Slay the Spire
Mega Crit’s legendary Slay the Spire might be more immediately associated with PC and console, but in the years after its 2019 release it was brought to iOS and Android in an absolutely perfect port. The pioneering roguelite deckbuilder remains as all-consuming today as it did seven years back, and the shorter battles and ability to quit out and pick back up where you left off make it ideal for quick plays on your phone. Or indeed entire evenings consumed with mastering a deck to defeat everything in your path. It’s one of the few properly priced mobile games at , but remember you’re buying one of the best games ever made, with a minimum play time of infinity hours.
Balatro
2024’s smash hit took its time coming to mobile, but arrived in glorious style. The poker-ish game took the world by storm on PC and console in February 2024, and then became the entire planet’s meta when it reached iOS and Android that September. It remains one of the finest ways you can occupy your spare time, each run a unique experience as you shape your deck and Jokers to win your way through the rounds and challenges. Like Slay the Spire, it’s , and worth every cent.
Polimines Deluxe
Spanish indie developer Molter Games might not be a household name, but puzzle game Polimines deserves to be. This combination of puzzles like Picross, Hexcells and Minesweeper creates a unique and enormously clever challenge. This mobile version combines both the PC’s Polimines 1 and 2, which works out perfectly since the sequel pretty much picks up where the difficulty for the first game left off. Every solved puzzle in the second half will make you feel like a complete genius. And the whole thing is only .
