Five free games for iPhone, Android and iPad you'll actually play for hours – you won't touch your PS5 or Xbox for weeks

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

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THERE'S no end of games for your phones and tablets – but plenty of them are a bit rubbish.
I'm The Sun's tech editor and I've spent hundreds of hours tapping and swiping my way through mobiles games to find the best free gems that you'll actually want to play.
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Wild Rift is a mobile version of League of Legends
Credit: Riot Games
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The game has an all-star cast of characters – and you may recognise some of them from hit Netflix animated series Arcane
Credit: Riot Games
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You'll battle for control of a map in a bid to destroy the opposing team's Nexus
Credit: Riot Games
In fact, I'm convinced this lot of titles is so good that you'll even snub your PS5 or Xbox – at least for the moment.
Better still, all five of them are available on iPhone, Android, and iPad, so there's something for everyone.
These games are truly brilliant, with hours of replayability, immense depth, and no upfront fees to play.
Best mobile game #1 – Wild Rift
First on my list is Wild Rift, which is a mobile version of PC gaming mega-hit League of Legends.
It's a fantasy MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) where two teams face off with the aim of dominating a battleground.
There are dozens of magical and mystical characters to play, each with different abilities.
And though it's easy to pick up, it could you take years to truly master.
As you progress through the game, you'll find yourself battling more skilled players, so you'll never be short of a challenge.
And Riot Games' Wild Rift is constantly being updated with new characters, modes, and mini-games, so there's always something to do.
Best mobile game #2 – Polytopia
Polytopia is a fiendishly replayable "4X" game – that stands for Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate.
Watch trailer for Old-School RuneScape's Varlamore expansion
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Polytopia is a colourful and thrilling strategy game
Credit: Midjiwan AB
You're set loose upon a map occupied by opposing tribes, and it's your goal to build a civilisation, conquer your enemies, and dominate the world. All through your phone screen.
The game is turn-based and involves a decent amount of strategy, and is easily paused for you to come back later. It also works offline, so this is a great option for flights.
It feels far easier to pick up than the hit Civilisation game series – and is bright, colourful, and suits shorter gameplay sessions.
You can ramp up the difficulty of the AI, the number of enemies, and size of the map for extended games – or trim it all back for a quick session.
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You invest points in a talent tree to customise your gameplay style
Credit: Midjiwan AB
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You're tasked with dominating and destroying opposing tribes
Credit: Midjiwan AB
And because there are so many different tribes with different perks, you can come at the game from lots of different play-styles.
Best mobile game #3 – Kingdom Rush
Kingdom Rush is an entire series of games that kicked off back in 2011.
They're not all free, but the first one is – and it's a cracker.
Kingdom Rush is a tower defence game set in a medieval fantasy realm where you control wizards, archers, and knights to fend off baddies.
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Kingdom Rush is one of the best tower defence games for mobile devices
Credit: Ironhide Game Studio
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You'll upgrade your defences to stop a horde of baddies
Credit: Ironhide Game Studio
Your reinforcements and power-ups get more sophisticated as you progress through increasingly difficult levels.
And the thrill of creating a truly epic defence is like no other.
The Kingdom Rush games are fun and don't take themselves too seriously. They're also easy to pick up, with relatively short levels that can easily be enjoyed on a commute or during a lunch break.
And you'll probably find yourself wanting to pay for the sequels. I certainly did.
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Waves of baddies become stronger as the game progresses – but your ability to defend yourself improves too
Credit: Ironhide Game Studio
MOBILE GAMING – THE GAME HAS CHANGED
Here's a quick take from The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach...
Back in the day, most mobile games were cheap and cheerful – but no match for console titles.
Soon game makers clocked on to the fact that pretty much everyone has a smartphone and/or tablet.
And very few people have consoles by comparison.
So developers have poured huge amounts of money into making mobile games, resulting in plenty of brilliant console-rivalling titles.
Pair that with the fact that the latest phones and tablets have very impressive computing power, pixel-dense displays, and access to fast internet, and you'll soon find you've basically got a console in your pocket.
You can also upgrade your phone or tablet by connecting a Bluetooth controller (like the PlayStation's DualSense joypad) for more console-like gaming.
And you could also enjoy actual console games by using a game streaming service like Xbox Cloud Gaming.
You'll save money on a console, and get even more value out of the mobile you're already paying for. Mobile gaming is a no-brainer!
Picture Credit: Sean Keach
Best mobile game #4 – Old School RuneScape
RuneScape is such a global hit that it almost needs no introduction.
This is the relaunched 2013 "old school" version of the hit massively-multiplayer online role-playing game based on its 2007 version.
Created by British studio Jagex, RuneScape drops you into a vast fantasy world filled with brilliant quests, fearsome bosses, and endless areas to explore.
This is the sort of game you lose days, not hours, to.
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Old School RuneScape is one of the biggest games on mobile, and can easily provide hundreds of hours of gameplay
Credit: Jagex
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The whimsical medieval MMORPG gives players plenty of freedom in terms of gameplay style
Credit: Jagex
It's one of the greatest games ever created and remains wildly popular to this day – so it's a miracle that you can enjoy it on a smartphone.
The game receives regular updates with new content, and has a large online community to play with, so every game session feels different.
RuneScape's very large base game is free, but you can upgrade it with a monthly membership to unlock an absolutely enormous selection of new zones, quests, and more if you prefer.
My only warning: this game is so good, you might find it difficult to put down.
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There's also a PVP element if you're interested in taking on other players
Credit: Jagex
Best mobile game #5 – Hearthstone
Created by World of Warcraft titans Activision Blizzard, Hearthstone is a beautiful and brilliant online card game.
You collect virtual trading cards to build decks that you can then use to battle against the computer or other players.
And all of the cards are themed around the Warcraft universe, featuring iconic characters and spells from the smash-hit fantasy game.
Hearthstone is very simple to pick up but progresses to very high-level strategy if that's your interest.
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Hearthstone is a trading card game in virtual form
Credit: Activision Blizzard
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You'll use the cards that you collect to battle against the computer or even other players
Credit: Activision Blizzard
And you can play on your own, against a pal, or even versus total strangers.
Blizzard is constantly releasing new cards and decks for Hearthstone, so it never gets stale.
And you don't need to spend a penny on it if you don't want.
This is one of the slickest card games out there, and works just as well on a small phone screen as it does on a giant iPad.
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New cards and decks are constantly being added to the game
Credit: Activision Blizzard