Mobile games

[zespri]

Sorry, don't have a lot of android experience and open source is kind of a moot point for iOS. I've heard only once about an open source project for iOS and I already forgot what it was.
Also I don't really like CCG. I put up with shadow era and hearthstone but that's about it. Here is the list of card games for iOS that I played (good half of them "board" game based as card games go):

- San Juan
- Tanto Cuore
- Fluxx ( actively did not like this one)
- Ascension
- Nightfall
- Dominon (however there is no proper implementation for iOS, all I've seen are crappy unlicensed ones)
- Yomi
- Spectromancer
- Shadow Era
- Dead man draw (a very simplistic/shallow and rng based one, but I liked it for some time)
- Sol Forge
- Caculords
- Hearthstone
- Tyrant ( this is kongrgate freemium with the model where the game plays itself you just build a deck - you've been warned)

[Misery]

Yeah, I can list a few. Most of my current ones (damn thing can only hold so many at once) are not of the strategy/card sort, since there's a bunch I'm already playing on PC here.

But let's have a go at listing a few..... for once, I'll attempt to keep this short.

Be aware though, that if you're looking for some long, "heavy", story-based experience.... you'll probably not find it on my list.  Oh, that sort of game exists on here, it does.... the sort that most console players seem to consider to be the "real games" *cough*.  But I have zero patience and I tend to hate all story elements in most games, so I dont give a crap.  Shmups, arcadey things, roguelikes, strategy, and sandbox is what you'll find here.  Oh, and puzzle games too, and platformers.  All of the same sorts of things I play on PC.

.....also actually looking at my full list of stuff is.... difficult.  Itunes:  I freaking LOATHE it.  It's decided "Hey, I feel asleep, so I'm only going to show you a bit over half of them, and the others, yeah, heck with that *snore*".    I can see things on my iPad that arent listed on iTunes.... ugh.   Like I said, those other types of devices?  Not having to use iTunes is a MAJOR advantage. 


Let's get the shmups out of the way first.  Some of them, anyway, since a certain program wont let me look at my own damn account correctly.  They're what I have the most of.  I consider this thing to be the absolute best platform for shmups in existence, outdoing both the consoles and the PC, this being because when done right (and it's very easy to do right), the controls are freaking PERFECTION, something I've never, ever said about any PC or console shmup.  Cave's games though get the "side buttons" kinda wrong, but that's a minor thing.

Shmup list:

Dodonpachi Maximum
Dodonpachi Resurrection
Dodonpachi Blissful Death
Mushihime-sama (listed on iOS as "Bug Princess"....sigh)
Mushihima-sama Futari (Bug Princess 2.... okay, right, that IS the literal translation of the name, but it sounds dumb nonetheless...)
ESPGaluda 2
Darius Burst
Shogun
SuperOxWars (This one is by Jeff Minter.  If you recognize his name, I shouldnt need to explain further.  I buy anything he puts out.)
rRootage (yes, spelled that way, not a typo)
Geometry Wars Touch
AngerSomethingSomething (okay... cant see full name of game on list here.... recent shmup though, it'll come to me eventually....)
InfinityDanger (similar to Warning Forever)

There's more of those, but you get the picture.  If I had to choose which ones are best, ahh.... DDP Maximum, DDP Resurrection, and Darius Burst. 


Next, Roguelikes, or anything that in any way resembles an RPG.  Turns out I do actually have a couple of JRPG style game here too, had forgotten about these.... normally I dont play that sort, but THESE arent made by Square, and thus do not suck.

Avernum HD (Hardcore PC-style RPG.  Genre fans only.... this is not an accessible game.  This series can also be found on Steam, but I was happy to see a port on here, and it's quite well done so far.)

Rogue Ninja (if you've heard of Chunsoft, this plays like their stuff, which is why I have it)
Zaga33 (roguelike.  Hard to explain.)
888-HACK (roguelike.  Even harder to explain.  By the same guy that did Zaga.  I love the heck outta both of these.)
Nethack (it's freaking Nethack.)
100 Rogues (Very, very good.  Very, very rage-inducing.  You'll die.  Alot.)
Wayward Souls (I think I got the name right... this one is very recent.  It's also bloody fantastic.  Buy it.  No, just go buy it, right now.)
Dungeon Crawlers (Yay, generic name.  Sort of a tactics-style RPG, good humor in this one)
Chronus Arc (RPG)
Brogue
Ending (I freaking love this one.  It does not love me back)
Hoplite
Aralon
Baroque (One of my favorite games of all time.  Normally found on the PS2 or Wii (argh). Definitely NOT the best port... they botched the controls a bit.  But I like it nonetheless.)

Strategy/Puzzle:

Rymdkapsel
Picross
QatQi
PuzzleJuice (ah, this one hates me)
ZONR
ERA HD (not sure if that's the full name.... tower defense type, very good.  I like tower defense.)
BlockLegend
Quads SP (AGH TOO MANY TETRIS AT ONCE)
Strategery

Arcade:

Space Inversion 1 & 2
Arkanoid HD
Super Mega Worm
Super Crate Box (JUST GO BUY THIS NOW.  Particularly if you want to see action-game controls done PROPERLY, these guys know what they're doing.  THis is also found on PC.)
Gridrunner (Jeff Minter)
Minotaur Rescue (Minter again)
ElectroMaster
Five A Day (More Minter.  This one's weird, even for him)
Galaga 30th Anniversary Collection
Breakout
ForgetMeNot (a favorite of mine, also found on PC)
Rally-X
Slayin

Weird/uncategorized/unique:

EnviroBear 2000 (ahhh, this one cracks me up so much)
DungeonMoto
MonkeyLabor (Ahhh, the LCD games of days gone past....)
Pac-n-Jump
I Am Level
Magicka
GoatUp 1 and 2 (Minter again.  These are platformers.  The second is VERY different from the first).
Melodive
Glitch Tank

Retro:

Activision Anthology
Atari Greatest Hits
Bubble Bobble (argh argh argh)
Midway Arcade
Pinball Arcade (EXCELLENT game.  Also takes up a really amazing amount of space.)
F. Godmom
Cybernoid
Various ZX Spectrum anthologies (theres alooooooot of games from that thing to be found on here.  Just look them up, there's multiple giant anthologies of this.)


Sandbox:

Junk Jack X
Survivalcraft
Blockheads
Block Story



I'll stop there, because my arm hurts.  And now the iTunes thing is starting to bother me.

Again, you'll not find epic story-based cutscene-tastic things in here.  Purely a list catered to my own tastes regardless of platform.  I'm thinking this list actually wont be of much use to most because of this.  Alot of games here are in 2D, because I like 2D, and because for these genres, 2D is usually the way that works best;  3D often just gets in the way.

And again, definitely not the entire list.  Good grief, that'd take bloody forever to do.  This one post took too long as it is.

But there ya go.   Any questions, feel free to ask.

For me it's touch control mostly.. I hate it. It is extremely tiring for my arms/hands/fingers.. and those digital analogue sticks especially.. argh

Yeah, that's the one issue that can kill it for some players.  The controls.   Never bugs me in the slightest, as far as I'm concerned, it's just an unusually heavy controller (seriously, damn iPad weighs too much).

And yes.... virtual analog?  Rarely done right.  EVEN MORE reasons why I prefer games that can control with a dPad (which is EASY to do right).  Same preference I have on any platform, really.  I hate analog in general.

[zespri]

From what you listed I played 100 Rogues, Hoplite and Magicka. 100 Rogues is too cruel for me I'm a wussy but all three are good games. Avernum I saw on PC and to me it's just a generic RPG. Never felt compelled to try it on iPad. Have not played Wayward Souls, but here is a revew http://www.pockettactics.com/reviews/review-wayward-souls/

[Cyborg]

Mobile "games." 


I cringe when saying it.

[eRe4s3r]

Mobile "games." 


I cringe when saying it.

Same here But maybe it's just because I haven't seen the good ones yet....

[Misery]

Mobile "games." 


I cringe when saying it.

Same here But maybe it's just because I haven't seen the good ones yet....

Yep.

Typically anyone with that view hasnt.  Not that the services offering the games help one bit.... as I said, to get the sorts of games I want, I have to know where to go.  The vast majority of those on that list never show up on the App Store's pages.

That being said, I had bought the iPad originally with the intent of replacing both the PSP and DS, both of which I'd been getting tired of, the DS in particular as I cant stand Nintendo, and the thing could not have done so without *cough* "real" games. Specifically, ones that meet my standards.  But it did, and it did so spectacularly.... I'd be very disappointed if I had to go back to either of those devices, which I now consider extremely inferior.  They for the most part actually DONT have what I'd want.    Havent missed the stupid things for a second, though I'll check their selection every now and then to see if they now suck less, but it hasnt happened yet.

[Cyborg]

I think of tablets as the Barney's Playhouse of gaming. I still haven't found the enjoyment of rubbing my hands all over the screen. I need thought-provoking games. Fruit ninja isn't going to cut it. What games are you referring to, Misery?

[mrhanman]

Until I connected a controller to my Android and iOS tablets, they didn't get much use.  Now I play them quite frequently even when home.

[Misery]

I think of tablets as the Barney's Playhouse of gaming. I still haven't found the enjoyment of rubbing my hands all over the screen. I need thought-provoking games. Fruit ninja isn't going to cut it. What games are you referring to, Misery?

.....mostly that big damn heap of a list I already posted above?

Like I've said, I dont like overly simplistic and easy games.  It's very rare that I bother with a casual title at all.  I like hyper-difficult games, things with extreme complexity (though, there is a RIGHT way to do "simplicity" as well without ruining depth and challenge, something I rarely ever see happen on consoles... I do like this sort when I find them). , arcade style games done in the style of the golden age of arcades, way back when (as in, typically very difficult even when the mechanics are easy to learn, with the player dying/losing *often*). Strategy titles and puzzle games as well, but I'm picky about those.  Sometimes I like PC-style RPGs as well, but I dont like simple ones.... there's already enough simple/boring RPGs on consoles, as well as enough that I've found and disliked on PC.  I also really like sandbox titles, such as Minecraft, but there has to be quite a bit of complexity/depth/content/challenge to hold my interest.  Interestingly, I actually DONT like the mobile version of Minecraft... the idiots that made that particular version of the game had this idea that having it JUST be creative mode would be enough.... AKA, a total and absolute lack of mining, crafting, or even the iconic creepers.  They've been struggling to put it towards where it should be, and it lags faaaaaaarrrrrrrr behind not only the PC version of the game, but also behind most other sandbox games on iOS, which for whatever reason tend to have absolutely stupid amounts of THINGS in them.   I also really like retro games.  Hell, I've got an ancient Atari 7800 unit that is always about a foot away from my keyboard, and games for it and the 2600 just strewn randomly around the desk/room, as the thing gets frequent use.

And of course, the shmups, one of the two genres I'm best at.  So many of them, and I've never seen a greater platform for them to be on, as I've never found a more accurate control method for them than this, and control is IMPORTANT when you've got 10 billionty bullets to dodge that have like 5 pixels worth of space between them.


And for me to want to own a device like the iPad, there needs to be *alot* of the sorts of games that I want.  I'm an impulse buyer with no practical spending limit, which means that I tend to look at things and go "Oh, hey, this thing here is shiny" followed by buying it without caring much about the price, as well as do this frequently, and I have a low attention span, so typically within any given length of time, there's numerous games that I'm playing within that time period.... I cant focus on just one at a time.

And this is why I dumped the normal handhelds such as the PSP or DS:  Because they actually WERENT giving me any of this.  Like the consoles, they offer mostly easy/simple/boring games that would put me to sleep.

Also cannot stand story-based games, for that matter.  And an obsession with trying to make games be movies is currently waaaayyyyyyyyyy too prevalent in the industry right now when it comes to most console titles.  Happens on PC enough too, with big-name games.


Also, as Mrhanman said, there ARE controllers and such for these things.  Since I'm such a fan of arcade games and retro titles, I have an arcade stick for these.



It just depends on what "thought provoking" means to you.  In my case it tends to either mean "a deep and difficult strategy or puzzle game", or more frequently "utter freaking chaos".  And while there's plenty of games with very advanced graphics on the thing, as always I've never cared about that, and I have a tendancy to find many games of that sort to be ugly as heck (such as pretty much all modern FPS games, for instance) and usually prefer the look of the ancient retro games over many things. 

If what you consider to be "thought provoking" is more along the lines of the design styles of major AAA games, or the sorts of things that do frequently populate consoles, or games with a detailed and deep story to explore, or something like a JRPG, or whatever....  that's fine, and there are actually plenty of them on there.... but you'll get none of that out of my own list up there, as I avoid them like the plague.

And of course the BIG problem is finding out that games like that exist at all.... as I've stated, the App Store is a bloody nightmare.  I dont use it to try to find new games, because it's typically futile and useless.  If you dont know exactly where to look, you'll not find what you seek, period.  It's not like with consoles where the developers practically jump up and down, screaming at you about their game while throwing copies of it at your face. 


And of course touchscreen controls just do NOT agree with some people.  I have no problems with them, but yeah.... that alone might not be for you.  That one's very, very subjective and purely a matter of player preference.

[Aklyon]

I found a working version of Dune 2 in the android app store hidden under the allegedly strategic games the rest of that section is. Works pretty well.

[Cyborg]

I don't see anything worth playing on those lists. They look like run-of-the-mill tablet games. Rogues are so common. Some of those are available on PC, don't see a reason why you would need to sell a PSP for that.


But hey, glad you like it.

[Misery]

I don't see anything worth playing on those lists. They look like run-of-the-mill tablet games. Rogues are so common. Some of those are available on PC, don't see a reason why you would need to sell a PSP for that.


But hey, glad you like it.

Like I said, the PSP/DS simply dont give me anything I want.  Lots of story-based games, everything WAY too easy, most too simple.... that's what I've come to associate with the consoles and handhelds, and is why I just outright dropped both.  I keep track of releases on those still and look into each, just in case, but.... let's just say, it's been quite some time since I went into a game store.

As for the game list, you'd have to take a serious look at each one to get it, really.   One thing I *dont* like is how generic some of the names end up being (like "Block Story".... sigh.  For such a bloody complicated sandbox game, I wish that developer had come up with a less derpy name).

This, though, is one of the best examples of the sorts of things I'm talking about:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uON3zty3-Q

That is *not* a casual game.  That one is the 360 version, but it's exactly the same game on iOS (it's in my list there) with no changes.  Except that the controls are better.  Goes from the godawful sack of tragedy that is the 360 controller.... I seriously loathe that thing.... to the absolute perfect accuracy of the touchscreen. 

The sort of extreme difficulty seen in that game though is one of the core things I like.  It's why I play strictly on Misery in Last Federation, and why I still say that that difficulty could be harder yet.

Roguelikes, yeah, they're common.... but you'll get no complaints from me on that one   It being one of my favorite genres.  Aside from Brogue and Nethack, the majority of roguelikes on this device are not found on PC.  I do play alot of PC ones too. TOME, currently.

But yeah, all of the things on that list are EXACTLY the sorts of games I look for and play most on PC, or any other device.  The consoles for the most part lack these sorts, as do the handhelds, so I simply got rid of them.  I only need the PS3 now (fighting games) and the 360 JP unit (import shmups).  But that's why I say they arent what "tablet games" usually means.  To me that term means something like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja.  Those are... okay, I guess, they're not BAD games.... but I dont get into them much.  That's not what's on my list.

I aint ever surprised though when my own tastes vary greatly from those of other gamers.... I'd figured that game list up there wasnt going to meet with much interest from the group that hangs out on these forums.  That's the case among my friends as well.  They're all busy playing things like Skyrim or Payday 2 or Metal Gear, and those just bore me to death.  Skyrim I have and mess with from time to time, but it's far too easy for me overall and doesnt hold my attention well.  The others are too slow.  Dont like slow.

For me it's either a strategy/roguelike, turn-based, or something like Dwarf Fortress or Anno.... or it's a very fast and chaotic action game of some sort with very high difficulty.  And finally, arcade/retro.  And mobas, but those are all on PC, naturally.   That's about the extent of it.  I also mostly do indie games, which is what pretty much all of those on that list are.  Me buying into big-name games is very rare.  Most of them follow trends I really hate.



The main point of the list isnt the exact games within, it's mostly to show that even for my often-niche set of interests, even I can find THAT many games, and there's alot more I have than just that list.   Other sorts of games (like proper JRPGs of varying sorts) are even more common, just not on MY list.   Only FPS games have no real showing on there.

[Cyborg]

Like I said, happy for you if that's what you like. I really don't think you need to sell a PSP to play shmups or rogues.


And I wholeheartedly disagree about angry birds and fruit ninja. Those are what I mean by lowest common denominator tablet gaming. It's not that they don't hold some kind of amusement factor- they do-but for the discerning gamer, how long is this going to hold your attention, and where's the complexity? You don't even have to think. You just pull the slingshot. It's just too simpleminded for me for it to justify an entire platform, like a tablet. And you don't even need a tablet because it's on Facebook. Tablet and Facebook "gaming" are very similar for me. I can't really take them seriously.

[Misery]

Like I said, happy for you if that's what you like. I really don't think you need to sell a PSP to play shmups or rogues.


And I wholeheartedly disagree about angry birds and fruit ninja. Those are what I mean by lowest common denominator tablet gaming. It's not that they don't hold some kind of amusement factor- they do-but for the discerning gamer, how long is this going to hold your attention, and where's the complexity? You don't even have to think. You just pull the slingshot. It's just too simpleminded for me for it to justify an entire platform, like a tablet. And you don't even need a tablet because it's on Facebook. Tablet and Facebook "gaming" are very similar for me. I can't really take them seriously.

Ah, but the Angry Birds arguement can be applied to all consoles/handhelds, too.

Nintendo's devices, for example.  When I think of Nintendo these days, do I think of Mario?  No.  Zelda? No.  I think of Wii Sports.  And arm-waving. 

But even for as much as I dislike Nintendo, I *know* there's more to them than that.   And the other two can be viewed in exactly the same way.  Microsoft: Generic braindead FPS games, yay.  Or the Kinect.  Sony: ......something?


Besides, in this context, the arguement you make doesnt actually make sense.  Most that buy an iPad for gaming.... do not buy one for Angry Birds or the like.  Typically, THOSE games are more used by people that bought the thing for other reasons, but just want an occaisional game every now and then.   When buying one for gaming though, most are like me:  They just dont care about those.  They might mess with them every now and then, but that's simply not the reason to buy/keep one.  In other words, they dont even factor in at any point.  They exist, but for my purposes they may as well not.

And like I said, I take it seriously because the games I get on there are EXACTLY the same as what I want elsewhere.  No differences.  Nothing dumbed down. No missing genres. Hell, "dumbed down" *is* one of the reasons I got rid of the consoles/handhelds.   Because the vast majority of their games are going that way.   The DS & Vita, for instance.   I didn't sell them to buy the iPad.  Dont need to.  I'm not in a position of ever having money issues.... I could buy 5 of the damn things and it wont dent my funds.   I sold them because they became useless.  They simply never put out anything that I found at all interesting or challenging, aside from the occaisional Mario game maybe (the one and only Nintendo franchise I still remotely care about).  And even those just arent that great.  I can find better platformers elsewhere.  If the DS or PSP or Vita or whatever were to actually suddenly put out something I wanted?  I'd just go buy one right away, the cost doesnt matter.  But it hasnt happened.  And it's been AWHILE now since I did away with the things.  I got rid of them probably about.... oh.... 6 months or so before I bought the original version iPad.  We're up to, what, the 4th version?  And in all that time, those things have yet to be whatsoever attractive to me.   Hasnt happened even once. 

As such, my reasoning is rather the opposite of what you say.  There's always this bizarre misconception that tablets cannot have "real" games... that it's only casual, or dumbed down stuff.  But seriously, that ONLY applies to the actual games that FIT that casual label. To go with that logic would be the same as saying that literally every game on the Wii is casual, simply because Wii Sports and the party games are.  Or that all things on Sony/Microsoft's platforms are casual, simply due to the existence of things like bad Kinect games, or rstuff like that. 

To me, the reality is exactly the other way around.   The consoles/handhelds are being more and more dumbed down, rarely putting out anything that'll hold my attention for more than 5 minutes.... if I want a "real" gaming experience, I go elsewhere now.    And right now, that means PC and tablets.    I bought an iPad for the games in that list.... not for Angry Birds and it's cohorts.  Simple as that.  Like a PC, the thing gives me the complex/difficult games I want, which right now, the consoles/handhelds simply never manage.

[Aklyon]

Well, the problem with the tablet misconception is you cannot find the "real games" unless you already know they exist. Since the things you will most likely see in the app store are casual and cow-clicker games (and an endless supply of clones), people will think nothing else exists there until they go look for themself. Its like how the Wii is known for Wii Sports, the Vita is known for having very little worth buying it over the psp for, and google is known for being 'the internet' by people who don't understand it.
Good luck finding anything in either the iOS store, the Play store, or the amazon app store besides very popular things, very new things, or very cloned things without a search. The console field has much less quantity of games (shovelware not counted), and some of it is still on physical shelves at that, so things actually stand out for more than the time it takes to get dropped into the void of mobile, and then dragged back out later by a website or a guy listing a bunch of interesting games like you have.