But for the attentive explorer, for the player who takes the game at their own pace and stops to smell the drum sticks, Adventures of Poco Eco will be a rare treat.

In its current form, QuestRun has significant problems. There’s still quite a bit of potential here, but some clean-up would benefit the game greatly.

The toys are cute, and could be a hoot to collect regardless of the mobile game they’re tied to… just be prepared to push through some frustration with the mobile game as it stands now.

I applaud Gameloft for continuing to tinker with this series so it doesn’t get too stale, but the combination of less characters classes, little control over your gear and an uninspiring PvP element combine to knock Dungeon Hunter 5 down a peg.

Go ahead and give it a try, but be prepared to get angry.

If you’re a fan of strategy games – even if your experience with them begins and ends with Civilization – consider Sid Meier’s Starships an absolute must buy.

Regardless, fans of Tiny Wings and games like it should give RAD Boarding a try. It’s not perfect, but it’s still way better than sitting in a bunker and eating a can of wadded beef.

Though it might not be what fans of the previous Blood & Glory installments were expecting, Immortals isn’t bad at doing its own thing.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Hovercraft, but I don’t see it being a game I’m still playing even days from now.

But whatever you attribute it to, Blockwick 2 is sure to go further than challenge your mind, making you feel at the best of times like it’s expanding it completely.

Sopio is a fun game that I imagine is loads of fun to play with a small group of friends, but unfortunately that experience doesn’t translate very well digitally, where it has been isolated into a single-player game.

Its quick pace, combined with the simple fun of line-drawing, makes it a must-play, particularly for people that need to waste small bursts of time during a commute.

The gusto with which it sets out to send no message, but rather play the part of a perfect, tactile distraction, might be a message in of itself.

Agent Alice’s wait times are its biggest weakness. If you can swallow them (or if you have money to blow on in-app purchases), there’s a solid HOG here that genre fans should enjoy.

The islands share rules, objects, and ideas, but they also build upon each other to introduce fresh concepts every level. This helps stretch the 60 stages to their maximum: you and the castaway will continually encounter something new, challenging, and timeless.

Overkill 3 seems to be the victim of an identity crisis, one where it wants to be something different than what it was, but is too afraid to try anything innovative.

At the very least, you can certainly say this: It’s very pretty, and very fun.

It’s packed with unique style and mechanics that give it an edge over similar titles, and the number of levels will keep you suitably addicted without suffering too much frustration during the tougher tasks.

Despite its crusty patches, World Zombination is a fun take on the apocalypse. Defend humanity or run it down. It’s up to you.

For those of you who enjoy racing games, I can’t recommend AG Drive enough to you. While being limited to three vehicles may seem a bit lame, they each have their own special ability and handle differently each time you upgrade them, so you get plenty to tweak as you progress through the game’s levels.

What Alto’s Adventure is pales in noteworthiness to what it does: imbue you with a sense a longing for a perfect digital dreamscape.

If you’ve grown tired of swapping gems and yearn for a fresh take on matching games, Jolly Jam is time well spent.

The big takeaway here is that Gang Nations resembles other games in its genre, but it does stretch out in some different directions, and that alone might be enough reason to give it a try – especially if you’re looking for one more base builder to add into your mobile rotation.

Larger questions of market trends aside, however, Hose it Down! is still a little slice of WayForward’s signature recipe: pixel-perfect, chiptune-infused challenge, ripe for replay.

Altogether, Tempo is a well-designed game that presents players with an experience that demands precision. Because of its demands, Tempo isn’t a game that I can recommend to everyone, but if you enjoy quick-time events and action games that involve more watching than playing, then Tempo is the game for you.

It’s worth mentioning that this is not a game for younger kids, as enticing as it might be, as it does have plenty of violence, some semi-questionable language, and some implied sexuality. For everyone else with even the slightest manga/anime leanings, you’ll want to give One Piece Treasure Cruise a shot.

Nevertheless, King of Thieves is the most compelling PvP game to come around in a long time. It’s good to be bad, so go ahead and indulge.

Transformers: Battle Tactics feels like it still needs events, which are undoubtedly in the works, and a story, which may or may not be forthcoming. Even so, there’s a really nice framework in place to ensure mobile gamers, especially those who count themselves as Transformers nuts, have something to enjoy for months or even years to come.

It’s too bad Immortal Odyssey shuts you out so thoroughly, because its 2D visuals and emphasis on Eastern mythology really does help it stand out from other mobile-based MMORPGs.

Heroes of Might and Magic III will no doubt remain a beloved strategy game on the PC, but it feels destined to conjure up thoughts of what could have been as a mobile game.

Finally, in case you’re wondering, it does indeed live up to its title. This is a seriously, face-meltingly tough game, but rarely frustrating.

All of which conspires to make Hyper Maze Arcade into a game with higher quality production values than a casual title like this would normally come close to enjoying, and that makes it an essential download for anyone on the hunt for their next time-devouring F2P addiction.

While The Detail was more interesting than it was challenging, I feel like the game was designed to be more of an ocular experience than a gameplay one.

Midnight Star might feel a tad watered down to the hardcore console FPS gamer, but even those guys will appreciate the basic approach that Industrial Toys has taken in an effort to reduce friction as much as possible.

For those of you who can’t get enough Westeros, I urge you to avoid the mobile version and look into the PC or console ones for a more stable experience.

If you’re someone with a deep passion for storytelling experiments and noir gaming, then Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered was made for you back in 2005 and its high-quality mobile adaptation delivers the exact same experience. For others, the same inherent flaws that dogged it a decade remain alive and present.

It’s still fun to peck at for a couple of hours – I think all match-three games carry an inborn appeal, kind of like a race bonus in a Dungeons & Dragons game – but there are better picks in the genre, including the original Puzzle & Dragons.

With an engaging story, great visuals, and a user-friendly mindset, Radiation Island is certainly a game that those intrigued by the genre – veterans or not – should check out.

Carrying the Sons of Anarchy brand built my expectations up pretty high. I expected some hard-hitting action and some memorable characters. The Prospect delivers very little of both.

But even in its current shorter, simpler form, Odd Bot Out is a rare treat.

The game is tough, but simple to play and charming.

With better balancing of its fighting mechanics, this would be a superb arcade-based distraction, but right now its frustration levels are a little too high to make it un-put-down-able.

Rocket Cars is a middle-of-the-road racer, so to speak, and motoring down the road while performing simple swipe-based stunts is satisfying in its own right.

Jam-packed with levels of content to explore, The LEGO Movie Video Game delivers a faithful experience for fans of both the movie and previous LEGO games.

Really, the only real issue I can see with The Witcher Battle Arena, aside from some stability issues that will no doubt get ironed out before long, is that it feels like a side gig that CD Projekt Red whipped up while most of its team was polishing the next big PC game, and it probably was.

However you choose to play Satellina, it’s a bare-bones but unique puzzle experience that simultaneously calms you down while causing your heart to pitter-patter during its more intense moments.

So well camouflaged, in fact, that the free game is a good way to spend an hour or two until F2P fatigue sets in, and by that stage you’ll know whether or not Blood Brothers 2 is a game you want to drop real money on.

Still, when it has you, Skyward is a charming, infectious game that never lets you down when you want some fleeting fun.

SCRABBLE Pics is an easy word puzzle game to get into, and it’s fun to play, but there’s no denying that it’s marred by the occasional questionable word-choice and a difficulty level that is lukewarm throughout.

Dragon Quest V has everything a decent RPG ought to be made of, and more.

It’s not deep, but then again, most slimes only come up to your ankles when you step in them.

Cartoon Network and Grumpyface made a good call here, helping to put together a game and a design tool that go together like Fiona and Cake.

In fact, Words on Tour in its entirety is a fun game to come back to when you have a few minutes to kill. The game is challenging, though not unfairly so.

WWE Immortals is almost certain to be a big hit, building on its “obvious once you hear it” theme, it just needs its execution to catch up with its high concept.

Flockers is a solid puzzle game that you’re sure to get some fun out of.

If Zen Bound held any kind of appeal to you (and it should have), then Shadowmatic is the game you’ve been waiting for.

It’s a twist on the usual type of asymmetric online gameplay that makes even the most introverted smartphone gamer want to interact with other players, and deftly expands Socioball from a great puzzle game into a connected community of players.

Stormfall: Rise of Balur has a chance to find its niche, but it might be fighting an uphill battle for both perception and reality reasons.

The idea behind Combo Quest is a good one, and it was actually pretty fun and engaging to tap my way through enemy after enemy. But when I’m forced to repeat the same ten levels (I think level 13 was my best run) ad nauseam just because that’s how the game is… it’s hard not to lose interest.

Dragon Mania Legends is a good distraction for anyone that wants their very own pet dragon, which is obviously everyone in the entire universe.

Each day you survive brings with it new challenges, both in gameplay and narrative.

Drop Wizard is an easy to play, charming one-screen platformer that plays excellently. If you’re looking for accessible old school fun, give this one a play.

You owe it to yourself to explore Mayday! more than once, hearing everything it has to offer.

A hammer with dreams of being a scalpel.

It’s still fun, just a bit frustrating at times. I applaud Area 777 for mashing up two familiar concepts in a way that hasn’t been done before, even if the result isn’t as epic as it might first sound.

If you’re looking for complex moves or the kind of variety that wildly different fighters can provide, it will be too shallow to hold your interest for long. But if you’re just looking for something that’s fun and accessible, or have just been waiting for Marvel to give us an alternative to the DC-powered mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Contest of Champions is a super game to add to your collection.

Looney Tunes Dash! successfully utilizes the franchise’s iconic characters in exciting ways which keep the gameplay lighthearted and fun.

It’s the perfect way to while away the hours during seasonal family visits.

Younger players – My Om Nom’s target audience – might get impatient with the monster’s constant naps. However, there’s still plenty to see and do within the app – even when Om Nom is tired – so all the good things about owning an Om Nom definitely offset the bad things.

In time I am certain that I’d become just as good as these conquerors, but Galcon 2 just doesn’t present me with enough motivation to play long enough to get good. If you’re not already a Galcon fan, there’s a slim chance you’ll stick around long enough to become one.

The potential is there for something great, but basic issues like sluggish movement, forced upgrades, and lack of an interesting story backbone leave us with exactly what Brothers in Arms originally strove so hard to set itself apart from: just another mediocre WWII shooter.

But in its entirety, SimplePlanes is a great flight / building simulator. It just takes a lot of getting used to, and plane enthusiasts will no doubt be happy to pore over every little thing the app offers.

A game so focused on sending the player backward, that it never thought about whether it was propelling its genre forward in any meaningful way.

If moving buildings around all the time to squeeze in a fire department or a police station, while waiting for the slow trickle of money and resources that you need to expand, sounds like fun, then jump right into SimCity BuildIt. Just be aware, patience is necessary, and don’t expect to have marathon sessions with the game.

Highrise Heroes has a single significant flaw, however; its in-game dictionary is poor, and sometimes doesn’t recognize valid words. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s worth noting.

Tales from the Borderlands is everything fans could possibly want out from a Telltale game set in the Borderlands universe.

Sneaky Sneaky makes one of the most compelling cases I’ve seen this year for premium experiences on mobile, and – quite fittingly – sneaks under the wire as one of the best titles of 2014.

Guns Girl Z – Escape Ragnarok is easy enough to pass up if you’re not interested in gun-wielding heroines that wear mid-thigh Japanese school uniforms (or cat suits, or French maid suits, Playboy bunny suits, or whatever “practical” weirdness you manage to unlock as you play)

I want to explore other islands and see the rest of this charming world that developer Hand Circus has created. It’s possible that there’s more here, just beyond the next construction, there will be a spectacular change and everything will open up. But after six long days, it hasn’t happened. I’m still just fishing, and selling fish, and waiting.

Elune Saga is a great free-to-play game, and I encourage fans of turn-based RPGs to check this one out. It definitely packs enough value to make it worth your time.

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation joins mobile’s ever-growing Dragon Quest pantheon, and fans of traditional RPGs should rejoice.

In the end, Chain Chronicle is a great game to get into. Even though it has a few blemishes, they don’t stop the gameplay from being fun and rewarding, and while the story didn’t necessarily appeal to me, I’m sure some of you will happily get lost in its depth.

The rounds are as fast as the action, and given that it’s free and features very little in the way of intrusive in-game ads, there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t give AwesomeBoots pride of place on your home screen today.

BattleLore: Command is a premium strategy game that requires a bit of patience to get into, but can be a rewarding experience once a basic understanding of the flow of the game is acquired.

Peggle Blast is so hair-pullingly careless about its attempts at monetization, you can’t shake the feeling that somewhere in the bowels of EA, a person in an expensive suit has their feet up on a nice desk and is roaring with laughter.

From the first breezy stage to the last blisteringly difficult one, Bean Dreams is replete with sprites and sounds that twinkle and bloop in just the right way.

Checkpoint Champion is easy to play yet difficult to master, but it does leave you wanting more: more vehicles (especially), more game modes, just more in general, and not necessarily in the good way.

Regardless, there’s no denying Earn to Die 2 is still tons of zombie-smashing fun.

If any match-three puzzle / battle game is worth a simple one-time fee of five bucks or so, Gems of War is it.

In a landscape full of racers trying to be either the mobile equivalent of Mario Kart or Gran Turismo, this self-styled “journey through modern art” exudes an endearing weirdness that sets it apart and nestles it in your brain.

An important step forward in terms of inclusive gaming, though it’s only a stumbling, zombie-sized shuffle rather than a giant leap.

The App Store might be cluttered with near hits and near misses, clones, copycats, and one-week wonders, but every now and then a game like Pair Solitaire comes along and reminds us that the mobile marketplace can be a place where simple genius can shine. Threes! was one great example of that this year, and Pair Solitaire is another.

The pacing of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 can use some fine-tuning, as things just get frustratingly crowded in the later nights. That being said, it is certainly a must-play for fans of the first game. Newcomers may want to start their adventures with Freddy’s at the old location first, but both Five Nights at Freddy’s games are worth pulling a double shift for.

As it stands, this is the ideal game to take with you on a plane ride, or curl up with on a weekend, but I can’t see myself returning for the sake of pursuing arbitrary goals.

From little considerations like the squish that plays proxy for haptic feedback whenever your tap, to key decisions like the game’s nostalgia-inducing voxel aesthetic, Crossy Road oozes arcade charm.

Taken as a whole, though, Marble Duel is an interesting and unique match-three battle game. Few people play marbles traditionally anymore, but there’s still no resisting the glassy “click” of the game’s pieces colliding.

If you’re going to emulate another game, you might as well follow the example set by one that is best in class, and while I doubt that CoC has anything to worry about from CoD, this is a perfectly acceptable genre and franchise mash-up that shoud garner its fair share of fans.

If Vainglory is missing anything, it’s probably some kind of overall system of progression, one that rewards the truly dedicated by allowng them to customize their builds a little more.