We’ll be upfront: we don’t particularly enjoy visiting. We understand the need for tradition and appreciate the rationale behind it! Keeping in touch with family that you don’t see often is important, as is well-wishing that you may see everyone the following year. We just wish it wasn’t so awkward…and boring. You know what I mean.
So as you inevitably slide your phone out as the snack-induced food coma sets in, here’s 3 mobile games (that are not the finger-cramping Candy Crush or the wallet-draining Clash of Clans) that you could play to pass time. They’re not free mobile games but a good game is more than worth paying for. Plus, you can spare $5 from your Ang Baos right?
Magic Rampage
Video games have aged enough as a medium that using nostalgia to sell games works. We’ve all got things we miss from the games of our childhood: classic 2d platformers, turn-based action RPGs, the cheesy dialogue that always made you feel like a hero and the 8-bit graphics. Magic Rampage leverages on a bit of that old-world flair with the new mechanics from decades of innovation. Jump and navigate platforms as you throw an endless barrage of spells to kill dungeon bosses with bonus secret rooms for the inquisitive. Hopefully your fingers aren’t too cramped after Lou Hei to blaze down a dungeon.
Available on Google Play and ITunes
Hitman GO
A game meant for wanna-be assassins amongst us, Hitman Go has you in charge of Agent 47, the iconic bald and barcoded slayer-of-men as you plan out his next hit. But since we’re on the mobile platform and can’t access the bigger screen, more precise keyboard + mouse inputs and processing power, this isn’t an action game. Hitman Go takes a different approach on a licensed game by changing the core gameplay, turning the tactical action shooter into a puzzle game.
You’ll still be putting bullets into the back of craniums, just that you’ll have to find a way to slot Agent 47 into the right spot by navigating obstacles. It’s a refreshing take on the franchise with a charming, minimalist traditional board game aesthetic. For the more insidious and petulant amongst us, you could image that you’re calling in hits on certain relatives who’ve been rude to you (Editor’s Note: DANamic.ORG does not advise planning a relative’s murder).
Available on Google Play and ITunes
Monument Valley
The 1 wish you have when stuck at an increasingly boring gathering is the absolutely warranted need to leave. But you can’t: that’ll be rude and your parents/siblings are gambling/gossiping. So instead of physically going to a different like (like the comfort of your home), have Monument Valley take you away to its world.
Whilst an older title, Monument Valley still stands as a testament to what mobile gaming can offer. A unique though brief platformer, you’ll guide the princess, Ida, through geometrically impossible shapes and optical illusions in 10 varied levels, each with their own theme. It’s simple, intuitive gameplay delivered with the serenity of muted pastels and ethereal music.
Available on Google Play and ITunes
But of course these aren’t ALL the mobile games you could be trying out. Check out our Mobile Monday series for more recommendations on little nuggets of gold in the sea of advertising-filled copies.
Photos Courtesy of Asantee Games, USTwo, Gamespot and Socialnomics
