The 10 Best Mobile Games of June 2015
Overwhelmed by the App Store? Think Google Play’s too clunky? With so many mobile games being released every week, finding the ones worth a download can be a daunting task. That typically means sticking to the top-grossing charts, but you’ll often miss some great stuff if you don’t dig deeper.
Rather than have you do the digging, though, we’re more than happy to handle the shovel. Here are the 10 best mobile games released in June 2015, and be sure to check out last month’s picksin case you missed them.
You Must Build a Boat
($2.99 | iOS, Android)
Shipbuilding isn’t really the point of this spectacularly addictive role-playing puzzle game. Instead, you’ll need to match swords, staves, keys, and other objects to help your little adventurer fight monsters and search for treasure. There is a boat, of course, and a deep upgrade system, and awesome chiptunes, and much, much more. For only 3 bucks, you must go play this game.
Her Story
($4.99 | iOS)
A man was murdered in 1994. Via a rickety old computer screen, you must scour a database of video clips to unravel the mystery of his death. You find new clips by entering different search terms, leading gamers on a gripping, nonlinear chase through one woman’s version of what happened. Is it a game? Interactive experience? Call it what you will, but with a captivating performance by actress Viva Seifert as the source of your (mis)information, Her Story is the best use of full-motion video in years. It shouldn’t be missed.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
($13.99 | Android)
It’s been out for several years on iOS, but this beloved 2007 PSP strategy game finally makes its way to Android devices, and it’s a beauty. It’s all here: tons of characters, over different 20 job types, great delivery, and terrific tactical strategy gameplay. The touch controls have been improved since its initial release on mobile, and while the $14 price still feels steep, you get a lot of game for the buck.
Fallout Shelter
(Free | iOS)
Before Fallout 4 ruins your social life come November, ease back into the wasteland with this slick management sim. As the Overlord of a vault crammed with post-apocalyptic survivors, you have to keep your little kingdom running smoothly by ensuring everyone is productive, safe, and happy. It’s trickier than it sounds — raider invasions and radroach infestations are scarily common — but Fallout Shelter scores points with its stylish looks and very mellow in-app purchase push.
Alphabetty Saga
Yep — it’s another Saga game from King, which means two things: It’s extremely polished and extremely addictive. While its vibe is pretty similar to some of King’s past hits, Alphabetty Saga forgoes candy matching in favor of word building, and it works well. The lack of a countdown timer means you can build words at your own pace, while some smart power-ups ensure you won’t get stuck in a corner.
Hitman: Sniper
The bar-coded baldhead is back on mobile devices in this gorgeous sniping game. Whereas his last hit, Hitman: Go, was a turn-based strategy affair, Hitman: Sniper is all about taking out targets from long range as quietly as possible. It look amazing and is surprisingly strategic, though I wish the developers had scoped out a few more levels.
Transistor
($9.99 | iOS)
A mysterious girl and a sentient sword star in this stylish strategy game from Supergiant Games, makers of the fantastic action-RPG, Bastion. Their 2014 follow-up is slower paced — you halt time to plot out attacks — but no less impressive. First released on the PS4, Transistor comes to iOS devices in great shape, offering the same excellent gameplay and vibrant graphics at a trim price tag.
Portal Pinball
The cake is a lie, but this Portal pinball table is the truth. Created by the Zen Pinball folks in conjunction with Valve, it’s a match made in geek heaven. The whole crew shows up, including portal-gunning heroine Chell, her passive-aggressive nemesis GLaDOS, and those pesky Aperture Science turrets. Please report to your mobile device for testing.
Cooking Dash 2016
The glory days of time-management games might have passed, but Flo is still racing around like a crazy person in this new mobile take on the old, frantic formula. You’ll multitask like a maniac trying to cook and serve dishes to demanding customers. Smooth and vibrant, fans of the genre will be thrilled, but be forewarned: it’s a free-to-play game, and you’ll eventually bang your head against a pan unless you cough up a little dough.
Tales from Deep Space
Amazon Game Studios has been on a roll this year, and they’re letting that, uh, roll over to iOS and Android gamers with this quirky platformer. Your task: help an astronaut and his drone pal through a massive space station by solving puzzles and fighting enemies. With memorable characters and smart, simple gameplay, it’s a console-quality buddy game that fits in your pocket.
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