Mobile gaming has become an integral part of many of our lives, offering entertainment, relaxation, and even social interaction right at our fingertips. With the advancements in technology and the ever-growing mobile gaming industry, it’s no wonder that millions of people around the world are constantly on the lookout for the next big hit game. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most popular mobile games in 2023 that have captivated the hearts and minds of gamers across the globe. 

Classic Games

Classic games like poker have always held a special allure, and in 2023, they’re still one of the most popular types of game to play on mobile. Offering a virtual casino experience, these games allow players to enjoy their favourites – such as poker, blackjack, or roulette – anytime, anywhere. With stunning graphics, immersive gameplay, and even the chance to play with live dealers to get that authentic experience right in your living room, it’s no surprise that classic games like poker are still topping the charts on mobile devices in 2023. 

Minecraft

Minecraft is a phenomenon that revolutionised the gaming industry with its immense popularity. This captivating sandbox experience allows players to really get in touch with their creative prowess as they construct and explore virtual worlds made up of building blocks. In 2023, Minecraft continues to dominate the mobile gaming scene, attracting players of all ages. Whether you want to construct impressive structures, embark on thrilling adventures, or simply relax and let your imagination run wild, Minecraft for mobile offers endless possibilities and hours of entertainment. 

Stardew Valley

If you are looking for a more peaceful and relaxing gaming experience, Stardew Valley is the perfect choice. This indie farming simulation game has garnered a massive following since its release and remains incredibly popular in 2023. On the Stardew Valley journey, you assume the role of a novice farmer entrusted with the task of restoring an inherited dilapidated farmhouse and its accompanying land to its former working state. Engage in various activities like farming, fishing, mining, and even building relationships and friendships with the charming villagers. With cute visuals, a soothing soundtrack, and immersive gameplay, Stardew Valley is a mobile game that will keep you engaged for hours on end. 

Roblox

Roblox isn’t just a game – it’s an entire gaming platform that allows users to create and play games designed by other players. In 2023, Roblox continues to dominate the mobile gaming market, with millions of user-generated games available for players to explore. From action-packed adventures to virtual hangouts with friends, Roblox is the game for you if you want an endless array of experiences. With its user-friendly interface, robust creation tools, and a vibrant community, Roblox is a playground where imagination knows no bounds. 

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact has taken the gaming world by storm since its release in 2020 and continues to shine in 2023. This action-packed role-playing game offers a vast open world to explore, breathtaking visuals, and a compelling storyline. Set in the fantasy realm of Teyvat, players embark on a journey as the ‘Traveller’, wielding elemental powers and battling formidable foes. With its stunning graphics, immersive gameplay, and regular updates introducing new content, Genshin Impact has captured the hearts of RPG enthusiasts worldwide. 

Clash Royale

Clash Royale is another immensely popular option in 2023. Players assemble a deck of cards featuring their favourite Clash of Clans characters, spells, and defences. The goal is to strategically deploy these cards on the battlefield to destroy the enemy’s towers while defending their own. With its fast-paced battles, intense gameplay, and competitive multiplayer mode, Clash Royale has become a sensation in mobile gaming. 

Of course, these are just a few in a huge list! What’s your favourite mobile game of 2023?

Grandia

The HD Collection of Grandia for the Switch and the HD Remaster of the game on PC is coming soon, according to the information from the developer of the game - GunHo Online Entertainment America. In a recent announcement, the developer announced that the development of the game had reached its final stage and they will soon release the whole compilation pack. We could also get to see the progress of these ports during the upcoming E3 because they are going to be playable at the event.

If you ask why they don't bring the double pack to the PC platform, in fact, they had brought Grandia II Anniversary Edition to GOG and Steam about four years ago. They will rebrand this Anniversary Edition to Grandia II HD Remaster upon the release of the original game for the sake of clarity. I also think that they will offer some bundle for those who don't own the 2nd game already.

The mechanism

If you already forgot about the plot of Grandia, then here we will summarize to you again about this fantastic franchise. Grandia is a battle system based on turns mechanism. The game focuses a lot on the attention on details and planning skills of the players. In every battle, a moving bar in the lower corner of your screen will dictate the attack order of every fighter in your and enemy team. The bar has two halves. If your member icon in the 1st half, you wait for his/her turn. Once it reaches the middle point, I could choose a move or target the enemy to knock them back on that bar, and disrupt their attack order.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a remake of the 1989 classic platformer Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. Developer Lizardcube has officially confirmed that the game is coming to Android and iOS later this month on May 30th. At launch, it’ll have a price of $8.99 (Rs 625), though right now you can pre-register for the game to get it at a 30% discount.

 
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap Mobile Announcement Trailer

This remake undoubtedly looks stunning with its hand-drawn graphics. Ever since the game first launched on Steam back in 2017, it has received positive feedback from gamers and critics alike. As a result, unless something goes seriously wrong, this mobile port will be one that fans of classic platformers will want to keep an eye out for.

The story of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap revolves around a cursed adventurer who has to embark on an adventure to hunt down the ancient dragons in order to lift said curse. Throughout the game, the protagonist will gain access to several animal forms that will help him overcome many enemies. This is an interesting mechanic that ensures the game stays fresh as you progress.

As a premium title, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap will include no ads nor in-app purchases, and it is expected to support Bluetooth controllers as well.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap should be appealing to fans of classic platforming games, and it also allows you to switch between the original 8-bit visual style and the newer, more polished hand-drawn graphics as you see fit. Controller support is another extremely welcome title, as the game will pose quite a challenge on the touchscreen. Overall, the mobile port Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is looking pretty promising, so keep an eye out for its release at the end of this month. Also, don’t forget to stay tuned for any potential update!

Junk Jack is not a title that many have heard about, which is really a shame because it’s among the best sandbox adventure game that the App Store has seen to date. So, since the game has just got an update this week, we figured this is as good an opportunity as any to introduce this massively-underrated title to those who have not heard about it. If you belong to this group, check out the trailer below to see what the game is about:

Now, back in the early days of the App Store, games like Minecraft, Terraria, and others weren’t so readily available as they are today. As a result, developer Pixbits took the opportunity to release their own in-depth sandbox adventure game Junk Jack.

The game features an expansive world for players to explore, and in a way, it was very similar to Minecraft, albeit with a 2D presentation and touch-based control system. Moreover, this is not simply just another Minecraft clone, as Junk Jack had many unique characteristics that created its own identity.

The game was supported by the developer for years, even having a follow-up title that was more designed for the later, more advanced generation of iOS devices. Today, the original Junk Jack is referred to as Junk Jack Retro, and the follow-up, originally titled Junk Jack X, is now simply called Junk Jack, and this is the version that was recently updated.

This is the first update that the game has received in over 9 months, and it adds a few great features, alongside tons of bugfixes, tweaks, and optimization. With this, the game now works well on iPhones models with larger screens such as the iPhone XR or iPhone XS Max. For more information about this update, visit the game’s official App Store page. If you haven’t played it before, you definitely should! It will totally be worth your time.

Let’s go back in time to those driving games of the old days. Cubed Rally Racer has been one of the best iOS classic driving games in my opinion. It is that key cel-shaded graphics and simple presentations that create an awesome racing game and appeal to a huge number of players. The game was under the development of Nocanwin, and there is no doubt that it has become one of the most popular sequences of indie titles on the App Store. The next one on the list was Cubed Rally Redline, which was inspired by Rally Racer’s essence mixed into an endless ride where the player can drift around the corners and swap between lanes to collect points instead of just simply controlling the car.

Cubed Rally World used these previous concepts with some new touch of a variety of amazing new modes into the mix. The Android variants are still available to this day, but we cannot say the same for the iOS counterpart. However, GameClub - the studio that has been responsible for resurrecting many iOS classics,  has yet again jumped into the fray and save the day as they finally announced that Cubed Rally World would be on their list, along with a ton of interesting game titles, all of which are currently available for early access on TestFlight

If you have somehow been skipping the news recently, the titles that received an official announcement of a revival include the aforementioned Cubed Rally World, Incoboto, Sword of Fargoal, Hook Champ, and a lot more. You can check these games out in GameClub’s early access program, or you can visit their Discord server to join the community and contribute some feedback to those games to help the developer fix any potential bugs or glitches.

If you are a fan of the MMORPG genre, there’s a high chance you have played, or at the very least heard of, Silkroad Online before.

The classic MMORPG

The game was a great success on PC, attracting millions of players on a daily basis to take on the roles of thieves,  merchants, and mercenaries. As such characters, you can lead your own caravan filled with goodies, travel from cities to cities and earn tons of gold if you make it through.

Play as merchant, hunter or ranger

While you become merchants trying to trade your goods for money, others can play as thieves, trying to steal your wares and trade them to earn an easy and quick profit.

Mercenaries are available for hiring to safeguard you and your goods along the route. All in all, the game was fun and, to some extent, a bit intense.

Silkroad Online, now on mobiles!

As a matter of fact, you can now play a different version of Silkroad Online on your mobile devices. However, it’s a shame that the game isn’t a straight port, which explains why we said “version”.

Instead of creating a character and class of your own choosing alongside your favorite weapon, this version of Silkroad Online lets you choose from three gender-locked classes.

They are Bicheon, Heuksal, and Pacheon, which specializes in melee control, ranged damage and melee damage, respectively. We do hope to see more classes later.

Moving on to gameplay and modes, you get to experience dungeons, PvP, guilds outside of the usual merchant gameplay. And also, did we mention that there’s a massive open world in the game that you get to explore through quests?

Silkroad Online is available to grab right now on Google Play. Time to travel back to the 7^th century across ancient China, Persia, and Europe and start your own journey.

Metal Slug is among the most classic franchises in the run-and-gun genre. Originally released in 1996 for PlayStation and Arcade, this is one of those games that many players grew up playing. Since then, it has made its way to many other platforms including PC, PS4 and Xbox One and has seen numerous spinoffs. Some of the older entries in the franchise is also currently available on mobile as well. And now, the game’s creator SNK has licensed the Metal Slug brand to ekkorr, a mobile game studio, to make a brand new game, this one titled Metal Slug Infinity.

 
Metal Slug Infinity Official Trailer

This upcoming game is going to feature all of the familiar heroes that we know and love from the original games. Tarma, Marco, Fio, and Eri are all going to be present, and of course, the signature Metal Slug tanks are also rolling into the battlefield as well. It wouldn’t have been a Metal Slug game otherwise.

That said, even though Infinity is still going to deliver the nostalgic side-scrolling action feeling, it is not exactly a run-and-gun title. Developer ekkorr previously found success on the Play Store through Endless Frontier Saga 2, an idle RPG, so the upcoming Metal Slug Infinity is also going to be an idle game.

That means the majority of the gameplay will revolve around simple tap controls, through which players can build their own personal army to fight action-packed battles for them. Your units will automatically jump into chaotic fights and press on until the very end, and you can spend coins picked up from fallen enemies to upgrade them.

In term of visuals, Metal Slug Infinity uses a simple art style that makes everything look just a little bit cuter while still preserving the charms of the classics. The heroes all look just as sharp as you remember!

Metal Slug Infinity is coming next week on the 16^th of April. Pre-registration for the game is also available on Google Play and the App Store as well.

App Store will celebrate its 11th birthday on July 10th. At the moment, Steve Job’s iOS has risen upon many consoles and handhelds to be among the longest-standing platforms out there. App Store has become an extremely viable platform for iPhone gaming to develop throughout the years without a certain “killer app”. Apple is working nonstop to modernize the platform, putting spotlights onto many influential titles that both old and new gamers can experience. Rolando: Royal Edition is a perfect example of how an iOS classic can rise up and become a “flag bearer”.

Here’s the trailer of Rolando Royal Edition, available now!

First impressions of Rolando: Royal Edition

The original Rolando came out on the App Store 11 years ago, in 2008. App Store has changed drastically throughout those years but the 2019 Rolando is still as captivating as it was over a decade ago.

Looking at Rolando, we feel the sense of charm and magic in every character and in the inspirational narrative. The charming and distinct 2.5D environment gives us a magical feeling while dashing through the meticulously-crafted levels. Moreover, the stunning world map and adorable theme music make it fun and comfortable to experience the hardest puzzles.

The innovative work in Rolando shows the freedom and creativity that has been around the App Store since its early days.

How graphics suit the gameplay

In fact, all these factors are extremely relevant when experiencing Rolando. Over the long course of Rolando gameplay, you’ll be doing a lot of swiping, tapping and tilting your character. Yes, you’ll be using every input available on your iPhone device. Previously, it was kind of a negative thing to always be on the move and you needed to be relatively stationary to do all the jumping.

Rolando, on the other hand, made motion controls mandatory and made it perfect to use these interesting and intuitive control scheme. For example, many bonus levels in Rolando make you feel like playing a classic iOS labyrinth game. In here, you need to tilt your device upside-down to be sure that the ball bearing actually makes it through the end. For players having an iPad Pro, it could feel ridiculously painful if you do this in public places, such as a coffee shop. But my guess is when you’re having that much fun playing a game, there’s probably no time to complain.

In-game levels are designed to utilize various control inputs. Some of the best ones require more than one Rolando to handle different tasks. New Rolandos like the sticky Commando are there with distinct attributes. They’re available for some challenges within certain levels and sometimes create scenarios with multiple solutions to deal with it.

An amazing UI design

As a matter of fact, the UI design of Rolando really makes the game incredibly special. It is possible to drag the yellow platforms around and select groups of characters by swiping down. It’s unbelievably effortless and intuitive, alongside highly subtle audio cues. It works so well with Rolando’s new HD, 2.5D aesthetic design.

There’s a perfect example to portrait the smooth movement of the game. In a level with exuberant Prince, players can’t directly control the guy, who is constantly rolling around all terrain and. To prevent him from a painful death, players must manipulate the environment by sliding, spinning to stop the platforms at the same time with the Prince’s movement. It feels like you’re operating an intricate clockwork machine, due to the amazing control of the game and how it works so well in practice.

Some minor drawbacks

Despite the prominence of Rolando’s strengths, the game apparently doesn’t take advantage of them all sometimes. For example, the Lemmings-inspired concept requires more than one character to pass some certain levels. However, there are many levels can be easily completed with just one Rolando and working on it with multiple Rolandos is just unnecessary.

Especially, there’s a medal involves keeping every Rolando alive to earn it. Imagine the frustration you’d feel when your Rolandos keep dying! Checkpoints, however, can be such a relief in this type of game. Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop impatient gamers from getting crazy after a few unfortunate roll or jump.

Flexibility in different play styles

On the other hand, Rolando actually provides lots of flexibility to many distinct play styles. It’s pretty easy to make a full run through all the 4 worlds available in just a couple hours. I’m saying this because some levels require only a few characters to cross the final finish line. Then again, feel free to be a completionist and aim for all three medals in each level.

To obtain the first one, you must finish a stage in a certain amount of time. The second one requires you to collect all hidden diamonds within the level. Meanwhile, to obtain the third one and probably the hardest one, you must guide the whole cast towards the finish line.

To plot the fastest path in each level or to look for hidden diamonds, zooming out to observe the whole stage is essential. This is true even for casual play-throughs, as you’ll soon suffer early demise without checking the upcoming path ahead. A purpose is there for each part in a level of Rolando, just to further elevate this iOS puzzle platformer.

In summary

The original Rolando game was the one to get many people into iPhone gaming for sure. Hence, whoever was there when the 2008 Rolando came out can feel a bit worried about this brand-new remaster release. However, after playing the Royal Edition of Rolando, it’s immensely delightful to see how the game turns out. Rolando not only meets the modern standards of gaming but somehow even rises above it as well.

Rolando: Royal Edition is no doubt a rare example for a game to feel timeless and truly anyone’s recommendation. Welcome back to the App Store, Rolando, it’s been a while!

Developer GameClub recently announced that it is bringing back old titles from the dead, and amongst the games included in its list, Incoboto was one that attracted a lot of attention from the community. Originally released exclusively for iPad back in 2012, Incoboto is a puzzle game that shared the same idea as Super Mario Galaxy or Portal. Its clever physics-based puzzles and abundant charms captured the hearts of many players.

 
Incoboto Trailer

It’s not surprising, then, that fans are dying to get the chance to play Incoboto again. Luckily, they won’t have to wait too long.  GameClub has announced today that the game will be available for early access testing on Monday, April 8^th. If you are a fan of this classic or just want to try out something new, don’t forget to sign up!

Throughout its existence on the App Store, Incoboto was critically acclaimed by many major gaming sites and was even nominated for BAFTA’s Best Mobile/Handheld Game Award in 2013. Not only does the game make great use of the nature of the mobile platform, but its powerful themes also elevates it into something so much more.

GameClub’s decision to resurrect old titles is no doubt partly because the studio wants to ensure the legacy of the classics and deliver a trip of nostalgia to older players, but the bigger reason is that it wants to bring these games to an entirely new audience, those who might never have even heard of these names before.

If you look at the current line-up of GameClub and find that nothing interests you, let us assure you: There almost certainly is. You just need to take a leap of faith and give one of those games a try. And what better time to start than right now? Incoboto’s upcoming early access program doesn’t cost you anything, so give it a chance and sign up on GameClub’s official website!

Last week we reported that developer HandCircus was teasing something new for its classic iOS series Rolando, and now we finally get some clear information. After a decade lying dormant, Rolando is back! According to HandCircus, Rolando: Royal Edition, a fully remastered version of the original title, is launching on April 3. A trailer is also available. You can check it out below:

If you are not familiar with the franchise, this trailer should give you a pretty good idea of what it is all about. Released in the early days of the App Store, the game took what were the revolutionary features of the iPhone at the time – namely touchscreen and responsive tilt-based controls – and utilized them to great effect to create an excellent puzzle experience. All the levels were extremely well-designed as they gradually introduced one new element after another, making you want to press on and explore its 4 stunning worlds.

Naturally,  Rolando: Royal Edition will come with a complete graphic overhaul, but that’s not all there is. HandCircus has used an entirely new engine for this remastered version, enabling it to run at 60 fps on all devices. Several levels, interactions, and mechanics have been updated as well.

In many ways, Rolando was a classic on the App Store. It was way ahead of its time and demonstrated what the platform was potentially capable of as a gaming device. It might not have been as big as other free-to-play titles such as Clash of Clans or Candy Crush, but it’s still an important contribution to the gaming history.

Currently, Rolando: Royal Edition is already available for pre-order on the App Store at a discounted price of $2.99(Rs 210). The expected full price is $5.99 (Rs 415). Yes, it might sound a bit expensive for a mobile game, but given what the game brings to the table, it is completely worth it.  Also, keep in mind that the original Rolando had a price of $9.99 (Rs 700) when it first came out in 2008.

Rolando was always a great series. Its first title, which dated back in 2008 and was developed by the amazing ngmoco along with HandCircus, was amazingly successful and showed us how then-mobile games should be. The fact that it made perfect use of the then-revolutionary touchscreen of the iPhone, combined with its superb LocoRoco-styled graphics and great development, made it even more amazing of a game.

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite well redefining the games on the mobile platform. Despite having a pretty successful sequel in 2009, since then, the series seemingly has seemingly vanished altogether. We rarely hear anything about it anymore, and all of the original games are also dead with the apocalypse of the 32-bit system on iOS, sadly.

However, 10 years of persistent anticipation seems to be coming to an end now, as the fans of Rolando are being super hyped with the release of an image featuring Rolando king from HandCircus, together with promises that more news about the series is coming soon.

One of the best things that could ever happen to mobile gamers is when classic games on past generation consoles have their own version on mobile and their ports turn out to be good. Currently, mobile is also the best way to re-live the classic days of console gaming. One of the popular examples of this is the Dragon Quest ports (with the exception of its VIII title), they are highly recommended amongst the classic console games that have been remade for mobile gaming.

Recently, Sting has announced its mobile port release of Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone for Japan region. The game was initially released on GBA (Game Boy Advance) in Europe and North America Region back in the 2000s before it was made available on PSP (PlayStation Portable).

Atlus USA has been responsible for localizing Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone for GBA and PSP in North America. The game made its first debut 13 years ago on GBA platform in Japan, and it is also in this country that the game is going to make its mobile debut. Not much information about the user interface is currently available at the moment. What we do know, however, is that the port will come with an updated user interface and other features that were not available in the original release. It will also have controller support as well. The details will be issued later by Sting.

However, if you want to experience the classic game in a classic way before the mobile release, for the time being, the game’s original PSP release for PSP and PS Vita platform is still available. The mobile port is still currently announced for Japan only, but rest assured, it will almost certainly make its way to other regions soon since there are people who will handle the localization.

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Released in the early years of the 21^st century, Bioware’s action-RPG game Neverwinter Nights quickly became a classic thanks to its intricate story and meaningful character development. Now, you take this legendary game with you in your pocket and play it whenever you want on your Android device. Beamdog – a video game studio founded by some key members of Bioware – has officially launched Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition on Google Play.

 
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Google Play Trailer

The story of Neverwinter Nights takes place in the same universe at Baldur’s Gate, yet another classic RPG. Players will be able to create their own character, which could belong to one of several races (human, elves, dwarves, etc.) and classes (such as warrior, sorcerer, and rogue), and embark on a quest to save the city of Neverwinter from a deadly plague and uncover the source behind it.

This might sound like a typical RPG scenario, but if you actually start playing through the campaign, you will find that it is surprisingly deep and full of twists and turns. In fact, it's comparable, and in some ways even superior, to many of the top RPGs even to this day. Not only that, but there are also tons of optional activities and side quests for you to get immersed in. The campaign can easily take you 60 to 80 hours to finish and will leave you craving for more.

And guess what? There IS more to satisfy you. Neverwinter Nights' initial success generated tons of additional content, including numerous expansion patches and premium modules. All of that is available in this Android version of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. This Android version is also fully backward compatible. It can work with save games, modules, and mods from the original game, meaning there is practically an endless amount of content created by the community for you to explore. Furthermore, it also supports cross-platform multiplayer, so you can play with your friends regardless of whether they are on mobile or desktop.

In term of graphics, it is true that Neverwinter Nights has not aged too well. However, there is something about the blocky models that will definitely bring a surge of nostalgia to veteran gamers.

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is currently available on Google Play, so go check it out!

On Nov 16, Capcom officially brought its classic shooter game Killer7 to PC 13 years after its original release.

Killer7's trailer

Back in September, NIS America dropped a trailer for the upcoming release of Killer7 on Steam. The trailer is quite short, lasting about 50 seconds, so do not expect to get much reveal from it. In particular, it shows the game's signature shaded graphics and first three assassins, including the Cleaner, the Hellion, and Four-Eyes. However, there was no clue of the publish date and price of the upcoming game.

Overview about Killer7

Killer7 is an action-adventure game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and first released by Capcom in 2005. Goichi Suda, also known as Suda51,  is the father of the game and Killer7 also set a milestone in his career.

Killer7 focuses on Harman Smith, who suffers from an identity disorder, in which each of his personality is an elite assassin. There are totally seven characters existing in the protagonist with different unique features and abilities. Furthermore, he is capable of  switching his personality to suit different fighting situations and battles. His missions are all about hunting a group of violent terrorists (destructing demons) and suicide bombers, called Heaven Smile. In the end, they are supposed to discover the secrets about their organization as well as politics.

Suda51 designed Killer7 as a third-person on-rails shooter. To be specific, the player moves the characters around in third-person view, but shoot at enemies in first-person view. Apart from its weird control scheme, which prevents the player from moving freely, the soundtrack, images and plot all generally receive acclaims from critics. Besides, due to consisting of bloody, bizarre and violent scenes. the game is rated for players above 17 years old.

Killer7 for PC

According to the publisher NISA, this new release for PC via Steam has many improvements. In terms of visuals, Killer7 has been modified to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio in modern computer devices. The entire game is rendered at 60fps except for the “reload” animation, rendered at 30fps. The key bindings options have been upgraded as well, which give players a variety of options to reconfigure their buttons. Furthermore, there are many other interesting features in the new version.

One more thing that should be noticed is that Suda51’s bizarre shooter is currently discounted of 10% on Steam until November 22nd.