Sometimes, you just want to play games with your friends and family. Fortunately, mobile technology makes it easier than ever to play board games on the go. Here are some of the best games for Android and iOS mobile devices.
Rock, Paper, Scissors
More and more people are discovering the joys of playing rock, paper, scissors. It’s an easy game to learn and simple enough for anyone to pick up and play. Simply take turns throwing three darts at a time. If you miss, you lose. If you score a point, you win. Easy, right? The best part is mobile versions of this game are completely free. There’s no premium currency or extra charges to play. It’s just you and your friends or family against each other.
Splish Splash
Splish splash is an amazing, free, mobile game that teaches you how to play traditional Chinese dragon boat racing. You and your opponent each take it in turns to row a dragon boat. As you race across the waters, you have to keep an eye out for other boats and avoid them crashing into you. The more you play, the more you improve your odds of winning. It’s a great game to promote communication and good sportsmanship. You can even play Splish Splash in teams to celebrate special occasions like Christmas and Halloween. The graphics aren’t the best on mobile devices but it’s difficult to play a good game when the screen is small. Nevertheless, it’s a fun game to play and a perfect alternative for Candy Crush Saga.
Poker
Poker is arguably the most popular game for Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s an easy game to learn and a perfect fit for anyone on the go. Like Rock, Paper, Scissors, Poker is all about being aggressive or passive depending on which type you want to play. Similarly, you can play against the computer or another person over Wi-Fi. What’s great about Poker is that you can play from the comfort of your mobile device. If you’re on the move, you can pull up a live table or play against opponents located nearby. The only downside to this game is that you have to be physically near a device to play. You can’t just pull it out of your pocket and start gaming. It won’t even turn on until you reconnect it to a Wi-Fi network. In most cases, that means you have to stop what you’re doing and plug it in. It’s not ideal when you’re in the middle of a business meeting or wedding reception.
Word Game
Word Game is a free word game for Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s a great way to while away the hours on the move. Give your brain a workout while playing games against A.I. or other players locally. You need to be quick on your feet to keep up with the game. The goal is to see how many words you can make using only the letters found on a hangman mask. You have a limited number of tries before the game ends. Fortunately, the rules are easy to understand. All you need is a decent Wi-Fi connection and some light gaming hours to spare. The only downside is that you have to find the time to play. Like many other games on this list, you can’t simply pull it out and start gaming. You need to set aside a specific time every week to play. This means that, if you want to play during off hours, you have to remember to set aside the required time. There is also the issue of battery life. The more you play, the more battery you consume. It’s not so much that the game is energy-intensive, it’s more that it keeps the processor active at times when it shouldn’t be. This is why playing games on your mobile device during off hours runs the risk of either draining the battery or causing it to heat up. Consider playing at night, when the screen isn’t as bright and you don’t need to use the device’s CPU as much. In some cases, you can even save battery life by lowering the screen’s brightness and using ambient lighting instead.
Guitar Hero
Guitar hero is one of the most popular games on Android mobile devices. It was originally designed for the iPhone and has since been ported to other platforms. We covered Guitar hero before it was cool and you can still find comprehensive information about it on the web. What makes this game so special is that it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. You just have to put in the practice. It’s basically guitar hero versus guitar hero. The game’s main selling point is that it lets you replicate real guitar performances quite easily. There’s also a piano mode that was essentially inspired by The Beatles: The Blues – a documentary about the band. However, before you start playing, you have to download and install the music files first.
Scrabble
Scrabble is another word game that’s been ported to mobile devices. It was originally designed for the web but can now be played on any compatible device. Like many other games on this list, Scrabble is all about being aggressive or passive. You can play against the computer or another person over Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to play locally against other players. The catch is that you have to set up a game on a desktop device first. Once that’s done, you can play from the comfort of your mobile device. You can’t just pull it out and start gaming. You have to set aside a specific time every week to play. This again, is similar to many of the games on this list. It requires an active Internet connection and some light gaming hours to spare. The downside to this game is that it can be difficult to keep track of the letters you’re using. The more people you play against, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of what letters are available. This is why playing games on your mobile device during off hours runs the risk of either draining the battery or causing it to heat up. Consider playing at night, when the screen isn’t as bright and you don’t need to use the device’s CPU as much. In most cases, you can even save battery life by turning down the screen’s brightness and using ambient lighting instead.
Boggle
Boggle is yet another word game that’s been ported to mobile devices. It was designed for the web but can now be played on any compatible device. Like many other games on this list, Boggle is all about being aggressive or passive. You can play against the computer or another person over Wi-Fi. There is also a chess mode that lets you challenge a computer or a person over the Internet. It’s possible to play locally against other players. The downside to this game is that you have to set up a game on a desktop device first. Once that’s done, you can play from the comfort of your mobile device. You can’t just pull it out and start gaming. You have to set aside a specific time every week to play. This too, is similar to many of the games on this list. It requires an active Internet connection and some light gaming hours to spare. The battery life can be an issue. The more you play, the more battery you consume. It’s not so much that the game is energy-intensive, it’s more that it keeps the processor active at times when it shouldn’t be. Consider playing at night, when the screen isn’t as bright and you don’t need to use the device’s CPU as much.
Quadrant
Quadrant is yet another word game that’s been ported to mobile devices. It was designed for the web but can now be played on any compatible device. Like many other games on this list, it’s all about being aggressive or passive. You can play against the computer or another person over Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to play locally against other players. What makes this game unique is that it has a space invaders mode. You and your opponent take it in turns to block incoming enemies. The last person standing wins. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to master this game easily. It’s a worthy addition to your mobile device’s library. Like many other games on this list, it has a poor sound effects and graphics compared to what you get used to on a PC or a console. Nevertheless, it’s a fun game to play and a perfect alternative for Candy Crush Saga or any puzzle game.