | Android ($4.99)
25. Brothers in Arms 3
by Gameloft
Join World War 2 with your band of brothers and fight back against the enemies. Capture strategic locations, push the enemies away, plan missions with 12 of your brothers who each has their own unique abilities, and much more.
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