Top 5 mobile games of 2018: Harry's picks of the year
Shoot the deputy
2018 has been a pretty brilliant year for mobile gaming. It might not be the greatest ever, but this year has seen the App Store and the Google Play Store stuffed to the gills, every week, with some truly impressive videogaming experiences. That's made making this list even more difficult than it might have been usually.
You see, for every amazing, massive, AAA mobile game, there were a handful of others that, while not as polished or impressive, probably spent longer on my iPhone than anything with more weight to it. These were games that sat somewhere between a snack and a light lunch - mobile gaming brunch, designed not to fill you up but to sate your desires until the next little session.
But after some trials and tribulations, I've managed to pare down my list to just five. These aren't necessarily the best games that came out in 2018, but they're the ones that managed to keep my attention for longest. And in a world where there's something new being thrown into your eyes at regular intervals, that's no bad thing.
Normally I'd say to add your disagreements in the comments section, but since these are my top 5 games of 2018, it'd be sort of weird if you tried to argue against it - but I would love to see your top 5's, so do share them. Oh, and happy Christmas and all that too. Right then, games.
New Star Soccer Manager
If you put more than 80 hours into a game and it doesn't make it onto your list of the best games of that year, then you've probably gone a bit wrong somewhere.
New Star Soccer Manager is the perfect mobile distillation of the stat-heavy management genre, designed to be played in short burst, simple to pick up, and chock full of rewards if you put the time in. I had to wean myself off it, that's how much I love this game.
Click here to find out more about New Star Soccer ManagerHoledown
It was a toss up as to whether Piffle or Holedown made it onto this list, but Holedown makes it because it takes what should be a free to play game and turns it into one of the best premium titles we've seen this year.
It's essentially an elongated game of Puzzle Bobble, and it's utterly brilliant. The hours I spent getting to the final chunk of the game were some of the most pleasant I spent playing all year.
Click here to find out more about Holedown
Shadowgun Legends
I know PUBG and Fortnite are going to be on plenty of mobile game of the year lists, but for me this was the best shooter that came out for mobile in 2018. Every time you play your gear gets a bit better, your character looks a bit meaner, and your guns get even more kill-y.
If you asked me to choose between only ever playing this or Destiny 2 again, there's a very good chance I'd pick Madfinger's game.
Click here to find out more about Shadowgun Legends
Sneak Ops
I'm awful at stealth games. It's actually pretty funny how bad I am. In the original Deus Ex I gave up after trying to sneak past the first giant robot, having my legs blown off, and scuttling around limbless for a while.
Sneak Ops makes stealth simple, elegant, and accessible to all, while still capturing the heart-stopping tension you feel when a guard turns around and looks in your direction.
Click here to find out more about Sneak OpsMind Cards
I couldn't tell you how many times I've played Mind Cards. I've got one achievement left to get, but I doubt I'll ever manage it. It's a wonderfully simple game of numbers. You've got HP, you've got food, and you've got a bunch of spells. You've also got a load of monsters to kill.
A game of Mind Cards lasts less than a minute, but I can guarantee that if it gets under your skin the idea of having just one go is going to be laughable.
Click here to find out more about Mind Cards