Skip to main content

If you still hate mobile games in 2021, you’re not playing enough of them

It’s 2021 and I can’t believe we’re still dunking on mobile games.

For more than a decade, mobile games have been something of an industry laughing stock in the eyes of self-proclaimed “hardcore” gamers. They’ve long had a reputation for being simplistic cash grabs that prey on players through seedy microtransactions and overly addictive gameplay. Those criticisms aren’t unfounded; there’s certainly some sinister undertones in seemingly harmless games like Candy Crush. But mobile games aren’t just Candy Crush — and they haven’t been for years now.

Recommended Videos

The more I hear people double down on outdated generalizations about mobile gaming, the more something becomes clear to me: Gamers aren’t playing enough of them. Otherwise, the debate about their legitimacy would be dead in the water by now.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Get over it

What’s fundamentally strange about arguments against mobile as a platform is how bizarrely broad they are. While phones used to be very limited in the kind of games they could run, giving players simple time-wasters, they’re much more capable today. The “mobile gaming” umbrella has become as nebulous as those for PC or console gaming. There’s a ridiculous variety of games with varying degrees of depth that players can download on their phones. Did you know that you can play the Nintendo 3DS RPG Monster Hunter Stories on your iPhone? How about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas?

The definition of mobile gaming only gets wider as you start to factor in how cloud gaming has entirely changed what can be played on a mobile device. I can log into Google Stadia and play a PC strategy game like Humankind on an Android device with exclusive touch controls. Or I can use my Xbox Game Pass subscription to play any number of new releases on a phone. Attachments like the Razer Kishi or Backbone make it so I don’t even need to fiddle with awkward touch controls to do so.

For the sake of argument, let’s push all that aside. After all, people who decry mobile games generally aren’t talking about ports or cloud platforms. The stigma is around games that are specifically designed as mobile-first experiences. It’s not unfair to say that different philosophies go into designing for mobile versus PC. That’s certainly why we see so many simple match-three puzzlers that can easily be played one-handed with touch controls. Most players likely won’t have a whole controller rig, so careful thought has to go into making a game work for anyone who picks it up casually.

Promo art for the mobile pinball game World Flipper.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are two rebuttals for critiques against the simplistic nature of mobile gaming. The first is: Yeah, so what? Plenty of celebrated video games are built on simple core mechanics that are easy to understand and execute. Games like Tetris are timeless for a reason; anyone can pick it up and play. Over the years, I’ve gotten hooked on plenty of mobile games that work because of streamlined touch controls. I’m currently having a blast with World Flipper, a free-to-play mobile pinball RPG where players simply tap to hit flippers and swipe to activate character abilities. I may not be executing complex combos across eight buttons, but it hardly matters what the inputs are when you’re having fun doing it.

More importantly, arguments against the overly simple nature of mobile games don’t work because they’re not terribly true anymore. Apple Arcade’s Fantasian is one of the year’s toughest RPGs, complete with a thoughtful turn-based battle system that’ll give even the biggest genre die-hards a challenge. Genshin Impact, even with its obnoxious gacha mechanics, is a surprisingly deep open-world RPG with robust combat. And there’s still plenty of games like Call of Duty: Mobile that require PC-level skills to win.

Hate the system, not the platform

I’m preaching to the choir here on some level. This is all fairly obvious information to anyone who actually keeps up with mobile games these days. Platforms like Apple Arcade have quietly helped reclaim the narrative about the platform by delivering standouts like Grindstone, South of the Circle, and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. In fact, several games that launched exclusively on Apple Arcade have gone on to become critical darlings after receiving ports to console and PC, including Lego Builder’s Journey. Why these games aren’t getting the time of day until years after the fact is beyond me.

A LEGO world in LEGO Builder's Journey.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The continued stigma around mobile games only becomes sillier as time goes on. While there’s plenty of predatory shovelware on app stores, that’s not terribly different from any other platform. Check the Nintendo Switch eShop and you’ll find a host of cheap, asset-flipped titles. And while microtransactions and gacha practices are a pain, they’re not a mobile-exclusive issue. Plenty of beloved PC games, whether free-to-play or not, milk money out of players via skins, season passes, and loot boxes. Hell, even classic arcade games like Donkey Kong were designed to shake as much money as possible out of addicted gamers, one quarter at a time — and we celebrate them as classics. Hate the system, not the platform.

It’s high time gamers stop gatekeeping and accept that mobile is as legitimate a gaming platform as console or PC. The continued crusade only makes self-proclaimed “hardcore” players look woefully disconnected from the medium they claim to be experts on — and that’s some delicious irony.

Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
The best multiplayer games on iPhone
Two people holding their phones playing Pokemon TCGP.

We've come a long way since the days of Snake being the best mobile game. Thanks to the power of the iPhone, we have console-quality games in the palms of our hands and an endless supply of upcoming mobile games to keep us entertained anywhere we go. Most people still only turn to mobile games for single-player titles, but there are plenty of multiplayer games that you can really sink your teeth into. These range from competitive shooters and social deduction games to more casual and laid-back experiences. We all know how flooded the app store is with games trying to grab your attention so we've rounded up a master list of the best multiplayer games on iPhone.

Just like the best multiplayer games on Android, many of these games are best enjoyed if you connect a controller.

Read more
Castlevania fans, you need to play this killer new game
A dragon roars in Blade Chimera.

It's been a long time since Konami has given us a new Castlevania game. Sure, we've gotten some great rerelease collections to help scratch that itch (and a solid Netflix adaptation), but the series hasn't pumped out a fully new game in over a decade. Thankfully, indie developers have stepped in to satiate that hunger. Games like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night serve as excellent alternatives that capture the spirit of Castlevania.

If you're looking for another game in that vein, you'll want to give Blade Chimera a shot. It's the exact jolt of whip-cracking, demon-slaying 2D action you're craving.

Read more
The best multiplayer games on Android
The cover art for Minecraft.

Mobile has become a serious gaming platform alongside the best consoles and PCs. In fact, a lot of games are cross-platform between Android and those other systems so you can play most of the best PS5 games on the go. That also means that, depending on the game, you can also battle with or against other players in fierce online matches. Whether you enjoy a competitive round of PvP or co-op experiences, we've checked out all the best games on Android and picked out the top multiplayer games currently available for you to scratch your gaming itch no matter where you are.

While this list is only for currently released games, there are plenty of upcoming mobile games that also feature multiplayer you should be on the lookout for.

Read more