Innovation in the mobile technology sector has driven a huge influx in gaming apps available for our smartphones and tablets. Portable devices now boast processor power that puts to shame what consoles of a decade ago could muster, eliminating many limitations software developers used to have to compete with and enabling them to produce ever more impressive titles.
We take a look at some of the most unmissable card and poker games available for your iPhone and Android today.
1. Apex Legends Mobile
As handheld devices have become more powerful we’ve seen a flood of titles receive ports from PC and consoles, a wide variety documented by https://makeanapplike.com/ including PUBG, Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, Call of Duty. Next to join the fray is Apex Legends Mobile from Respawn Entertainment.
If you’re coming to the mobile game from the console version, you’ll notice that the gameplay isn’t quite as fast paced or snappy but that is quickly forgotten when you experience the graphics and handling, which are more or less unmatched on a mobile device. It’s a multiplayer, first (and third) person shooter where you play as a member of a team of three and choose one of the original nine legends from the console game – each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
2. 888 Poker
A market leader in the digital poker landscape, 888poker has provided millions of poker fans with a platform for casual games and tournaments at their site, https://www.888poker.com/. Their poker app is of the same high standard that you’d expect if you’re familiar with their browser-based experience.
Crisp graphics and animations, ‘play money’ lobbies for beginners and casual match-ups, and seamless integration with their renowned casino site make it the one-stop shop for all your mobile poker needs. You can play classic variants of Texas hold ‘em and Omaha as well ‘sit and go’ and scheduled tournaments plus 888’s own ‘blast’ and ‘snap’ games.
3. Pocket Ants
Loosely based on the cult hit ‘SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony’ which was released for PC and Amiga systems in 1991, https://www.ariel-games.com/ highlights Pocket Ants is a fantastic little time filler for when you’re stuck on the commute or have a few minutes to yourself. Take control of a fledgling ant colony in which you sniff out food, take on enemy nests, and battle armies of termites.
Thanks to its free-to-play pricing model, you won’t need to part with any cash in order to play unless you want to access some of the rarer upgrades and there are no in-game ads to interrupt the fun either. We loved checking in on our nest occasionally to instruct newly hatched workers on what needed doing and we also learned a bit about how ant colonies function at the same time.
4. Lingo
You’d be hard-pressed to have missed the Wordle buzz that ‘won the internet’ at the beginning of the year. A simple word guessing game developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle saw huge numbers of us sharing our results on our social media platforms.
It’s since been acquired by The New York Times but one of the drawbacks of the game is that you’re restricted to only one puzzle per day. If that doesn’t satisfy your worldling needs, there’s always Lingo which is the same concept but packaged as an app with no limits on the number of puzzles you can attempt.
5. Lichess
Perhaps Chess.com’s biggest rival is the free and open source internet chess server Lichess.org. It might not attract the world’s best-known grandmasters but the chess experience they offer is first-rate and run entirely by a non-profit organization.
Bullet, blitz, rapid, classic and custom matches are available as well as a wealth of tournaments, puzzles and lessons to help improve your game. Roughly 80,000 chess fanatics enjoy the Lichess platform at any one time so you’ll never be short of a decent pairing.
6. SuperAutoPets
This might be the most addictive game on this list and at first glance, it might be difficult to see why. Ostensibly, a small army of cute but simply drawn animals is pitted against one another with a series of stats deciding the eventual winner.
But somehow this auto-battler will have you immediately putting yourself back into the action as soon as the game has finished. Each animal has a unique ability and the strategy comes from creating an army with powerful attributes and good synergies. Found on https://teamwoodgames.com/, SuperAutoPets is a free-to-play game that has both critical and popular acclaim and due to its simplicity will run well on any device, no matter how old.
7. Papers, Please
Papers, Please was first released in 2013 and nearly ten years later, the smash hit has seen a full Android and iOS port. The game sees you manning the border control office in a fictional, dystopian dictatorship nation of Arstotzka, scrutinizing the documents of all those trying to immigrate into your homeland. Papers, Please is an example of a game that has you questioning your own sense of morality and having to endure the consequences of your actions.
There are now hundreds of entertaining games available at the touch of a button, with all tastes and styles catered for. Give some of the titles on this list a go today but you might find yourself losing track of time, so make sure you don’t forget your backup battery.
Top 10 Poker Video Games
- Zynga Poker
- World Championship Poker 2
- World Series of Poker
- Poker Night 2
- Prominence Poker
- Pure Hold’em
- Poker Games: World Poker Club
- Jackpot Poker
- Appeak Poker
- 888 Poker
List of Best Card Games for Android
- Clash Royale
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links
- Hearthstone
- AI Factory Limited Card Games
- UNO!
- Plants vs. Zombies™ Heroes
- Legends of Runeterra
- PokerStars Poker: Texas Holdem
- GWENT: The Witcher Card Game
- Microsoft Solitaire Collection
Best Poker & Card Games You Can Play on Android and iPhone
- Ascension
- Blackjack 21
- Cultist Simulator
- Card Thief
- Evolution: The Video Game
- Clue
- Exploding Kittens
- Cribbage With Grandpas
- Hearts Mobile
- Krosmaga
