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

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  • 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 marks my continued attempts to alleviate my long-standing case of bilateral epicondylitis, a condition I’ve been grappling with since my initial Game of the Year roundup in 2020. However, despite this recurring injury reaching its fifth anniversary, I find myself in awe at the exceptional quality of mobile games this year, which only serves to reinforce how fortunate I am to be part of this industry and experience so many unexpected delights.

Choosing merely five of the countless adventures I’ve dived into this year isn’t a walk in the park. From capybaras and virtual beaus, to coin-tossing Lickitungs and HoYoverse madness, dancing pirates and a whopping 400-day wait, it’s been quite a ride!

Among all the years I’ve experienced, this one truly shines for me due to the friendships I’ve cultivated throughout. To be more precise, this year marked the commencement of a new season for our podcast – a wild and unpredictable journey that might appear chaotic and rambling at times. However, it’s become a weekly delight as I engage in conversations with my teammates about various topics, making it an enjoyable experience overall.

Video games serve as our unique and captivating means to forge bonds with other extraordinary individuals. Regardless if it’s exploring mythical realms or simply passing time with alley cats, these games essentially help us build relationships with those we engage in them together.

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/1nH74DDEN7R10v8wfrIiIw

As a gaming enthusiast, I can attest that single-player RPGs have an uncanny ability to foster connections among us when we excitedly discuss them with our friends or reminisce about shared victories at work (or in our case, on our group Slack). However, before I get overly sentimental about this fantastic year, here are my top picks for the best games without any further delay.

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
.

Engaging in activities like this on mobile devices is incredibly accommodating for adults juggling numerous responsibilities, often referred to as ‘adulting’. Add some absurd pets, a massive snail as your ride, and adversaries that weep when you attack them, and it’s almost impossible not to become captivated.

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 successfully fill up my Kanto Pokedex and get Mew, I won’t be stopping there – far from it.

The goalpost for my adventures will keep moving!

Zenless Zone Zero

The primary cause for me seeking treatment (once more) for my arm injury is that I can hardly play Zenless Zone Zero’s thrilling combat for over ten minutes without my arms aching intensely and forcing me to take the rest of the day off. Consequently, I’m unable to type, text, cook, or even hang clothes out to dry – all due to the irresistible charm of Sixth Street’s Bangboos.

I’m crossing my fingers that, after my injuries are completely mended within the next 6-8 weeks, I can jump back into this city exploration once more, all while taking care of my everyday responsibilities.

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.

Although it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking in terms of gameplay mechanics for this genre, the game’s strategic complexity is astounding and left me utterly captivated, leading to hours upon hours of playtime – a fact I can’t help but emphasize as my review attests to – “a compulsive enthusiast”. Count me in!

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!

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2024-12-30 13:19