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Phones start here

Your mobile phone can be the games machine that's always with you

Phones start here
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Maybe you've played a game on your mobile phone already, and we're not just talking about office antics like Send Your Boss To Answerphone or Text Flirtation. Most phones come with some simple entertainment software built in, from Nokia's famous puzzler, Snake, to straightforward solitaire-style games.

But there's a lot, lot more to pocket gaming on your mobile phone than that.

There are hundreds of other mobile games that you can easily download to your handset, from quizzes, crosswords and board games, to more complex sports, strategy, action and adventure games.

They're cheap, too: mobile phone games typically cost between £3 and £5 each (compare that with £40 console games or funny-for-two-seconds ringtones). And you can play a game for as long as you like once you've downloaded it, so they're certainly good value.

So why don't more people play mobile games? Partly because they don't know the games are out there, but also because it seems complicated to download them.

How to buy a game for your phone

In reality, getting a game onto your phone is fairly easy once you know how. In short you:

1. Use your phone's Web/WAP browser to go to your operator's portal/website and select a game you like.

2. The game will then either download to your phone or be sent via a text message (for which you'll be charged)

3. Finally, look in your phone's Games or Applications folder, select the game you just ordered, and start playing! (A much wider range of games is also available by heading to other websites and games distributors, either via your phone or via the web. Do check what you're signing up for though, as some sites have caused a stir by confusing users into taking out – and paying for – subscriptions without the phone owner even realising it.)

But which games are right for you?

How do you decide which titles to download to your phone in the first place? Well, that's where we come in!

Pocket Gamer reviews all of the latest mobile games and tells you what's worth playing and what to avoid. In most cases you can even select the exact handset that you've got, so you'll only see reviews of games that will definitely work on your phone. And, if you're in a hurry, our Buyer's Guide will show you at-a-glance the best games out there of a particular kind, such as racing games or adventure games.

And that's just for starters. We also deliver the latest news and previews on upcoming games; we put new mobile handsets through their gaming paces; we bring you practical How To guides on getting more from your phone; while our mobile subforum plays home to a community of like-minded mobile phone gamers. (To join the forums, you need to spend a moment registering first.)

Joao Diniz Sanches
Joao Diniz Sanches
With three boys under the age of 10, former Edge editor Joao has given up his dream of making it to F1 and instead spends his time being shot at with Nerf darts. When in work mode, he looks after editorial projects associated with the Pocket Gamer and Steel Media brands.