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10 iOS and Android games you missed while playing Pokemon GO

More to life than Mankeys and Muks

10 iOS and Android games you missed while playing Pokemon GO
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Pokemon GO has been out for almost a month now. And if you've been playing it non stop, you've missed out on a bunch of top mobile games.

To help you get up to speed, here are 10 games you might have missed while you were out catching 18 different Pidgeys.

Blitz Breaker (iOS Only)
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A feisty, fast-paced platformer that has you divebombing head-first through mazes lined with spikes and saw blades.

Levels are never more than a few seconds long, though you might find yourself stuck for a while as you figure out the perfect pattern of swipes, and the pixel-precise timing, to nail each and every section.

Harry said "it might not be the freshest game on the App Store, but Blitz Breaker certainly has its moments. It flashes by at a riotous speed, and while it isn't the best looking game in the world, it certainly has an earthy charm".

Severed (iOS only)
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This slick and stylish dungeon crawler came out on Vita earlier in the year, but it was crying out to be played on an iPad's mahoosive screen.

It's a bit like a first-person Zelda game, complete with keys and collectibles and heart pieces. But the battles are wholly unique. They have you swiping away at the touchscreen as you try to de-limb monsters and pluck out eyeballs.

There are elements of Infinity Blade and Fruit Ninja, but with an evocative and otherworldly atmosphere. If you missed it on Vita, don't make that mistake again.

Blyss (iOS only)
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Once glance at Blyss, and it might look like someone has broken all your dominoes in half. Actually, it's a clever mathematical puzzle game.

The goal is to swipe your finger over a bunch of tiles, to create a chain of at least three or four tiles. The tiles have dots on them, which denotes how many chains you have to make with that block before it disappears.

"There's often more than one way to solve a puzzle," says reviewer Ric, "and each time you do, it feels like you've pulled off an astonishing feat - even if it only took a few seconds". If this looks like your jam, dive in.

Road Not Taken (iOS only)
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Alphabear and Triple Town developer Spry Fox is back, with a roguelike puzzle game about rescuing children who were lost in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm.

Not your typical dungeon crawler, then. There's far less fighting, and more focus on collecting resources, crafting, helping people out, and exploring. The game is also packed with secrets and you'll be rapt for weeks before you uncover all its mysteries.

This one will prove frustrating - a bit tedious, and definitely quite opaque - for some, but anyone who has the patience to explore the game's depths will find a small treasure.

Kubic

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Like Echochrome and Monument Valley, this puzzle game is inspired by the trippy brain-busting work of MC Escher - the absolute lad who did them nifty doodles of impossible architecture.

In each level, Kubic presents you with a shape made out of cubes and you have to make your own version using the different pieces on offer. Which sounds easy, until the builds start defying all known logic and physics.

"If very demanding, out-of-the-box, 3D spatial puzzles are your thing, you may love Kubic," says review man Henry.

Snakebird
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Snakebird is hard. I'm not kidding: half the reviews on iTunes are people saying the second level is impossible to beat. Level two!

But it's not impossible. It just demands a different way of thinking. A logical brain, that can see several moves ahead and figure out how the heck you're going to get a big slithering snake past those spikes, over that hole, and into that rainbow portal.

There's a mix of brute force trial-and-error, and more thoughtful play. And the game will often lead you to the wrong answer just for giggles. But when you finally finish a stage? Man, there's no feeling like it.

Day of the Tentacle: Remastered (iOS only)
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Day of the Tentacle may be the greatest point and click adventure ever. I know, I know, that's a big claim in a world where Monkey Island exists. But hear me out.

Not only is it absurdly hilarious and filled to bursting with gags and goofy characters, but it has an ultra smart conceit: the game is split between the past, present, and future, and you'll need to use all three to solve some truly insane puzzles.

This remastered edition is top notch, with an art style that does justice to the original pixel art (you can play with either), cleaned up voice and music, and bonus content. There's even a director's commentary from Tim Schafer and co.

Dunkers
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A super goofy sports game from the creator of Wrassling and Battle Golf, that seems like it was brewed up in a lab to be perfect for YouTubers to play while making loud noises.

You don't have to have an audience of 12 year olds to enjoy this one, though - just a friend and a sense of humour. It's hard not to giggle as your topless basketball hero goes head first through the hoop.

There's not a huge amount to it but, hey, it's free and it will easily eat up a boring bus journey.

ReRunners
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ReRunners is like Mario Kart, if it were a side-scrolling platformer. So expect weapons and tricky head-to-head races, but also double jumps and coins to collect. Best of all: it's online, and matches are instant and effortless to join.

In his review, Ric said "It's silly, exciting, well-balanced, and a fantastically good time whether you're leading the pack or dragging behind, which is an amazing feat in its own right". He also called it "the Sonic game we all wanted", which is possibly blasphemous.

Watch out for the in-app purchases, wait timers, boosts, and all that. It's still a free to play game after all. But if that doesn't bother you, it's well worth a play.

Out There Chronicles
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You remember Out There, right? That sci-fi survival game about resource management, cosmic exploration, and getting your pinky lopped off in a dodgy spaceship mechanism.

If you liked the flavour text and choices best of all, then you simply need to check out Chronicles which blows that stuff out into a full-on, well-written text adventure with gorgeous art.

The only downside is that it all comes to an abrupt end, making the wait for chapter two even more painful.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer