Best Mobile Games of 2017

Sifting through the vast number of mobile games can be a chore these days. There are so many great titles on the platform, represented across the action, adventure, mystery, and puzzle genres. There really is something for everybody.

There have been a lot of new, creative, and challenging mobile games released in this year alone, and with so many to choose from, it’s difficult to narrow down the best of the bunch. But we’ve given it a shot, so here are Game Skinny’s 10 best mobile games of 2017.

Layton’s Mystery Journey

Platforms – iOS, Android

This exciting puzzle-adventure game takes place in Chancer Lane in London. You play as Katrielle Layton, daughter of the infamous Professor Hershel Layton, who has been the protagonist in previous entries of the series.

Layton’s Mystery Journey sees Katrielle establishing her own detective agency where she finds herself solving many cases throughout London. But the one case Katrielle has yet to solve is the one that means the most to her — the whereabouts of her missing father. This game generously offers players new puzzles every day for a whole year from its release date. 

Monument Valley 2

Platforms – iOS, Android

Three years after the original Monument Valley took over our phones, the sequel is here to do so once again. Throughout the game you’ll explore vibrant environments and architecture, along with constantly-changing landscapes.

Monument Valley 2 brings you a whole new adventure to enjoy, with Ro being joined by another playable character this time around — her child. Together they embark on a journey of discovery as Ro teaches her child about the mysteries of the valley, which forms a lasting bond between the two.

To the Moon

Platforms – iOS, Android

To the Moon is an interesting RPG adventure that focuses on two doctors — Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts. They have found a way to give artificial memories to patients on their deathbeds, which they use to help dying people do all the things they didn’t do in their lifetime.

The patient in this game is an elderly man named Johnny. The doctors want to fulfil Johnny’s dying wish before he takes his last breath, which is of course, to go to the Moon. Together they journey back through Johnny’s memories in order to discover why his dying wish is what is, and with each puzzle they solve, another piece of the past is revealed.

Old Man’s Journey

Platforms – iOS, Android

This indie-puzzle adventure game is a story about hope, life, and loss. The core mechanic of Old Man’s Journey lets you change the landscape in order to create a path forward for the titular old man.

Old Man’s Journey is visually stunning and gives players a glimpse of the world through the eyes of an old man who has lost almost everything yet remains brave and determined. The atmosphere and story unfolds in a way that gives players a true sense of heartache, regret, and hope.

Card Thief 

Platforms – iOS, Android

Card Thief incorporates stealth elements and applies them to a dark Solitaire style game that’s played with a deck of cards. The player has to sneak through the deck (which represents a dungeon) as a thief and try to steal valuable items from guards without being seen.

You can then use what you’ve stolen to unlock more powerful cards, which can help you become a master thief when used in Heists. It’s a game of risk versus reward, which can be very satisfying when you pull of a daring Heist. It’s certainly no risk buying Card Thief, that’s for sure.

Mushroom 11

Platforms – iOS, Android

Mushroom 11 is an award-winning anti-platformer where the only way to grow is through your own destruction. This mind-twisting adventure lets players transform into any shape by destroying your own cells to perform various actions.

Players navigate treacherous landscapes full of mutations and intense puzzles over seven stages, each more challenging than the last. Mushroom 11 is one of the best examples of how innovative mobile gaming can be.

Silly Walks

Platforms – iOS

The hilarious Silly Walks allows players to play as everyday household-items and foods such as a pineapple, a cupcake, a hot-dog, and loads more.

Confront the Evil Blender, who has kidnapped your friends, by navigating obstacles and avoiding getting smashed by meat hammers. Save your friends from certain doom in this quirky adventure-platformer.

Arkanoid v Space Invaders

Platforms – iOS, Android

Square Enix and Taito have combined two of the most popular arcade games ever made into a surprisingly fun arcade-puzzle game. Using the Arkanoid paddle you must bounce balls around an arena to destroy both blocks and the Space Invaders who are trying to shoot you. There are a ton of puzzles to solve, with up to 150 stages, 20 different powers to acquire, and 40 unlockable characters.

The cherry on top is that after paying the initial purchase price, Arkanoid v Space Invaders has no micro-transactions. What more could you ask for?

Ninja Pizza Girl

Platforms – iOS

Ninja Pizza Girl strikes the perfect balance between silly humour and telling an emotionally charged story that focuses on bullying, emotional struggles, and ninjas with pizzas. Set in a dystopian future where high-quality pizza is a delicacy, Gemma is a teenager who works as a pizza delivery ninja for her father’s pizza company.

In order to keep the 20-minutes-or-less guarantee alive, you’ll have to free-run across the rooftop slums in this neo-noir inspired 2D platformer. Follow Gemma as she struggles to keep her family business afloat while dealing with self-acceptance and other teenagers being teenagers.

Rainbow Unicorn Attack Forever

Platforms – iOS, Android

The latest entry in the series, Robot Unicorn Attack Forever does away with the multiplayer that plagued RUA2 in favour of a more in depth single-player experience. The core gameplay of this hyper-stylized endless-runner largely remains the same — run as far as you can, avoiding obstacles, and accumulating points.

Now you can use those points as currency to buy new unicorns and upgrade them, as well as upgrading your citadel which is your ultimate goal. There are also loads of challenges to complete which net you even more points to upgrade your growing stable of mythical robot horses. As always, the same rule applies — try not to crash your unicorn!

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There you have it — our best mobile games of 2017. With mobile games being as convenient and easy to play as they are, it’s no wonder they’re so popular. So give one of these games a try, I’m sure you’ll enjoy every minute of it. And if you do — let us know in the comments below!