Top 32 best soft launch mobile games for iPhone, iPad or Android

• Publisher: Sega
• Platform: Android/iOS
• Country: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Turkey.

Sonic Rumble sees the blue blur returning to mobile, this time as a battle royale of sorts. In the mould of games like Stumble Guys and Fall Guys, it appears we can expect to dash around obstacle-filled courses, dodging the numerous hazards that threaten to eliminate us at every turn. It's definitely a set-up that suits Sonic and co, but is it entering a market that's already been conquered by Scopely? Only time will tell.

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• Publisher: Puzza
• Platform: Android
• Country: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States

Casual strategy games are all the rage these days, particularly on mobile. Anything that gives you a slight hit of feeling clever without required in-depth tactics that take forever to learn. Century Games' Crown of Bones is the latest attempt at sliding into that niche. It sees you joining the Skeleton King and his army as they battle through numerous realms.

It sports a colourful art style that reminds me somewhat of little toy towns and villages, something you might have created in real life as a child, perhaps. As for the gameplay, it pretty much consists of increasing your numbers, upgrading your troops and toppling your opponents. There are a few special items thrown in for good measure as well.

• Publisher: Nordeus Belgrade (Android), Nordeus (iOS)
• Platform: Android/iOS
• Country: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, and Taiwan

If you're a football fan, you're probably already aware of Nordeus as the folks behind the popular management sim Top Eleven. With their latest effort, Top Goal, they are swapping the touchline for the pitch as you take direct control over your squad, having a more active role in the outcome of a match. Still, it seems some of the strategic side remains as you build your squad and choose your formation before taking on other players in PvP.

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While it might seem as though the era of endless runners has passed on mobile, several still do very well, particularly if they have brand power behind them. Zapak hopes that Ben 10 Alien Run can join that list, putting a lot of stock in the popular children's cartoon pulling in the younger generation.

In it, you will dash around while transforming into one of nine different aliens, each bringing special abilities to the table. That might be creating a shield to block an enemy attack in one instance while another can clear the path ahead with laser beams. On top of that, there are the usual daily challenges and missions you'd expect from the genre.

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Dig into the list of games below and find out what you could be playing later this year, or right now if you've got the right account in the right region.

Oh My Anne is a match-3 game based on the popular novel series Anne of Green Gables. Players proceed through the story by completing levels and associated challenges.

It's certainly interesting to see Neowiz deciding to take established, historical (1908~) novels and their IP and spin them off into games. There's a question to be asked about brand recognition and 'crossover IP' when those IPs are not ones from the current vogue. We regularly see Warhammer and Marvel crossover games, but those things are currently 'in', Anne of Green Gables — and Oh My Anne — targets a different audience and plays on different rules of advertising.

Could there be a Dracula, Canterbury Tales or Beowolf games on the horizon if this takes off?

With March of Nations, developer Starfox Game promises a military strategy sim that combines tactics with more casual elements. There are four countries to choose from - the USSR, Germany, the USA and Japan, with each offering different troops to recruit. They range from regular infantry to tanks. Of course, a mixture of each variant will prove crucial in winning your battles. There are also commanders available who can turn the tide of battle with their special abilities.

Outside of the battles, your time is spent creating and developing your base of operations, something that's increasingly common in mobile games across multiple genres. As for game modes, March of Nations boasts several PvP options, including Arena and Legion Battles.

DeNA have taken a stab at the popular HunterxHunter IP with their 3D RPG Hunter's Journey. Much like a lot of anime fighters, it looks amazing, with 3rd person fighting interspaced with generous cutscenes and narrative. We've seen a fair bit of it in action now, and while we're not too familiar with the anime that it is adapted from, everything has looked phenomenal.

Here's the App Store Description (Translated):

"Hunter's Journey" is a genuine mobile game authorized and adapted from the famous Japanese IP "HUNTER x HUNTER", dedicated to creating an immersive 3D role-playing adventure experience. Through the combination of classic scenes, plots and delicate animation storyboards, the hunter's world view is truly restored. During the exploration of the main storyline and dungeons, all Hunter candidates can transform into original characters and visit Whale Island, Dore Port, Lost Melo Wetland, Sky Arena, Youkesin City... Enjoy exploring the Hunter world, and interact with Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio adventure and grow together!"

NetEase's Stumble Guys killer, Eggy Party, is rapidly moving toward its global release with seven new regions granted access to it in January of 2024, before that it was simply in the SEA region.

What's the big appeal? Well, if you're not sold in by the constant party, cheerful colours and multiplayer mania of Eggy Party, then maybe the map creation will be the thing to grab your attention. A bumbling race to the finish might be fun, but doing it on a map that you - or one of your friends - created is vastly more fun.

• Developer: Rollic Games
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Finland, and Denmark

Bullet Heroes sees you taking on the role of an elite sniper tasked with eliminating dozens of villains who are predictably up to no good. With each foe you dispatch, you can snag a few extra bullets, something that's also achieved by breaking the numerous blocks dotted around the place. The further you progress, the more upgrades you'll find for your ever-growing arsenal.

• Developer: Zynga
• Platforms: App Store/Google Play
• Country: Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom

Zynga, who you likely know for, well, many things, are working on a new addition to their growing merge catalogue. FruitFall – don't forget the double capital Fs – tasks you with merging fruits to beat each level. Simple, right? Judging by the store description, expect this to become more difficult as you progress.

At first, it'll likely be a case of simply merging fruit, while the latter stages will introduce troublesome crates and frozen fruit that need thawing out before becoming useful. Zynga claims each level brings something different, keeping the challenge fresh and fun. Time will tell if that's the case

• Developer: Uken
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden and the Philippines

Mattel Match: Toybox looks to bring together the company's many toys under one roof, including Uno, Masters of the Universe and, of course, Barbie. How? You might ask. Through match-3 puzzling, that's how.

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• Developer: Haiku Games
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, France, Germany and Denmark

As you'll likely have guessed from the name, Puzzletown Mysteries sees you unravel mysteries by solving puzzles. There is also a town involved. The overarching whodunit is whether poor Gladys slipped from her balcony or if she received a little push before toppling over the edge, while you'll also look into a case of stolen cats.

• Developer: Nvizzio Creations
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: Australia, Canada, New Zealand

As you've likely already guessed from the name, we're talking tower defence here. Here, the slight twist on the usual formula is that, alongside setting up your various defences, you'll actually build the map your enemies will march down. Of course, that's something we've seen before, but it's a fun twist nevertheless. I'm quite fond of the visuals, which have a super clean and easy-to-read look that's just shy of qualifying as minimalist.

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• Developer: GFAL
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: Malaysia, Canada, the UK, Algeria and the Philippines

Diamond Dreams is looking to bring a sense of elegance to the match-3 genre. The whole idea is that you're working towards crafting some stunning jewellery that, I have to say, looks far better than it possibly needs to.

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• Developer: Moon Active
• Platforms: Android
• Country: United States, India, United Kingdom, Romania, Canada, Sweden, Poland, The Philippines

Given the immense popularity of Monopoly Go, it seemed inevitable that similar games would pop up eventually. Coin Master – Board Adventure from Moon Active is one such attempt. Having already achieved success with Coin Master, I'd imagine this will also do incredibly well.

• Developer: Hidea
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: Canada, Indonesia, the UK, and the US

Cats & Soup has made a name for itself in recent times with its lovely aesthetic and focus on feline companions. While it's still a fairly familiar idle RPG, the focus on cosiness helped it stand out from a massive crowd. Evidently buoyed by its success, a spin-off called Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe is now in the works. Once again, the team are taking on a familiar mobile genre, bringing some warm-fuzzy cuteness to the merge-and-match realm. The aim is to cook delicious recipes, build a lovely home for your kitties, and make friends with new cats.

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• Developer: Moonton
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa

The Lite version of mobile games is something we've seen previously, with PUBG Mobile Lite being the example you're likely most familiar with. Predominantly, this is a stripped-back version designed with lower-spec devices in mind. From a business and consumer perspective, it means more people can play something than before, which is usually a good thing. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Lite then, will let more people enjoy Moonton's excellent MOBA.

• Developer: Jam City
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: German, the UK, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, the Philippines, Uruguay

The humble match-3 will likely never lose popularity on mobile. It's simple to understand and great for playing on the go since it hits a nice spot between relaxing and engaging the brain. It's not surprising, then, that we often have big franchises delve into the genre. The latest to try their white-gloved hand is Disney with Disney Magic Match 3D. In it, you'll remove colourful clutter. No, really. Check out Catherine's preview to learn more.

• Developer: Warner Bros
• Platforms: Android
• Country: The Philippines, Indonesia, Sweden, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, and Switzerland.

While George R R Martin might have no interest in finishing his own book series, there is still plenty of Game of Thrones content to enjoy. Dragonfire is the latest, a tile-based strategy game that lets you put the titular fire-breathing winged beasties to work. But it's not simply sending them into battle. You will hatch and train them, taking your little fiery friend from a cute baby to a creature capable of barbecuing enemy villages.

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• Developer: Rovio
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: Finland

Sometimes, a name is all you need to get the gist of what's going on, and Angry Birds Match is one such example. It sees our favourite grumbly tweeters (no, not those grumbly tweeters) in the usual match-3 setup. While it's not the most exciting of announcements, there's always a demand for these types of puzzlers, and a well-executed one is good fun. So I'm intrigued to see how this will turn out.

• Developer: Imangi Studios
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey

Aside from the obvious flock and little green candy-loving monster, there are few games more iconic on mobile than Temple Run. That's why the announcement of a third has got us excited here at Pocket Gamer. But do those simple yet effective mechanics stand up after all these years, or are massive changes needed? Well, check out Catherine's Temple Run 3 preview to see what she thought.

• Developer: FunPlus
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States

FunPlus, who you may know from State of Survival and DC: Dark Legion, among others, appears to be working on a new game. This one's called Dark Shot Survival and sees you building up a base to fend off night creatures (yes, they look like zombies to me, too). The whole thing seems to centre around a day/night cycle, wherein you spend the waking hours gathering resources and fortifying your base. Then, when the sun goes down, you'll need to fend off the zomb— sorry, night creatures, with all your might.

We all love Fruit Ninja, but if there's one criticism you can throw its way, it's that it didn't have much else going for it beyond slicing up fruit. Adventure looks to change this by introducing a level-based approach that sees you solving puzzles alongside stabbing melons. You can also unlock new weapons and abilities as you progress, presumably allowing you to dice a kiwi in untold ways.

• Developer: Rovio
• Platforms: Android
• Country: United States

Angry Birds Rush sees Rovio's recognisable avians slinging themselves into a different genre. By the looks of things, Rush is an endless runner that sees you bouncing through various colourful locales all inspired by the series' many other games. It doesn't appear to be a straightforward runner, though, with slingshot elements still present to some extent.

• Developer: Steer Studios
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Brazil, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia

There are few cartoon duos more iconic than Tom & Jerry. I'm not even a huge fan of them, but they'd certainly spring to mind if I had to name two long-standing cartoon rivals. It's that instant recognition that probably helped Steer Studios decide it was an IP worth working with. Tom and Jerry Blast is a puzzler that, based on the screenshots, sees you tapping your way through each level and using boosters if they ever become overly tricky.

• Developer: Puzala
• Platforms: Android
• Country: The Philippines, the US, Thailand, the UK, Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy and several others

You wouldn't necessarily put sailing the seven seas and tower defence together, but that's exactly what Puzala is going for with Stormborn Era. In it, you take charge of Black Sam and his crew, defending their ship from the hordes of enemies that have nothing better to do with their time than attack a big boat.

• Developer: Fingersoft
• Platforms: Android
• Country: UK, Norway, Sweden, and Finland

It's been almost ten years since Hill Climb Racing 2 launched, so it likely feels about time for a sequel for fans of wacky, physics-based driving. In the third instalment, you can expect plenty of special gadgets and handy boosts for increasing your performance on the bouncy track. There are also the plentiful customisation options on offer that any self-respecting racer needs. If we can't pimp our ride, what's the point?

The Girls Frontline series has proven incredibly popular over the years. Apparently, conventionally attractive women with guns will always do well. Who knew? Anyway, you can check out Catherine's Ahead of the Game to see if it's more than just a surface-level shooter. 

Cute little penguins running around an obstacle course in Fall/Stumble Guys fashion? Haven't we already seen this with Pudgy Party? Apparently, Smilegate thinks they can do better, and personally, I'm all for it. Penguins are wonderful little creatures, and the more games where they're the star, the better. It sees you participating in 10-minute matches where the aim is to get your beak across the line first. 

While Clans of London is set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, it doesn't use the usual RPG formula you might be expecting. Instead, it's a fast-paced CCG where you participate in five-minute bouts that only last seven turns. It's very much in the style of Marvel Snap, then, which is a great place to draw influence from. I only wonder if this particular setting has enough oomph behind it to get this one off the ground. Not everyone has the MCU to lean on, after all.

FairyTale Quest is a roguelite action RPG in the style of something like Vampire Survivors. And its characters? Well, as you've likely guessed, they're all pulled from traditional stories. So you can expect the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood to fight by your side. They can put aside their differences for the greater good, it seems.