Donut County provides a lot of what people are always saying they want more of from their mobile games: a new and unique world, a compelling story and interesting mechanics you don’t see in tons of other titles.

So many times you play an RPG on mobile and you think to yourself, oh I need to spend several minutes organizing my inventory or I need a few minutes to stop what I am doing. You never get that feeling playing Cat Quest and while it is simple and it feels like it could be generic, it's exactly what an RPG on the go should be. At $4.99 you're buying a game that we'll be telling people "this is how you make a mobile RPG" next year, the year after that, maybe for a really long time.

The simple gameplay in Tiny Wings is sublime, but there's an intangible aspect to it that makes it a total joy to play.

Auro is one of the rare games in this genre that should please both beginners and experts alike. It's definitely worth checking out.

It successfully scratches the MMORPG itch of party-based combat while being a completely pick up and play game single player game.

In its current state, Returnal perfectly suits the Steam Deck, and it runs quite well given the hardware, with visual cutbacks. While it isn’t as nice as playing on PS5 of course, I’ve found myself enjoying Returnal on the go quite a bit thanks to the suspend feature and sublime core gameplay. It also helps that Returnal on PC arrives at a lower asking price with all prior updates included from the start making it a super-polished version of one of Sony’s best exclusives in years.

Slice & Dice isn’t just one of my favorite games of 2024, but one of my favorite roguelikes in many years already. I’m looking forward to playing it daily on iPhone, and think anyone with a remote interest in roguelikes should download the game and try it for free immediately.

Ultimately you can customize how tough the game is and no matter how rough it gets, Barbearian will look gorgeous throughout and will feel amazing whether you use a MFi controller or the touch controls. It feels completely different when the difficulty is adjusted so there is value in getting into the options and fiddling around. When people ask where the good premium games are, Barbearian is one I will point to, with gusto.

It's simply an amazing turn-based strategy game and a worthy sequel to the series.

With promises of further development we could see new formats, new single player adventures, competitive seasons and more added on in the future. I hope the price tag doesn’t scare players off because this one is worth every penny.

Whether you look at dialogue and story line, or implementation of mechanics, or just sheer volume of gameplay, Evoland 2 is not just a huge improvement on the original but also an amazing way to extend your experiences you may have had with those old school games that it emulates. Evoland 2 pulls off something very difficult to do, it keeps it's own unique feel and functions as a greatest hits anthology. Go get it if you haven't already!

Developer Grumpyface Studios does nearly everything right in making a highly enjoyable TD game in Castle Doombad, and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The sheer amount of content, the amazing graphics, and gameplay that will keep you coming back for more whether you choose to follow the story or rampage through Liberty City on your own is absolutely amazing.

Minor control issues notwithstanding, Bastion for iPad is just as good, if not better than its console brethren. Every element that made the game so amazing and fascinating returns and the subtle refinements to various features in making the jump to iOS simply add to the experience.

Unless you despise auto-runners, occasional in-game ads, or fun, this fiesta is not to be missed.

Dark Echo hits all the right notes any well-designed horror game should.

"Chariots of the Dogs" is smoothly and tightly paced, and nothing feels misplaced or kludged together. It's a charming, warm, and funny game, and it's the best episode in an increasingly good series.

With several years between the first game and the third one, the 9th Dawn series now spans a number of eras in mobile gaming. But it has always been true to what it wanted to offer from the start, which is a world of adventures and memories on your mobile device with no nonsense weighing it down. 9th Dawn III is by leaps and bounds the easiest of the series to get into, and that’s an important step forward as once you get into these games, you won’t get out for a very long time indeed. Just one more quest, one more dive into that crypt, one more round of fishing, one more card game, one more tough monster defeated. And so it goes, until the sun rises on another new day. Don’t miss this one, my RPG-loving friends.

Draw Something is a perfect witch's brew of Facebook integration, word scrambling, and asynchronous two-player Pictionary.

If for some reason you haven’t played Final Fantasy V yet, you really should. Luckily, this is an outstanding way to do so. Give it a little time to sink its teeth into you, and you’ll find a compelling RPG that can easily hold its own against its more famous siblings. If you have played it before, then you probably know that this is one of the more replayable games in the series. What better excuse to play it again than this lovely version of the game? It’s worth another trip just to hear the new soundtrack, and you know you’ll have a good time along the way.

Isles of Sea and Sky is a superb puzzle game that is absolutely worth your time. It also feels right at home on Steam Deck, and manages to stand out with its gorgeous art, puzzles, open world, and blend of ideas. If you enjoy puzzle games, stop what you’re doing and get this now.

It sounds cliched, but it's hard to believe I'm playing a game of this caliber on iOS. All too often we see games that sacrifice gameplay depth for visuals or vice versa. Other than a few minor glitches, Ravensword: Shadowlands is the real deal, and is an excellent open-world RPG with a decent story, ample content, deep character customization and beautiful visuals.

The Case of the Golden Idol is truly incredible. Not only does it respect the player’s intelligence, but it is one of the most rewarding games you will play. Combined with The Spider of Lanka DLC, The Case of the Golden Idol is absolutely essential, and it is a joy to play on Switch with touch controls. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it.

Beholder is definitely a great addition to games that examine life in oppressive States, and I was glad to see that it manages to be a fun game to play despite its grim theme. With great art and music and plenty of choices, which lead to different endings, Beholder is definitely a game you should be playing.

At this point, Vampire Survivors DLC is a lot like Dead Cells DLC where it is hard to not recommend buying any of it. Vampire Survivors Operation Guns, like the Emergency Meeting DLC, is a must-have regardless of whether you are familiar with the source material or not. It enhances the game and made me play a lot of Contra Hard Corps on Nintendo Switch Online today. It is an essential purchase if you like Vampire Survivors given the value and quality.

I have no doubt that a game of this magnitude will continue to evolve and improve over time with new content, gameplay tweaks, and bug fixes. Still, it's a thoroughly enjoyable game as it is now, and I don't only suggest Aralon for fans of Western RPGs or expansive open-world action games, but I think every iOS gamer needs to pick up this title just to experience what is possible on this constantly expanding mobile platform.

It's that constant tension, that split-second decision-making between risky and riskier, that makes Danmaku Unlimited 3 so much fun to play. While it's probably a little too challenging for those who aren't experienced with bullet hell shooters, fans of the genre are going to be mooning over it like a kitty with a bag of catnip. Add in the fact that it's Doragon's best-looking and -sounding game yet, and you've got a real genre champion on your hands. This game is no longer imitation nor homage; Danmaku Unlimited 3 is now the mobile bullet hell shoot-em-up to beat. All interested pilots should sign up immediately.

If you enjoyed either of the previous games, Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out is a no-brainer. You’ll love it. Newcomers will have to climb over a bit of a wall to find the treasure that lay beyond, but that wall is easier to get over now than ever before. A real winner, and I’ll happily play it for however many years it takes for the next one to arrive.