The Best Mobile Games Of 2013

Several months ago, we highlighted our picks for the best games in the mobile scene from the first several months of the year. If you’re looking for a new batch of mobile titles to explore, we’ve gathered our picks from the later months of 2013, with an eye towards separating the wheat from the chaff by Software Top Reviews

Device 6 Platform: iOS Developer: Simogo Simogo follows up its atmospheric title Year Walk by providing players with a brilliant evolution of interactive fiction called Device 6. Players navigate through a dynamic presentation of text and images that slowly unfolds the story of an amnesiac girl named Anna. By twisting and turning your device, carefully observing your surroundings, and solving puzzles, you advance her story. It’s a fascinating new way to present narrative rooted in what works best about the mobile platform.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers Platform: iOS, AndroidDeveloper: Ironhide Game Studio Arriving a few days too late for us to squeeze it into the last list, Kingdom Rush Frontiers is nonetheless a must-play for anyone with at least a passing interest in tower defense. Like its predecessor, players deploy archers, artillery, and other towers along static paths while hordes of monsters charge past. This new installment offers more dynamic stages, more varied and compelling enemies and tower types, and immaculate balancing, all packed with charm.

Icycle: On Thin Ice Platform: iOS Developer: Damp Gnat You are Dennis, a naked man on a too-small bicycle pedaling through the frigid snow on a quest for love. Icycle is chock full of organic storytelling and humor, accentuated by surreal imagery and chuckle-inducing sound design, but it’s the strong platforming and level design that makes the game shine. Levels are constantly shifting around you as ice cracks apart and you tumble down through crystalline caverns. Artsy, clever, and thoughtfully designed, Icycle deserves a look.

Infi nity Blade III Platform: iOS Developer: Chair Entertainment The fi nal installment of Chair’s epic dueling game wrapped up in style. A second playable character offered a second set of upgrades to acquire, while a dramatically expanded set of locations made this entry feel more like a world-spanning journey. Excellent combat controls, breathtaking environments, and a fully voiced story combine to form the reigning model for touch-enabled action games.

Rayman: Fiesta Run Platform: iOS, AndroidDeveloper: PopCap The excellent Rayman: Jungle Run borrowed assets from its console cousin, Rayman Origins, to create a fantastic one-touch platforming game. By doing the same with assets from Rayman Legends, Fiesta Run sticks with the successful formula. Beautiful art, whimsical music, and even more challenging levels this time around make this an easy pick.

Republique: Exordium Platform: iOS Developer: Camoufl aj The fi rst installment of Camoufl aj’s Kickstarterfunded stealth game is one of the more ambitious projects in the mobile sphere. Decidedly more “console-like” than most mobile games, Republique stars a girl named Hope as she tries to escape from a totalitarian regime. Players navigate Hope past wary guards and electronic security systems, while garnering new glimpses into the characters and fi ction of the world. This visually stunning title is a strong start to what we hope is a rich series.

Knightmare Tower Platform: iOS, Android Developer: Juicy Beast Studio The instantly addictive Knightmare Tower casts you as a princess-saving knight hurtling higher and higher through a tower fi lled with monsters. Each time you slash down on a baddie, your speed increases, until either a wall of lava catches you or the monsters deplete your last heart of health. The simple formula is incredibly entertaining, and the fl ow of upgrades is steady and enjoyable throughout your efforts to climb ever higher. Knightmare Tower is simple, fun, and hard to put down.

The Room Two Platform: iOS Developer: Fireproof Games The haunting puzzles of The Room Two make it easy to lose oneself in its world. Like in the fi rst game, players turn dials, press buttons, open boxes, and otherwise manipulate objects to unwrap a story of supernatural mystery. Players actually travel to several strange rooms this time around, each of which has multiple points of interest to explore. For thoughtful, contemplative puzzling, The Room Two is hard to beat.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Platform: iOS Developer: Firaxis/2K China The stellar strategy game makes a seamless transition to mobile in this highly polished port. You lead the world’s clandestine military force to counter an alien invasion, upgrading your base and troops in-between tense and challenging strategic battles. Excellent touch controls make it seem like this mammoth game was designed from the ground up for mobile platforms. As one of the most technologically complex games on iOS, XCOM struggled with some stability issues in its early months, which have now been largely resolved, making this a great time to tackle it if you somehow missed the console/PC release.

Football Heroes Platform: iOS Developer: Run Games Whether you like sports games or not, you might want to give Football Heroes a chance. Inspired by old-school titles like Tecmo Bowl, NBA Jam, and Arch Rivals, Football Heroes is a loose interpretation of football in which your players can punch, spin, and super-power their way to victory against cartoony opponents. Every action you take helps your players build XP, which in turn lets you level up position-specifi c abilities and perks.

Shadowrun Returns Platform: iOS, Android Developer: Harebrained Schemes The long-awaited return of the Shadowrun universe to video games boasts a killer story and an atmospheric imagining of futuristic Seattle. Pickings for strong, story-focused RPGs on mobile are scarce, and Shadowrun Returns stands near the top of the pack. Well-implemented touch controls, detailed character customization, and strategic battles add up to big fun, whether you’re a long time runner or this is your first time on the streets.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 Platform: iOS, AndroidDeveloper: PopCap One of the most popular mobile games of all time finally reappeared with a sequel in 2013, but earned some gamers’ ire with a free-to-play model and a controversial stage structure. However, there’s no denying the pure joy of popping off zombie heads with a blast from your pea-shooters, and PvZ 2 provided plenty of new plants with which to strategize, new zombies to defeat, and a time-spanning series of levels to conquer. A post-release patch has improved player progression, and deserves a second look if you had problems the first time around.

Lords of Waterdeep Platform: iOS Developer: Playdek One of the best board games of recent years received a digital adaptation this year worthy of its tactical depth and artistic splendor. Lords of Waterdeep is playable solo against AI, but also features pass-andplay or online multiplayer in either real time or through asynchronous play. Players control one of the titular lords of the great city, placing workers around the city to acquire resources and deny those resources to other players. With Dungeons & Dragons fantasy themes and a fast-playing mechanic, this is a perfect choice for competitive strategy gamers.

Tiny Thief Platform: iOS, Android (2014)Developer: 5 Ants Tiny Thief takes classic point-and-click puzzle/adventures and jams them together with simple stealth mechanics, and the result is delightful. You navigate a hungry little thief through increasingly challenging stages, snatching up pies and treasures as you go. The scrappy little rapscallion is an adorable protagonist, and nearly every level left us smiling with silly animations and a chipper soundtrack.

Oceanhorn Platform: iOS Developer: Cornfox & Bros. Oceanhorn isn’t just inspired by Zelda; it’s trying to emulate the franchise wherever possible. While the game doesn’t completely live up to its lofty source material, it’s still a decent action/adventure in its own right. With music composed by Final Fantasy vets Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito, the audio has a sweeping grandiosity, and the colorful visual style is charming. Add in some cleverly designed dungeons and rich world exploration, and Oceanhorn earns strong consideration.