Highlights
- Mobile gaming has become popular across genres, with developers offering mobile-friendly technology and cross-platform play for a seamless gaming experience.
- Games like Fortnite, Old School RuneScape, and Teamfight Tactics are accessible on multiple platforms, allowing players to save progress and play with friends on different devices.
- From multiplayer battles in Pokémon Unite to creative level-building in Levelhead, there are diverse and engaging mobile games available for players to enjoy on their smartphones.
Mobile gameplay is fast solidifying its place in every genre in the gaming world. The concept of being able to play the most complex games on mobile devices the size of palms is genuinely intriguing. Most developers today offer mobile-friendly technology, which is another factor in the popularity of mobile gaming.
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Most game software companies now offer their games with the same display and gameplay quality across all devices. Mobile gaming gets even more interesting when cross-platform play is thrown into the mix. Imagine playing the same game on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, PlayStation 5, or Nintendo. That’s what these games are here to provide!
Updated October 10, 2023, by Collins Erasmus: Both serious and casual players are increasingly interested in playing video games across multiple platforms, rather than being limited to PCs or consoles. Because of this breakthrough, there are now an abundance of entry points for gaming experiences. It enables players to continue their games on their mobile devices or compete with others utilizing different platforms. These days, it's common for games to let gamers save their progress and join friends who are playing on a different platform. Games like Hearthstone, Pokémon Unite, Teamfight Tactics, and Old School RuneScape are now accessible to players on several platforms. These are the top cross-platform games, and gamers can play them right on their phones.
14 Fortnite
- Developer: Epic Games and People Can Fly
- Release Date: July 21, 2017
- Platform/s: GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Released in 2017, Fortnite offers three versions with game modes that are variations of the same gameplay. Of the three games: Fortnite Battle Royale, Fortnite Creative, and Fortnite: Save the World, the first two are free to play, while the third is not. Fortnite Battle Royale is, as the name implies, a battle royale game in which 100 players attempt to end up as the last standing out of 100 players.
Fortnite Creative is a game aimed at unleashing the creativity of players, giving them total freedom to create arenas and new worlds. Fortnite: Save the World is a shooter/survival type of game in which a maximum of four players battle strange creatures and defend specified objects with the strategies and defense mechanisms they create.
13 Old School RuneScape
- Developer: Jagex
- Release Date: January 4, 2001
- Platform/s: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Steam, and Amazon Prime Gaming
Old School RuneScape is one of the top Android MMORPGs for a good reason. Many players remember RuneScape fondly because it was one of the first freely available massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Jagex spared no expense in bringing the cherished classic to mobile devices.
The user interface has been refined for mobile use, yet it retains all of the functionality of the desktop version. It's easy to pick up and play, and it works well for quick bursts of gameplay. Players can always resume where they left off because their progress will be saved between devices.
12 Shadowverse
- Developer: Cygames
- Release Date: June 17, 2016
- Platform/s: Android, IOS
For iOS and Android devices, Cygames released Shadowverse as a free-to-play digital collectible card game in the middle of 2016. The Windows and macOS versions were released later in the same year. The game features anime-style art reminiscent of a previous title from the developer, Rage of Bahamut.
In Shadowverse, card game matches are set between two players referred to as leaders in the game. Each leader starts with a defense level of 20 and three cards. Players take turns playing from their decks with the objective of reducing the opponent’s defense level to zero. Another way to get a win here is to use special cards, such as the Victory Card.
11 Teamfight Tactics
- Developer: Riot Games
- Release Date: June 26, 2019
- Platform/s: iOS, Android, MacOS, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems
Although it was originally implemented as a mode in League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics has since branched off into its own game genre and acquired significant traction. Each of the four teams of eight players will face a new opponent at each level of the game. Users can engage in friendly competition across platforms to find the best synergies and resources.
The game is broken up into levels and rounds, and each round begins with an instant battle between the two players who were drawn at random to fight each other or against automated foes. They can play it for free on your Android or iOS smartphone, and it's one of the best player-versus-player games out there.
10 Among Us
- Developer: Innersloth
- Release Date: June 15, 2018
- Platform/s: Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series x|s
The American company Innersloth created the multiplayer social deduction gameAmong Us. It was published in 2018 and released across eight platforms by the end of 2021. Among Us takes inspiration from the horror movies The Thing and The Party Game Mafia. Among Us features a mixture of cool and bright colors. The game is set in space with cartoon-like astronauts who do the major work here.
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Each player gets to play as an impostor or crewmate. The crewmates have to complete certain tasks in the form of minigames and puzzles and hopefully eject the impostors. The impostors just have to sabotage the ship and kill or eject all the crewmates in order to win. The impostors are usually up to three and unable to complete real tasks that do not involve sabotage.
9 Pokémon Unite
- Developer: TiMi Studio Group
- Release Date: July 21, 2021
- Platform/s: Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS
The gameplay in Pokémon Unite, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), is more streamlined and takes place at a faster pace, making it ideal for unexpected team battles. Goals can be scored with wild Pokemon that have been captured, trained, and eventually used in battle.
Players can invite others to join them as they battle wild Pokémon, discover new areas, get experience, and level up. It has a vast roster of playable characters, all of whom have their own special moves and abilities. Matches in Pokémon Unite last 10 minutes, much as in the free-to-play MOBA League of Legends. Pokémon Unite is available for both iOS and Android devices.
8 Roblox
- Developer: Roblox Corporation
- Release Date: September 1, 2006
- Platform/s: Android, iOS, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro, FireOS
Roblox is actually more than just a game. It is a platform with a creation system that lets users create games and play games created by others. It was released for Windows in 2006 and soon came to other platforms in the years after. At launch, its reach was relatively small, but its use and popularity began to grow rapidly in the 2010s, a growth that surged during the pandemic.
Roblox gives users the creative freedom to make experiences (games) of their own using the Roblox Studio engine and the Luau language. These games are also buyable on the platform through one-time purchases and repeated microtransactions. The platform has grown to be a minor-friendly space in which players can buy, sell, and create games.
7 Hearthstone
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
- Release Date: March 11, 2014
- Platform/s: MacOS, Microsoft Windows, iOS, and Android
Hearthstone, a strategy game developed and published by Blizzard, takes place in the Warcraft universe and receives frequent updates in the form of new content, tournaments, and contests. The game can be played in a variety of ways, from ranked battles to drafted arena duels to solo quests.
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This online card game is free to play and offers the exciting opportunity to compete against friends anywhere in the world. Players of digital TCGs can blow up booster packs and let loose devils in their games. Cards can be one of five distinct types: minions, spells, weapons, heroes, or locations. Hearthstone is available for Android and iOS devices.
6 Minecraft
- Developer: Mojang Studios
- Release Date: November 18, 2011
- Platform/s: Android, iOS, iPad, Xbox 360, Raspberry Pi, Windows Phone, Fire OS, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, New Nintendo 3DS, ChromeOS
Minecraft is a sandbox game that Mojang Studios created in the Java programming language. The gameplay revolves around “mining blocks,” which translates into finding useful 3D objects and creating something out of them. It was released fully in 2011 as a game set in a three-dimensional open world where players could source food and raw materials, craft items, and build necessary structures.
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Minecraft also came with a bunch of game modes—somewhere players could fight mobs, and others involved competitions with players from other worlds. Although there is an achievement system in place, there are no specific goals to accomplish, so players can play the game however they want.
5 Pure Chess
- Developer: VooFoo studios
- Release Date: April 11, 2012
- Platform/s: IOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and Xbox One
This list does not exclude chess lovers, as chess is one of the oldest games ever to exist, and its sustained popularity is proof of its incredible gameplay. It remains a simple, strategic game, whether it is played virtually or in person. The 2012 video game, Pure Chess, attempts to be a realistic digital representation of the board game that many players love.
With high-definition resolutions and a catchy aesthetic, the visuals have players all wrapped up in the game before they even begin to move the pieces. From the game room to the especially good single-player offering, this game is attractive enough to make chess fans want to play, but not in a way that distracts from the major gameplay.
4 Genshin Impact
- Developer: MiHoYo
- Release Date: September 28, 2020
- Platform/s: Android, IOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
MiHoYo is the creator of the action-themed role-playing game Genshin Impact. It features an open-world game environment with magic battles and impressive characters. The anime-style game is free-to-play and has a Gacha monetization system for purchasing weapons and characters.
Genshin Impact takes place in a fantasy world with parties of four, where a player gets to control one of the characters in the party. Switching characters is also allowed during combat, giving players the privilege of combining a variety of offensive and defensive attacks.
3 Asphalt 9: Legends
- Developer: Gameloft
- Release Date: July 25, 2018 (worldwide)
- Platform/s: iOS, iPad, Android, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Xbox One, Fire OS, Xbox Series x|s
Gameloft released Asphalt 9: Legends in 2018. It is a multiplayer video game with a focus on car racing. It is the fifteenth game in the Asphalt series, and as expected, it comes with improved features, including an autopilot mode, better control options, and a new car lineup.
In Asphalt 9: Legends, there are five car classes: D, C, B, A, and S, each with a higher performance level. Players get to unlock the cars, customize them, and race in any of the five game modes: career, club, seasonal events, daily events, and multiplayer.
2 The Elder Scrolls: Blades
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Release Date: March 27, 2019
- Platform/s: Android, iOS
Released in 2020. The Elder Scrolls: Blades is an action roleplaying game that is free to play. As a spin-off of the Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda Game Studios created it. The game is played from a first-person perspective and is well-optimized for mobile gaming with features like swiping, tapping, and touchscreen stick controls.
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Often referred to as Blades, this game features three game modes: Abyss, Town, and Arena. Abyss is an endurance game in which the player must drive as fast as possible in an endless dungeon, while Arena is a PvP multiplayer mode, and Town is a story mode with non-player characters and quests.
1 Levelhead
- Developer: Butterscotch Shenanigans
- Release Date: April 18, 2019
- Platform/s: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Levelhead is a creative level-building platform where players can make actual game levels, test them, and publish them to the marketing department of the game. Players can also choose to just play levels and not create any, as there are more than enough levels already created by other users.
Levelhead tells the story of a bot-aided delivery service. In all the levels, players will be tasked with guiding the GR-18 bot across the game galaxy to deliver parcels to different planets. The planets have different themes, obstacles, and unique paths for gamers to explore