Recommended: 5 Great Mobile Games We Played in January

It’s a new year and another new batch of games to discover. Some are new concepts and some have cool twists on the genre and there’s another retro game reboot/port to mobile. Lots to discover on the go.

Stranger Cases (Snapbreak)

Stranger Cases is a fun little puzzle escape room game. It has some point and click features and delivers a pretty nice narrative as the detective goes through the different sections to reach the final room at the top. Every room he gets into is a series of puzzles to unlock to the next area. There are a lot of clever uses in the environments that help make it standout, and a quirky and colorful backdrop that makes this game truly fun. However, what makes it less fun is that half the game is free  but to finish it requires a purchase it, a troubling strategy from a lot of mobile developers,it would seem in recent gaming experiences. Look for that in at least one other game in this mobile game roundup as well. It’s a bit of a sour taste in an otherwise great experience since anyone would gladly pay a few dollars to purchase from the start.

Lyrica (Han Chuang Culture and Art)

Lyrica is a Taiwanese rhythm game. It uses the Chinese poems to unlock different stories and also uses primarily Chinese music  with a few Japanese songs as well. Other than engaging music and well-suited storyline, it reveals a look at the Chinese culture, an effort that is important as video games are a great outlet to share different cultures as many games are doing nowadays. Lyrica also works very well in terms of its rhythm nature. There are some tough parts especially as the levels get more difficult and definitely is more suitable to play with the mobile device on a flat surface. It’s got beautiful artwork that links the stories, all of which are written well. However, this one also suffers from the trick of offering a few parts free and then to unlock the rest of the game is a purchase.

Don’t Trip (Noodlecake Studios)

Don’t Trip is a simple game and uniquely designed for the mobile experience because any other screen would be too big or not work as well. How the game works is that you press with your thumbs to mimic the shoes and then to move, you rotate the screen. It is a pretty innovative way to game and as it gets further, there are more things to avoid. For that, it can be entertaining for the casual gamer of almost all ages because it is so simple to learn.

Blood Runs Cold (Bigpoint)

Investigation, mystery and hidden objects is what Blood Runs Cold is. It is primarily a hidden objects game and after each mission it unlocks the story further. The story itself is decent as well. This one has an energy bar which limits the gaming duration however also gives side missions that both advance a working relationship with whoever the character is helping while progressing the storyline and gaining in-game currency to proceed. This execution works. However, Blood Runs Cold is pretty much on rails. Every moment is calculated so even the obligated side missions are all part of the story itself.

Lemmings (Sad Puppy Limited)

Lemmings is a classic game that has worked since its first release and holds a dear place in a lot of gamers’ hearts. It’s cute and cruel and full of puzzles that increase in difficulty at a gradual pace. Porting it to mobile devices added in 3D design for the Lemmings but also an advance of bringing alive different worlds while going through different puzzles. The execution of how to use the Lemmings becomes pretty easy to grasp as many things can be anticipated in advance which truly helps. At the same time, there is a fast forward motion and the levels move through different environments. The translation to mobile is a successful one in comparison to the original. The only thing that might turn some people from the game is the energy bar that now exists, which limits the gaming in bulk. It’s something to consider but overall, this is a very competent and wonderful remake of Lemmings suitable for the mobile device.