In the .biz realm, we often find ourselves wrapped up in the investments, deals and stats of the gaming world (and rightly so), but it’s also important to highlight the games themselves – the fruits of the labour that can only appear after years of research, funding and, of course, development.
So here are the most exciting new mobile games right now, the developers and publishers behind them, and why, exactly, they’ve made the cut.
Coromon
Multiplatform developer Freedom Games has finally brought its pixel-graphics strategy RPG Coromon to mobile, landing on iOS and Android 18 months on from its launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch. It pairs a retro artstyle with classic monster-catching gameplay that takes clear inspiration from earlier Pokémon titles, with cute creatures evolving into powerhouses as they level up and players progress through the game.
On mobile Coromon is a “try before you buy” game, meaning the early game is available for free but players are gated from progression by a necessary one-off payment. This unlocks the rest of the game – including a 30+ hour narrative, online battles and endless postgame content. There’s also a randomizer mode and difficulty settings – features Pokémon fans have been asking for in monster battlers for years. But Coromon isn’t just a Pokémon-like. It’s its own take on the monster-collecting RPG formula taking its own spin on boss battles and with over 120 unique creatures from the buff landshark Megalobite to the barbed crow Gildwing.
This marks Freedom Games’ third title to come to mobile, following in the footsteps of Tyrant’s Blessing and Mars Base. Notably, all three of this dev’s mobile titles are gated by one-time payments, though Coromon has taken a slightly different approach by allowing curious players to start out for free.
Metria
Asobimo’s latest tale of bonds and adventures is action RPG Metria, a flashy, vibrant new game with an anime-esque artstyle and plenty of real-time combat to dive into. Metria’s official launch is being celebrated with loads of login bonuses and a swathe of rewards for reaching beyond 200,000 pre-registrations.
Players can meet a whole heap of characters in Metria, and not all of them human; from the inheritor of legendary powers Rio Calquinos to the mysterious demi-human Aru, there’s no shortage of interesting designs here.
Available on iOS and Android, Metria is the latest in a long line of Asobimo mobile games – Stellacept Online, Against War, and the growing Avabel series among them. The latter is the most visually similar to Metria with that same bright anime artstyle, with Avabel Online fast approaching its 11th anniversary on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Astrune Academy
It’s a good week to be an RPG fan as Astrune Academy marks a third on this list. It’s out on Google Play and the Apple App Store as the latest release from Japanese studio and JRPG wizard Kemco, seeing players join students at the titular Astrune Academy – a school abound with aspiring sorcerers and transforming magical girls.
The game takes a retro approach with pixel-graphic battles and anime character portraits, with designs typically reflecting a character’s speciality. For example, Spica the pink-haired sorceress has mastery of fire while the green-haired Mimosa takes on the role of a wind mage. Naturally, characters’ elements come with advantages and disadvantages depending on their matchups in battle.
Astrune Academy joins an incredibly long list of mobile Kemco RPGs such as Blacksmith of the Sand Kingdom, Alvastia Chronicles, Gale of Windoria, Hiers of the Kings and the deck-building roguelite RPG Overrogue. Notably, all of Kemco’s mobile releases are premium products accessible only via upfront payments, deviating from the popular free-to-play model seen in the majority of mobile games.
Warcraft Rumble
Blizzard Entertainment’s latest game is proving a wild hit already with almost $4 million in revenue after only four days. Roughly half of that has come from players in the US, and with no Chinese release as of yet, it’s clear that for now the game is dominating in the West.
Warcraft Rumble is a strategy tower defence game on iOS and Android with the full release coming more than one year on from reveal. It saw an early access launch at the beginning of 2023, but finally the full version has launched and players everywhere have their hands on this made-for-mobile title. There are over 65 minis available to battle with from the famous Warcraft IP and plenty of game modes to jump into – from PvE missions to PvP combat and event dungeon quests to take on.
As well as World of Warcraft, Blizzard is of course known for Hearthstone, Diablo, Overwatch and more – a true master of the mobile world.
Tiny Connections
Blending strategic thinking with puzzle challenges and grid-based gameplay, Tiny Connections tasks mobile players with connecting networks between houses and infrastructures within a limited number of moves. Each house needs essential services and those of the same colour must be linked to their respective stations, all while avoiding entangling network lines with other colours.
Developer Short Circuit Studio has released Tiny Connections on iOS and Android with a clear eye for aesthetics; the artstyle is simple yet stimulating, colourful but not overbearing. And the maps are even inspired by real-world locations, with new challenges each day to keep players engaged and global leaderboards to tap into gamers’ competitive natures.
Tiny Connections is free to download and monetised through ads and in-app purchases. It further establishes Short Circuit’s high-quality indie vibe with visuals just as pretty as seen in former titles Luminosus and Teeny Tiny Town.
