Mobile gaming is part of the norm, no matter what gamers say. It should come as no surprised as people are on their phones for about… 16 hours a day to go on the internet, watch Netflix/Youtube, listen to music, so why should gaming naturally not be one of them?
That said, there are a lot of companies that try to cash in on that fact. We have your big ones, your small ones and …the bootlegs that copy other games and then try to pass it off as their own. (Has anyone SEEN that one knock-off Pokemon game that looks like a Nintendo lawsuit waiting to happen?)
But there also a lot of games that are frankly… the same thing. So being the RPG anime who likes free things-connoisseur that I am, I made a list of 5 different types of games you might find interesting. They may share the same elements as other games such as Gacha games (named after toy-capsule vending machines) or wait times which is understandable for free games, but I will also be taking into account of how intrusive it is to the gameplay.
Postknight
Postknight is an RPG side-scroller where you play as a Postknight: postal workers who are also trained to fight monsters and travel through treacherous terrain to deliver mail. The game has a main storyline and sidequests in which you fight through stages. The fighting mechanic is simple as your character will automatically move and attack your enemies, taking damage of both theirs and your own health. You can aid your character by activating a charge attack, shield and potions which have cool down periods. Levelling up and progressing the storyline unlocks new armour and weapons which can be upgraded. Another unique mechanic is the romanceable villagers who will give you items if you raise their affections.
The ads are entirely non-intrusive, only being optional if you are out of health or need extra gems. Best of all, the game can be played offline, thus being quite handy for when you’re underground and in need of entertainment. Feel like a true knight, one mail at a time!
Food Fantasy
Food Fantasy is an RPG management/adventure game based on personifications of food – that’s right, adorable anime-style cute/cool characters based on FOOD. The game has a grandiose plot about a war between humans and ‘Food Souls’. Now working side by side, your character, who is a new restaurant-owner, hires these Food Souls to help them by working and collecting ingredients, while also being embroiled in a deeper story. The game is story-driven through completing missions and chapters. During these missions, your characters fight monsters called Fallen Angels, and while it can feel a little boring as they attack automatically, with you being able to activate their specials, but there are different skills and food combo attacks which allow for different strategies. Outside of those, you can also use your Food Souls to do other activities such as cooking or serving in your restaurant, and also going on their own unique quests.
A beautifully designed game, with lots of lore and characters to sink your teeth into – literally! (Okay, not literally.)
Game of Dice
Game of Dice is an interesting strategy board game where you play against different players and bankrupt them all to win. It is a sort of monopoly meets Yu-Gi-Oh as the aim is to get around the board, earn money, buy properties and make sure your opponent loses money and goes bankrupt – with the addition of skill cards to give you advantages like gaining money, moving character pieces or increasing your property income. There are different game modes and also different maps with different focuses (such as ones that increase money by the thousands, making it a quicker match.) There is of course, a gacha for new characters, new dice and new cards with skills that you can adapt best to your own play style. Of course, there are some problems with RNG and luck but that’s just how any game works.
The game has no advertisements but does have alot of pay to win elements for high characters, money, etc. However, the game is very generous with its money and at its core, the game is still all down to luck (which even money can’t help) so it is still even playing grounds. Give it a try and you may fall trap to the gambling mercy of… well gambling.
Cooking Quest
Cooking Quest is an RPG management games and while there is a few wait times, there is a lot to do.. The plot is set in a world where… there is no food (I… That’s just what it is). The main character, on his last legs, is saved by a random bear chef (Again, don’t question it) that saves his life by feeding him. He then decides that with the help of his bear chef, he will set up a travelling food wagon to sell dishes around the world. The game is split into 3 separate screens, helping you to organise yourself with something new happening in each screen from managing your wagon to the “real” gameplay, which are the dungeons. You hire adventurers via gacha who automatically fight through them, getting ingredients for your wagon. If they are defeated, they restart a few levels down and won’t progress unless you spend some gold to improve their armour, weapon and stats. There are 6 towns to unlock, which in turn unlock new recipes. You can use the money you earn to unlock more chefs, dungeon slots and even the design of your wagon. The ads are not intrusive at all, coming in the form of little balloons you can “pop” to receive bonuses such as ingredients, gold or an increase of customers. Definitely the definition of bite-sized enjoyment, the game will have you managing your screens like you’re managing some pans. (Terrible pun, let’s not dwell on it too long.)
Ending Days
Ending Days is a unique dungeon crawler-esque strategy RPG where you have 100 days to defeat the demon lord. And when you defeat him, you can do it again. And again. And again – as many times as you want. The game allows randomised events that change with each playthrough with varying difficulty levels. You play as two different heroes (each playthrough gives you points that you can use to purchase new ones) who travel the world in order to get more powerful and defeat the demon lord within the 100 days. Apart from that, you are given free reign to travel to towns or tackle dungeons or demon generals and customise your characters and their skills as you want. The style of the game is very reminiscent of traditional turn-based RPGs but more rigid and straight forward. The game has no advertisements and is available to play offline also aswell. A good game for when you’re bored and want to play a quick adventure, but can become repetitive.
So these are my top 5 games I have to offer. Have you played these games before? If so, what did you think of them?
Ominous Beep 