Top 5 mobile games of 2024: Catherine’s picks of the year

You May Be Interested In:No, Marvel Rivals developer NetEase isn’t intentionally planting fake leaks to mess with everyone, but its datamined characters aren’t guaranteed to appear in the future, either


  • Video games connect us with invisible strings
  • Capybaras are cute, and The Longing is the best game ever ever ever
  • I love my work, I love my friends, and I love my work friends

This year has seen the return of my efforts to treat my bilateral epicondylitis, which has been haunting me since my very first GOTY roundup back in 2020. Despite this persistent injury celebrating its fifth anniversary, 2024 has been an amazing year for mobile, in my opinion, mainly because I’ve seen so many pleasant surprises that remind me all the more how incredibly blessed I am to be in this industry.

Obviously, picking just five from the plethora of quests I’ve embarked on this year is no easy feat. There are capybaras and husbandos, coin-flipping Lickitungs and HoYoverse hijinks, dancing pirates and a literal 400-day wait.

But what especially made this year a standout for me are the friendships I’ve nourished along the way – more specifically because we’ve kicked off a new season of our wild and tangent-filled podcast this year, which, albeit chaotic and rambly, is one of the highlights of my week just because I get to chat with my teammates about…anything, really.

Because what are video games if not our weird and wonderful human souls’ desperate attempts to connect with other equally weird and wonderful souls at the heart of it all? Whether it’s urban fantasy adventures in monstrous Hollows or stray cats idling in backyards, all these games really mean is that we’re making connections with the people we play them with.

And no, I don’t just mean multiplayer adventures and PvP battlers – even single-player RPGs can forge bonds between us whenever we gush about them to our friends or glory in shared experiences at the water cooler at work the next day (or, in our case, in the group Slack). But before I start getting all mushy about the amazing year that’s been, here are my top picks without further ado.

Capybara GO

I might have already stopped playing this text-based roguelike adventure (after much deliberation, mind you), but it still holds a precious space in my heart because the main capybara protagonist is just so darn adorable. 

It’s exactly this kind of idling along that makes mobile such a forgiving space for busy adults trying to do some necessary adulting – and when you add ridiculous pets, a giant snail mount, and enemies that cry when you hit them, there’s just no possible way not to get hooked.

Pokemon TCG Pocket

I have to admit that I’ve never played the card version of Pokemon before – all I really know are the OG 151 Pokemon from my DS Lite days. But despite its terrible name, Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket has swallowed me whole thanks to its streamlined mechanics and low barrier to entry ala-Marvel Snap, and while I’m dreading what it’ll do to my literal pocket now that I’m tempted to buy actual physical cards, I still somehow can’t put this card battler down.

If I manage to complete the Kanto Pokedex and earn my Mew, will I finally give it a rest? Methinks no, not by a longshot.

Zenless Zone Zero

yt

This is the main reason why I’ve decided to finally get treatment (again) for my arm injury – because I can’t seem to enjoy Zenless Zone Zero’s exhilarating combat for more than ten minutes without my arms growing sore and getting decommissioned for the rest of the day. That means no typing, no texting, no cooking or even hanging clothes up to dry – all because Sixth Street’s Bangboos are just too cute to resist.

Here’s hoping that, once my injuries have fully healed in 6-8 weeks, I’ll be able to dive back into this urban adventure again without sacrificing my real-world chores.

Wildfrost

I’ve always had a soft spot for roguelike card battlers, so it’s no wonder I gave this gem a full five stars. I had no qualms about volunteering as the expendable Chosen One to end the eternal frost here. 

While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to the genre’s mechanics, its strategic depth simply blew my mind, and I couldn’t help but keep playing like – as my review says – “a masochistic fool”. Sign me up!

yt

The Longing

Finally, this one, I believe, tops the list of the most memorable games I’ve played that have made an unforgettable impact on me. The Longing is an idle-slash-point-and-click-adventure that’s meant to be played for a literal 400 days IRL, and while that might sound odd at first glance, it’s not just there for the sake of doing a quirky gimmick. It’ll make so much sense once the narrative unfolds with each new day, and it all blends perfectly well with the tone, the visuals, the music, the characterisations, the gameplay, and your nameless Shade.

I can’t praise this game enough – you’ll just have to play it yourself to see what I mean. 

That said, I don’t want to ramble on for too long about my own GOTYs – what are yours? Any standouts this year, or any good ones you’ve been meaning to play but just can’t seem to give a go whenever life gets in the way? I’d love to know – and with that, thank you for journeying with us over here at Pocket Gamer all this time. Here’s to bigger and better things in 2025 and beyond!

share Paylaş facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

RPG Cast - No Show for October 12, 2024 - RPGamer
RPGCast – Episode 230: “I’m On A Plane” – RPGamer
RPG Cast - No Show for October 12, 2024 - RPGamer
RPGCast – Episode 253: “Set Podcast To Stun” – RPGamer
These 11 Raw Fury games run well on Steam Deck, and are $15 at Humble
These 11 Raw Fury games run well on Steam Deck, and are $15 at Humble
The Joker movies never got the point of the Joker
The Joker movies never got the point of the Joker
Spider-Man
Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirms when he plans to introduce Miles Morales’ Spider-Man into the MCU
Truck Driver Go has finally released on iOS and Android
Truck Driver Go has finally released on iOS and Android
Frontline News | © 2024 | News