Mobile Mavens' mobile games of the year 2025: Monument Valley 3, Kingshot, Magic Sort, and more
As the year comes to a close, we've been taking a look back at the top games and trends of the year, reflecting on a year of change in the industry.
As part of our 2025 retrospective, we asked our Mobile Mavens - a collection of games industry experts - a few questions about the year gone by.
Here we ask:
What was your favourite mobile game of the year?
Check out our first set of GOTY picks here.
Don't forget you can check out the winners of the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2025 here, as voted for by members of the industry.
You can also check out the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 list, as well as the editorial team's own games of the year.
Alina Zlotnik
Without a doubt, it’s Kingshot by Century Games
The release was impossible to miss, as the game was everywhere! Kingshot really stands out, especially when you compare it to Whiteout Survival. From the very beginning, it feels much more casual-friendly: the game clearly shows when new features will unlock and breaks overall power into simple, easy-to-understand parameters.
Another big plus is the low entry barrier. During my first month, two purchases under $10 were enough to play comfortably, which is honestly rare for a 4X strategy game, as we showed in our 4X research.
And judging by the results, this approach clearly works: Kingshot has already passed $400 million in revenue, which is a very strong result for the genre.
Gil Tov-Ly
Monument Valley 3 – zone out with headphones and crank up the volume!
Vladimir Markov
My personal game of the year is Match Factory. It’s pure fun to play, delivers tonnes of dopamine, and is incredibly addictive, as you never really lose but are always rewarded. Match Factory is also a great example of smart monetisation, when money is exchanged for enjoyment.
Günay Azer
Chess.com was my personal favourite this year. I recently got back into playing regularly, and it’s been surprisingly refreshing - simple, competitive, and endlessly deep. It’s a game that keeps you engaged purely through its mechanics and challenge, which I really enjoy.
Jernej Česen
It was a bit of a rollercoaster for me: some niche games I randomly came across, alongside older titles that have done an amazing job with updates and collaborations.
I have enjoyed seeing games managing to combine a strong distribution push with fun in-game experience extensions. It’s the little things in games that make the difference, and those are the bits that keep me hooked. I also spent time exploring HTML5 games, and I was surprised by how many evergreen titles drew me back in.
Watching my kids and their schoolmates play reminded me how many “old” games have found new life with a younger generation. That’s how I found myself playing Cookie Run, Toon Blast and Plants vs. Zombies.
Vladimir Nikolsky
For me, Magic Sort is one of those games – it’s relaxing, yet strategic and engaging, and easy to get into. It’s a perfect choice for unwinding.
Another favourite is The Battle of Polytopia. I enjoy strategy games, and for me, this is like Civilization for mobile. Even though it’s not new, it keeps players engaged. It’s simple, fun, and smart.
Andrew Wailes
Teamfight Tactics. I’m a big League of Legends and TFT fan, and the new set dropping a few weeks ago was a great shakeup.
People