RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic - (Android / iOS) It's not free, but it's $6 or $7.50 for the full RCT1 & 2 experience, on mobile, with zero microtransaction time-gating gameplay ruining bullshit....
It's not free, but it's $6 or $7.50 for the full RCT1 & 2 experience, on mobile, with zero microtransaction time-gating gameplay ruining bullshit. You can purchase a couple of mostly cosmetic expansion packs or a toolkit that lets you design rides in isolation, and import tracks that people share online.
All the classic scenarios are here that (if you're like me and played it growing up) you'll undoubtedly remember: Forest Frontiers, Diamond Heights, Funtopia. There's 95 total scenarios, with more in the expansion packs.
My response from the last thread: My favourite Android game is Data Wing. It’s completely free (no ads, no IAP), and you can tell how much work the creator put into it. It looks great, has an...
My response from the last thread:
My favourite Android game is Data Wing. It’s completely free (no ads, no IAP), and you can tell how much work the creator put into it. It looks great, has an awesome soundtrack, and even has a pleasant little story with great characters. All this is on top of solid actual gameplay.
It only takes a few hours to finish, I consider it a must play.
I really liked Data Wing but it was running in the background and eating my battery. Made me wonder if it was collecting data (as the game suggests) or otherwise maybe crypto mining, so I...
I really liked Data Wing but it was running in the background and eating my battery. Made me wonder if it was collecting data (as the game suggests) or otherwise maybe crypto mining, so I uninstalled it.
That's strange - I've had the game installed for a long time and never had it run in the background, even while I was actively playing it. Maybe restricting background data for it could help? I...
That's strange - I've had the game installed for a long time and never had it run in the background, even while I was actively playing it. Maybe restricting background data for it could help?
I doubt it's doing anything sketchy in the background - the app doesn't even have any permissions.
Recently picked up a few games that were/are on sale. Reigns (2.99 0.99) There's also Reigns: Her Majesty (2.99 0.99), and Reigns: GoT (3.99 2.45), though I only got the first to start with....
Recently picked up a few games that were/are on sale.
Evoland (0.99)
Allegedly on sale from $4.99, but without it using the built-in sale system, I'm skeptical. Great game nonetheless.
Evoland 2 (4.99 0.99)
Haven't played this one yet, but if the first one is any indication, this will also be great. I've heard good things.
Monument Valley (3.99 0.99)
This is fun, but a bit short for my taste. I'd say it's worth it while it's on sale, but skip at full price. There's an expansion in it for 1.99, which is a bit of a turn off considering it's paid to begin with.
Monument Valley 2 (4.99 0.99)
This one is in my opinion, better than the first. It includes more levels, and more beautiful and creative levels. And it has no IAPs! Highly recommend this one.
Delver (1.99)
Fun, but hasn't had an update in five years. Has keyboard controls though!
And here are some free games that I absolutely love:
Duke Dashington (Remastered) (Free)
From the same developer. Despite having more levels, this one's actually shorter, because you're put on a(n optional) 10 second timer for each level. The controls are very annoying, but that's a part of the gameplay.
Honorable mention:
Downwell (2.99 0.99)
Would have made a list above, but I had purchased it a while ago (on sale), and it lacks keyboard controls found on the desktop counterpart.
Candies 'n Curses (Free)
This one's pretty fun, it doesn't force you to watch ads, but it does push you, and they try to sell you on the "ad-free version". It also follows that scummy "two currency" model, one that's easily obtainable, and the harder-to-get one, where they try to get you to pay to get more "currency" to upgrade your items. It's not bad on it, and there's no reason you'd have to pay, so it definitely deserves to be mentioned, but I would have rather paid for the game up-front to avoid these bs tactics.
I always recommend Hoplite! It's one of only two games that I always keep on my phone, the other being Simon Tatham's puzzle collection (which is free and available on pretty much every platform...
I always recommend Hoplite! It's one of only two games that I always keep on my phone, the other being Simon Tatham's puzzle collection (which is free and available on pretty much every platform there is).
Can't believe no one has said Pixel Dungeon and its brethren. It's a wonderful rogue-like, procedurally generated dungeon crawler with very diverse class mechanics, weapon choices, and more. I've...
Can't believe no one has said Pixel Dungeon and its brethren. It's a wonderful rogue-like, procedurally generated dungeon crawler with very diverse class mechanics, weapon choices, and more. I've played Shattered Pixel Dungeon at least 400 play throughs, at least 50 of which were wins. The game is free, but you can donate to the developer (which I've happily done twice). At this point I've paid $10 for what has amounted to probably at least 300+ hours of gameplay.
In my experience, once you learn a few tricks and standard practices, it becomes appreciably easier. That's not to say you won't still die randomly, and even somewhat frequently, from bad luck,...
In my experience, once you learn a few tricks and standard practices, it becomes appreciably easier. That's not to say you won't still die randomly, and even somewhat frequently, from bad luck, but you can minimize the chances of ending up in a bad situation.
Are you able to get to the boss easily, and just have a hard time finishing? What's your biggest issue? I'm happy to give pointers. I love the game.
I rarely game on mobile, but I do enjoy Fallout Shelter - frankly it's more fun than Fallout 4 was. Bethesda's kept updating it with new goodies. Don't pay for their in-game loot boxes, though -...
I rarely game on mobile, but I do enjoy Fallout Shelter - frankly it's more fun than Fallout 4 was. Bethesda's kept updating it with new goodies. Don't pay for their in-game loot boxes, though - there's a save editor for that stuff.
The gist of the game is that you're managing one of the 'Vaults' after the war, so you have to build the vault and manage it, and manage the colonists. The game's designed to be played in an on-again off-again fashion, so you pop it open, make some decisions and start a few things, then close it and forget it for a while. Next time you come back lots of 'time' will have passed and most of your projects will be completed, people will be trained, and surface missions will have progressed. There will be some new events waiting for you. Once you're through those you queue up another batch of things and repeat. It's a mildly enjoyable time-waster for when you've got 15 minutes to kill.
Yeah, I enjoyed Fallout Shelter more than Fallout 4 as well... which is pretty sad considering how much I love RPGs and how little I care about casual games, mobile ones especially. But Fallout 4...
Yeah, I enjoyed Fallout Shelter more than Fallout 4 as well... which is pretty sad considering how much I love RPGs and how little I care about casual games, mobile ones especially. But Fallout 4 was just so "meh" and Fallout Shelter was surprisingly well done.
p.s. Given how much I have seen you play RimWorld and now knowing you also like Fallout Shelter, you should definitely check out Klei Entertainment's newest game, Oxygen Not Included. It's a bit like if you combined RimWorld with Fallout Shelter so I suspect you would enjoy it. The mod scene for ONI isn't great yet, but given the insane amount of mods available for Don't Starve (another game from Klei) I suspect it will get there eventually too.
Heh, Rimworld is basically always running in the background, and I play that much the same way as I play fallout shelter. I'll definitely check out ONI.
Heh, Rimworld is basically always running in the background, and I play that much the same way as I play fallout shelter. I'll definitely check out ONI.
That's why I like RimWorld, Fallout Shelter, ONI (and to a large extent, EU4) too, since a lot of time I just leave them running, set on the slowest speed, and only really pay attention when...
That's why I like RimWorld, Fallout Shelter, ONI (and to a large extent, EU4) too, since a lot of time I just leave them running, set on the slowest speed, and only really pay attention when something interesting happens... a bit like podcasts, they are good background "noise" while I do other things.
Jesus Christ, I mean, opinions are opinions, but I'm wondering what fucking version of Fallout 4 you were playing. I thought Fallout Shelter was amusing but it quickly became tedious and...
Fallout Shelter - frankly it's more fun than Fallout 4 was.
Jesus Christ, I mean, opinions are opinions, but I'm wondering what fucking version of Fallout 4 you were playing. I thought Fallout Shelter was amusing but it quickly became tedious and monotonous. Fallout 4 gave me way more hours of enjoyable play, even accounting for the fact I can play Fallout Shelter anywhere.
I genuinely curious what you think made Fallout 4 worse than say, Fallout 3 or New Vegas.
Lame, lazy mechanics and a very clumsy story. FO3 and Vegas were both much more enjoyable than running around the commonwealth with 800lbs of junk stuffed down my trousers and managing settlements...
Lame, lazy mechanics and a very clumsy story. FO3 and Vegas were both much more enjoyable than running around the commonwealth with 800lbs of junk stuffed down my trousers and managing settlements that barely function. The game engine was vastly improved, but thats about it. Seems like they spent 90% of their time on the engine and content was an afterthought.
I haven't checked back in two years to see if the mods have salvaged it yet.
Hmmm, see, I never finished FO3 and New Vegas's main campaign. I just kinda stopped playing. FO4 remains the only Fallout game I've finished or dumped any appreciable time into. I kind of take...
Hmmm, see, I never finished FO3 and New Vegas's main campaign. I just kinda stopped playing. FO4 remains the only Fallout game I've finished or dumped any appreciable time into. I kind of take this to mean that FO4 is more engaging (at least for me).
And obviously I'll concede the obvious counter-argument is that FO3 and Vegas are better, and it's not the story that stopped me from finishing, and the lack of having completed them makes it hard for me to do a proper comparison.
Also, I do love Base Building/Management games, so I minded settlements less, even if they did have problems. More personal preference there.
But even accounting for all that, I still don't see Fallout Shelter being better than Fallout 4.
Nobody said Fallout Shelter was "better" than Fallout 4 so I don't quite understand where you're getting that from. Amarok said he had "more fun" with FS than FO4 and I said I "enjoyed [FS] more"...
Nobody said Fallout Shelter was "better" than Fallout 4 so I don't quite understand where you're getting that from. Amarok said he had "more fun" with FS than FO4 and I said I "enjoyed [FS] more" but neither of us said it's "better". They are such vastly different types of games that comparing them would be like comparing apples and orangutans.
However what we can do is compare FO4 to its predecessors, which were significantly "better" in almost every aspect that matters, IMO. In FO, FO2, FO3 and FO:NV the characters and settings had far more depth to them, the storylines (main and sidequests) were far more intricate with actual consequences to your actions/decisions with differing end-state outcomes depending on your choices (unlike the incredibly linear FO4 where you couldn't deviate from the course and couldn't even refuse the majority of the quests) and character planning/building (stats/skills/perks) actually mattered and affected far more than just your ability to kill shit faster (also unlike FO4 which had barely any skill checks in the entire game). The only thing FO4 did "better" was the graphics and shooting mechanics, but those are not the heart of what makes Fallout games fun/enjoyable to me. Fallout 4 is a "better" shooter and "building game" than the previous ones but an objectively, quantifiably, definitively worse RPG.
FO3 introduced the franchise to 3D graphics, and provided depth in a game that few before had managed. Relative to it's release in 2008, it was insanely good. Plus the story still holds up well...
FO3 introduced the franchise to 3D graphics, and provided depth in a game that few before had managed. Relative to it's release in 2008, it was insanely good. Plus the story still holds up well today.
FNV had many many possible endings, and unlike FO4, they resulted in vastly different outcomes. Add on a massive environment and way more factions, and it's probably the most fleshed-out game in the franchise. Charts have been made comparing the FO4 quest list to NV/Skyrim and it is measly compared to those older releases. 4's quests are comparatively repetitive and don't provide nearly as much choice, consequences, or lore.
Most large-scale fallout mods in development right now are focused on expanding FNV. Either story add-ons, or porting the game to FO4's engine and gun mechanics which (like they other guy said) is the only thing 4 has going for it. I haven't heard of massive FO4 mods in development, though I haven't been actively looking.
When comparing the releases without context, FO4 naturally has better graphics and mechanics. But that's about it. Compare FO4 to The Witcher 3, which came out around the same time (~2015) but had an immensely more intricate storyline and interactions with quests. One got universal GOTY, the other lost 90% of its playerbase in a month, with a multitude of more players in Skyrim 5 years after release.
Fair points all around. I guess just for clarity then, do you think that in a straight up one-on-one, Fallout: Shelter is better than Fallout 4, or did you mean that within their own genre,...
Fair points all around.
I guess just for clarity then, do you think that in a straight up one-on-one, Fallout: Shelter is better than Fallout 4, or did you mean that within their own genre, Fallout: Shelter is more fun than any comparable game, and Fallout 4 is less fun than comparative RPGs like Witcher 3 or New Vegas?
I'd even concede the second point, but I just don't see any phone game, especially one as microtransaction laden and monotonous as Fallout Shelter struck me, as being more fun than even a somewhat lacking full-scale RPG. I mean, your personal opinion and preference is totally valid, but I'm just not that kinda guy and am trying to understand.
Respectful rebuttals like this is why I'm on tildes and not reddit :) I'd go with the latter of your options. It's comparing apples and oranges to an extent. BUT probably for the first time in...
Respectful rebuttals like this is why I'm on tildes and not reddit :)
I'd go with the latter of your options. It's comparing apples and oranges to an extent. BUT probably for the first time in gaming history, someone enjoying a franchise's mobile spinoff more than the accompanying AAA release is within the realm of rational possibility.
Comparing the impact each made in their respective field, FO4 didn't add anything new to the RPG genre (unlike FO3 & NV) while FOShelter actually stood out as a free, polished mobile game without gameplay-breaking timer delays and required microtransactions. It came out in a time where every single significant base-building app was a pain to play without buying your way through timers. I played it for many hours without ever having the need to pay for in-app purchases.
Threes. Available both on Android and iOS. I think there might be a browser based variant as well, I'm not sure. I think it's a few dollars and there is an ad-supported variant as well. It's the...
Threes. Available both on Android and iOS. I think there might be a browser based variant as well, I'm not sure. I think it's a few dollars and there is an ad-supported variant as well.
It's the game that inspired the ever-popular 2048. It is a significantly better product that requires forethought and strategy. It's very challenging, beautiful, and exciting. Getting the next number up from your previous best is very rewarding. I don't play it often because when I do I become entrenched in planing out all of my moves and figuring out what series of moves I'll need to get the next biggest number.
I've been playing for years and the highest number I have gotten is 384, there are four others that come after that and I'm not sure if I'll ever get a higher number.
I played hearthstone since the beta. Last year in August I forgot to get the card back for the first time. I didn't play it since then. Before that I played until rank 20 for a few months. I just...
I played hearthstone since the beta. Last year in August I forgot to get the card back for the first time. I didn't play it since then. Before that I played until rank 20 for a few months. I just got tired of the grind
I'll start. I really like this game called Crashy Cats. It has a really cute pixel art style and the gameplay is solid. It's basically a platformer/endless runner where you're a cat who's trying...
I'll start. I really like this game called Crashy Cats. It has a really cute pixel art style and the gameplay is solid. It's basically a platformer/endless runner where you're a cat who's trying to cause as much damage in a house as possible by knocking into everything.
I've got a few neato ones I always make sure to have installed on my phone. First one is called "Orbital" and it's like one of those breakout/bubble shooter games but instead of trying to break...
I've got a few neato ones I always make sure to have installed on my phone.
First one is called "Orbital" and it's like one of those breakout/bubble shooter games but instead of trying to break bricks or whatever; the things you shoot expand until they touch things and then you have to clean them up with more shots that expand until they touch things... It's harder to explain than it is to play, forgive me.
Next one is called "Desert Golf" and it's exactly that. Think of it as an endless runner game, but instead of it being a runner; it's a golf ball and a series of holes. I got a new phone recently so I've been slowly getting back up to hole 1337 so i can take another screenshot
The last one worth mentioning is called "Really Bad Chess" and despite the name, it's a really good chess game. The name is apt, though, since both sides get randomized pieces. I've had 5 queens and 0 pawns in a few games so far, and although I'm absolute shite at chess usually, it's quite fun to mess around with really outlandish strategies just because you've come up with a way to use 5 bishops to take one of their 3 queens.
Also seconding Really Bad Chess as well... as you said, it's not a "really bad" chess game at all, like the name suggests, it's actually a really nice fresh take on chess. And for someone like myself who doesn't really enjoy playing chess all that much, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It almost felt more like a puzzle game than chess to me, which I appreciated.
Wow, interesting to see that. The basic mechanics and units are clearly copied from an old PC shareware game that I used to play called Slay. There's a modern iOS version of Slay by the original...
Wow, interesting to see that. The basic mechanics and units are clearly copied from an old PC shareware game that I used to play called Slay. There's a modern iOS version of Slay by the original author that I still play every day on my iPad. I will be interested to try out Antiyoy.
Literally the only mobile game I have ever played for any significant amount of time (say, more than a day) is Clash Royale. I'm not at all interested in the social aspects of it (clans,...
Literally the only mobile game I have ever played for any significant amount of time (say, more than a day) is Clash Royale. I'm not at all interested in the social aspects of it (clans, tournaments), I just like quick 2-5 minute battles when I'm idle.
Old School RuneScape! If you ever cared about the game at all you probably know about this by now, but like 5 years ago Jagex dug up an old backup of RuneScape from what a lot of players would...
Old School RuneScape!
If you ever cared about the game at all you probably know about this by now, but like 5 years ago Jagex dug up an old backup of RuneScape from what a lot of players would consider its peak, 2007, and put that game up live. Ever since, they've been updating it in the spirit of that version of the game, and it's been incredible. Easily my favorite MMO of all time, and it semi-recently got a mobile release that's extremely playable. You won't be doing perfect prayer flicking and shit, but it's more than good enough to do most things you'd want to do.
Most of my mobile gaming is digital versions of board games. Small World, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan. I bought a Humble Bundle at some point with all of these and a few more....
Most of my mobile gaming is digital versions of board games. Small World, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan. I bought a Humble Bundle at some point with all of these and a few more. The AI isn't great in any of them, but they are very faithful implementations of games I am very fond of.
I've also played many Choice Of games. Most of them have a free demo version, and there's one that's completely free that you can try to get a feel for the genre.
And I played an adventure game I really liked; Milkmaid of the Milky Way. Check it out if you like oldschool adventure games.
edit:
Oh hey, speaking of: New Humble Bundle! With Android versions of Splendor, Small World, and a few games I've never heard of before (Abalone, Harald: A Game of Influence, King and Assassins). Games from Humble Bundle usually work great on Sailfish.
Yeah, board games work extremely well on mobile, especially on tablets... and thankfully, as you said, most are faithful conversions rather than nerfed mobile market abominations. Small World is...
Yeah, board games work extremely well on mobile, especially on tablets... and thankfully, as you said, most are faithful conversions rather than nerfed mobile market abominations. Small World is by far my favorite and I play it a fair amount too. <3 that game so much.
p.s. Milkmaid of the Milky Way looks great, I will have to check it out. Have you tried Thimbleweed Park? It’s the new Ron Gilbert (Maniac Mansion/Monkey Island co-creator) & Gary Winnick (Maniac Mansion co-creator+artist) P&C adventure game and is on mobile as well. I have yet to find the time to play it myself yet, but I have heard great things about it.
Really started enjoying Eternal Card Game. If you like Heartstone or Magic the Gathering but get pissed off about their P2W structure, that card game is the one you're looking for. Really good...
Really started enjoying Eternal Card Game. If you like Heartstone or Magic the Gathering but get pissed off about their P2W structure, that card game is the one you're looking for. Really good meta, and very F2P friendly. You essentially get one free pack of card every day when you win.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village in HD - Android, iOS A bit on the pricier side for a mobile game but a must for anyone who is a fan of logic puzzles. It's a modern HD port of the classic...
Professor Layton and the Curious Village in HD - Android, iOS
A bit on the pricier side for a mobile game but a must for anyone who is a fan of logic puzzles. It's a modern HD port of the classic Nintendo DS game (pretty sure my phone screen is smaller than the total screen space of the NDS, but it's definitely higher res) and it works great. It was always designed for touch controls so there's no difference with format like some other ports have.
On top of hundreds of high quality puzzles, you get a game with truly gorgeous art style, great writing, a wonderful sense of humour, and a genuinely intriguing mystery. This new version even includes new animated sequences, and they are high quality cartoons.
In terms of mobile gaming, I think it's one of the best suited. You can play for as little or as much as you want in a sitting. I mostly play it during those few minutes I have sitting on the streetcar, and it's enough to get a puzzle or three done.
Android: The old but great one, X Construct, I used to play for days. It's about building better and better bridges for trains, using limited materials ...and trains can be set 50% heavier. So...
Android: The old but great one, X Construct, I used to play for days. It's about building better and better bridges for trains, using limited materials ...and trains can be set 50% heavier. So much engineering creativity! Simple graphics are charming. There's a free demo
Cross platform: Pocket Tanks, also a simple, 2D, captivating game where you shoot various weapons against opponent in a tank across a terrain. Soothing sound. Play Store, App Store, and also exists for desktop.
You can try one of the multiple NetHack ports for Android or, even better, the UnNetHack fork. Those are one of the few games I played for more than a day without uninstalling them. You can also...
You can try one of the multiple NetHack ports for Android or, even better, the UnNetHack fork. Those are one of the few games I played for more than a day without uninstalling them. You can also try installing a GameBoy Advance emulator, there are tons of GBA games you can play there.
Edit: for the ads, you can block most of them using Blockada.
I like all the Pokemon games. If you prefer car games there are a few Need for Speed games (in 3D!).You can also try Golden Sun and Sword of Mana (I haven't finished these two yet so I can't tell...
I like all the Pokemon games. If you prefer car games there are a few Need for Speed games (in 3D!).You can also try Golden Sun and Sword of Mana (I haven't finished these two yet so I can't tell you how good or bad they are).
The Space Marshalls iOS Android series of games has been one of my favorites. It's a top-down third-person shooter with really tight controls, tons of fun weapons, and allows for creative ways to...
The Space Marshalls iOSAndroid series of games has been one of my favorites. It's a top-down third-person shooter with really tight controls, tons of fun weapons, and allows for creative ways to get through the levels.
The sequels are just as fun.
Space Marshalls 2 iOSAndroid
Endless Quiz. Shows up as "General Knowledge Quiz" on PlayStore. It's literally just endless questions in all fields of knowledge. You get a score that's matched up against global players on a...
Endless Quiz. Shows up as "General Knowledge Quiz" on PlayStore. It's literally just endless questions in all fields of knowledge. You get a score that's matched up against global players on a graph. There's a 20 question quick fire quiz on Sundays. It's free, with unobtrusive ads, you can pay to remove those though.
Atomas. Match up elements to create chain reactions. Short simple game that's easy to play.
Into the Dead, the first one. Endless run through a world full of zombies. Pick up weapons like shotguns, chainsaws, grenades and miniguns. Did not like the sequel at all, they ruined the game in several ways.
Solitairica (iOS, Android, Steam) is quite fun. It's sort of like... if solitaire was an RPG, with progression, classes, semi-random enemies, and spells/items. The name is kind of a turn-off, but...
Solitairica (iOS, Android, Steam) is quite fun. It's sort of like... if solitaire was an RPG, with progression, classes, semi-random enemies, and spells/items.
The name is kind of a turn-off, but for whatever it's worth, I hate solitaire and love Solitairica.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic - (Android / iOS)
It's not free, but it's $6 or $7.50 for the full RCT1 & 2 experience, on mobile, with zero microtransaction time-gating gameplay ruining bullshit. You can purchase a couple of mostly cosmetic expansion packs or a toolkit that lets you design rides in isolation, and import tracks that people share online.
All the classic scenarios are here that (if you're like me and played it growing up) you'll undoubtedly remember: Forest Frontiers, Diamond Heights, Funtopia. There's 95 total scenarios, with more in the expansion packs.
It is absolutely my favorite mobile game.
My response from the last thread:
My favourite Android game is Data Wing. It’s completely free (no ads, no IAP), and you can tell how much work the creator put into it. It looks great, has an awesome soundtrack, and even has a pleasant little story with great characters. All this is on top of solid actual gameplay.
It only takes a few hours to finish, I consider it a must play.
Lots more great suggestions there: https://tildes.net/~games/29l/good_mobile_games
I downloaded it and played through it but really didn't consider it a "must play", not bad and a good diversion for a few hours.
I really liked Data Wing but it was running in the background and eating my battery. Made me wonder if it was collecting data (as the game suggests) or otherwise maybe crypto mining, so I uninstalled it.
That's strange - I've had the game installed for a long time and never had it run in the background, even while I was actively playing it. Maybe restricting background data for it could help?
I doubt it's doing anything sketchy in the background - the app doesn't even have any permissions.
Recently picked up a few games that were/are on sale.
2.990.99)There's also Reigns: Her Majesty (
2.990.99), and Reigns: GoT (3.992.45), though I only got the first to start with.Allegedly on sale from $4.99, but without it using the built-in sale system, I'm skeptical. Great game nonetheless.
4.990.99)Haven't played this one yet, but if the first one is any indication, this will also be great. I've heard good things.
3.990.99)This is fun, but a bit short for my taste. I'd say it's worth it while it's on sale, but skip at full price. There's an expansion in it for 1.99, which is a bit of a turn off considering it's paid to begin with.
4.990.99)This one is in my opinion, better than the first. It includes more levels, and more beautiful and creative levels. And it has no IAPs! Highly recommend this one.
Fun, but hasn't had an update in five years. Has keyboard controls though!
And here are some free games that I absolutely love:
A lot of levels, keyboard controls, and it's free.
From the same developer. Despite having more levels, this one's actually shorter, because you're put on a(n optional) 10 second timer for each level. The controls are very annoying, but that's a part of the gameplay.
Honorable mention:
2.990.99)Would have made a list above, but I had purchased it a while ago (on sale), and it lacks keyboard controls found on the desktop counterpart.
This one's pretty fun, it doesn't force you to watch ads, but it does push you, and they try to sell you on the "ad-free version". It also follows that scummy "two currency" model, one that's easily obtainable, and the harder-to-get one, where they try to get you to pay to get more "currency" to upgrade your items. It's not bad on it, and there's no reason you'd have to pay, so it definitely deserves to be mentioned, but I would have rather paid for the game up-front to avoid these bs tactics.
Reigns is an amazing series and I love Devolver. They also have a mindless clicker called Spaceplan that's really good
I played the first monument valley and thought it was absolutely amazing. I just bought the second one and I'm going to try it out.
I always recommend Hoplite! It's one of only two games that I always keep on my phone, the other being Simon Tatham's puzzle collection (which is free and available on pretty much every platform there is).
Can't believe no one has said Pixel Dungeon and its brethren. It's a wonderful rogue-like, procedurally generated dungeon crawler with very diverse class mechanics, weapon choices, and more. I've played Shattered Pixel Dungeon at least 400 play throughs, at least 50 of which were wins. The game is free, but you can donate to the developer (which I've happily done twice). At this point I've paid $10 for what has amounted to probably at least 300+ hours of gameplay.
Checking in with my 1 out of 120 win rate :(
It's a good game, but it's pretty challenging.
In my experience, once you learn a few tricks and standard practices, it becomes appreciably easier. That's not to say you won't still die randomly, and even somewhat frequently, from bad luck, but you can minimize the chances of ending up in a bad situation.
Are you able to get to the boss easily, and just have a hard time finishing? What's your biggest issue? I'm happy to give pointers. I love the game.
I rarely game on mobile, but I do enjoy Fallout Shelter - frankly it's more fun than Fallout 4 was. Bethesda's kept updating it with new goodies. Don't pay for their in-game loot boxes, though - there's a save editor for that stuff.
The gist of the game is that you're managing one of the 'Vaults' after the war, so you have to build the vault and manage it, and manage the colonists. The game's designed to be played in an on-again off-again fashion, so you pop it open, make some decisions and start a few things, then close it and forget it for a while. Next time you come back lots of 'time' will have passed and most of your projects will be completed, people will be trained, and surface missions will have progressed. There will be some new events waiting for you. Once you're through those you queue up another batch of things and repeat. It's a mildly enjoyable time-waster for when you've got 15 minutes to kill.
Yeah, I enjoyed Fallout Shelter more than Fallout 4 as well... which is pretty sad considering how much I love RPGs and how little I care about casual games, mobile ones especially. But Fallout 4 was just so "meh" and Fallout Shelter was surprisingly well done.
p.s. Given how much I have seen you play RimWorld and now knowing you also like Fallout Shelter, you should definitely check out Klei Entertainment's newest game, Oxygen Not Included. It's a bit like if you combined RimWorld with Fallout Shelter so I suspect you would enjoy it. The mod scene for ONI isn't great yet, but given the insane amount of mods available for Don't Starve (another game from Klei) I suspect it will get there eventually too.
Heh, Rimworld is basically always running in the background, and I play that much the same way as I play fallout shelter. I'll definitely check out ONI.
That's why I like RimWorld, Fallout Shelter, ONI (and to a large extent, EU4) too, since a lot of time I just leave them running, set on the slowest speed, and only really pay attention when something interesting happens... a bit like podcasts, they are good background "noise" while I do other things.
Jesus Christ, I mean, opinions are opinions, but I'm wondering what fucking version of Fallout 4 you were playing. I thought Fallout Shelter was amusing but it quickly became tedious and monotonous. Fallout 4 gave me way more hours of enjoyable play, even accounting for the fact I can play Fallout Shelter anywhere.
I genuinely curious what you think made Fallout 4 worse than say, Fallout 3 or New Vegas.
Lame, lazy mechanics and a very clumsy story. FO3 and Vegas were both much more enjoyable than running around the commonwealth with 800lbs of junk stuffed down my trousers and managing settlements that barely function. The game engine was vastly improved, but thats about it. Seems like they spent 90% of their time on the engine and content was an afterthought.
I haven't checked back in two years to see if the mods have salvaged it yet.
Hmmm, see, I never finished FO3 and New Vegas's main campaign. I just kinda stopped playing. FO4 remains the only Fallout game I've finished or dumped any appreciable time into. I kind of take this to mean that FO4 is more engaging (at least for me).
And obviously I'll concede the obvious counter-argument is that FO3 and Vegas are better, and it's not the story that stopped me from finishing, and the lack of having completed them makes it hard for me to do a proper comparison.
Also, I do love Base Building/Management games, so I minded settlements less, even if they did have problems. More personal preference there.
But even accounting for all that, I still don't see Fallout Shelter being better than Fallout 4.
Nobody said Fallout Shelter was "better" than Fallout 4 so I don't quite understand where you're getting that from. Amarok said he had "more fun" with FS than FO4 and I said I "enjoyed [FS] more" but neither of us said it's "better". They are such vastly different types of games that comparing them would be like comparing apples and orangutans.
However what we can do is compare FO4 to its predecessors, which were significantly "better" in almost every aspect that matters, IMO. In FO, FO2, FO3 and FO:NV the characters and settings had far more depth to them, the storylines (main and sidequests) were far more intricate with actual consequences to your actions/decisions with differing end-state outcomes depending on your choices (unlike the incredibly linear FO4 where you couldn't deviate from the course and couldn't even refuse the majority of the quests) and character planning/building (stats/skills/perks) actually mattered and affected far more than just your ability to kill shit faster (also unlike FO4 which had barely any skill checks in the entire game). The only thing FO4 did "better" was the graphics and shooting mechanics, but those are not the heart of what makes Fallout games fun/enjoyable to me. Fallout 4 is a "better" shooter and "building game" than the previous ones but an objectively, quantifiably, definitively worse RPG.
FO3 introduced the franchise to 3D graphics, and provided depth in a game that few before had managed. Relative to it's release in 2008, it was insanely good. Plus the story still holds up well today.
FNV had many many possible endings, and unlike FO4, they resulted in vastly different outcomes. Add on a massive environment and way more factions, and it's probably the most fleshed-out game in the franchise. Charts have been made comparing the FO4 quest list to NV/Skyrim and it is measly compared to those older releases. 4's quests are comparatively repetitive and don't provide nearly as much choice, consequences, or lore.
Most large-scale fallout mods in development right now are focused on expanding FNV. Either story add-ons, or porting the game to FO4's engine and gun mechanics which (like they other guy said) is the only thing 4 has going for it. I haven't heard of massive FO4 mods in development, though I haven't been actively looking.
When comparing the releases without context, FO4 naturally has better graphics and mechanics. But that's about it. Compare FO4 to The Witcher 3, which came out around the same time (~2015) but had an immensely more intricate storyline and interactions with quests. One got universal GOTY, the other lost 90% of its playerbase in a month, with a multitude of more players in Skyrim 5 years after release.
Fair points all around.
I guess just for clarity then, do you think that in a straight up one-on-one, Fallout: Shelter is better than Fallout 4, or did you mean that within their own genre, Fallout: Shelter is more fun than any comparable game, and Fallout 4 is less fun than comparative RPGs like Witcher 3 or New Vegas?
I'd even concede the second point, but I just don't see any phone game, especially one as microtransaction laden and monotonous as Fallout Shelter struck me, as being more fun than even a somewhat lacking full-scale RPG. I mean, your personal opinion and preference is totally valid, but I'm just not that kinda guy and am trying to understand.
Respectful rebuttals like this is why I'm on tildes and not reddit :)
I'd go with the latter of your options. It's comparing apples and oranges to an extent. BUT probably for the first time in gaming history, someone enjoying a franchise's mobile spinoff more than the accompanying AAA release is within the realm of rational possibility.
Comparing the impact each made in their respective field, FO4 didn't add anything new to the RPG genre (unlike FO3 & NV) while FOShelter actually stood out as a free, polished mobile game without gameplay-breaking timer delays and required microtransactions. It came out in a time where every single significant base-building app was a pain to play without buying your way through timers. I played it for many hours without ever having the need to pay for in-app purchases.
Threes. Available both on Android and iOS. I think there might be a browser based variant as well, I'm not sure. I think it's a few dollars and there is an ad-supported variant as well.
It's the game that inspired the ever-popular 2048. It is a significantly better product that requires forethought and strategy. It's very challenging, beautiful, and exciting. Getting the next number up from your previous best is very rewarding. I don't play it often because when I do I become entrenched in planing out all of my moves and figuring out what series of moves I'll need to get the next biggest number.
I've been playing for years and the highest number I have gotten is 384, there are four others that come after that and I'm not sure if I'll ever get a higher number.
Hearthstone. In that sort of love to hate way.
I played hearthstone since the beta. Last year in August I forgot to get the card back for the first time. I didn't play it since then. Before that I played until rank 20 for a few months. I just got tired of the grind
Hearthstone... The game that probably made Blizzard think a mobile Diablo was a good idea.
I'll start. I really like this game called Crashy Cats. It has a really cute pixel art style and the gameplay is solid. It's basically a platformer/endless runner where you're a cat who's trying to cause as much damage in a house as possible by knocking into everything.
I've got a few neato ones I always make sure to have installed on my phone.
First one is called "Orbital" and it's like one of those breakout/bubble shooter games but instead of trying to break bricks or whatever; the things you shoot expand until they touch things and then you have to clean them up with more shots that expand until they touch things... It's harder to explain than it is to play, forgive me.
Next one is called "Desert Golf" and it's exactly that. Think of it as an endless runner game, but instead of it being a runner; it's a golf ball and a series of holes. I got a new phone recently so I've been slowly getting back up to hole 1337 so i can take another screenshot
The last one worth mentioning is called "Really Bad Chess" and despite the name, it's a really good chess game. The name is apt, though, since both sides get randomized pieces. I've had 5 queens and 0 pawns in a few games so far, and although I'm absolute shite at chess usually, it's quite fun to mess around with really outlandish strategies just because you've come up with a way to use 5 bishops to take one of their 3 queens.
Seconding Desert Golf, which is a really great casual time sink. There is a pretty funny/interesting VICE story about it too: https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/a3nnv4/one-players-21000-hole-quest-to-beat-the-seemingly-endless-desert-golf
Also seconding Really Bad Chess as well... as you said, it's not a "really bad" chess game at all, like the name suggests, it's actually a really nice fresh take on chess. And for someone like myself who doesn't really enjoy playing chess all that much, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It almost felt more like a puzzle game than chess to me, which I appreciated.
Antiyoy: extremely ugly graphics, but very nice and original mechanics.
Lichess: well, it's just chess. But it's free and very nice to use.
Wow, interesting to see that. The basic mechanics and units are clearly copied from an old PC shareware game that I used to play called Slay. There's a modern iOS version of Slay by the original author that I still play every day on my iPad. I will be interested to try out Antiyoy.
Literally the only mobile game I have ever played for any significant amount of time (say, more than a day) is Clash Royale. I'm not at all interested in the social aspects of it (clans, tournaments), I just like quick 2-5 minute battles when I'm idle.
Old School RuneScape!
If you ever cared about the game at all you probably know about this by now, but like 5 years ago Jagex dug up an old backup of RuneScape from what a lot of players would consider its peak, 2007, and put that game up live. Ever since, they've been updating it in the spirit of that version of the game, and it's been incredible. Easily my favorite MMO of all time, and it semi-recently got a mobile release that's extremely playable. You won't be doing perfect prayer flicking and shit, but it's more than good enough to do most things you'd want to do.
Most of my mobile gaming is digital versions of board games. Small World, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan. I bought a Humble Bundle at some point with all of these and a few more. The AI isn't great in any of them, but they are very faithful implementations of games I am very fond of.
I've also played many Choice Of games. Most of them have a free demo version, and there's one that's completely free that you can try to get a feel for the genre.
And I played an adventure game I really liked; Milkmaid of the Milky Way. Check it out if you like oldschool adventure games.
edit:
Oh hey, speaking of: New Humble Bundle! With Android versions of Splendor, Small World, and a few games I've never heard of before (Abalone, Harald: A Game of Influence, King and Assassins). Games from Humble Bundle usually work great on Sailfish.
Yeah, board games work extremely well on mobile, especially on tablets... and thankfully, as you said, most are faithful conversions rather than nerfed mobile market abominations. Small World is by far my favorite and I play it a fair amount too. <3 that game so much.
p.s. Milkmaid of the Milky Way looks great, I will have to check it out. Have you tried Thimbleweed Park? It’s the new Ron Gilbert (Maniac Mansion/Monkey Island co-creator) & Gary Winnick (Maniac Mansion co-creator+artist) P&C adventure game and is on mobile as well. I have yet to find the time to play it myself yet, but I have heard great things about it.
I haven't played Thimbleweed Park no, I'll have a look at it. :-)
Really started enjoying Eternal Card Game. If you like Heartstone or Magic the Gathering but get pissed off about their P2W structure, that card game is the one you're looking for. Really good meta, and very F2P friendly. You essentially get one free pack of card every day when you win.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village in HD - Android, iOS
A bit on the pricier side for a mobile game but a must for anyone who is a fan of logic puzzles. It's a modern HD port of the classic Nintendo DS game (pretty sure my phone screen is smaller than the total screen space of the NDS, but it's definitely higher res) and it works great. It was always designed for touch controls so there's no difference with format like some other ports have.
On top of hundreds of high quality puzzles, you get a game with truly gorgeous art style, great writing, a wonderful sense of humour, and a genuinely intriguing mystery. This new version even includes new animated sequences, and they are high quality cartoons.
In terms of mobile gaming, I think it's one of the best suited. You can play for as little or as much as you want in a sitting. I mostly play it during those few minutes I have sitting on the streetcar, and it's enough to get a puzzle or three done.
Bullet hell monday. It's a great bullet hell game with good controls and well designed levels. It even looks cool.
And the music is great
Armello is fantastic. Even on a small screen, everything can be seen. Basically it is Game of Thrones meets animals all in a board game on your screen
Android: The old but great one, X Construct, I used to play for days. It's about building better and better bridges for trains, using limited materials ...and trains can be set 50% heavier. So much engineering creativity! Simple graphics are charming. There's a free demo
Cross platform: Pocket Tanks, also a simple, 2D, captivating game where you shoot various weapons against opponent in a tank across a terrain. Soothing sound. Play Store, App Store, and also exists for desktop.
I made this with a friend of mine: https://me.nektro.net/apps/cathop/
That's cute!
You can try one of the multiple NetHack ports for Android or, even better, the UnNetHack fork. Those are one of the few games I played for more than a day without uninstalling them. You can also try installing a GameBoy Advance emulator, there are tons of GBA games you can play there.
Edit: for the ads, you can block most of them using Blockada.
What Gameboy games do you suggest?
Alright. Do you know of any open source GBA emulators?
Retroarch will play GBA games, and it doesn't complain too much.
I like all the Pokemon games. If you prefer car games there are a few Need for Speed games (in 3D!).You can also try Golden Sun and Sword of Mana (I haven't finished these two yet so I can't tell you how good or bad they are).
The Kingdom Rush series on Android. There's tonnes of fun to be had.
The Space Marshalls iOS Android series of games has been one of my favorites. It's a top-down third-person shooter with really tight controls, tons of fun weapons, and allows for creative ways to get through the levels.
The sequels are just as fun.
Space Marshalls 2 iOS Android
Endless Quiz. Shows up as "General Knowledge Quiz" on PlayStore. It's literally just endless questions in all fields of knowledge. You get a score that's matched up against global players on a graph. There's a 20 question quick fire quiz on Sundays. It's free, with unobtrusive ads, you can pay to remove those though.
Atomas. Match up elements to create chain reactions. Short simple game that's easy to play.
Into the Dead, the first one. Endless run through a world full of zombies. Pick up weapons like shotguns, chainsaws, grenades and miniguns. Did not like the sequel at all, they ruined the game in several ways.
Solitairica (iOS, Android, Steam) is quite fun. It's sort of like... if solitaire was an RPG, with progression, classes, semi-random enemies, and spells/items.
The name is kind of a turn-off, but for whatever it's worth, I hate solitaire and love Solitairica.
Score! Match