Mobile games that don't suck
Here are some mobile games that don't suck. Most are paid. Most have no advertisements or in-app purchases. Some offer to remove ads for a fee, which I recommend paying.
Not everyone can buy games, yet we all pay eventually, either with our money or with our attention. We buy the product or we are the product. This list is for those who would rather buy the product.
- DATA WING (iOS, Android): A free racing game with high production value, a great story, and fantastic music.
- Lifeline (iOS, Android): Text with a stranded astronaut in real time to help him find his way home.
- Space Marshals (iOS, Android): A top-down space/western shooter with stealth mechanics.
- The Room Two (iOS, Android): A 3D escape room. The other games in the series are great, too, but The Room Two is my favorite.
- Nowhere House (Android): A 2D escape room with a cartoon style. The other games in the Dark Dome series are also great.
- Rusty Lake: Roots (iOS, Android): Unravel a family's history by solving escape-type puzzles. Profoundly weird. Some have compared it to Twin Peaks, which I've never watched. The other games in the Rusty Lake and Cube Escape series are also great, especially Rusty Lake Hotel, Cube Escape: The Lake, and Cube Escape: Seasons.
- Super Mario Run (iOS, Android): Mario with a single button. Some complained about this game, but I found it satisfying. It has that classic Nintendo polish.
- Plants vs. Zombies (iOS, Android): Defend your garden by using your plants to fight off zombies. The sequel should be avoided, in my opinion, because it's ruined by mechanics that manipulate the player into purchasing power-ups.
Why compile this list? I'm hardly a gamer. I just want to highlight games that offer exceptional experiences by avoiding ads and in-app purchases. The lesson? Choose a business model that supports your art, rather than ruining your art to make money.