We're back, after a short break, and we can't wait to reveal our best mobile games of the year awards. Get ready to check out the best of 2017 in terms of mobile gaming.
And don't worry, this list of games is not like the one on Google Play and App Store which is based on Hype and not on the quality of the games.
The following list is of games handpicked by our team. Only the best of the best.
See also the BEST awards from previous years:
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
– The Best Games for Android and iOS and 2017
Many people have complained about the mobile games released in 2017, but in reality this has been a very good year. Very interesting especially for those who enjoy indie games and PC to mobile game conversions.
Article video:
– Best Action game
The first topic on our list is precisely what many developers avoid when it comes to mobile games. But ironically, action games are the first choice of those who decided to turn their cell phone into a video game.
In terms of hack'n slash, 2017 was not very productive, but in terms of platform and shooter games, the year was full of quality games.
But although there have been free releases of absurd quality like Honkai Impact 3, and paid games with an immersive experience like Radiation City, it was in the simple Gameloft Classics: Action collection that we found the best package of fun.
With classics like Soul of Darkness, Hero of Sparta e Zombie Infection, there's no way to play this collection with dry eyes.
Not to mention that the application is very cool, it is possible to play with the phone with the screen standing or lying down. great!
Gameloft game store link: http://wapshop.gameloft.com
– Best Adventure game
If there's a genre that does very well on cell phones, it's adventure, or as we say, adventures.
This category includes both narrative-driven action games and games that completely give up the most frenetic combat in the name of a good narrative.
Impressive games were released in this category, but whoever takes the trophy for simplicity and delivery, without compromise, is Stranger Things: The Game.
This non-linear adventure from the Bonus XP studio puts the player in charge of TV series characters. The retro look combines so much that it is even possible to find the game sensational, without ever having watched the series.
An ambitious and at the same time simple game, because Stranger Things: The Game has no in-app purchases and can be played offline.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best cardgame
The card games genre, the famous cardgames, has gained increasing prominence since the Hearthstone became a success on tablets – and later – on cell phones.
In 2017 we had games like The Elder Scrolls: Legends and other games from famous franchises. But again a classic has arrived to snatch all the hearts of the cards.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Left It's what fans have been waiting for a long time. A game that faithfully reproduces the original game, as well as the classic anime.
The game doesn't just emulate the fun of the card game, but features events and interaction with classic anime characters. The title was so successful that it was also released for PC and is available on Steam.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best Sports game
The latest sports games on mobile always boil down to shorter, more casual experiences. Among them, the most popular are certainly football games.
People who are fans of this style of game were kind of down in 2016, until the announcement of PES 2017 Mobile. The game has regained the faith of the crowd, being officially released this year and already receiving the 2018 update.
PES 2018 is a free to play game, there's no doubt about it, but it doesn't insult the user's intelligence with fake mechanics just for the gamer to log in daily.
This is an authentic football game with full matches. The only thing missing was the offline mode, as PES 2018 has great tournaments and online multiplayer. PES 2018 Mobile it is all the more sensational for the Spaniards because it contains narration in Spanish.
Definitely one of the best Android and iOS games of 2017.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best Racing game
The year was a little lukewarm when it came to racing games. But things heated up when Feral Interactive announced that it would release GRID Auto Sport for Android and iOS.
Unfortunately, the game only arrived at the end of the year, and only for those who had iPhone and iPad.
Yes, we know you are going to compare the GRID charts with Real Racing 3. And that will say that the EA game still has a more beautiful and optimized look. Of course this is true.
No wonder, the producer of Real Racing 3 is none other than Firemonkeys.
But take a good look. Real Racing 3 was released in 2013 and it didn't just stay at "launch". Firemonkeys has been developing and improving the game ever since. It's been more than 4 years of development alone, as the game is constantly evolving.
GRID Auto Sport has a completely different proposal from Real Racing 3. For starters, it's an offline game and free of any in-built purchase.
With races that can be day or night. GRID Auto Sport offers us a premium experience, identical to that of video game consoles. With a campaign mode with lots of races and cars to unlock.
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best shooting game
We've been waiting all year for the release of the long-awaited Shadowgun Legends. But unfortunately the game was left for 2018. Until then, the way is to make do with the ton of Battle Royale-style games.
And we had many, many games of this new subgenre.
Seriously, it was literally a game a day for a few months. Among them, the game that stood out the most was Rules of Survival. Knives Out e Survivor Royale they don't look bad either, but Rules of Survival is one of the few to have charisma of its own.
One of the highlights of the game, which explains much of its success, is its well-explained interface. It is even possible to play on mute and “hear” the footsteps or shots of enemies, through symbols in the game interface.
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
Link to Download on Android
– Best Strategy game
The strategy game genre is immersed in an ocean of freemiums and free-to-play. Literally every day dozens of games like this come out on Google Play. Standing out in this genre is really hard.
And what do you say about standing out even though it's a paid game, and doesn't have exceptional graphics? This merit is certainly Iron Marines.
Fans of old strategy games like Starcraft will feel at home. The game only offers singleplayer missions or as the old ones called it: skirmish.
A fun game full of hidden secrets. Something quite different from what is currently seen in this genre.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best Puzzle/Puzzle game
Puzzle or jigsaw games are usually fleeting diversions that we usually don't pay much attention to. We play while we are on the bus or in a bank line.
But Monument Valley is a touching game that marked many players in 2014. Ustwo released the sequel with even more focus on the story.
Monument Valley 2 it's easier compared to the first game. But the story is better developed. There are two characters: mother and daughter. They will go a long way through dangers to once again duel with the geometry and illusions of this fantastical world.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best RPG
When we talk about green fields and a long adventure ahead, we immediately imagine brave warriors with spiky hair. But what about a beautiful kitten?
This is precisely the proposal of Cat Quest. A beautiful RPG game that was released first on mobiles and then on consoles. This action RPG has a nice look but focuses on simplicity.
You face enemies straight from the world map. The combat system was completely designed for touch screens, being simple and responsive. Cat Quest has won several indie awards.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best Arcade / Casual game
Who likes to meditate while playing? And “travel” to the sound of electronic music? It is possible to do these two things by playing Data Wing.
The game that is practically an homage to one of the first arcade games, Spacewar from the PDP-1.
In Data Wing, the mission has nothing to do with blowing things up. The objective is to find the end of each scenario. It may even resemble a racing game, but the competition for points is purely arcade.
Once again, the differential of the game is that we are not alone in this digital world. The game has a “host”, the “Mother”, who sets the tone of the story and “talks” to the player.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best Simulation game
A lot of people wondered what it would be like Animal Crossing for mobile. When Nintendo finally announced the game, no one imagined it would be so addictive.
The interaction in the game is surprising. Pocket Camp is not a mechanical game where you do tasks robotically. The user can choose the type of activity he likes the most and from there develop his camp.
Pocket Camp offers a great balance between work and reward. There are few acceleration options and they don't even bother, given that there's always something to do in the game.
Animal Crossing takes the trophy for best simulation game, not for recreating the world, or trying to do so, but for making trivial activities like collecting fruit fun.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Best multiplayer
The gameplay style that mixes survival and shooting is one of the most addictive of 2017. Without a doubt, it was one of the biggest hits of the year, and Rules of Survival knew how to surf this wave like no one else.
Yes, the game is heavily inspired by PUBG, but NetEase knew how to launch it right, avoiding any reference to Battlegrounds. A master stroke.
Who won with this were the players, who received an excellent game for mobile. Rules of Survival's multiplayer is absurd, one of the best in the genre.
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
Link to Download on Android
– Best Fighting Game
The Fighting Game genre began its history on the smartphone with very bizarre games. But over time, the producers learned how to adapt to the touch screen.
Leaving aside the conversions, the best game of the year in the genre is definitely Shadow Fight 2.
You must be thinking: “Wait a minute? You mean three, right?”
No guys, it's the same two. Shadow Fight 2 Special Edition, the paid version, was released in 2017 and is one of the best mobile fighting games of all time.
The story, as we know, is excellent! A simple yet emotional narrative that tells the story of the shadow warrior. The paid version has one more chapter as a differential, in addition to the possibility of playing everything without repeating thousands of fights.
You can't play Shadow Fight 2 Special edition and not want the same to happen to Shadow Fight 3.
The third game in the franchise was one of the most anticipated games of 2017. It is very good. But it's full of in-app purchases, little packages… Really, little packages? Argh!
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Better Graphics
Well guys, Modern Combat Versus could have been a complete disaster on Android. But do you know where the game did very well? On iOS.
How Shadowgun Legends looks for 2018, Modern Combat Versus takes the trophy for mobile game with the best graphics of 2017. The game is beautiful, with a look that borders on the video game consoles of the last generation.
The polish of the game on iOS is something worth noting. Even conversions of PC games like The Talos Principle and The Witness, you can see a reduction in visuals and aliasing.
But just because it looks really nice even on iOS, ok? Modern Combat Versus, on Android you still disappoint.
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
Link to Download on Android
– Best Android Exclusive Game of 2017
National games are starting to shine on Google Play. There are already many developers who are running away from amateurism and releasing really good games.
A good example of this is Colony Strikes Back. The official game of the Spanish youtuber channel is really impressive. A complete platform game with a lot to do.
Mr. Willo is sucked into the video game world. But instead of living there happily ever after, he will face a difficult challenge. This game is no joke and will require a lot to get to the end.
But calm down, no built-in shopping here. They do exist, but they are optional. What the game really requires is the ability to go through difficult bosses and scenarios that are hell.
Link to Download on Android
– Best iOS Exclusive Game of 2017
Return 77 it's a really impressive adventure. The game starts out as an epic adventure in space, and continues like that until its glorious end. Breathtaking visuals and a plot with many twists.
This game reminds me a lot The Witness which was also released for iPhone and iPad. Although it's shorter and less challenging, it didn't make sense to put a "port" of a PC and console game as "exclusive"., did it?
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
– Most anticipated game of 2018
Every day that passes Shadowgun Legends it gets more perfect. The Madfinger Games game is currently in closed beta testing on Android and open in some countries on iOS.
Owner of a jaw-dropping look, also on Android (see if you learn Gameloft), Shadowgun Legends is always being dubbed “Destiny mobile”. But Shadowgun is a completely original game.
Similarities to Destiny are in the boss raids that can be played with friends in co-op.
We're testing the game on Android and Shadowgun Legends already looks pretty much ready, just waiting for a release date to get as much visibility as possible.
– Best Game chosen by the public
In November, we posted a poll on the site to find out, in your opinion, which was the biggest mobile game. And the winner in terms of popular vote is the game: The Last Day on Earth with 12.5% of the votes.
It was a close decision with PES 2018 in second place with 8.6% of the votes and Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links with 8.1%.
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
Link to Download on Android
Best Mobile Game of 2017 – Monument Valley 2
The time has come to choose the best mobile game of 2017. A game with this feature needs one that presents a unique experience for the player, and that avoids clichés and fads.
It has to be a game that's really worth playing, and not just a casual hobby that we get addicted to for a while and then drop.
Oh! And the gaming experience needs to be memorable.
Who has all these characteristics is Monument Valley 2.
A short game that reminds us of the charm of old mobile games. Of those that enchanted us for around 2 hours, but that came with a really unique experience.
Monument Valley 2 successfully replicates the vitality of the original. A mobile game that transports minds to uncharted lands. It's interesting how this game is "universal", it attracts the attention of anyone, regardless of age or passion for games.
Link to Download on Android
Link to Download on iPhone and iPad
And that was our end-of-year post. We look forward to seeing you in 2018. A big hug and see you next time!
[originally published December 29, 2017]
