If you have an Android or iOS-powered phone, you’re probably up to your elbows in great games, but that won’t stop us from finding more for you to download and play.
Sure, these games all want you to make some sort of in-app purchase if you want to take full advantage of what they have to offer, but such is life in this post-Candy Crush world. And besides, even mobile game developers need to eat. Or at least, their captors need to pay for cells, gruel and whisper-thin blankets while they party on the bulk of the proceeds.
These games are all free, to a point, so by all means check them out to see for yourself if any money-spending is truly necessary.
World of Tanks Blitz
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
World of Tanks on Xbox 360 and PC is one of the most successful “Free to play” games of all time, raking in more monthly cash than even World of Warcraft does. That’s because it’s a really well-done multiplayer shooter that pits seven-player teams against one another in pitched tank battles that require a decent amount of skill and tactical thinking to win. Each match earns you experience points and credits which can be spent unlocking additional tanks and upgrades, but you can always take a shortcut by buying in-game gold with real money that can be converted to credits. The levels on the mobile version are a little smaller, but they make for fast, frantic multiplayer matches with strangers that will keep you coming back for more.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “Addictive multiplayer tank battles“[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Download it from the iTunes Store [/symple_box]
Sky Force 2014
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Sky Force 2014 harks back to arcade shooters of old that pit a single ship against wave after wave of incoming enemies, with boss battles punctuating the end of each level. It’s absolutely gorgeous to look at, too, with some of the most sumptuous visuals outside of an animated movie, and it plays using just one finger. Your job is to move the ever-firing ship in such a way that you’re dodging bullets while landing your own shots on enemies, collecting powerups and weapons and earning enough cash for upgrades that make your little ship unstoppable. The completely free version will bug you with adverts, but one payment is all that’s needed to get rid of them forever.
Rating: 4 Stars
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “Frantic and challenging bullet-hell heaven“[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Get it from the Google Play Store, the iTunes Store [/symple_box]
The Walking Dead Season 2
Price: Free on Android (in-app purchases) R59.99 on iOS for Season 1, all other seasons R59.99 each, seasons 2-5 R189.99
Guide the heroine from the first season, Clementine, in a completely new adventure set in the Walking Dead universe. This narrative-driven game is more about the characters than the setting, and it illustrates very well just how people are as much a threat, if not more so, than the undead are. Superb storytelling, unsettling choices and attractive cel-shaded graphics await those brave enough to give season two a go.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “Mature storytelling in a harrowing world“[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Get it from the Google Play Store, the iTunes Store [/symple_box]
Angry Birds Epic
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
It was only a matter of time before the Angry Birds branched out from their physics-puzzler roots, and Angry Birds Epic is that game. It’s a story-driven RPG that has your Birds wandering around a huge cartoon world, fighting their mortal enemies the Green Pigs in turn-based combat while earning loot that can be crafted into upgrades that make them better fighters. Of course, you’ll be encouraged to spend real cash on that loot as a shortcut to powering up your Birds, but have a bit of patience and you can unlock it all through regular play. Epic is a very different Angry Birds game, but thankfully it’s also a very good one.
Rating: 4 Stars
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “Angry Birds like you’ve never seen them before“[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Get it from the Google Play Store, the iTunes Store [/symple_box]
Rival Knights
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
This highly original mobile game has you pitting your manual dexterity against virtual opponents in that very kingly of sports, jousting. Time your start just right to get a speed boost, tap the screen to get your horse’s speed just right, and then aim your lance at your opponent’s weak spot to smash him off his horse. You earn coins along the way that are used to upgrade your armour and your lance, and there are single- and multiplayer modes to take part in. Single-player stuff just warms you up for the main event – playing virtual representations of other players – and while the game’s mechanic is actually quite simple on the surface, it creates a palpable sense of excitement when it all comes together.
Rating: 4 Stars
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “Who thought jousting could be this much fun?“[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Get it from the Google Play Store, the iTunes Store [/symple_box]
