Once again it's that time of year where we all start feeling reflective and look back on the year just gone.
So to that end, we thought we'd ask our Mobile Mavens - a collection of games industry experts - a few questions about the year gone by, and what lies ahead in 2024.
Here we ask:
What was your favourite mobile game of the year?
You can read part one of this article here.
If we're talking about the game I spent the most time playing, I would definitely name Marvel Snap, which is perfect for playing during public transport commutes. Sadly, it was released in 2022, so I’ll have to choose another one for this year.
I think my choice won’t surprise anyone, but I'd still choose Honkai: Star Rail. Yes, it’s not exclusive to mobile but it’s another example of miHoYo's magic. The game boasts stylish visuals and designs, captivating gameplay (even if you're not a fan of turn-based JRPGs, it offers some quality of life improvements in this aspect), along with interesting lore and story.
We support our community who voted Marvel Snap as their favourite mobile game of the year (in the 15th Unity Awards). The team behind Marvel Snap succeeded in creating an engaging and fun game loop that keeps players coming back for more. They cleverly mix great sound art and animation and subsequently the game took the world by storm.
I enjoy watching my son play Fortnite (I’m too slow for that) and a mobile fitness game called Walking Planet, which we publish under our new growth partnership initiative. The initial retention numbers are the best we’ve ever seen!
Definitely Frozen City! That game is amazing.
My personal favourite game of the year is one that has been going from strength to strength over the years - Marvel Contest of Champions (Kabam). There has been significant innovation in the game, with enhanced gameplay formats, in particular team formats such as Alliance Quest. Character development was great with more Marvel characters added to the roster with their unique abilities and improvements on some of the older ones too!
Marvel Snap for the most engaging gameplay and innovations in CCG design, Arena Breakout for the best PC-to-mobile gameplay adaptation, Monopoly Go for record-breaking revenue, and Whiteout Survival + Frozen City for a great business case.
For me, the standout title of 2023 has to be Resident Evil Village. This game really pushed the boundaries of what's possible in mobile gaming. It's not just a port; it's a full triple-A experience designed for mobile platforms. Playing Resident Evil Village on a mobile device feels like you're carrying a console-quality game in your pocket.
The game's graphics and performance on mobile devices are remarkable. They've managed to translate the intense, atmospheric experience of the console version into a format that's accessible on the go. It's a testament to how far mobile gaming has come.
This year has been a remarkable year from creative new games on mobile - there are too many fantastic studios making incredible games to name. One particular game that I’ve really enjoyed playing with some of my teammates here is Boom! by 1button. Its gameplay is right up my alley; with funny physics, emotes and turn-based gameplay.
2023 has brought to market some excellent mobile games that we’re happy to call out: 1. DC Heroes and Villains from Jam City; 2. Warcraft Rumble from Blizzard Entertainment; and 3. Monopoly GO from Scopely.
As I’m sure many can attest, when it comes to mobile gaming, my preferences vary.
Warcraft Rumble started off enjoyable but became somewhat grindy, akin to Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis. However, my go-to games for quick sessions this year have continued to be turn-based card games like Marvel Snap and Hearthstone.
Although, if we’re looking at games releasing in 2023, then DC Heroes & Villains has been my favourite mobile game of the year. Additionally, honourable mentions go to Text Express: Word Adventure, Clash Royale and PUBG Mobile, which consistently impressed me this year.
