There’s no shortage of quality mobile games in 2024, and it can be difficult to navigate the sheer number of games available to download to your phone. That’s where we come in: Over the years, we’ve filled our phones with mobile games to find the best games across all genres. Looking for a hidden object game? A unique tower defense title? A turn-based RPG or a classic side-scrolling runner?
Let’s take a look at the best mobile games you can download today. Most of these games are available on both Android and iOS devices. Many of these are free to download, with in-game purchases allowing you to unlock more playing time or additional items. However, others require an additional subscription service, such as Apple Arcade or Netflix.
Krispie Street
Where to play: Available for iOS via Apple Arcade or Netflix
Simply put, Krispie Street is a hidden object game – its crowded graphics hide lots of little details to look for, some of which tell little stories in the worlds included. There’s so much to love about the silly, colorful art style and characters that populate the world, which is based on a webcomic. (I had never heard of the webcomic before I started Krispie Streetso don’t let the unfamiliarity put you off.) Still Krispie Street Since the game is visually chaotic, with hundreds of things – characters and objects – found in its edges, I would describe the gaming experience as anything but.
If I want a mobile game that’s totally cool, I’ll sign up Krispie Street and get to work on the inspection. —Nicole Carpenter
Gubbins
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS
I saw someone describe Gubbins as “Scrabble on acid,” and yes, that fits. Studio Folly’s word game is a more relaxed version of Scrabble, but with annoying little creatures – the Gubbins – that help or hurt the board. As in Scrabble, start with a bunch of letters (as you use them, more letters will appear until you run out) that you lay out on your board to make words for dots. You want to score lots of points by using your letters (and gubbins) creatively. For example, some of the modifiers automatically fill in letters or lock parts of the board. It’s one of those games that’s easy to play but harder to master, making it a mobile game I come back to often. In addition, the colors and the music simply determine. —NC
Honkai: Star Rail
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS
Honkai: Star Rail For this reason, I make sure my phone is well charged before I head out for a day trip. Genshin Impact Creator Hoyoverse released this gacha game last spring and I find it to be the perfect on-the-go game. This silly sci-fi RPG features turn-based combat that feels great on the small screen of my phone. And I like that I can sync progress while playing on PC and my iPad, so I can easily engage in regular tasks.
Honkai: Star Rail has adorable characters and stunning graphics that look surprisingly good on my phone. It makes a long bus ride the perfect opportunity to catch up on an event or finally complete a task I’ve been putting off. –Ana Diaz
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!
Where to play: Available for iOS via Apple Arcade
Game Freak, best known for Pokémon, has a less iconic game that should be better known: Pocket card jockey. It was originally released on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2013 and came to the English-language market in 2016. But with Apple Arcade the game has found new life Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! The premise is the same as the original, but with a 3D twist on the horse racing element. You see, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! is both a horse racing RPG and a collecting game where the races involve fast-paced rounds of solitaire. It’s lovely – just look at those little horses. —NC
Two points
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS
Two points is a classic that stands the test of time. Although it was released in 2014, Two points continues to receive updates and more levels in which you are tasked with completing goals by connecting colored dots. There are a surprising number of different ways to play these levels, which presents a lot of challenges. But Two points also features a hidden object mode to add some variety to the gameplay. —NC
Laya’s horizon
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS via Netflix Games
Laya’s horizon brings a complete open-world exploration game to your phone. The game was created by the developers of the viral hits Alto’s adventure And Alto’s Odysseyand sends players on a full 3D adventure where they explore the world by sliding through the sky. What really makes this an easy recommendation for me is the combination of a simple but beautiful igamesnews art style with touch controls that really give a good feeling of flight. Add to that the fact that it’s just a nice, relaxing game, and you’ve got the recipe for a nifty mobile game. -ADVERTISEMENT
Bad North: Jotunn Edition
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS
Tower defense is a classic genre, but Bad North: Jotunn Edition gives it a roguelike real-time strategy touch. That’s a lot of jargon to explain, but the premise is simple: Viking invaders are attacking your island, and you’re tasked with leading the defense against the invaders while evacuating everyone else. Each quick round takes place on a procedurally generated island, meaning there’s a lot of variety between rounds. The aesthetics of the game look quite simple, but behind this facade lies a deep strategy game. —NC
Sneaky Sasquatch
Where to play: Available for iOS via Apple Arcade
The general audience for Sneaky Sasquatch will probably be a bit young, but there’s a reason why it’s such a popular and highly rated game on iOS. You take on the role of a Sasquatch who scavenges through trash and campsites to find food and useful items. At the start of the game, stealth elements are prominent as you evade the eyes of fearful campers, but there’s much more to this game. You can fish, play mini-games, race, get a job, dress up and even decorate your home. RAC7 also continues to publish regular updates with new content. Soon no one will be able to stop Sasquatch’s meteoric rise to mayor of the city. -ADVERTISEMENT
Pokémon Go
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS
You’ve heard about it Pokémon Go, but you may not have noticed that it’s still going strong, with regular updates and tons of Pokemon to catch. If you somehow don’t know your way around, Pokémon Go is a mobile-only game developed by Niantic; You walk through your neighborhood – or further! – to search for and catch Pokémon. Beyond this basic premise, there is also a combat system that allows you to stay in gyms and fight against your friends. If you’re someone with the “gotta catch them all” mentality, you won’t be able to express it Pokémon Go down. —NC
Jetpack joyride
Where to play: Available for Android and iOS Jetpack Joyride 2: Bullet Rush is available for iOS via Apple Arcade
Another classic mobile game, Jetpack joyride is what it says on the tin: it’s an endless runner where you jetpack instead of run, avoiding obstacles in increasingly difficult levels. It was first released by Halfbrick Studios in 2011, but there are still numerous gameplay updates. Jetpack joyride has a sequel, Jetpack Joyride 2: Bullet Rush, which is available on Apple Arcade, but it’s still worth downloading the original on your phone. —NC
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