In the end, from the graphics and soundtrack to personalisation and sizeable rewards for ad views, 3 Sprockets really knocks it out of the park with Digby Forever. It’s unlikely to hold gamers looking for a complex or entirely original gameplay experience, but for those on the hunt for something endlessly fun, it should be able to hold a homescreen spot for quite a while.

Despite the mechanical issues, we’ve still really enjoyed Evergrow. Its combination of space shooter, tower defense, block-placing puzzles, and Katamari-esque growth works surprisingly well together, creating a satisfying challenge that is never too frantic. Each level contains a set number of coins to collect and two bonus objectives to complete, there are eight color gems to track down, and four different endings to unlock, offering plenty of reasons to replay stages. And those replays are never repetitive thanks to the different placement of power blocks offering a new Chromaroid every time. Just the adorable, cheerful facial expressions of the Chromaroid are enough to warrant giving Evergrow a try, but its fun and unique gameplay provides a reason to stick around.

Set Sail’s simplicity really works in its favor. It may not sound like there’s a lot going on, but once you start juggling four or five kinds of ships, mentally keeping track of which one needs rigging and which one needs repairing, then start digging into the price points to maximize your profits, things start to get hectic. It’s more of a mental game than a physical reflexes one, but it’s still a great twist on the money management genre.

Yankai’s Triangle was a pleasant surprise — both because I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, and because I didn’t know what to expect in the first place. It’s a deceptively tricky puzzle game that just might pull you in if you give it a chance.

Faily Rider is a big slobbering chunk of dumb mobile fun. It careens around for a while, crashes into a few things, and then you wander away slightly dizzy but not really any the worse for wear.

My Majesty always feels a little lightweight. While the decisions might feel hefty, the results never feel worse than a matter of ‘oh well, hit the reset button’. You can meet up with historical characters along the way, which is a neat way of encouraging you to play more. It gives you a small sense of achievement, but My Majesty doesn’t quite have that ‘just one more go’ factor that Reigns does. It’s all fine enough, but not overly enticing. Enjoy it while it lasts, then don’t be surprised if you find your interest inevitably waning.

Malevolent Machines is simultaneously great and lacking in a few too many key areas. It’ll remind you of 90’s style arcade hits — but you’ll soon realize that it doesn’t actually have much to offer, and you’ll end up wishing there was more going on.

Every aspect of the game feels minutely considered, like the fact that the skulls of victims you’ve killed remain in the level and will be kicked around as you pass by or the way still-alive characters shake and glance around nervously once they’re aware of your presence. The inclusion of hints, full solutions, and level skips; tons of achievements and leaderboards; and optional gore sliders to reduce the blood and carnage indicate Blue Wizard was truly thinking of all their players when they created this game. It worked: this Valentine’s Day, we’ve given our heart to Slayaway Camp.

Chroma Rush is far from a bad game. It’s a fun diversion in short bursts that should definitely appeal to the color-arranging fans of Blendoku. But its simplicity and lack of polish make it feel like an appetizer before the next meaty entry in that series, or even something that should have just been a game mode within Blendoku 2.

OK Golf by OKIDOKICO doesn’t have a lot of charm, but then again, charm isn’t something it needs to have. It accomplishes everything it promises in the name – it’s an ok, but not particularly amazing, golf experience that can be enjoyed by golfers and non-golfers alike. What sets it apart from other mobile golfing experiences is its diorama-style holes. You never have to wonder what’s around the corner because you’re always working with a full 3D topographic view from tee to flag. Although the graphics aren’t exceptionally detailed, it’s very much beautiful in a minimalist sense.

Postknight is an adorable, engaging RPG from the creators of the towerless tower defense game Tiny Guardians. As in Tiny Guardians, developer Kurechii has taken some elements from a popular genre and reworked others, resulting in a game that is both familiar and novel.

Isoland is a beautiful point-and-click puzzler with a storybook aesthetic that immediately draws you into its bizarre and enigmatic world. Although its plot feels disjointed at times and many of the game’s mysteries favor memory over deduction, it makes up for these shortcomings by providing players a plethora of puzzles and the freedom to solve them at their own pace.

The Marvel Tsum Tsum would all have their Cuteness stats maxed all the way out by default if there was such a thing. There’s no fighting that, so it’s silly to even waste your time trying. Whether you spend a ton of time with the game is another matter, but there’s definitely more to it than it may first appear, and it’s worth a download for the Marvel fan in your life to try out.

Ketchapp Winter Sports may not wow, but it does have a lot going for it. Its graphics are bright and welcoming. The gameplay is simple and intuitive. Perhaps best of all, it’s fast and frustrating in the best possible way without being addictive. It’s easy to pick up and put down without any sense of missing out. Rather than making the game forgettable, this will likely add to its longevity.

You will die a lot, and it will get frustrating. But the monetary investment for this premium game means you have endless lives and can keep trying for as long as it takes without any continues or energy systems to get in the way. So if your fingers are itching for a fast-paced arcade game that looks familiar but feels fresh, Stagehand will be worth the try.

Voyageur is an intriguing tale of sci-fi style exploration that gradually switches from fascinating to a little too ponderous for its own good. It never quite reaches the heights of its potential, but you’ll still find it strangely compelling. Until, that is, one day it’s not.

Given the scope of SAO in general, it only makes sense for Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag to be a sprawling, almost intimidating affair, but happily, it’s fun enough to be enjoyable even if the story makes your head hurt a little.

Evil Factory looks great, sounds great and plays great. It’s certainly an above average game that many players will take the time (and spend the money) to race right through. Like the feeling you get after binge-watching the latest series of a great show, completing the initial story arc will leave you wanting more.

A form of auto-MMO, One Piece Thousand Storm is a pretty enjoyable ride, whether you’re a fan of the franchise or simply want to try something new. If you’ve played any of the various MMOs on mobile before, you’ll be somewhat familiar with how this game plays out — but that doesn’t mean it’s not oddly compelling at times.

As a standalone experience, The Frostrune is lacking. But as the gateway to another world, it shines like ice in the morning sun.

For a game that relies on dimensional travel and ancient evil spirits, Secrets of the Dark: The Flower of Shadow feels remarkably cohesive and down-to-Earth. The puzzles are a joy to solve, the mini-games keep you guessing, and the visuals hit the sweet spot between realistic and artistic.

There’s nothing wrong with Realm Grinder, really. It’s a decent enough clicker/idler that looks nice and is easy to jump in and out of. It’s just that you could play most any other clicker/idler and you’d get the same amount of enjoyment out of it. If you’ve never played a game like this before, if you’ve been waiting for one that’s medieval fantasy kingdom building themed, or even if you’re just bored and curious, it’s not a terrible way to kill a bit of time.

In terms of pure gameplay, there’s no question that Pokemon Duel is superior to Pokemon Go. The competitive nature of it also means it’ll be less faddish and more likely to get better with age. It’s simply too imperfect in its current form to be as fun as it could be, so if you want to dive into it while it goes through its growing pains, be prepared for more lulls than LOLs.

A Normal Lost Phone is thoughtfully designed, leveraging voyeurism, curiosity, responsibility, and compassion to tell a strong, character-driven story unlocked through satisfying puzzle-solving.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links might lack some of the depth of the original, but it’s still a pretty good mobile conversion. By cutting certain elements down, you’ll be able to get more accomplished than you would have before.

It’ll likely keep you occupied for a few minutes, hours or even days. Just don’t be surprised if when your battery dies you find yourself wondering if it was really time well spent.

Scopely has covered pretty much all the expected bases with WWE: Champions, and there’s little doubt that fans of sports entertainment are going to be hooked as soon as they launch it for the first time and have The Rock guiding them through a tutorial match against Stone Cold Steve Austin.

It’s the kind of indie puzzle delight that should stick in your memory for a while to come. It’ll easily remind you of just what can be accomplished when a developer pays attention to what works so well on a mobile format. The only thing you’ll be wishing for is the addition of more levels.