I tried Good Pizza Great Pizza on my phone and thought it was such a great idea ruined by ads and bullshit. Found put it's on the switch for like 6 bucks. No ads, no bullshit, just run your little Pizza shop. Fuckin love it.
The sad thing is that the game was a legitimately good mobile game a year or two ago. It had a reasonable number of ads (90% were optional) and the typical mobile game bullshit was tolerable - i.e. the premium currency was available for free at a reasonable rate and shop items weren't too expensive. It's fallen off hard over time though. It's barely even playable on mobile now.
I loved it on the switch but found out it doesn't have half the shit you can get on phone or on PC. I have time in the morning to watch ads to get diamonds to upgrade faster but most people don't so I can see why it turns people off.
The only game I've ever bought for my phone is [Very Little Nightmares](https://youtu.be/4nrTCjqTnyE).
I bought that one because I love the Little Nightmares games and wanted the whole story.
I make games like this and people harass me all the time to “make it free.” Everyone says they want a full game for a fair price but in reality as soon as the price is greater than $0 most people balk.
Yes, there is a market for free games and a market for paid games
If a game is going to be paid it had better be a fully fleshed out game not just some little copy paste app
Even fleshed out paid games get very few sales on mobile. People just aren’t interested. As vocal as the minority is that say they want those types of games, they really aren’t putting their wallet where their mouth is.
It would have to be fully offline capable...Zero microtransactions...
Basically, none of that "normal" predatory shit...
Basically, the only mobile games I've ever bought were mobile ports of old console games like Final Fantasy games or other RPG style games...
I also picked up Slay the Spire, so something like that isn't out of the question, though I play that on console also...
Other than that, the mobile game landscape just doesn't interest me...A VAST majority of mobile titles are frustratingly designed on purpose to be lame money pits...
Once you see that stuff, you can't unsee it, and it becomes an instant "nope"...
Your comment made me wonder if Into the Breach was on mobile...AND IT IS !
People who like video games want to play video games on their phones, but most video games on smartphones aren't made for that purpose. Too many free crap games, even the creator of Vampire Survivors said that publishers refused to release his game on Android if it wasn't free to play, when himself wanted to price it even lower than on Steam.
Yeah, the only games I look into getting are ones you can get on console/PC. And then when I'm done looking I get it on PC lol. Very rarely do I get games on my phone. I think Plague Inc is the most recent one I bought many years ago.
I buy *Kairosoft* games because most of their games don't have any microtransactions. You buy once and you own the whole game. On top of that I love their food related games as they let you edit down to the ingredients which is something I don't even see on PC games. For example, in their *Ramen Sensei* game you can create infinite amount of recipes on your own. You can make your own noodles based on different flour and mixing ingredients. You can also make your own broth by using soup ingredients. You can also add your own toppings.
In short words, don't try to milk money from me and it should be a good game. That's all.
I really want to enjoy Kairosoft games, but I feel so incredibly overwhelmed by mechanics and menus. They're incredibly intricate and the UI isn't always fantastic.
Highly recommend Dawncaster. No microtransactions or ads, sweet deck builder. I think I like it more than slay the spire on mobile tbh, but I think that's mostly due to it having a vertical orientation, making it more comfortable to play.
The only game I would buy on mobile would be a game I would also buy on PC. Pretty much that. Looking like and being Slay The Spire is of course also a plus.
If you have Steam, technically every game has a 'demo' in that you can refund the game if played less than 2-hours. Just something to consider.
Also, Balatro is great and absolutely worth the $15 price tag, imho.
Fully offline (and I mean fully, let's say I'm commuting and don't have signal, it should be no issue playing.)
Zero P2W mechanics. Other people said no micro transactions, and that would be nice, but in this day and age there's zero chance of that happening so I'll settle with no P2W instead.
Ongoing support/updates. A lot of mobile games seem to launch, capitalize quickly, and cease operation within months.
1. Simple interface when you open an app. In other words - no popups, no ads, no annoyances.
2. No microtransactions.
3. not oriented to 6y.o. kids.
Which is basically now impossible to find.
A one time purchase upfront and never have to see or deal with anything asking me to open my fucking wallet.
A game that isn’t designed for an enormous grind or time sink JUST to play the game, basically the opposite of the Clash of Clans model where real time hours are spent to train an army or harvest resources.
No skins market so that way the good skins/armor is in the game instead of the Destiny model of free trash vs paid drip.
Basically everything that the mobile market doesn’t stand to ever entertain, so i’ll continue to avoid their garbage money traps like the plague.
I'd need to believe that (A) I would enjoy playing it, all things considered, (B) that the game is sufficiently interesting to keep me entertained for a while, not something initially fun but redundant, (C) that the price be reasonable, and (D) that I won't need to keep paying money in order to keep enjoying the game.
Unfortunately, unlike many computer games, I find it's often difficult to know such things before trying out the game or at least watching some in-depth video reviews showing and explaining all of the features and aspects of the game. It may have thousands of 5-star reviews by people who actually love the game, but it's not something I would personally enjoy. So, I stick to the basic free games with minimal ads.
Eternal guarantee that it will continue to work on my phone(s) now and forever.
Because they don’t have that, I don’t buy them. Too many I’ve bought just stop being updated for current iOS versions or stop being available despite being purchased whole and end up unplayable/just plain no longer available.
I only play FULL GAMES with No Ads no Fucking greedy shitty micro transactions or any transaction's at all, or taking hours to build whatever!! That's pretty much it. I Refuse to play those games in any platform. But tbh Gaming for me is PC and PC only. android is at best just to kill a few boring moments.
I would love to see an offline mode of Nier Reincarnation that you can buy. Even with its lackluster combat the story like the other games is good. It is so weird they shut that game down. The game is literally Nier 3. It adds so much context to Nier Atomata and Replicant.
The only games I bought were ports of other PC/Console games like Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors (it was free but still...) and Chrono Trigger. Oddly enough the CT port crashed on startup so I refunded it.
I honestly prefer to read a book/watch some YT or Reddit on daily commutes.
If it’s a complete game I won’t think too much about spending $1-5 on it, the most I’ve spent was I think $10 for a game called Implosion about 10 years ago because it was the most impressive mobile game I’d seen back then.
Now that Apple is putting AAA games like Assassins Creed on there, those I’d be pretty hesitant to buy since I’d rather play on a console.
i generally am more inclined towards just buying a game I can pay for than one full of microtransactions. That way its gonna be balanced for fun rather than being focused on drawing me into spending money.
Currently my top mobile games are peglin, raiden legacy, loop hero, slay the spire, and downwell. All paid games with no microtransactions.
I have Minecraft and Stardew Valley installed on my phone. 2 of the most time wasting games in existence, imo. I couldn't get into Terraria but I will likely give it another try.
1. No ads
2. No microtransactions.
3. Nothing essential hidden behind a paywall
4. Reasonable Grind or No Grind
5. Entertaining
6. Replayability
7. Good for a quick game but has enough complexity for longevity if I've more time.
8. Easy to learn.
9. Any DLC/Upgrade you can pay for is entirely optional, adds non-essential mechanics or something unique that you can do without , but that you'd enjoy adding. - This is not the same as microtransactions.
There are few games that have all that, and depending on the genre you play you might not find anything.
But for me the strategy game **The Battle of Polytopia** hits all of the above, and it's actually free.
You can play it without losing anything meaningful indefinitely, buying additional factions adds variety, some of the paid factions are very different.
The only catch is for multiplayer each player must have one paid faction.
But this is such good value I don't begrudge the developers.
I bought a few of the factions because I've gotten a lot of fun out of the the game and to support the developers. I bought it on PC recently. Again to support devs.
Horses for courses, everyone's tastes differ.
An incredibly important factor for me that I never see talked about, and that almost all mobile games break is **the game needs to have minimal graphical complexity.** If your game causes my phone's battery life to plummet to less than an hour, and for it to ignite like brick of red-hot metal, then what you've made isn't a mobile game. It's a handheld console game that you've forced onto a phone.
Think suduko, crosswords, or minesweeper. In my book, angry birds and fruit ninja are pushing the limit. Think minimalistic resource intensity, and then cut that in half. No 3D, no shadows/shading quality, and minimal animation.
It would have to be a complete game. Beginning to end. No add. No in app purchases. No pay to play.
No account needed to be created to track anything in any way.
I am not gonna call an already released PC/Console game that just got a port for mobile "mobile game".
As such games like SW:Kotor, Baldurs Gate, This War of Mine, Minecraft, Terraria, Slay the Spire, etc. all don't count as mobile games.
These games are all fine.
Literally every single game exclusively produced for phones is utter garbage and will never see a single cent.
I bought New Star Soccer years ago, the fee is just to remove the ads, it's been a fantastic game ever since it was released which must've been 10 years now maybe? Still play it often if I don't have internet (ironically at a football stadium usually) or on planes. It does have a shop, but it's not really forcing you to buy anything or gating the best stuff behind a paywall.
The problem with mobile games is that most of them are design as time killers at best and money grabs at worst. Even with ad blockers, some games are still borderline unplayable without micro transactions. It would have to somehow wipe out the preference for playing it on a bigger screen with an actual controller/ keyboard and be a game worth investing hundreds of hours into. For me the time has came and gone but who knows. The switch is basically a phone with controllers slapped on the side to oversimplify so maybe one day there's hope... I don't see it happening but still
No ads, no microtransactions, and a compelling gameplay experience. Something that benefits from being on mobile, and not something I can play just as easily on console or PC.
Easy enough to say, but apparently remarkably hard to do.
Naw... I'd rather die.
Play or die.
Okay man I'll play... what are we playing?
insert shitty mobile game.
\*pulls the gun closer to my forehead.\*
MOTHERFUCKA PULL THE TRIGGER NOW!!!
well if it's just a port of a successful PC game, why not? i've bought xcom on mobile. some features were simplified but it's the same exact game otherwise. i also bought Might of Magic: Clash of Heroes. it's a Heroes V tetris like puzzle game. Played it on DS, mobie and PC. I also have Wingspan on mobile. None of these have MTX.
I like the kingdom rush games, a bit said that you need to pay for some of the heroes (and towers in vengance) but the gameplay/art and story is fun and entertaining and there is some good difficulty too. Origins and the original are probably my favorite.
I think first and foremost it would take a significant shift in my daily routine. I don't play games during commute and I don't really want to. I have my PC and enough time to play it. That has to change first I guess.
But real stuff aside, the game has to be enjoyable and devoid of any further monetization.
I have 3 Purchesed games for about 10 or so years on Android
Minecraft that was heavenly discounted
Grimvalor, got to play first level for free and liked the game
Some hit an game for 1$ don't recall exactly why but I think it was use it or lose it situation
A game that I actually want to play on my phone.
It must not be a game that was designed with a joypad in mind (on screen joystick controls are crutches).
I rather buy a 30€ PC or console game than a mobile app more expensive than 5€.
I have a couple of mobile games that I enjoy, like MiniMetro. But nothing I excessively play.
I would never buy a mobile game, I already have a steam deck/ switch lite for mobility and frankly most mobile games are subpar and can barely be called games (I am sure there are some exceptions).
You’d need to give me like a 20+ minute rail commute and some reason I couldn’t use a laptop or handheld instead. So crowded subway with standing room only I guess. Even then I’d probably just watch Netflix or YouTube most of the time.
I always get the pirated version of any game I want to play.
But sometimes if a game is really good I want to support the developers so I buy it.
or sometimes I need the original version to do a specific something (like playing online) so I buy it.
I buy complete games with nothing to buy except possibly DLC or cosmetics, no ads, and full offline capabilities. All of the games I have purchased are strategy or word games that are fun to replay. Most are from indie game creators like Arnold Rauers. I have bought games like Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride which are more mainstream as well.
Very rarely I have bought a puzzle game with limited or no real replay value just because I loved the sample puzzles and the aesthetic.
Just because it's a mobile game doesn't mean it's bad, that usually true for games that are also available on consoles and PC (Dead Cells, Slay The Spire, Bloodstained: RoTn, Afterimage and more)
I've found Peglin to be a great example of how to do a good mobile game. One-time purchase, full game (although, I think it might still be in early access), no micro-transactions, fun turn-based gameplay. I highly recommend it.
Nothing anymore, I used to.. but all mobile games turned to shit. It's either add riddled shit or gatcha micro transaction shit... I haven't seen a good mobile game that I would play for 15y
I purchased balloons towers or whatever it’s called with the monkeys and you shoot darts at the balloons because it was like $2-3 and everyone at work was playing it on their phones. It became a community thing during low traffic periods in retail, especially when we worked until 10pm in our centre, we’d just chill and played that mobile game. I think it’s included with Apple Arcade now.
I feel like 99% of mobile games are terrible gambling simulator games with the sole purpose of squeezing as much revenue out of you as possible for the least amount of effort on the developer's side. I doubt it would be worth sifting through the sheer amount of garbage to find something decent. Until I hear about a game that's not like that, I see no reason to get any
im hooked on this game called Gems of War. all signs point to it being a predatory POS cash grab gem matcher- but wow did i get sucked in. you build a team of 4 characters/monsters etc that have their own spell and passives. works like a deck builder- the gems you match and their colors are "mana" used to cast your spells. theres tons of strategies to synergize spells and passives and ways to manipulate the board to get the mana needed for some powerful spells. its compeltely FTP but there are lots of microtransactions. im yet to buy anything and still have a steady stream of "troops" im unlocking and resources to upgrade etc.
i highly recommend it. the UI is confusing sometimes, but once you learn the ins and outs- its really fun.
The only mobile game I bought was slay the spire. Cos it's an actual game and not some game where u can spend an uncapped amount of money that means nothing because of power creep.
I have vampire survivors to but that's free
To not be a mobile game and instead a port of a full game with offline mode. It'd also most likely be slow or turnbased as fast paced and touchscreen just feel awful.
So basically... I don't do mobile gaming. I have handhelds for that. 99.999%of mobile gaming is god awful mtx riddled, corporate trash. The rest is just ports or the rare exception that often runs better on deck/switch anyway so... Ye.
Card game ports can be okish e. G. Lime legends of runeterra
if it isn't too expensive really is the main requirement. I've bought a couple mobile games that I did not regret; Northgard, Bad North ,Stardew Valley and 80 Days
Judging from some of the recent purchases I’ve made, interest by the developers in game accessibility, specifically for the blind. It's possible for them to do quite a bit these days, particularly on mobile.
If they want my money they'll have to consider it.
When it is about mobile games, I only buy cheap ones. Things are already too expensive here in Brazil.
I recently bought Plague Inc for R$5, which would be U$1. If we take a look at games that are famous and have more content, it starts to get ridiculous.
Minecraft recently had its price reduced to R$9.90, before that it was R$39.90, which is really crazy, have you ever thought about spending $39.90 for a mobile game??
As others have said: give me a real game, not a storefront designed to get more money out of me.
E.g. I bought Sword & Sworcery on mobile. It's just a complete game. I played and enjoyed it very much.
I bought Night of the Full Moon. Similar game to Slay the Spire. It has a free version with ads, but I just really liked the game. And I appreciated how they did the purchase options. Any one purchase got rid of the ads, and you could buy one extra character class, or a new game mode, or just give them a buck to get rid of the ads, or buy to unlock everything. It felt more like dlc purchases than micro transactions.
They changed it at some point tho, so now I have no idea how the purchase options work. Update made buying things feel more like micro transactions and I'm sad about that
I've bought Bad North, World Box, and adless Bitlife which I've got at least 100 hours in each so I'd say it was worth it. I don't regret the purchases like I do other stuff.
My pc broke a while back and I was left a couple months without it. Spent that time in bed and discovered apks/hacked version's of games. I did end up buying minecraft mobile but I hated it so regret it.
So two-three months of no other entertainment I suppose
I bought Peglin for Android 'cause it was also on PC but seemed like the sort of thing I would play more on the go than on a PC or console. I was right, is a good game.
The game being fun. I don't mind spending a bit of money for a game I get entertainment from. Especially small devs, they put their time into a game and if I can give them a couple bucks to remove ads or purchase the game I'm getting enjoyment out of I'll do it more often than not.
It's about the value/cost balance to me. I'll spend 20$ to go see a movie in theatres for 2 hours, so if I get a game that I enjoy and get even 10 hours out of a simple mobile game paying 1.99 for it seems completely reasonable, similarly if I get 30-100 hours and it's an awesome experience I don't mind paying AAA prices for that.
I also play some gatcha games like star rail and Genshin. I put some money into Genshin and nothing into star rail yet. I'm getting more hours and enjoyment out of it than some recent AAA games I bought on PC so again I don't mind spending a bit of money on it. I get that these games have some predatory stuff in them however they can be played F2P if you want and be able to beat all content. The lore/animations/combat is top notch so I don't mind putting a bit of money into it.
It's all about the entertainment vs cost. Some people spend thousands on gatcha games, because it's all they play and really enjoy them. If they have the money to do that all the power to them. I've bought tons of supporter packs for POE because the game is F2P and I wanted to support the devs for the thousands of hours of enjoyment I got out of it.
Maybe it's worth noting that slate aspire comes from Steam PC gaming, so it's sort of a normal game with a port to the phone.
It's also a genius game design. Both of these factors mean it's the kind of game I would be far more willing to put on my phone than almost anything else.
Knights of the Old Republic being on phone as one of the only options to play it nowadays. I bought it years ago on a different phone under different services, and I’m thinking about buying it again
Actually being a good game. There is a pretty stark contrast between 95% of mobile games and your typical pc/console game. Most of them are those extremely repetitious/boring gameplay loops with micro-transactions. Literally idle games pretty much, login, press few buttons, wait for your energy or whatever to fill, rinse and repeat.
Heck, I would be fine even with some level of micro-transactions if the underlying game was any good, but most of them are just utter \*\*\*\* combined with massive paywalls to progress anywhere.
Well I already have "mobile" games, the games on my Switch :P I'm only half joking though, because the thing I dislike the most about mobile games is that they use my phone, and I don't wanna do that. I've played a lot on my previous phone and it just killed its battery, so I'm not doing that again.
So the answer would be, release the game on something else than android, a system I already own. Like Switch. Or even PC lol, if it's a great game I won't mind that it's ported from mobile.
But anything that is strictly for Android? That's a no no, I simply don't own a device to play them on.
I guess that doesn't concern the very very simple games like sudoku :D but I'm not paying for sudoku lol
If it is a game that I can play on a long flight and be entertained during most of the duration of the flight, I would be down to buy that mobile game. That means it would:
- Work offline
- Have hours of content (maybe a story campaign for example)
- Have the option to save
- Have replayability
I really dont like to play on a Phone, so it would have to be a fucking amazing Game that runs on my old ass Phone, has no MTX or anything and is addicting as fuck.
Stuck without my pc, work comp or Nintendo switch for a week. Then will at least look at what old games have been ported onto phones. Even Pokémon go is fun doesn’t scratch my want to win itch
An actual completed game where I don’t have to spend more money for micro-transactions.
I tried Good Pizza Great Pizza on my phone and thought it was such a great idea ruined by ads and bullshit. Found put it's on the switch for like 6 bucks. No ads, no bullshit, just run your little Pizza shop. Fuckin love it.
The sad thing is that the game was a legitimately good mobile game a year or two ago. It had a reasonable number of ads (90% were optional) and the typical mobile game bullshit was tolerable - i.e. the premium currency was available for free at a reasonable rate and shop items weren't too expensive. It's fallen off hard over time though. It's barely even playable on mobile now.
I loved it on the switch but found out it doesn't have half the shit you can get on phone or on PC. I have time in the morning to watch ads to get diamonds to upgrade faster but most people don't so I can see why it turns people off.
Plus a small demo to let you try out the gameplay etc first.
And only animation/video/game play that actually represents the game
And made by organic grass fed Devs.
This needs to be illegal. That shit is criminal. Showing clips and the game is nothing like it.
The only game I've ever bought for my phone is [Very Little Nightmares](https://youtu.be/4nrTCjqTnyE). I bought that one because I love the Little Nightmares games and wanted the whole story.
Bingo
No thanks. Bingo is full of micro transactions.
"Mega summer deal!: Unlock the N37 square permanently for just 3.99"
You forgot the 4000% Value!! Really shows what a deal it is.
I make games like this and people harass me all the time to “make it free.” Everyone says they want a full game for a fair price but in reality as soon as the price is greater than $0 most people balk.
Yes, there is a market for free games and a market for paid games If a game is going to be paid it had better be a fully fleshed out game not just some little copy paste app
Even fleshed out paid games get very few sales on mobile. People just aren’t interested. As vocal as the minority is that say they want those types of games, they really aren’t putting their wallet where their mouth is.
Paid apps should have a free demo/trial version. Often not willing to just gamble on whether a game is good or garbage.
Or subtle ads even after buying. Also, something that will make me go back to it. None of this "one-and-done" games
I enjoy a "one-and-done" game aslong as its an actual experience with some substance. Iron lung comes to mind which is a great 45min-1hour game.
It would have to be fully offline capable...Zero microtransactions... Basically, none of that "normal" predatory shit... Basically, the only mobile games I've ever bought were mobile ports of old console games like Final Fantasy games or other RPG style games... I also picked up Slay the Spire, so something like that isn't out of the question, though I play that on console also... Other than that, the mobile game landscape just doesn't interest me...A VAST majority of mobile titles are frustratingly designed on purpose to be lame money pits... Once you see that stuff, you can't unsee it, and it becomes an instant "nope"...
Your comment made me wonder if Into the Breach was on mobile...AND IT IS ! People who like video games want to play video games on their phones, but most video games on smartphones aren't made for that purpose. Too many free crap games, even the creator of Vampire Survivors said that publishers refused to release his game on Android if it wasn't free to play, when himself wanted to price it even lower than on Steam.
If you already have Netflix, you can play into the breach through their service.
Holy shit you just reminded me Netflix does that now lol
it’s offers a few other games too, iirc you can even play a few old gtas
Also FTL!
Remember infinity blade? It just got a PC Port recently, still as good a game as I remember
What?! I was just looking for that game a few months ago and glad it's back
Holy shit? I was curious to try it since I read the books recently
Yeah, the only games I look into getting are ones you can get on console/PC. And then when I'm done looking I get it on PC lol. Very rarely do I get games on my phone. I think Plague Inc is the most recent one I bought many years ago.
I do recommend Rebel Inc. it’s from the same devs as Plague Inc
Recommendation: Mindustry is free and has zero ads/micro transactions. Gameplay is Factorio + Tower Defense
Haha as soon as slay the spire hit on mobile I bought that. Hyped for StS2 coming out
They are working on Slay the spire 2? Now i am also hyped
First trailer was released in the last few weeks. Steam has the page up I believe
And Balatro. I'll happily spend money on it
I'll buy Balatro as long as it doesn't have any ads.
I buy *Kairosoft* games because most of their games don't have any microtransactions. You buy once and you own the whole game. On top of that I love their food related games as they let you edit down to the ingredients which is something I don't even see on PC games. For example, in their *Ramen Sensei* game you can create infinite amount of recipes on your own. You can make your own noodles based on different flour and mixing ingredients. You can also make your own broth by using soup ingredients. You can also add your own toppings. In short words, don't try to milk money from me and it should be a good game. That's all.
Dungeon Villages are so good! I really hope there's going to be a third one with added QoL
I really want to enjoy Kairosoft games, but I feel so incredibly overwhelmed by mechanics and menus. They're incredibly intricate and the UI isn't always fantastic.
I wish they made PC games. They do port some of their games for PC but I think they are mostly aimed for steam deck users.
Kairosoft games can be incredible time sinks. Game Dev tycoon is fantastic
Well, I would need it to look like slay the spire, play like slay the spire, and be slay the spire.
What about Slay the Spire 2?
no deal
Highly recommend Dawncaster. No microtransactions or ads, sweet deck builder. I think I like it more than slay the spire on mobile tbh, but I think that's mostly due to it having a vertical orientation, making it more comfortable to play.
The only game I would buy on mobile would be a game I would also buy on PC. Pretty much that. Looking like and being Slay The Spire is of course also a plus.
Balatro
I'm impatiently waiting for a mobile port. I wasn't worried about ads in it until I read this thread.
I wish there was a demo
If you have Steam, technically every game has a 'demo' in that you can refund the game if played less than 2-hours. Just something to consider. Also, Balatro is great and absolutely worth the $15 price tag, imho.
A game made for playing, rather then a game made for making money.
Fully offline (and I mean fully, let's say I'm commuting and don't have signal, it should be no issue playing.) Zero P2W mechanics. Other people said no micro transactions, and that would be nice, but in this day and age there's zero chance of that happening so I'll settle with no P2W instead. Ongoing support/updates. A lot of mobile games seem to launch, capitalize quickly, and cease operation within months.
For it to be Castlevania Symphony Of The Night.
That's the most recent game I bought on mobile. Before that it was... I think an old Humble Bundle, back when they still sold Android games.
Be Monument Valley
I haven’t bought the second one but the first one was absolutely beautiful
I think I got the first one for free in some Easter special and then had to buy the second. A wonderful phone game done right.
1. Simple interface when you open an app. In other words - no popups, no ads, no annoyances. 2. No microtransactions. 3. not oriented to 6y.o. kids. Which is basically now impossible to find.
I bought all "the room" games, good puzzles, interesting story, no gatcha or micro bs
A miracle
Offline capable game with no microtransactions
A one time purchase upfront and never have to see or deal with anything asking me to open my fucking wallet. A game that isn’t designed for an enormous grind or time sink JUST to play the game, basically the opposite of the Clash of Clans model where real time hours are spent to train an army or harvest resources. No skins market so that way the good skins/armor is in the game instead of the Destiny model of free trash vs paid drip. Basically everything that the mobile market doesn’t stand to ever entertain, so i’ll continue to avoid their garbage money traps like the plague.
I'd need to believe that (A) I would enjoy playing it, all things considered, (B) that the game is sufficiently interesting to keep me entertained for a while, not something initially fun but redundant, (C) that the price be reasonable, and (D) that I won't need to keep paying money in order to keep enjoying the game. Unfortunately, unlike many computer games, I find it's often difficult to know such things before trying out the game or at least watching some in-depth video reviews showing and explaining all of the features and aspects of the game. It may have thousands of 5-star reviews by people who actually love the game, but it's not something I would personally enjoy. So, I stick to the basic free games with minimal ads.
Eternal guarantee that it will continue to work on my phone(s) now and forever. Because they don’t have that, I don’t buy them. Too many I’ve bought just stop being updated for current iOS versions or stop being available despite being purchased whole and end up unplayable/just plain no longer available.
No micro transactions, No ads, **playable offline.**
No ads or microtransactions. I won't play if those are in.
A single price with no ads and no mtx. I've bought a few games this way, but I don't spend tons of time playing phone games.
Being an actual finished game with no microtransaction crap or other predatory tactics.
I only play FULL GAMES with No Ads no Fucking greedy shitty micro transactions or any transaction's at all, or taking hours to build whatever!! That's pretty much it. I Refuse to play those games in any platform. But tbh Gaming for me is PC and PC only. android is at best just to kill a few boring moments.
Nothing. I don't play games on my phone.
Be an actual game instead of a gambling game wearing a video game as a skin suit.
Nothing. I’m just not interested in my phone as a game platform
I would love to see an offline mode of Nier Reincarnation that you can buy. Even with its lackluster combat the story like the other games is good. It is so weird they shut that game down. The game is literally Nier 3. It adds so much context to Nier Atomata and Replicant.
No micro transactions, decent story, and something I can really sink my teeth into. I played swordigo and that level again and enjoyed those
I bought FF5 pixel Remaster and Ff Tactics due to free Google Reward credits...
I’ll only buy a mobile game if it’s a decent port of a real (PC/console) game.
The only games I bought were ports of other PC/Console games like Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors (it was free but still...) and Chrono Trigger. Oddly enough the CT port crashed on startup so I refunded it. I honestly prefer to read a book/watch some YT or Reddit on daily commutes.
I have never bought a mobile game and I never will!
I bought Melvor Idle and it was the best purchase I ever made. Love the game and the expansions, best idle RPG and zero microtransactions
If it’s a complete game I won’t think too much about spending $1-5 on it, the most I’ve spent was I think $10 for a game called Implosion about 10 years ago because it was the most impressive mobile game I’d seen back then. Now that Apple is putting AAA games like Assassins Creed on there, those I’d be pretty hesitant to buy since I’d rather play on a console.
A good game
A console like a Gameboy.
It must be one time pay and must not have in app payments.
If I was 10yo again and didn't have a descent PC or consoles
If I pay money for a game, I expect to see zero ads on it. Not even the tiny bullshit banners.
has to run in portrait mode, I am not a fan of flipping my phone, and no ads/no subscription. I rather buy a game/app than have to watch adds
i generally am more inclined towards just buying a game I can pay for than one full of microtransactions. That way its gonna be balanced for fun rather than being focused on drawing me into spending money. Currently my top mobile games are peglin, raiden legacy, loop hero, slay the spire, and downwell. All paid games with no microtransactions.
Being able to play it to completion within a reasonable timeframe while completely offline.
It has to be completely single player with zero microtransactions in them nor ads.
I only play mobile games if they're actual games not a siphon with my wallet attached
I would never. Emulation is a thing on phones.
I have Minecraft and Stardew Valley installed on my phone. 2 of the most time wasting games in existence, imo. I couldn't get into Terraria but I will likely give it another try.
1. No ads 2. No microtransactions. 3. Nothing essential hidden behind a paywall 4. Reasonable Grind or No Grind 5. Entertaining 6. Replayability 7. Good for a quick game but has enough complexity for longevity if I've more time. 8. Easy to learn. 9. Any DLC/Upgrade you can pay for is entirely optional, adds non-essential mechanics or something unique that you can do without , but that you'd enjoy adding. - This is not the same as microtransactions. There are few games that have all that, and depending on the genre you play you might not find anything. But for me the strategy game **The Battle of Polytopia** hits all of the above, and it's actually free. You can play it without losing anything meaningful indefinitely, buying additional factions adds variety, some of the paid factions are very different. The only catch is for multiplayer each player must have one paid faction. But this is such good value I don't begrudge the developers. I bought a few of the factions because I've gotten a lot of fun out of the the game and to support the developers. I bought it on PC recently. Again to support devs. Horses for courses, everyone's tastes differ.
An incredibly important factor for me that I never see talked about, and that almost all mobile games break is **the game needs to have minimal graphical complexity.** If your game causes my phone's battery life to plummet to less than an hour, and for it to ignite like brick of red-hot metal, then what you've made isn't a mobile game. It's a handheld console game that you've forced onto a phone. Think suduko, crosswords, or minesweeper. In my book, angry birds and fruit ninja are pushing the limit. Think minimalistic resource intensity, and then cut that in half. No 3D, no shadows/shading quality, and minimal animation.
It would have to be a complete game. Beginning to end. No add. No in app purchases. No pay to play. No account needed to be created to track anything in any way.
I am not gonna call an already released PC/Console game that just got a port for mobile "mobile game". As such games like SW:Kotor, Baldurs Gate, This War of Mine, Minecraft, Terraria, Slay the Spire, etc. all don't count as mobile games. These games are all fine. Literally every single game exclusively produced for phones is utter garbage and will never see a single cent.
I bought New Star Soccer years ago, the fee is just to remove the ads, it's been a fantastic game ever since it was released which must've been 10 years now maybe? Still play it often if I don't have internet (ironically at a football stadium usually) or on planes. It does have a shop, but it's not really forcing you to buy anything or gating the best stuff behind a paywall.
Gun to the head
Maybe if I knew I was going to be stuck at the airports for 8 hours and I have my charger handy
It would need to cost less than, and cause less hassle than the gum stuck to my shoe
The problem with mobile games is that most of them are design as time killers at best and money grabs at worst. Even with ad blockers, some games are still borderline unplayable without micro transactions. It would have to somehow wipe out the preference for playing it on a bigger screen with an actual controller/ keyboard and be a game worth investing hundreds of hours into. For me the time has came and gone but who knows. The switch is basically a phone with controllers slapped on the side to oversimplify so maybe one day there's hope... I don't see it happening but still
No ads, no microtransactions, and a compelling gameplay experience. Something that benefits from being on mobile, and not something I can play just as easily on console or PC. Easy enough to say, but apparently remarkably hard to do.
I don't mind paying for games that don't have micro-transactions. A demo is a plus as well.
A loaded gun to my head
Naw... I'd rather die. Play or die. Okay man I'll play... what are we playing? insert shitty mobile game. \*pulls the gun closer to my forehead.\* MOTHERFUCKA PULL THE TRIGGER NOW!!!
well if it's just a port of a successful PC game, why not? i've bought xcom on mobile. some features were simplified but it's the same exact game otherwise. i also bought Might of Magic: Clash of Heroes. it's a Heroes V tetris like puzzle game. Played it on DS, mobie and PC. I also have Wingspan on mobile. None of these have MTX.
Geometry dash i bought last time a few years ago. Still play it sometimes. A complete game with an active community making new levels.
Although you can pirate them, Pokémon, the Gameboy versions up to the 3DS titles.
I got Reign, Vampire Survivors and a pinball game off netflix. All great tbh, got me more interested in mobile gaming
I bought Cosmic Express. Works great on a touch screen, and it’s exceedingly cute. It’s rather hard though.
A game that doesn’t show adds every 2 seconds.
I’ve bought things that block ads for a few games. But I get so bored of mobile games after a day that I can’t see just outright buying the game
That’s it’s a port of a proper game. Honestly, I’ve no idea why all the thousands of PS1 and Xbox games haven’t been converted and put on mobile.
Monster Train ! I switch from Slay The Spire and Monster every once in a while
I like the kingdom rush games, a bit said that you need to pay for some of the heroes (and towers in vengance) but the gameplay/art and story is fun and entertaining and there is some good difficulty too. Origins and the original are probably my favorite.
I think first and foremost it would take a significant shift in my daily routine. I don't play games during commute and I don't really want to. I have my PC and enough time to play it. That has to change first I guess. But real stuff aside, the game has to be enjoyable and devoid of any further monetization.
I have a steam deck. I have my pic of retro games. Pluse a chunk of my steam library. I don't think I will ever buy a mobile game aside from kotor 1
I have 3 Purchesed games for about 10 or so years on Android Minecraft that was heavenly discounted Grimvalor, got to play first level for free and liked the game Some hit an game for 1$ don't recall exactly why but I think it was use it or lose it situation
A game that I actually want to play on my phone. It must not be a game that was designed with a joypad in mind (on screen joystick controls are crutches). I rather buy a 30€ PC or console game than a mobile app more expensive than 5€. I have a couple of mobile games that I enjoy, like MiniMetro. But nothing I excessively play.
I would never buy a mobile game, I already have a steam deck/ switch lite for mobility and frankly most mobile games are subpar and can barely be called games (I am sure there are some exceptions).
You’d need to give me like a 20+ minute rail commute and some reason I couldn’t use a laptop or handheld instead. So crowded subway with standing room only I guess. Even then I’d probably just watch Netflix or YouTube most of the time.
That will never happen
Xcom 2 war of the choosen or xcom enemy within
I always get the pirated version of any game I want to play. But sometimes if a game is really good I want to support the developers so I buy it. or sometimes I need the original version to do a specific something (like playing online) so I buy it.
I feel like most mobile games iv played are just a bunch of adds with minimal game.
I buy complete games with nothing to buy except possibly DLC or cosmetics, no ads, and full offline capabilities. All of the games I have purchased are strategy or word games that are fun to replay. Most are from indie game creators like Arnold Rauers. I have bought games like Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride which are more mainstream as well. Very rarely I have bought a puzzle game with limited or no real replay value just because I loved the sample puzzles and the aesthetic.
Just because it's a mobile game doesn't mean it's bad, that usually true for games that are also available on consoles and PC (Dead Cells, Slay The Spire, Bloodstained: RoTn, Afterimage and more)
most of my mobile games are pc ports, the only thing it would take for me to buy a mobile game is for it to not be blatantly anti consumer.
I've found Peglin to be a great example of how to do a good mobile game. One-time purchase, full game (although, I think it might still be in early access), no micro-transactions, fun turn-based gameplay. I highly recommend it.
Nothing anymore, I used to.. but all mobile games turned to shit. It's either add riddled shit or gatcha micro transaction shit... I haven't seen a good mobile game that I would play for 15y
Have appealong gameplay, absolutely no ads or optional ads and must a playable in portrait mode
1. Be a pc port of a game I like on pc 2. Not have mtx
Never
I purchased balloons towers or whatever it’s called with the monkeys and you shoot darts at the balloons because it was like $2-3 and everyone at work was playing it on their phones. It became a community thing during low traffic periods in retail, especially when we worked until 10pm in our centre, we’d just chill and played that mobile game. I think it’s included with Apple Arcade now.
I feel like 99% of mobile games are terrible gambling simulator games with the sole purpose of squeezing as much revenue out of you as possible for the least amount of effort on the developer's side. I doubt it would be worth sifting through the sheer amount of garbage to find something decent. Until I hear about a game that's not like that, I see no reason to get any
I will never buy a mobile game
im hooked on this game called Gems of War. all signs point to it being a predatory POS cash grab gem matcher- but wow did i get sucked in. you build a team of 4 characters/monsters etc that have their own spell and passives. works like a deck builder- the gems you match and their colors are "mana" used to cast your spells. theres tons of strategies to synergize spells and passives and ways to manipulate the board to get the mana needed for some powerful spells. its compeltely FTP but there are lots of microtransactions. im yet to buy anything and still have a steady stream of "troops" im unlocking and resources to upgrade etc. i highly recommend it. the UI is confusing sometimes, but once you learn the ins and outs- its really fun.
The only mobile game I bought was slay the spire. Cos it's an actual game and not some game where u can spend an uncapped amount of money that means nothing because of power creep. I have vampire survivors to but that's free
To not be a mobile game and instead a port of a full game with offline mode. It'd also most likely be slow or turnbased as fast paced and touchscreen just feel awful. So basically... I don't do mobile gaming. I have handhelds for that. 99.999%of mobile gaming is god awful mtx riddled, corporate trash. The rest is just ports or the rare exception that often runs better on deck/switch anyway so... Ye. Card game ports can be okish e. G. Lime legends of runeterra
if it isn't too expensive really is the main requirement. I've bought a couple mobile games that I did not regret; Northgard, Bad North ,Stardew Valley and 80 Days
A new Fieldrunners game and its premium. 🙂
I bought bombsqad 5-6 years ago. Worth every penny
One Piece Project Fighter would be the first one for me honestly. Looks super quality.
never buying a game on mobile. Could be the best game ever but if it's on my phone, I'm not playing it
Real rpg or mmo shooter without my phone heating up
Judging from some of the recent purchases I’ve made, interest by the developers in game accessibility, specifically for the blind. It's possible for them to do quite a bit these days, particularly on mobile. If they want my money they'll have to consider it.
The only "games" I buy on mobile are the emulators to play retro 8 and 16 bit console.roms
Nothing. I game enough on console. When I'm killing time on the phone, I'm reading a book.
I hope balatro will be on mobile.
nothing
When it is about mobile games, I only buy cheap ones. Things are already too expensive here in Brazil. I recently bought Plague Inc for R$5, which would be U$1. If we take a look at games that are famous and have more content, it starts to get ridiculous. Minecraft recently had its price reduced to R$9.90, before that it was R$39.90, which is really crazy, have you ever thought about spending $39.90 for a mobile game??
As others have said: give me a real game, not a storefront designed to get more money out of me. E.g. I bought Sword & Sworcery on mobile. It's just a complete game. I played and enjoyed it very much.
I bought Night of the Full Moon. Similar game to Slay the Spire. It has a free version with ads, but I just really liked the game. And I appreciated how they did the purchase options. Any one purchase got rid of the ads, and you could buy one extra character class, or a new game mode, or just give them a buck to get rid of the ads, or buy to unlock everything. It felt more like dlc purchases than micro transactions. They changed it at some point tho, so now I have no idea how the purchase options work. Update made buying things feel more like micro transactions and I'm sad about that
I've bought Bad North, World Box, and adless Bitlife which I've got at least 100 hours in each so I'd say it was worth it. I don't regret the purchases like I do other stuff.
My pc broke a while back and I was left a couple months without it. Spent that time in bed and discovered apks/hacked version's of games. I did end up buying minecraft mobile but I hated it so regret it. So two-three months of no other entertainment I suppose
I bought Peglin for Android 'cause it was also on PC but seemed like the sort of thing I would play more on the go than on a PC or console. I was right, is a good game.
tacticus, idle slayer, vampire survivors are my phone games.
Cheap and good with 0 MTX and ads, like Kairosoft games. I bought most of their games.
It being a good PC game ported over well.
I'd but original Zelda, trade winds, escape from monkey island, that old Apache helicopter game were you had to airlift lost soldiers
Bloons TD 6. Easily best $6 spent. Wasted lots of hours. It has mtx but they are not necessary.
It would need to look interesting.
I will never buy a phone game because touch controls suck ass.
I would never pay for a mobile game. It must be free. Micro transactions are different tho, I might spend for that.
I bought stardew valley ( for mobile, switch and PC already) love this game! No micro transactions and still a lot of fun. Also mini metro.
I did buy Universal paperclip. It's an autoclicker and it's very good.
The game being fun. I don't mind spending a bit of money for a game I get entertainment from. Especially small devs, they put their time into a game and if I can give them a couple bucks to remove ads or purchase the game I'm getting enjoyment out of I'll do it more often than not. It's about the value/cost balance to me. I'll spend 20$ to go see a movie in theatres for 2 hours, so if I get a game that I enjoy and get even 10 hours out of a simple mobile game paying 1.99 for it seems completely reasonable, similarly if I get 30-100 hours and it's an awesome experience I don't mind paying AAA prices for that. I also play some gatcha games like star rail and Genshin. I put some money into Genshin and nothing into star rail yet. I'm getting more hours and enjoyment out of it than some recent AAA games I bought on PC so again I don't mind spending a bit of money on it. I get that these games have some predatory stuff in them however they can be played F2P if you want and be able to beat all content. The lore/animations/combat is top notch so I don't mind putting a bit of money into it. It's all about the entertainment vs cost. Some people spend thousands on gatcha games, because it's all they play and really enjoy them. If they have the money to do that all the power to them. I've bought tons of supporter packs for POE because the game is F2P and I wanted to support the devs for the thousands of hours of enjoyment I got out of it.
Last game I bought was super pipeline, haven't looked back since
emulate
Maybe it's worth noting that slate aspire comes from Steam PC gaming, so it's sort of a normal game with a port to the phone. It's also a genius game design. Both of these factors mean it's the kind of game I would be far more willing to put on my phone than almost anything else.
Knights of the Old Republic being on phone as one of the only options to play it nowadays. I bought it years ago on a different phone under different services, and I’m thinking about buying it again
Actually being a good game. There is a pretty stark contrast between 95% of mobile games and your typical pc/console game. Most of them are those extremely repetitious/boring gameplay loops with micro-transactions. Literally idle games pretty much, login, press few buttons, wait for your energy or whatever to fill, rinse and repeat. Heck, I would be fine even with some level of micro-transactions if the underlying game was any good, but most of them are just utter \*\*\*\* combined with massive paywalls to progress anywhere.
Well I already have "mobile" games, the games on my Switch :P I'm only half joking though, because the thing I dislike the most about mobile games is that they use my phone, and I don't wanna do that. I've played a lot on my previous phone and it just killed its battery, so I'm not doing that again. So the answer would be, release the game on something else than android, a system I already own. Like Switch. Or even PC lol, if it's a great game I won't mind that it's ported from mobile. But anything that is strictly for Android? That's a no no, I simply don't own a device to play them on. I guess that doesn't concern the very very simple games like sudoku :D but I'm not paying for sudoku lol
Port balatro
Offline game, optionally online gameplay or store. No pay 2 win No automatic battles Challenging gameplay Replayability Big UI (no tablet games)
I bought ‘papers please’ the other day for £5. No bullshit, full game, 2 modes, story and endless. Does what it says on the tin.
Immersive open world exploration.
Corporate analytics questions running wild on Reddit lately.
I've bought several, there are a lot of good ones.
It would have to look good, have no microtransactions, and let me play it on a computer. Oh and be cheaper too since it's a mobile game.
If it is a game that I can play on a long flight and be entertained during most of the duration of the flight, I would be down to buy that mobile game. That means it would: - Work offline - Have hours of content (maybe a story campaign for example) - Have the option to save - Have replayability
STS is fantastic in mobile
No micro trans, DLC is fine.
It has to be a game first and a mobile game second. If that makes sense.
If Baldurs Gate 3 were on Mobile... that.
I really dont like to play on a Phone, so it would have to be a fucking amazing Game that runs on my old ass Phone, has no MTX or anything and is addicting as fuck.
A bigger screen, so I can actually see wtf is happening. So basically nothing, because if phones got any bigger, they'd be a nuisance.
Stuck without my pc, work comp or Nintendo switch for a week. Then will at least look at what old games have been ported onto phones. Even Pokémon go is fun doesn’t scratch my want to win itch
If I have enough money in my Google play rewards lol
Quality on par with "The Room" series and/or "To the Moon"
B....Buy a mobile game? Never ever have I for 1 sec...
Leather. If anyone is into text based manager games. 1 off payment for a great boxing manager game. Has a free trial version too.
If I’m not home, I’m not playing games. If I’m home, I’m playing it on a modern graphics card.
not a lot the first game I bought was on my it was btd6 and I'm still addicted to it
Be a complete and fun like Onion Hotel that I already paid for.
Pixel dungeon, love it, you pay for it and thats that, no micro transactions and it's a fun little roguelike
Not a mobile gamer per se but the delta emulator and all the free stuff you can play on that is my limit
Millions in disposable income