The Best Mobile Games in 2020
Believe it or not, if you own a smartphone and have even touched Candy Crush, you’re a video game player. Contrary to what Reddit threads say about “dirty casuals” who dabble in mobile games for fun, you stand with us, a perfect and fully formed Gamer™. Welcome to the club.
Sure, there are few gaming markets that are as controversial when it comes to microtransactions and over-saturation than the mobile gaming market. But that issue aside, you can find quite a lot of stellar downloads for your handy palm pilot in the App Store and on Google Play. These titles range from free, to flat rate, to, yes, a few with microtransactional systems that ask you to pay for stuff in-game, which is not always a terrible model. And now more than ever, you probably need a reason to take your mind off the world.
If you’re stuck in place, looking to do something other than read horror stories online, or itching for a distraction during a commute, here are the best mobile games that you can play in 2020, from retro titles to new releases.
Fortnite
It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere. You can quite literally play Fortnite on anything. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ported it to a Speak & Spell. The best part about Fortnite mobile is that it is cross-platform and enables cross-play, meaning you can play alongside your console and PC friends on your tablet or phone, and all your progress, skins, and other in-game assets will unite so you’re always making headway. This game is a little tougher to play without a controller extension, and the mobile version is nowhere near as polished as the console and PC versions, but it’s still Fortnite at its core. Plus, it’s pretty damn cool that such a sophisticated, 100-player game can run in our hands.
Mario Kart Tour
Nintendo has made some missteps with mobile gaming, and while Mario Kart Tour got some flak for microtransactions, it’s honestly not as bad as all that. Mario Kart Tour is an absolute blast to play, and it now even features online multiplayer so you can race your friends — especially those friends who love casual gaming but don’t invest in consoles. While it may not come close to the quality of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch, it’s still a lot of that relationship-ruining Mario Kart fun that we love to see. The game is free to play, and can remain free to play unless you opt to buy gems to purchase characters from random pipes. While this loot box system is inherently flawed, the game does a solid job of reigning in the odds. It’s nowhere near the most offensive microtransaction system we’ve seen.
Exit the Gungeon
The sequel to the stellar Enter the Gungeon, Exit the Gungeon hails from the unparalleled indie publisher Devolver Digital. It is a self-proclaimed “Bullet Hell Dungeon Climber,” meaning it features an array of shooting and slashing, with tons of loot and fast-paced progression. I’ve played the hell out of this series on consoles, and now to have it anytime on my phone is a dream come true. Exit the Gungeon is currently only on Steam, Switch, and Apple Arcade, but chances are it’ll grace Android and Google Play in the near future.
Pokémon GO
This game, the one that lit the world on fire for a summer, still has a surprisingly large number of hardcore fans. While Pokémon GO may not be great for extended periods stuck indoors, it’s definitely a title that makes walking and getting out more fun. Plus, Pokémon Home has further integrated with Pokémon as a whole, and Pokémon GO soon will be supported on the Pokémon Home app, so you can collect Pokémon from all titles in one super Pokébank. This game really sparked a whole new wave of Pokémania.
Minecraft
The sandbox, pixelated builder that took gaming, and even more so YouTube, by storm is available on your phone. And much like Fortnite, it allows for cross-play, meaning if you want to play with your friends who are on PS4, Xbox, or PC, you can absolutely do so, which is ridiculously cool. Now, Minecraft comes at a price tag of $6.99, and while that’s often more than people want to spend on mobile games, it’s a steal for this title. Minecraft is one of the most chill, relaxing games out there, especially if you play in creative mode. Escape reality for a bit and lose yourself in your block-based world.
Hearthstone
Hearthstone is one of the biggest card-based strategy games out there, and it’s the perfect large-scale game to bring to phones. Utilizing characters from the World of Warcraft series, it requires intense, in-depth strategizing, with easy-to-handle controls and some extremely intricate deck builders. If you’re into strategy titles, this is a must play.
