When historians turn their attention to the second week of February, 2021, they won’t be calling it a great week for mobile game releases.
Nonetheless, this plucky, ragtag gang of mobile titles absolutely deserve to be played. And there’s plenty of variety on offer, from pandemic-inspired cat-management to ’80s-inspired ball-management.
While Knightin’+ is probably the star turn, having appeared already on other formats, we reckon all five of these games are worth checking out.
City Builder
City-planning games can be fearsomely complicated and involved, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but not if you don’t. City Builder is genre masher for gamers who like their engineering civil and their games accessible. Rather than crushing you under an endless series of urban management dilemmas, it gives you lots of gentle puzzles.
Senso no Ken : Thousands Layered Edge
Why is there a space before the colon? We’ll never know. But we do know that Senso no Ken : Thousands Layered Edge is a stunning fighting game with a familiar but still great ink-wash graphical style. Evil Emperors, honorable samurai, refined fighting controls – it’s got the lot. And it’s only 99c.
Knightin’+
This “Zelda-lite” dungeon-crawler from publisher Crescent Moon is an adorable palate-cleanser of a game. It stars Sir Lootalot, a brave knight on a quest to, er, loot a lot. You’ll dodge traps, solve puzzles, collect artifacts, fight monsters, and of course gather all the loot you can possibly hold in your armor-clad arms. Don’t expect depth or longevity, but it’s a fun all the same.
Cat Colony Crisis
Uh-oh. Just when you thought things couldn’t suck any worse, there’s a cat pandemic. Cat Colony Crisis sees you helping a spaceship full of cats that has been infiltrated by a mysterious disease. You’ll need to observe the feline population, look out for telltale symptoms, isolate the unwell, and test to confirm your diagnoses. Art imitates life.
Mesh Dash: The Endless Bounce
Neon arcade reflex games could be a genre in themselves, but Mesh Dash stands out from the crowd thanks to some interesting gameplay twists. It’s an endless runner in which you bounce from surface to surface, avoiding hazards and obstacles. You can dash, too, adding an extra layer of challenge. The gameworld is procedurally generated, meanwhile, and the ’80s vibes are strong.
