Console and PC gamers may make fun of mobile players, but those mobile players have one thing that they'll never have: the ability to play on the go! The Nintendo Switch might have a handheld mode, but it's inferior compared to other consoles in terms of specs, and inferior to cell phones and tablets for being bulky and requiring cartridges.
So, if you want to enjoy more titles on your phone, what can you do? You could buy one of those controllers that attach to your phone and start streaming games, but there's an even simpler way; some beloved console games are also available to you as an app for phones and tablets all over the world! These are a few of the very best.
7 Stardew Valley
Many people are familiar with Stardew Valley by now but, to catch you up, it's a farming simulator game where you take on the role of a young person leaving their office job in the city to move to their late grandfather's farm.
Stardew Valley on mobile is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda thing. Some people argue that the fact that the game doesn't save except when you go to sleep at night is really limiting on mobile, since you may not know how long you want to play for. Others counter that with the suggestion that it allows them to play in small, predefined bursts. Why not try it out and decide for yourself?
6 Minecraft
Minecraft is a cultural phenomenon like no other video game before it. At its core, it asks you to play as a lone man in a hostile environment who is gathering various resources to survive the night, when deadly creatures come out to play. In reality, though, it's so much more.
The experience is slightly compressed but totally playable and enjoyable on a mobile phone or tablet. Unlike Stardew Valley, you can save anytime you like. While it's probably better experienced in long sessions, there's nothing stopping you from getting a little work done on your home base while you're waiting in line for Starbucks.
5 ARK: Survival Evolved
In ARK: Survival Evolved, you find yourself stranded on an island that seems to be frozen in an ancient time. It's populated by dinosaurs and other creatures from their time; you'll need to figure out how to tame them or take them down, and quick.
It might surprise you to know that this survival game can be enjoyed on mobile in addition to the major consoles! Favorable reviews prove that you can kill dinosaurs on the go and have just as much fun as always.
4 Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is an action roleplaying game that takes place in a fantasy open-world. It's beloved especially for its characters - drawn and animated in an anime style - which you'll switch between during combat.
Unlike a lot of the other games on this list, Genshin Impact is basically as well-known in its mobile form as it is in its console form. There's no reason to fear a limiting experience compared to the console version because it's designed to suit the mobile platform.
3 Terraria
Terraria is a sandbox survival game where the player experiences the world at their pace, builds up a base and populates it with NPCs, and strives to defeat increasingly powerful bosses.
Terraria is often criticized as being too similar to Minecraft, which is up for debate - but one way the two are similar is that they both do well on the mobile platform. Simplistic controls and small goals lead to a great mobile game, which Terraria and Minecraft both have.
2 Five Nights At Freddy's
Even if you have no interest in horror games, you've probably heard of Five Nights at Freddy's. It's been around forever and has a large, dedicated fanbase. After a popular first game, it's now a large and beloved horror franchise!
The very first game had a simple premise: you are the security guard overnight at a pizzeria where the animatronic robots keep coming to life. They think you're an animatronic outside of your suit, so they stuff you inside of one (subsequently killing you).
If you've never played this classic game, you have even less of an excuse, now: it's available to enjoy on mobile!
1 Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
Would you like to commit more tax evasion than ever before? You can enjoy this goofy, adorable game about a little turnip who fights against his corrupt mayor on mobile, too! It's a little like an old-school Zelda game, but with lots of jokes along the way.
Indie games have to struggle to get any attention these days, with more of them than ever entering the market. Even indie games that become relatively well-known could use a boost. Having a game like Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion on mobile helps expand its potential audience!