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App Army Assemble: Mini Metro - The best iOS and Android puzzler of 2016 so far?

Our community seems to think so!

App Army Assemble: Mini Metro - The best iOS and Android puzzler of 2016 so far?
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| Mini Metro

Have you ever wished that you could redesign the London underground? Or design a subway system that's the same shape as Mario's face? Well, that's a bit weird, but your dreams have just come true - kind of.

Mini Metro is a subway designing simulator that basically lets you do exactly that. You draw your very own subway system, ensuring that every station is covered.

The city will grow the longer you play, and new stations will open. This results in the need for extensive changes to your subway, as you have to constantly ensure it's as efficient as possible.

There's a bit of resource management thrown in as well. You can't just indefinitely create new subways because you don't have unlimited cash. There are a variety of upgrades you can unlock to help you out though.

With plenty of modes, upgrades, real world cities, and random growth each game, there's plenty here to keep you occupied.

But is it any good? Well, we certainly think so. At review, we gave it a Silver Award and said: "Transportation management and minimalist art combine in this colourful and challenging puzzler".

To help you decide whether or not you want to part with your cash, we also reached out to the App Army, our stalwart bunch of mobile gaming experts, for their thoughts.

GGod Hand

I'm having lots of fun with this one. The goal is to help your passengers reach their desired destination, and do so by creating and connecting subway lines by swiping.

It sounds easy, right? Well, not so - the difficulty increases as you have to decide how to use your dwindling budget wisely. Do you build more trains, lines, bridges, tunnels, carriages, or stations?

Then you have impatient passengers to contend with - and these can seriously mess up your subway.

Matt King

I love the simple visuals - they ensure it's immediately clear where to place each line and where your passengers want to go.

It quickly ramps up in difficulty though, and it didn't take long for my map to look like a unicorn had vomited all over it. It's a great puzzler.

Olivier Boesch

This game is awesome, captivating, and addictive. You'll regularly find yourself wanting to have just one more go.

This is an absolute must play for puzzler fans.

Tom Clark

I really like this game. It starts off simple then slowly builds in difficulty. The graphics are great, and resemble a subway map nicely.

I'm still on the fence at the price tag, though playing without IAPs and ads is nice. Another great game to pick up this week.

Laura Egri

Neat game. The visuals are reminiscent of drawing a map with crayons - but don't let this fool you. It gets complicated in time, and you'll find yourself trying to redraw the routes to avoid crowding.

The six degrees of separation theory all the sudden proved useful. It is fun and addictive.

Aaron Burdett

A deceptively simple game that quickly evolves into a solid puzzler. I thought it was going to be a breeze, but I was quickly proven wrong by the randomly generated cities and growing population.

I loved the minimal art style and soundtrack. It's tricky and addictive, but I can't help thinking the price is a bit steep for what it is.

James Rooney

I'm completely in love with this game. I like trying different strategies - it's so addictive.

Andy King

I love how you're thrown right into it - nothing is really explained but it's simple enough that you don't need a tutorial.

The ambient sounds, music, and overall presentation is also top notch. I'm sure there's going to be lots of strategies that people come up with, and it's definitely something I'll keep going back to.

Kainen Ryan

This is really boring. I've tried it but it's not very challenging and it looks bad. It makes me want to fall asleep as you watch your trains chug around the tracks.

I'm not enjoying it and I'm wondering what I'm missing as others seem to like it. This will be deleted and forgotten rather fast. I can see what they're going for but for me it's just dull.

Aaron Carey

Wow, this is brilliant! It's perfectly paced, beautifully crafted, and a sheer delight!

It's simple to start with but there's such depth here in terms of strategy - particularly when balancing the different types of station later in the game.

This is a game of the year contender for me.

Sjoerd de Jong

This is easily one of the best game I've played this year. It has a gorgeous artstyle.

It might not be the easiest game to learn, but that's part of the fun.

Matt Roll

Mini Metro is a top tier mobile game that's well suited to just about anyone. The minimalist design is perfectly crafted for touch and the gameplay is easy to pick up yet difficult to master.

I enjoyed the strategy of laying down routes but it's also fun to just sit back and watch the trains travel around picking up and dropping off passengers. This game will be a serious contender for mobile game of the year.

The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this. We also host regular community-driven events with them in mind like tournaments, giveaways, and multiplayer evenings. To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!
Chris James
Chris James
A footy game fanatic and experienced editor of numerous computing and game titles, lively Chris is up for anything - including running Steel Media! (Madman!)