Don’t doomscroll more depressing news, use that phone to lift your mood instead. The best mobile games will bring a little joy to your day, whether you’re killing time on the commute or chilling on the couch. And these games are all addictive slices of gaming pleasure that we have been gorging on for years.
As smartphone screens and processing power have grown, the lines between mobile gaming and just gaming have blurred, and you can find tons of great mobile games that have been ported or adapted from other systems (Minecraft, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Roblox, Stardew Valley, Grand Theft Auto, and the list goes on). But all of these titles are best enjoyed on other platforms. Our picks here are games that work especially well on your phone.
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It feels like a distant memory by now, but right before the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, it seemed like portable gaming was on its last life. Mobile games had gobbled up huge portions of the market, and most modern games required a lot of power to run on devices like the Nintendo 3DS. Fast-forward to today, and there are more ways to take your games outside the living room than ever.
This is a bit of an odd category because, to be quite frank, many of the devices currently on the market aren’t very good. Valve’s Steam Deck kicked off a wave of manufacturers looking to compete with the Nintendo Switch, but many of their offerings are rushed, buggy, or just not a great way to play games. A few have risen to the challenge, and I’m comfortable saying that there are finally some good options to choose from. I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing as many gaming handhelds as I could get my grubby hands on—these are the best.
Updated August 2024: Added new info on how to choose the right gaming handheld for you, and info about Asus Rog Ally software updates. We’ve also added new photos.
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What to Look For in a Gaming Handheld
The Switch may have set a new standard for portable gaming, but in the time since, the category has gotten increasingly complex. New platforms, new control schemes, and a range of battery life that runs the gamut from several hours to “don’t stray too far from a charger.” With that in mind, here are a few factors to keep in mind when deciding which one is right for you:
Platform: The Switch runs games that were designed (or at least adapted) for the Switch. Easy enough. Other handhelds can be a bit more complicated. On the Steam Deck, for example, Valve uses custom software and the Proton compatibility layer to make games run and play well on a handheld. Some handhelds just run Windows directly (which has its drawbacks). Make sure to see what games you want to play are available on which platform and how well they run before you buy.
Picture: If you’re gonna stare at your gaming handheld all day, it may as well have a great display. Many devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, have OLED variants with incredibly crisp, vibrant displays. However, better doesn’t always mean, er, better. Screens with higher resolutions and faster refresh rates can also drain more battery.
Power: Speaking of battery life, that’s one area where gaming handhelds can vary wildly. Some devices, like the Switch and the Steam Deck, are optimized as much as they can be for battery consumption. Still, running graphics-heavy games like Tears of the Kingdom will always use more battery than simpler games like Stardew Valley. On handhelds that run less optimized operating systems like Windows, battery can drain even faster. If you plan to use a lot of heavy battery-draining features or games, then you might want to pick up a portable charger.
Performance: The Switch notoriously runs on an underpowered processor compared to its competitors. Yet, its games make the most of it by being optimized for the hardware they run on. When it comes to games that were designed for Windows (whether they run on the Steam Deck, or Windows handhelds directly), they can require a lot more power to get the same kind of performance. Faster, more powerful processors can mean you’ll get a more fluid gaming experience. But, once again, keep in mind that faster processors use up more battery, so be sure to balance performance with power drain.
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Above all else,Zenless Zone Zero is beautiful to look at. HoYoverse’s latest action RPG gacha title, following 2020’s Genshin Impactand last year’s Honkai: Star Rail, has a lot much going for it, with a beautifully detailed world, characters, and animations. Underneath that style there is even some substance, but the game may not be able to best HoYoverse’s other successful titles in the long run.
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Smart features that lessen the gacha grind make ZZZ perhaps the most player-friendly title in HoYoverse’s growing library, but it lacks a good hook that will keep the player coming back for more. In the dozen or so hours I’ve spent with ZZZ it takes shape as a promising melting pot of useful features and gorgeous design that I’m worried won’t garner the same avid fan base as its siblings.
Damn, Zenless Zone Zero has style!
In Zenless Zone Zero you take on the role of a Proxy, a person who guides agents (the characters you control in combat) through dangerous pocket dimensions called Hollows. These Hollows have valuable resources, so the residents of New Eridu (where the game is set), are always in want of a good Proxy to guide them in hopes of turning a profit. At the start of ZZZ,you help a trio of agents escape the Hollows and fall into a rabbit hole of intrigue and mystery that only gets deeper the more you play.
Image: HoYoverse
Immediately upon starting, New Eridu and its inhabitants stand out visually, thanks to the game’s incredible urban punk aesthetic that blends the futuristic and nostalgic. The protagonist duo Belle and Wise (per HoYoverse’ tradition since Genshin Impact, you get to pick to play as a female or male main character) are another great example of ZZZ’s wonderful design. Belle has a simple gray and orange color palette only contrasted by the dark blue of her stylish short hair. She’s wearing a fashionable ensemble with geometric patterning that alternates between her main colors while also sporting a walkman-like device on her hip. It’s a fit that would be right at home in the most fashionable neighborhoods of New York City.
That high-quality design extends to the rest of the game’s cast, each of whom is stylish and could very well be your new favorite character, which is the ideal for a game that asks you to pay real-world money to get the characters you want. I especially love the variety ZZZ offers, which includes non-human characters, like a bear named Ben Bigger, a first for aHoYoverse game. Similarly, New Eridu is a shining city filled with a love of the real world’s past. The central neighborhood you explore while not actively on missions (we’ll get to those) is littered with stores dedicated to physical media (what a concept). Belle and Wise run a video rental store that you get to manage while they aren’t doing their less-than-legal activities guiding people through the Hollows.
ZZZ’s core gameplay loop is centered around the Hollows. You can accept missions that send your party of three into the dangerous dungeons to fight and gain loot. Some missions progress the story, some are side activities, and some are combat-focused challenges to test your skill. In contrast to the open-world of Genshin Impact or the more expansive space traveling escapades of Honkai: Star Rail the world of ZZZ feels small. That extends to missions, which you begin not by traveling a long distance to a location, but by launching into them from a simple menu. It reminds me most of HoYoverse’s Honkai Impact 3rd, but that’s not where the similarities end. ZZZ’s entire combat system feels most like HI3.
Image: HoYoverse
Even when it works, I kind of wish I was playing something else
In ZZZ, you control one member of your party at a time in real time combat against hordes of enemies. Each character has a basic, special, and ultimate attack, with the latter two charging up as you perform basic attacks. This alone is fairly simple and probably will feel familiar to anyone who has played HI3 or Genshin Impact. However, ZZZ’s special sauce is it sassist attacks. Before an enemy attacks, a short sparkle signals to switch characters. If timed perfectly, you dodge the incoming attack and can in turn do some big damage. With this system, combat encounters take on a certain flow that can feel exceptionally good when you string together assist attack after assist attack, unleashing ultimates and decimating the enemy in no time.
HoYoverse constantly iterates from one title to the next, and ZZZ’s combat is clearly the result of some great iteration on Genshin Impact, which to this day has a pretty boring combat loop. Combat shines even brighter thanks to some of the best animations I’ve seen HoYoverse put to screen. When compared to Genshin Impact, it’s a wonderful improvement, however it can’t reach the same heights as this year’s HoYoverse competitor, Wuthering Waves. WuWa still feels much more engaged than ZZZ, as even in the latters’ most challenging fights the combat loop can lean towards button-mashing without the need for much thought.
Naturally, ZZZ’s combat loop is in service of gaining in-game resources by which you can unlock and upgrade new characters and weapons. Thankfully, that gacha grind isn’t nearly as bad as something like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail. Everything feels more easily accessible to the player through the limited collection of activities. You can probably get your favorite character with a lot less work than it would take in other HoYoverse games due to ZZZ’s approach, which shows the developer is clearly attempting to make quality of life improvements to its games (and something I desperately hopes makes its way back to Genshin Impact and HSR). Combined with the smaller world and simple mission design, ZZZ is HoYoverse’s most approachable and player-friendly title. Yet it still hasn’t gotten its hooks into me.
HoYoverse
Ironically I think the reason for that is because ZZZ sands maybe one too many edges off the HoYoverse formula. While combat is the most impressive it’s ever been in a HoYoverse title, it feels too easy, which makes moment-to-moment gameplay unengaging. The characters and world are gorgeously designed, but the story itself isn’t very enticing as of yet. The stories of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail are what keep me coming back, but even with ZZZ’s a lower barrier to entry I find its narrative to be easy to bounce off of. To be fair, the game is in its first week and has barely gotten started on the narrative front, so things could get better, but right now, it’s not gripping me. More than anything, while playing ZZZ I find myself wishing its improved features could just be put in the HoYoverse games I’d rather be playing.
As much as I love many things in Zenless Zone Zero, I can’t quite place it in the HoYoverse portfolio. Alongside Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Honkai Impact 3rd, Zenless Zone Zero feels like it has the biggest hurdles in the way of its success. Genshin is already an established hit with an avid fan base thanks to a sprawling open-world matched by an equally sprawling story. Honkai: Star Rail has become popular in its own right after only being released a year ago on the strength of its tight turn-based combat and enthralling space opera adventure. Then there’s Honkai Impact 3rd, which despite releasing back in 2016, still has loyal fans. This all stretches the potential player base for ZZZ even thinner. I hope it does find its audience, however, as there is a lot to love.
Zenless Zone Zero is now available on Android, iOS, PC, and PlayStation 5.
Gaming has been a popular pastime for decades and includes various ways to play, including on dedicated gaming consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. In recent years, mobile gaming has seen an uptick in usage and now reportedly surpasses both PC gaming and console gaming in market size. According to GlobalData, the mobile gaming market is already worth $124 billion and is expected to grow to $195 billion by 2030. This figure is larger than both the PC gaming and console gaming markets, combined.
These huge figures show just how popular gaming on mobile devices has become. Players are increasingly opting to play video games and casino games using handheld devices for a wide variety of reasons, but this was not always the case.
Let’s explore the trends that are shifting gamers away from PCs and consoles and towards mobile gaming.
Trends Supporting A Shift in Gaming Preference
With advancements in technology and the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, a growing number of gamers are opting to play via mobile. We’ve now left behind the days when players were confined to gaming on a PC or console at home. Now, millions of players engage in video games and casino games using their phones or tablets from anywhere and at any time.
Several factors have contributed to the changing consumer preference to play on mobile instead of PC or console. These factors and trends include:
Accessibility and Convenience: Playing on mobile devices is simply more accessible and convenient for most players when compared to playing on gaming consoles or PCs. Mobile gaming allows players to game at home or on the go. Players can engage with their favorite games while waiting in line, commuting, or traveling. This has been a huge driving factor in shifting gamers away from traditional gaming methods and towards mobile gaming.
Diverse Gaming Options: The mobile gaming market has grown to offer a diverse range of titles including casual games, video games, and casino games. Because of the sheer quantity of games available, players who enjoy all genres have migrated towards mobile platforms instead of console and PC platforms. Casual gamers can enjoy puzzle games and more. Video gamers can play multiplayer games or first-person shooters. Casino gamers can wager on games like poker, blackjack, baccarat and even find plinko games to play on sites like best-plinko-casino.com. Additionally, a new trend is for players to enjoy multiple gaming genres, which is not usually possible when gaming on console platforms. For example, many video gamers enjoy wagering once in a while online, and some bettors also enjoy the odd video game. Playing on mobile makes swapping between game genres easy and painless.
Low Barrier to Entry: Another key factor that is pushing gamers away from traditional play platforms and towards mobile gaming is the low barrier to entry. PC and console gaming require players to invest a substantial amount of money in software in order to get started. On the other hand, mobile gaming can be played using just a phone, which many people already have. This makes mobile gaming extremely easy to access with a very low barrier to entry.
Social Connectivity: Another factor that is driving the popularity and growth of mobile gaming is that it allows players to connect with friends, family, and their gaming community easily and efficiently in real-time. Multiplayer modes let video gamers feel connected to other gamers, social features in games let gamers chat with one another and online communities and forums allow video and casino gamers to communicate and share information, creating a sense of camaraderie and shared experience.
Technological Advancements: As tech advances, mobile gaming is becoming more advanced, and is now rivaling the experience players have on console and PC platforms. Mobile gaming now offers high-quality graphics, responsive touch controls, and augmented reality (AR) features. Years ago, dedicated players preferred the experience that console and PC platforms offered, however, as technology has developed over the years, many gaming phones now offer the same features as consoles and computers when it comes to gaming experience.
While some gamers still prefer playing on their gaming console or computer at home, the majority of players have shifted towards playing on phones or tablets for one or all of the reasons mentioned above.
Navigating The Future of Mobile Gaming
For players newly navigating the world of mobile gaming, there are several strategies that can help make the most of the trends mobile gaming presents gamers, including:
Embrace Cross-Platform Integration: As more players turn to mobile, it’s smart to keep old gaming consoles or PCs and enjoy swapping back and forth between the different platforms to take advantage of the benefits each offers. For example, if a player has a PC at home and wants to start gaming on mobile, keep the PC around for certain games that may be fun to play at home on the PC once in a while, while still embracing the new tech and benefits that mobile gaming offers. Cross-platform play is a great way to keep gaming fun.
Experiment: Experiment with different games and gaming genres. One main benefit of gaming on mobile is how accessible games are. For video gamers who have never tried casual games or wagering before, give them a shot. For casino gamers who have never tried casual games before, consider playing a relaxing puzzle game once in a while. In addition, consider experimenting with different new technology, like using cryptocurrency in your gaming. Some crypto games allow players to play to earn while others allow bettors to wager at anonymous casinos using crypto, offering security and privacy. By experimenting, players may just find their newest favorite game or site.
Adapt: Stay up to date with new technology and changes and don’t be scared to adapt and try new things. Mobile gaming is bound to continue changing, growing, and advancing, and the most dedicated gamers will adapt along with it.
Conclusion
Gaming includes a range of ways to play, like on mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and dedicated gaming consoles. In recent years, mobile gaming, which includes phone and tablet gameplay, has exceeded traditional methods in popularity and market size.
Some of the trends and factors that have supported this change include the accessibility and convenience that mobile gaming offers, the diverse game options available, the low barrier to entry, social connectivity, and tech advancements. For these reasons, and more, a growing number of video and casino gamers are opting to spend their game time on mobile devices.
Given everyone’s sustained interest in playing games on their phones, companies are eager to offer an experience that works better than just jabbing your fingers on a touchscreen. Razer, the maker of unapologetically robust and garish gaming devices, has a new offering that does just that.
The new Razer Kishi Ultra is a souped up controller that adds pro-level thumbsticks, buttons, and triggers to just about any mobile device. It’s the latest in Razer’s Kishi lineup of portable gaming devices, which launched in 2020. The two handles pull apart, allowing you to slide your phone in between them. Let the spring-loaded clamp grip your phone, and you’ve got something like a DIY Nintendo Switch. It uses a USB-C port to connect to the phone. In addition, it can handle an iPad Mini and any Android tablet measuring up to 8 diagonal inches as long as it has a USB-C port. The Kishi Ultra only works with USB-C iPhones, so it’s limited to iPhone 15 and beyond. (It can even handle some folding phones.) The Kishi Ultra can also connect to your PC via USB-C cable. Like nearly everything Razer makes, the Kishi Ultra is loaded up with RGB lighting options which you can change via the associated app, so you can have your fill of customizable flashiness.
The Kishi is unlike the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, which are fully fledged portable gaming machines on their own. But gaming devices with more specific use cases are gaining popularity, like Playstation’s Portal device, which only lets you stream games from your existing PS5. Razer has been making gaming handheld devices since 2013, and has its own Steam Deck-style Razer Edge handheld. But more and more companies are eager to make devices that work with the screen you already have in your pocket. Devices like Razer’s latest and those from the gaming company Backbone are meant to strap controllers to the side of your device and enhance your mobile play time.
Here’s some other consumer tech news from this week.
Meta Adds an AI Images to WhatsApp
Meta has added AI Image generation capabilities to its WhatsApp messaging platform. As part of its rollout for its Llama 3 large language model that came this week, the company has juiced up its Meta AI in-app offerings.
The AI image generation option in WhatsApp works like sending a text message. You can go into a private chat with Meta AI and type out a prompt. The keyword in the input field is “imagine,” so if you type that and a description of the image you want to create, the AI assistant will generate a visual representation of your prompt. And it happens nearly instantly. The image pops up on screen as you’re typing, and you can see the image change and generate in real time as you add more words to your prompt. This can get … quite weird as you add more parameters to your request, but the more descriptive you are, the more detail the generator can work into a picture. The resulting images are about what you would expect from any AI art source these days—weird proportions, humans with too many fingers, misplaced eyeballs. Still, it’s both neat and very strange to watch an AI generate your description of something as you’re writing it.
Meet GMC’s Hulking New Denali EV Pickup
Photograph: GMC
There is a deluge of new EVs coming out this year, ranging from tiny three-wheeled smart cars like the Nimbus One to revved-up supercars like the upcoming electric Dodge Charger. Pickup trucks are a slightly more niche space in the EV market, aside from popular models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian’s offerings, and Tesla’s floundering Cybertruck (every one of which was just recalled.)
If you’re paying for access to Nintendo’s Switch Online package, you too are probably perennially wondering whether you’re actually getting anything out of it, but then remembering it’s only $20 a year and it stores all your saves in the cloud. Thankfully, every so often a few more prehistoric games get added to assuage any remaining feelings of wastage. Today it’s Super R-Type, Wrecking Crew ‘98, and, er, Sugoi Hebereke.
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Obviously, only madness awaits those who try to fathom the workings within Nintendo, but it still bemuses me that these online libraries of decades-old games have been so slowly drip-fed. Right now, after almost six years of existence, Nintendo Switch Online—with today’s addition of Wrecking Crew—finally includes almost all of Nintendo’s in-house developed, US-released SNES games, conspicuously lacking its last, Wario’s Woods.
Alongside Sugoi Hebereke (Amazing Hebereke—a Sunsoft fighting game that no one cared about at the time, getting its first U.S. release), the game anyone’s going to care about in this collection is Super R-Type, essentially a souped-up port of the wonderful arcade/Amiga side-scrolling shooter game, R-Type II.
Stunningly hard, it was—amusingly—somewhat easier on SNES thanks to its atrocious slow-down that would occasionally bring the game to a total slideshow. Whether or not that will be replicated when playing it on Switch, we’re not sure.
I still find it a struggle to get too excited about Switch Online’s offerings. Things like online access and cloud saves seem like they’d be right and proper to just offer as part of paying for a console, and while 63 SNES games, 21 Game Boy games, and 71 NES games seems like a bumper library to play through, the fact that you can’t just download them to the system makes them a hassle to play, and most of them are obviously extraordinarily dated and tough to stick with.
The more expensive ($50 per year) and clumsily named Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack option improves things with 30 N64 games, 14 Sega Genesis titles, and a paltry 15 (admittedly excellent) Game Boy Advance games, which are a lot more tempting to get stuck into today. However, the lack of first-party GBA games on there is very disappointing, and only becomes more so with every announcement like this, that seems to prioritize unwanted SNES bargain bin guff. Where’s Wario Land 4? Where’s Rhythm Tengoku? F-Zero Climax, Pokémon, and more than anything else, Mario Golf: Advance Tour? Whine moan complain.
Anyway, it’s a big news day for all you Wrecking Crew ‘98 fans, and god bless you.
There are several other mobile controllers we tested that just missed out on a place above or failed to make the grade, plus a few that we are keen to test soon.
Turtle Beach Atom Controller for $80: With a clever two-piece design, this controller folds away neatly, but feels insecure without a back. The clamps on each side are awkward, particularly with phones sporting large camera modules. I had trouble connecting, and dislike that the right side has to be turned on separately (press B and menu buttons). The right side connects wirelessly (2.4 GHz), but the controller connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It mostly worked fine for me, but when I played Jydge, the movement was inverted on the left stick. You get around 20 hours of battery life. It takes about two hours to charge. If portability is your main concern, it may be worth a look.
GameSir T4 Cyclone for $40: Relatively affordable, with a grippy finish and Hall Effect joysticks, this is a solid controller. There are a couple of programmable buttons around back, rumble motors in the grips, and a handy multi-function button. It also supports Bluetooth, 2.4-GHz with an optional dongle, and USB-C connections. But the battery is only 860 mAh, the GameSir app is flaky, and the LED is annoyingly bright.
GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro for $70: Supplanted by GuliKit’s new model, this controller is a bit cheaper and is still a good pick for folks who don’t care about back paddles. It has Hall effect sticks, a programmable button, and most of the other features that the KK Max 3 listed above has.
Nacon MG-X Pro for $88: It feels like Nacon cut an Xbox controller in half to insert an extendable phone cradle, but if you want this style of controller the GameSir G8 listed above is what we recommend. The MG-X Pro is slightly roomier, but the G8 is superior in every other way.
PowerA Moga XP Ultra for $107: I love the idea of combining loads of options into a controller, and PowerA’s crazy Moga XP Ultra is certainly versatile. It works wirelessly with your Xbox, Windows PC, or Android phone, offering solid battery life (up to 40 hours via Bluetooth or 60 hours for Xbox). But the gimmicky mini controller that slides out, Transformer-style, for gaming on the go is too small and hard to grip comfortably. The buttons, triggers, and sticks are all good, and the clip works fine for holding your phone, but the D-pad is stiff. All in all, it’s a pricey mixed bag.
Razer Kishi V2 for $90: The Razer Kishi V2 is fine, but it’s slower, bigger, and less polished than the Backbone One. It’s an extendable mobile controller that comes in Android and iPhone versions. Both can stream PlayStation or Xbox games and work with Windows too. But ultimately, Backbone’s superior software and headphone jack make it the better choice. —Louryn Strampe
Riot PWR iOS Xbox Edition Cloud Gaming Controller for $25: An MFi-certified controller for iPhone or iPad gaming (older Lightning port devices) that boasts pass-through charging, direct Lightning cable connection, and a 3.5-mm audio port. It feels much like an Xbox controller, supports Xbox Cloud Gaming or remote play, and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. On the downside, the cable is a bit messy. The Riot PWR MFi Controller for ($68) is almost identical, but without the garish green styling and colored Xbox buttons. There’s a USB-C option too.
Turtle Beach Recon Cloud for $59: Here is another Xbox-branded controller that supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and Remote Play and comes with one free month of Game Pass Ultimate. It feels good in-hand, has a solid phone clip, and works with Android, Xbox, and Windows. It also features some audio enhancements (when plugged in), programmable buttons, and a handy Pro-Aim feature that reduces sensitivity on the right stick for aiming in FPS games. It’s a good upgrade pick over the PowerA controller listed above, but only if you want the extra features.
GameSir X3 for $100: On paper, this is an upgrade over the X2, with refined buttons, more options for the joysticks, and a cooling fan on the back. But I recommend the cheaper X2 Pro listed above instead, because the fan adds bulk and weight and it needs power via a dedicated USB-C port. (It has a separate USB-C port for pass-through charging of your phone.)
PowerA Moga XP7-X Plus for $85: This controller offers everything the XP-5 X does but you can also remove the stand in the center to slot in your phone (my Pixel 6 Pro fits nicely). It is sturdy, offers plenty of buttons (only a screenshot button is missing), and can wirelessly charge your phone. But it is expensive, has a Micro USB port when I’d prefer USB-C, and has only a 2,000 mAh battery, so stick with the XP-5 X unless you really want that spring-loaded cradle to fit your phone in.
8BitDo SN30 Pro for $45: Conjuring memories of the SNES, this controller works with Android, Windows, MacOS, and Switch. It has built-in rumble, a solid D-pad, good battery life, and a USB-C port.
Other perks to being a Backbone+ subscriber include game capture, recording, and editing tools for folks who like to share content on social media. There are promotions, like free months of Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, in-game content for titles like Diablo Immortal, and 30 percent off new Backbone products and accessories.
Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a cost. Yet another subscription is a hard sell nowadays. As nice as it is to have a single portal, shelling out for Backbone+ may not be worthwhile for everyone. If the one-stop shop interface for all your games is included as part of the free app, it would be easy to recommend, but $50 a year is too much to pay for folks who don’t care about the other functionality or promotions.
That old expectation that mobile games should be free is persistent. Most folks are yet to be sold on alternative models to in-app purchases and advertising, like Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass. The latest rumors suggest Apple Arcade’s future is in doubt. That is a shame because, in my experience as a subscriber to both, they are a great way to discover titles worth playing. Discoverability remains a big problem for mobile games.
Breaking Down Barriers
Khaira kicked off Backbone because of the gaming sessions he had with friends. In a house full of consoles and gaming PCs, smartphones were the common denominator where they could all play Fortnite together after work. With the console wars raging and all the non-gaming giants trying to break in, what happens next is tough to predict. But the shift towards a subscription model and the platform agnosticism in mobile feels increasingly inevitable.
When the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, recently addressed the console exclusivity issue, where certain games are only available on one console, he said, “It’s not about games in service of a device, but rather the devices people want to play on should be in service of making the games as big and popular as they possibly could be.”
Whether you want to play games on your Xbox, PlayStation, gaming PC, or smartphone, it looks like that choice is opening up. The new Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile game promises to connect up to 120 players across console, PC, and mobile platforms. Activision says more than 50 million players pre-downloaded the game, and Backbone is offering perks and in-game items for subscribers (plus releasing a Prestige Edition controller to commemorate the launch).
Beyond crossplay, which enables people to play games together on different devices, we are starting to see more cross-progression, carrying your video game progress from one platform to another. Making games available anywhere makes them more accessible, allowing us all to play more. That has to be a good thing.
Mobile games typically get a bad rep for being pay-to-win and riddled with microtransactions, and look, we’re not here to dispute that. It’s absolutely true. If you want to have any hope of breaking into the top 1% of the leaderboard rankings for any mobile game, you’ll need to shell out some cash.
However, that’s not to say that there aren’t a few good ones out there that are actually very friendly to free-to-play players or light spenders. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the best F2P-friendly mobile gacha games you can play in 2023.
Honkai: Star Rail
Image Source: HoYoverse
Developed by HoYoverse, who’s best known for making Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based RPG with gacha elements that you can pretty much ignore if you don’t care for getting all the new shiny characters. In fact, similar to Genshin Impact, this one of the few games that you can probably drop for a couple years, come back, and find that all of your old units are still holding up pretty well in new content.
The fact that it’s a turn-based RPG also makes it a lot more palatable for folks who may not be a fan of the fast-paced action combat of Genshin, which requires a bit more real-time reflexes. Currency isn’t easy to come by, but you don’t even need it.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke
Image Source: Shift Up
Goddess of Victory: Nikke was one of the most hotly anticipated gacha game releases of 2022 thanks to ShiftUp’s track record with Destiny Child. While Nikke certainly isn’t as generous with its currency as Destiny Child, however, it makes up for it with a wishlist system and a high SSR pull rate.
In addition to that, all featured banner units get added to the regular banner a month after their debut, so you’ll never have to worry about missing out on powerful characters. It’s tough to show restraint, but it’s definitely doable. We’d recommend hoarding currency for collab characters, and just use your social points for the rest of your pulls.
Azur Lane
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Yostar
An oldie but a goodie, Azur Lane has been in the mobile game scene for years, but it’s still going strong even today. The game is known for its large roster of ship girls, as well as its fairly simple bullet hell gameplay that you can chew through easily.
More importantly, however, Azur Lane is also best known for being one of the most generous gacha games on the market right now. This game is extremely liberal with handing out premium currencies, allowing players to pull on almost every banner that comes along. The bulk of Azur Lane’s revenus comes from skins and cosmetics, so that’s not really all that surprising but still, for folks who enjoy the thrill of pulling for characters, Azur Lane lets you do it very frequently without needing you to spend a dime.
Counter:Side
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Nexon
In a similar vein, Counter:Side also likes encouraging its players to pull by showering them in premium currency. This game has been available on the SEA server for a while now, but has only recently gotten a proper global launch.
Counter:Side has quickly become one of the most popular mobile gacha games on the market thanks to the free 10 pulls that it gives to players every day on the regular banner, as well as the ease of earning blue tickets just from doing dailies and playing the game. Just like Azur Lane, Counter:Side also leans heavily into skins and cosmetics, allowing players to pull regularly while trusting that the most diehard fans will pay for those extra skins.
Blue Archive
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Nexon
Blue Archive is one of the best side games available right now, thanks to how little time and commitment you need to clear your dailies. Its sweep functionality lets you farm stages easily, and building your characters isn’t some insane, soul-crushing grind either.
While its pull rates might not be quite as good as most other gacha games, Blue Archive makes up for it with generous event and login rewards, and also frequently showers players with Pyroxenes during rotating events that only need minimal participation. Tie that together with the fact that a lot of units can actually be farmed by doing hard quest sweeps, and you’ll find that you can build a good team fairly easily if you’re willing to sink the time into it.
War of the Visions
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Square Enix
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius might be the most underrated game on this list, but it’s definitely a personal favorite of mine. While it certainly didn’t have the greatest launch two years ago, with absolutely brutal banners that had no pity system in place, and really abysmal rewards, it’s definitely gotten a lot better over the past few months.
As an F2P player, the key to succeeding in War of the Visions is being diligent with your dailies and farming the crap out of every event that comes around. It’s definitely one of the grindiest gacha games out there, but it’s also a title that really rewards players who stick around for the long-term. Without spending a single cent, it’s possible to build top tier PvP teams if you’re able to pick out just two or three elements that you want to invest in.
Combine that with careful Visiore planning, and you should be able to pull for most characters that fall in any of your three elements that come around. War of the Visions also features special Visiore Back banners during new collaborations, allowing players to potentially double their amount of Visiore if they have enough saved up.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Square Enix
On the flip side, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia is one of the more casual Final Fantasy-themed gacha games. It also happens to be among the most F2P-friendly mobile games you can play right now.
Similar to Azur Lane and Counter:Side, DFFOO also loves showering players in gems. The game doesn’t really feature any cosmetics, and most of the characters can be obtained through completing story quests. The gacha mostly comes in the form of weapons, which you should definitely pull for if you want to take your team to the next level, but considering how generous this game is, most players won’t have any issues in building a really solid team.
The only downside is that the Dissidia-style of gameplay where you have to perform Bravery attacks before HP attacks can be a bit divisive, and may not be for everyone.
Destiny Child
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Shift Up
As we wait for Nikke: Goddess of Victory to finally get a set release date, fans can occupy themselves by playing Shift Up’s other game instead, Destiny Child. Not to be confused with with the popular American girl group with Beyonce, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland, Destiny Child is one of the most fanservice-y waifu collector games available now.
If that’s your thing, you’ll also be very pleased to know that yes, Destiny Child is also extremely generous to its F2P players. The in-game shop features some really terrible deals and poorly priced packs, but the good news is that your dailies are more than sufficient enough to get you a 10x pull every three days or so, and you’ll get even more during special events.
Destiny Child’s currency income is so generous that as long as you aren’t just spending everything willy-nilly, most F2P players will be able to save up for almost every banner and still have some left over.
Another Eden
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Wright Flyer Studios
Another Eden is an interesting one on this list, as it isn’t exactly all that generous with its handouts per se. However, it’s unique in that it’s a full-fledged turn-based JRPG experience that you can enjoy without spending anything.
This is a game from the team that wrote Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, and you can really tell where it gets its inspirations from within the first few minutes. Another Eden dabbles with time travel, allowing you to visit the same locales in different time periods and recruit various characters to your party. The story is actually pretty decent for a mobile game as well, and I could definitely see this appealing to a lot of JRPG fans.
On the gacha side of things, new players will also be pleased to know that all of the collaboration events are permanent (save for Chrono Cross, which will expire in a few years), which means that you can grab those new characters at any time without feeling pressured. The Persona 5 characters are well-worth getting, as are the Tales of characters, and their stories all feel like they’ve been well thought out instead of simple cash grabs as we’ve seen in so many other collaborations.
Arknights
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Yostar
Similar to Azur Lane, Arknights also hooks its players in with skins and cosmetics, rather than banner pulls for units. It’s not surprising, considering that both games were developed by Yostar, and this means that F2P players can look forward to a very F2P-friendly environment when it comes to stockpiling premium currency and saving them for banners.
To sweeten the deal even further, the skins are purely cosmetic and have no bearing on character performance. So if you’re really just here for the gameplay and story, you’ll be able to save enough currency to pull on most of the banners without spending any money. Arknights continues to stand out as one of the best mobile games on the market, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Princess Connect! Re:Dive
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Cygames
Priconne follows a very similar gameplay structure to Blue Archive, and is meant to be played as a side game more than anything else. The game makes use of a character shard system, allowing you to star up your characters as you gather more of their shards.
Unlike in War of the Visions where the shard grind is more brutal, however, Priconne’s shards are made readily available to players almost all of the time, cutting down a lot of unnecessary farming time. The pull rates aren’t fantastic, but again, you’ll be able to gather lots of premium currency just by doing your dailies, and the fact that pulling dupes isn’t necessary to making your characters usable makes it much easier to save as well.
Fire Emblem Heroes
Best F2P-Friendly Gacha Games
Image Source: Nintendo, Intelligent Systems
Fire Emblem Heroes definitely got a bad rep when it first launched, and it was most certainly a game that really only catered to the whales who could drop tons of money to get the summons they wanted. However, it’s been a few years, and Fire Emblem Heroes has gradually shifted away from that monetization model.
The game is much more friendly towards F2P players and light spenders now, especially with the introduction of FEH Pass, which works very similarly to a monthly Battle Pass system that hands out oodles of rewards to players just for playing the game. And even if you’re not planning on spending, the login and event rewards are also a lot more generous these days, especially with the occasional free pulls on limited banners, and all the freebie units that the game loves giving out.
We’d still recommend playing this as a casual side game, as Fire Emblem Heroes does suffer from pretty brutal powercreep. But hey, at least you can probably still build a full Three Houses team without shelling out any money.
That does it for our list of the best F2P-friendly mobile gacha games you can play right now. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the mobile space.
About the author
Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing is the Reviews Editor for Twinfinite, and a History graduate from Singapore. She’s been in the games media industry for nine years, trawling through showfloors, conferences, and spending a ridiculous amount of time making in-depth spreadsheets for min-max-y RPGs. When she’s not singing the praises of Amazon’s Kindle as the greatest technological invention of the past two decades, you can probably find her in a FromSoft rabbit hole.
The world received some very sad news earlier today when we learned that legendary English football commentator John Motson, whose career spanned decades (and included very long stints in video games), had passed away at the age of 77.
Even the most casual English-speaking football fan will know his work, regardless of whether they knew his name or not. Motson was one of the most endearing commentators in the sport, beginning his career on radio in the 1960s before moving to TV shortly after. He didn’t retire until 2018, having covered ten World Cups, ten European Championships and, incredibly, over 2500 games in total, on both TV and radio, domestically and internationally.
As familiar as Motson’s work was to anyone catching a game on TV or the radio, he’ll be almost as familiar to a whole generation of gamers. Given his prominence in the actual commentary booth, Motson was chosen to be the first (English) voice of EA Sports’ FIFA series, beginning with its first foray into the world of CD-based games in FIFA 96. Which means he was also the main commentator for FIFA 98, which as we’ve covered here previously is the greatest sports video game ever made.
John Motson Commentary | FIFA 98 | Goodbye To My Childhood
Motson’s last FIFA game as the main commentator was FIFA 06, after a decade spent working alongside some of the greats of the business, like Ally McCoist. He did, however, make a nice little return over a decade after that, as part of FIFA 19’s singleplayer story campaign, which featured a flashback moment that only Motson’s iconic commentary could bring to life:
FIFA 19 The Journey – Jim Hunter and the first 10 minutes
Motson, who passed away “peacefully in his sleep”, is survived by his wife Anne and his son Frederick.
John Motson, legendary football commentator, dies aged 77
NEW YORK, April 7, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Blitzionaire by Playnance.com, the play-to-earn game that makes having fun literally pay off, sent over 100,000 NFTs to players all around the globe. In a world where digital assets seek to replace reality as we know it, playing a game as Blitzionaire can truly take players to the next level of fun and fortune.
To provide players more influence over in-game assets, an NFT game mixes traditional gaming ideas with unique game methods. Launching games and anchoring them with digital asset-powered economies makes this possible. NFTs are commonly used for these digital assets since they are distinctive and tamper-proof. The implementation of NFT token standards also allows game creators to keep certain of these in-game objects rare and distinctive.
Blitzionaire is a one-of-a-kind, play-to-earn trading game. A player-vs-player prediction game on real-time market rates, users play on real-time markets and earn virtual BlitzCoins on their winnings. Players can buy real NFTs with the coins they earn; the only investment required is time and effort.
Players can use this system to claim ownership of game assets, buy digital items and unlock and earn new items. Players have exclusive ownership rights over these game assets regardless of how they access them. In essence, the player is the owner of the asset and can use it as he desires. This is why the gaming model is referred to as “play-to-earn.”
Virtual economies in gaming universes are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the worlds of metaverse and web 3.0. Gamers add value by devoting time to the game and actively participating in the in-game economy. The play-to-earn model could be viewed as a way to synergize both parties so that everyone is rewarded for their contributions. On the one hand, game developers can create a more vibrant in-game economy. Gamers, on the other hand, get to keep their in-game assets and are rewarded for their efforts.
Blitzionaire developers took the play-to-earn ecosystem one step further. NFTs can be obtained for free by simply playing the game. Even if players remain at the freemium level, they are still eligible for NFTs if they accumulate the required number of virtual coins. That explains the massive number of NFTs sent to players’ personal wallets since the beginning of the year.
The Blitzionaire “play-to-earn” developers collaborated with a team of superstar NFT designers to create unique collections of BlitzDogs NFTs. Collection items drop every two weeks, leading players to compete for the next big collection drop.
In recent months, the Playnance.com development team has been working on a new and improved version that will be released soon. An additional announcement will be made at the launch of the new version.
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