The best mobile games to play in 2024

Mobile games don't all have to be terrible cash grabs

The best mobile games aren’t easy to find. The games on your phone are better known for their addictive gameplay and frustrating mechanics, and they relentlessly try to empty your wallet via microtransactions.

The sheer number of game apps available in the various stores makes it hard to find really good ones, and avoid those that are only looking for your money without offering a fun, satisfying experience.

Compiling a list like this is poised to omit many great titles, so the aim here is to offer genre variety and accessibility in terms of the platforms on which you can play.

Let’s have a look at some of the best mobile games you can play right now, in no particular order.

Inside (iOS)

Inside is an incredible follow-up to Limbo / Playdead

This is more of a two-in-one entry, because Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer and a follow-up to Limbo, by the same Danish indie studio, Playdead.

Both games offer an atmospheric adventure in spooky and dark environments and have been praised for their visual style and storytelling.

You control an unnamed boy who explores the world, solves puzzles and tries to avoid getting murdered in a range of violent ways. The game is spooky and graphic enough to get a Mature rating, unlike its predecessor Limbo, which was rated Teen.

Inside is available for iOS mobile devices only, but you can also play it on PC and consoles.

Angry Birds (iOS and Android)

Angry Birds. Remember that? / Rovio Entertainment

More than a decade after its original release, Angry Birds – and the series it launched – is still one of the best physics-based mobile games.

The simple premise requires no introduction, but still: you play as the titular angry birds, wreaking havoc on a group of green pigs who have stolen their eggs. In each level, you aim and launch birds with different abilities, attempting to destroy the pigs and their structures. The fewer birds you use to cause more destruction, the more stars you win for every level.

The game and its sequels and spin-offs have been released and rereleased on every platform imaginable, spawning a fully-fledged media franchise with a TV series, two movies, and a vast market for merchandise.

A rerelease of the original as well as the latest - the 21st game in the series, Angry Birds Journey - are available for iOS and Android.

Florence (iOS and Android)

Florence is emotional and essential / Annapurna Interactive

Florence is a beautiful story-driven game with some puzzle elements that feels a lot like an interactive graphic novel.

You play as 25-year-old Florence Yeoh whose life is in shambles until she meets a handsome cello player in the park.

The game is divided into chapters mixed up with minigames through which you explore Florence’s journey, and experience her thoughts, actions and personal growth. Florence has been praised for its art style, story structure, and music.

You can grab the game for $2.99 from the iOS App Store or Google Play on Android devices. It is also available for PC via Steam and the Nintendo Switch, with a slightly higher price tag.

Hearthstone (iOS and Android)

Hearthstone is still one of the most competitive and popular digital card games / Activision Blizzard

Hearthstone is still one of the best trading card games that helped propel the digital form of the genre into the mainstream, drawing on traditional card games like Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Pokémon.

Set in Blizzard’s Warcraft universe, the game pits your hero against an opponent you must beat by using your deck of 30 cards containing minions, spells, weapons, and more.

The gameplay is deceptively simple to learn, yet hard to truly master, with tons of cards to build your deck from, and new expansions released three times per year.

Hearthstone is great on the go, available for both iOS and Android devices, but also on PCs and Macs with full cross-platform play.

NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition (Apple Arcade)

Solid NBA action on the go / 2K Games

NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition is the latest installment in the NBA 2K basketball sim series that has just arrived exclusively to the Apple Arcade subscription service.

The new game looks and plays much better than previous mobile NBA titles, with countless modes, from quick matches to online multiplayer, and The Association mode, which puts you in the shoes of the GM and Head Coach of your favorite NBA team.

An all-new mode called The Greatest offers challenges and lets you compete against the best players from the NBA’s latest season and all-time NBA legends like MJ, Shaq, and more.

NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition is available only for iOS devices, Macs, and Apple TV via Apple Arcade.

Fantasian (Apple Arcade)

Please Sakaguchi, give us Fantasian on other platforms / Mistwalker

Fantasian is a JRPG developed for mobile, coming from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the legendary Final Fantasy franchise.

You take the role of Leo, who wakes up amnesiac in an alternate world dominated by machines and takes on a journey to recover his memories and discover his true identity.

Fantasian has been praised for its unique Dimengeon system, letting you defer random monster battles when you want to focus on exploration.

The game brings a gorgeous world to experience, gameplay tailored to your mobile device, and is a must-play if you’re a classic JRPG fan or just want to discover the genre on the go.

Fantasian is available on Apple devices exclusively through Apple Arcade, though there are rumors of an imminent PC port.

Monument Valley (Android and iOS)

Beautiful perspective-based puzzles / Ustwo Games

Monument Valley is a gorgeous indie puzzle game where you play as Princess Ida, who journeys through maze-like levels full of optical illusions and impossible objects.

Your task is to guide Ida through the level by interacting with the environment and finding hidden passages. The levels are presented from an isometric perspective, and each is centered around a different gameplay mechanic.

The game has a sequel, Monument Valley 2, which adds new mechanics by introducing two new characters, Ro and her child.

Monument Valley was originally developed for iOS and was later ported to Android devices. In 2022, it also got a Windows PC version, available via Steam.

Slay the Spire (iOS and Android)

One of the most inventive card games on any system / Mega Crit, Humble Bundle

Slay the Spire combines roguelike progression through procedurally generated levels with a deckbuilding card game.

You start with a basic deck and add cards as you fight increasingly difficult monsters and make your way up a spire of levels.

Slay the Spire is both challenging and satisfying to play, with endless replayability potential as no two runs of the game are the same.

Originally released for PC, Slay the Spire is now available on all platforms, including iOS and Android devices.

Tetris (iOS and Android)

Yes, Tetris is still good / Playstudios, Tetris

No list of best games will be complete if Tetris isn’t on it. The simple and addictive puzzle game was originally created in 1984 and has been a staple on every gaming platform ever since.

The ultimate block-placing puzzle’s gameplay requires no introduction, and its latest iteration for mobile devices offers daily and seasonal challenges, marathon mode, and battle-royale-like survival matches to spice up the original premise.

Tetris now also features tons of unlockable rewards and lets you team up with friends to complete challenges, earn additional rewards, and participate in events.

The official Tetris game is available on both Android and iOS devices and is free to play.

Pokémon GO (iOS and Android)

Pokémon and exercise?  / Niantic

Probably one of the most influential mobile games to ever come out, more than six years later, Pokémon GO is a massive global phenomenon.

Using augmented reality and GPS location data, it ushered the vast Pokémon universe – until then confined to the virtual space of your Nintendo console – into the real world, turning every street, square, and park into a battleground for Pokémon Trainers.

You can download Pokémon GO from Apple’s App Store iOS and Android.

Cut the Rope (iOS, Apple Arcade, and Android)

Simple brilliance / ZeptoLab

Another great physics-based puzzle game with the simple goal of feeding a cute green creature called Om Nom with a candy, collecting stars in the process.

As the title suggests, you cut the ropes on which the candy hangs in a specific order and use other elements like bubbles to help the candy reach Om Nom while passing through the three stars scattered across each level.

Like Angry Birds, the game has spawned a series of sequels and spin-offs over the last decade, and a Remastered version of the original has been released as an Apple Arcade exclusive.

The entire series of games is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Threes! (iOS and Android)

It's over when the board fills up / Sirvo

Threes! is another simple yet addictive game, where you slide numbered tiles that add up to three and combine tiles with the same value to form multiples of three.

The game’s simplicity and elegant design remain unmatched since its 2014 release, and picking it up is a no-brainer.

Each game lasts only a few minutes, making it the perfect filler for when you need to kill some time on the go.

Threes! is available for iOS and Android, and there’s also an Xbox One port and a desktop version to play in a browser.

Marvel Snap (iOS and Android)

Fantastic card-based battles / Nuverse

Created by former Hearthstone game director Ben Brode, Marvel Snap is a simple fast-paced card game that plays out in just six rounds.

You play with cards representing various Marvel superheroes and try to have a higher power value than your opponent in two out of the three locations on the board by the end of the last round.

Marvel Snap is still a new game, having launched on October 18, but it quickly became a huge hit with fans. It arrived with 150 cards and 50 locations, but new ones are added weekly.

The game is free to play with purchasable cosmetics and a Season Pass.

Marvel Snap is available for both iOS and Android devices, and there's a desktop version for Windows-based PCs via Steam.

Clash Royale (iOS and Android)

One of the best mobile MOBAs / Supercell

Clash Royale combines elements from card games with tower defense and MOBA games. Its formula’s success has spawned countless copycats.

You play 1v1 and 2v2 games, with the objective of destroying the most towers held by the opposing player or team. Destroying the opponent’s King's Tower instantly ends the game with you as the victor.

Players attack and defend by using troops, spells, and buildings represented by cards.

Clash Royale is available for both Android and iOS and has been one of the top grossing titles on both platforms since launch.

Among Us (iOS and Android)

You already know Among Us is amazing / Innersloth

Among Us released back in 2018, but it took almost two years and a global pandemic for it to explode as a smashing success.

In this social deduction game up to 15 players, called Crewmembers, complete tasks on a spaceship, but up to three of them are secretly assigned the role of Impostors whose aim is to sabotage the team.

Crewmembers win either by completing all their tasks or by ejecting all Impostors, whose victory conditions are to successfully sabotage a critical system on the ship or to kill or eject all other Crewmembers.

The Among Us hype train doesn’t show signs of stopping, with a constant stream of new content and features being released into the game, collaborations with other games and franchises, and a VR version that’s just around the corner.

You can pick up Among Us on iOS and Android or play on PC or Nintendo Switch, as the game supports full cross-platform play.

Genshin Impact (iOS and Android)

Avoid if you are susceptible to gambling additction / HoYoverse

Genshin Impact raised the bar for mobile games as a whole.

Instead of simply being a 2D puzzle game or simplistic adventure, Genshin Impact is an open world RPG that plays more like a single-player MMO - though you can play co-op with a friend, too!

This game boasts some of the best visuals on mobile, and if you have a powerful device, you can make full use of them.

The range of characters you can collect and battle with is substantial, making this one of the most fully-featured mobile games on this list.

Genshin Impact is available on iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Call of Duty Mobile (iOS and Android)

Fun mobile shooting / TiMi, Activision

Call of Duty Mobile is a decent mobile shooter, and after the closure of Apex Legends Mobile and the cancellation of a mobile Battlefield game, it seems like this will be the best mobile shooter for a long time to come.

Fire Emblem Heroes

A great slice of FE strategy / Nintendo

Fire Emblem Heroes offers some shockingly good bite-size turn-based strategy, along with a lot of gacha heroes for you to collect. Luckily earning gacha currency is pretty reasonable, and free heroes are offered pretty regularly. One of the best (and only) mobile exclusives from Nintendo.

Honkai: Stair Rail

You can't tell me this isn't a pretty game / HoYoverse

The long-awaited sequel to Honkai: Impact 3rd, Honkai: Star Rail takes players into space while collecting anime guys and gals. Our own Honkai expert Marco Wutz tells us it's really good, and I believe him.