Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary: Cookies and cars

In today's Pocket Gamer 20th anniversary celebration article, we've hit 2021. Thanks to a certain... let's say ongoing event, it's somewhat merged with 2020 in my brain, making it hard to distinguish between the two. Thankfully, through the power of research, I've managed to separate them into something vaguely resembling sense. So, let's see what the year had to offer, shall we?

The 'ongoing event' did at least provide some amusement for me since it meant the 2020 Tokyo Olympics took place in 2021. I appreciate it's not that funny, or even funny at all, but my sense of humour is often odd. Okay... moving on...

In the cinema, Spider-Man: No Way Home topped the box office charts, proving that fan service can sell anything. Elsewhere, a big lizard and a similarly massive gorilla engaged in fisticuffs while Daniel Craig bowed out of playing Bond after taking on the role for five films. While many didn't like the grittier take on the character, I didn't mind it. Although I have only watched Casino Royale. Maybe it grated more over time. 

As for music, Olivia Rodrigo burst onto the scene with Drivers License and Good 4 U. And while the grammar there upsets me on a personal level, they're good pop songs. I shall not take that away from you, Olivia. Ed Sheeran was also doing big numbers, as is standard for the guy at this point. For me, my favourite album arrived at the end of the year with Volbeat's Servant of the Mind. Was it drastically different from their other albums? Not really. And I didn't want it to be, frankly.

On PC and console, it wasn't a year that particularly interested me, with a lot of the big hitters including Forza Horizon 5, Psychonauts 2, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Instead, my standout was Little Nightmares II. It maintained the unrelenting creepiness of the original and had a far more interesting story. I've not played the third. However, given that Tarsier isn't involved, I doubt I ever will. Which reminds me, I must try Reanimal.

For mobile, PUBG continued to print money while Genshin Impact also remained popular. We also saw Netflix join the gaming subscription service world, offering a bunch of cool indies as part of your existing package. But away from the big hitters, plenty of great new stuff was released. You can even check out our big list of the games we reviewed in 2021 if you'd like. Or, if you'd prefer more of a snapshot, read on!

Indies’ Lies

Ever since Slay the Spire, developers have been keen to get involved with the roguelike card action. I can't say I blame them, either. It's a compelling loop for a certain type of player that seems immune to over-saturation. That said, not every roguelike deck builder is a winner. Indies' Lies, however, absolutely is. Iffy name aside, it delivers on all fronts. Just read Catherine's review to learn why!

League of Legends: Wild Rift

One with potential to become a big hitter was Riot's League of Legends: Wild Rift. Clearly not content with dominating the PC MOBA world, the developer shifted their attention to mobile, likely intrigued by the success of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings. Thankfully, it plays really well, doing no harm to Riot's reputation on that front. However, for me, it came a little too late, and I'd rather play MLBB. Still, doesn't mean it's bad.

My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge

Over the years, Devolver Digital has given mobile as much respect as PC and console, which is something I love about them. Besides the many other reasons to be a fan, of course. With My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge, the team didn't simply port over the popular side-scrolling shooter; they made it with mobile in mind, and the result is glorious.

Rocket League Sideswipe

In a similar vein, Psyonix's Rocket League Sideswipe isn't the same 3D cars-playing-football experience. Instead, the developers opted to move it to a 2D, side-on perspective. And yet, that decision hasn't come at the cost of the intensity of the matches or the skill level. The controls are surprisingly easy to get to grips with, meaning you'll be soaring through the air scoring the vehicular equivalent of a bicycle kick in no time.

Cookie Run: Kingdom

Devsisters' Cookie Run: Kingdom is beloved by our very own Cristina, which is why you see many guides for it popping up across the site. And since, naturally, we all have great taste in games, CRK is ludicrously popular in general. Why? It's a nice blend of cutesy graphics and is generally good fun. There's enough depth in each character's build that it doesn't feel too easy either. Don't let those sweet aesthetics fool you.

As always, I'd like to end by giving a few shout-outs to some excellent ports that released for mobile. In 2021, we had Huntdown, Night in the Woods, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Alien: Isolation.