In the .biz realm, we often find ourselves wrapped up in the investments, deals and stats of the gaming world (and rightly so), but it’s also important to highlight the games themselves - the fruits of the labour that can only appear after years of research, funding and development.
Here are the most exciting mobile games of this past week, the developers and publishers behind them, and why, exactly, they've made the cut.
New Fantasy
When someone mentions "augmented reality mobile games", there’s usually one developer that comes to mind. But there are other creators in the AR space too, and Ontop Studios is prolific among them. With ARcade Sports, Vodafone AR Spin, PuzzlAR: World Tour and more under the company’s belt, its latest game New Fantasy is the newest iteration of the augmented reality formula.
Available as an iOS exclusive, New Fantasy is an AR title built around three core ideas: getting exercise, taking on PVE battles, and challenging gods. Action-packed battles invite players to get up and move, with greater physicality increasing the chances of success.
Squatting, for example, reveals an enemy’s weak points, meanwhile incoming attacks can be dodged by physically moving out of the way. These movements are not only useful in battle but are also recorded so players can review their physical activity after battles, with the number of calories burned included. With gamers getting more exercise than non-gamers these days, a new release encouraging even more exertion has come at just the right time.
Warm Snow
Action roguelike Warm Snow has finally brought the world of Chinese martial arts to mobile, following on from a mighty two million sales on Steam. It includes seven combat schools, 50 relics to play around with, 51 weapons, an Endless Mode and the first wave of DLC, giving handheld gamers plenty of content to dive into.
Procedurally generated levels provide limitless replayability for fans of dark fantasy aesthetics. Available as a one-time purchase, the game provides a full experience where the snows of July must be "remedied through blood".
Warm Snow is the debut title from developer BadMudStudios and has been published by Bilibili of Artery Gear: Fusion and Higan: Eruthyll acclaim. Available on Apple and Android, Warm Snow follows in Unheard’s footsteps as the publisher’s second pay-upfront game.
Mortal Kombat Onslaught
We highlighted Mortal Kombat: Onslaught in an earlier rendition of our weekly top five when the game became available for pre-install, and now that it has officially released, this latest action cRPG is proving a hit with all the blood, gore and iconic characters fans could ask for.
This latest entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise is available on iOS and Android, featuring a new and exclusive story, squad-based battles, and gameplay built around gear upgrades, relics and unique skills.
As is the case with an increasing number of mobile releases, Onslaught’s graphics are rivalling AAA console games while taking the in-app purchase route instead of an upfront payment model. The game was developed by Mortal Kombat veteran NetherRealm Studios, also known for DC-licenced mobile games like Batman Arkham City Lockdown. Its publisher is parent company Warner Bros. Games.
Assemble With Care
Assemble With Care has actually been on mobile since 2019, but was only available on iOS through Apple Arcade. Now, four years later it has released to standard iOS users as a free-to-start game, and has even crossed the rift onto Android too.
ustwo Games is the developer and publisher of this title, among its growing catalogue of puzzle games. The premise is all about antique restorer Maria, who travels the world on a quest to put things back together; along the way, she embarks on a journey to help townsfolk save their prized possessions, uncovering their backstories and more. The putting-things-together part is where most the gameplay is centred, and with these puzzles coming from a BAFTA-winning studio, they’re certainly worth the engaging challenge of solving.
Assemble With Care is an original IP, proving ustwo can still get creative and isn’t just relying on its established franchises like Whale Trail and Monument Valley.
GunSpectre
Clickteam’s latest mobile is following the recent industry trend of being a paid titles, rather than the tried-and-tested F2P formula with in-ap purchases galore. Available now on iOS and Android, the new game GunSpectre is an action shooter with a surprisingly weapony name for a PEGI 3 title.
The studio behind this pixel-art twin-stick adventure is most famous for Five Nights at Freddy’s and all its many sequels. GunSpectre is quite a departure from the survival horror series, instead taking inspiration from retro games and tapping those nostalgia buttons for many a long-time gamer - both in visuals and in musical influence.
GunSpectre is set in an apocalyptic future filled with monsters and machines with various areas to explore. The aim of the game is to explore the world armed with only two pistols, and to prevent the next disaster ahead.
