Top 5 mobile games of 2024: Stephen's picks of the year

• In 2025, I learned that I flit very quickly from game to game
• That said, there were some excellent standouts I want to shout out
• I also chat about what I'm looking forward to next year... Dredge, it's mostly Dredge

2024 has been a strange year for me with games. I've found myself quickly abandoning good-quality stuff because it's not compelling me to keep playing. Star Wars Hunters, Squad Busters, and Zenless Zone Zero are all well-made and excellent fun, as our reviews attest. However, they quickly fell by the wayside after a few weeks. Strange, right? I blame it on my forever-waning attention span, particularly if what I'm playing doesn't have a finite end.

Conversely, I've continued with Pokemon TCG Pocket despite not truly playing it whatsoever. Battling other people became tiring because I only saw the same two or three decks every match. Even I have succumbed to the meta. So, instead, I simply enjoy opening packs and seeing what I get. There are some truly spectacularly art rares to pull in TCG Pocket, and that little rush of opening a booster keeps me coming back. It hardly puts DeNa's latest effort in for GOTY contention, for me. Although I'm sure it'll pop up in a few of the team's end-of-year lists.

Still, my dreadful attention span aside, some excellent stuff released on mobile this year. More than I've had time to play, frankly. But that's precisely why multiple members of team PG are creating a list. We all have different tastes and interests, meaning we can highlight stellar games across a variety of genres. So, with that said, let's get into my 2024 round-up. Or, check out the PGA 2024 winners first by watching the video below.

My favourite games of 2024

Pocket Necromancer

As the survivors-like genre continues to rise in popularity on mobile, it's increasingly difficult for developers to stand out from the crowd. Because of that, we're quickly approaching the stage where phrases like 'takes inspiration from' will be replaced by 'yet another clone' by most people.

And in truth, Pocket Necromancer does little to distinguish itself from its inspiration mechanically, making the copycat claims hard to dispute. Instead, it's partly the art style that wins me over, updating the Grim Reaper to the modern day with his own pair of headphones and LED eyes. I've no doubt he's listening to MCR, The Used and The Funeral Portrait as he goes about his business. It's super cute.

On top of that, most of my enjoyment here comes as much from the theme as it does from the familiarity of its gameplay. Ghosts and skeletons have always appealed to me for various, likely deep-rooted and macabre, reasons so anytime I'm allowed to raise an army of them before leading them into battle is a win. Besides, it's a nice change of pace to have minions doing my bidding rather than collecting weapons that merely float around me for some reason. I'm not saying it's more realistic in a world where three-headed dogs charge around the screen, but... okay, I might be saying that.

Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago

Nostalgia is a powerful thing for me, particularly with gaming. All I need to do is hear a few notes from Pokemon Yellow, and I'm instantly transported back to my childhood, where life seemed more straightforward. Although I will admit, it wasn't all good. Chandelure – the objective best Pokemon – didn't exist back then, so growing up wasn't so bad, I suppose.

Anyway, because of my love for those warm fuzzy feelings retro styling brings, it's probably no surprise that Yolk Heroes: A Long Tamago (which I reviewed) has ended up as one of my top picks of the year. It's both a homage to Tamagotchis and the Game Boy in one beautifully presented package that demands as much of your time as you're willing to give.

Bella Wants Blood

If someone told me that I'd close out 2024 by saying that a tower defence was one of the best things I'd played, I wouldn't have laughed them out of the room, but I'd probably shoot them a sceptical look. Unlike Mr Quick, it's not a genre I particularly care - or even think - about. However, Bella Wants Blood does just enough of its own thing to have me hooked. 

A large part of that is vanity, I'm not ashamed to admit. I love the way Bella Wants Blood looks. It sports this simplistic horror art style that's not scary but is certainly unsettling and creepy. Each of your 'towers' is things like a brain that split in half or jagged fingernails that rake across enemies. They all either float, pulse or shake ominously, giving that glitchy vibe somewhat reminiscent of Japanese horror. The red, black, and white colouring is also striking, helping it stand out in a crowded genre.

Meanwhile, the gameplay mixes up the usual formula by putting you in a roguelike setting. Tasking you with killing enemies so the titular Bella can enjoy sipping on their blood, you slowly build up your collection of towers, grab new abilities, upgrades, and even the path enemies travel along. It becomes a fine balance of reinforcing your towers while making sure there's enough distance to crush everything to a bloody mulch before they reach Bella. Bella likes to drink, not chew, you see.

Guncho

A seemingly simple rule set can expand into something surprisingly complex and satisfying when handled correctly. Guncho is an example of this approach. To begin with, each turn, you can either shoot in one of six directions or move one tile. The goal is equally straightforward: eliminate every enemy who's desperate to kill you. Why? I assume they either like your poncho or, more understandably, your noble steed that you ride between levels.

The complexity mostly comes from the aforementioned six-directional shooting shtick. You see, this is the Wild West, so you wade into gunfights with a revolver. In Guncho, that means every time you fire, there's one less bullet in the chamber and, crucially, one less direction you can shoot. Unless you reload, of course, but that costs a turn.

So, you're constantly repositioning yourself to get a clear shot at your foes while avoiding their attacks. As you progress through each run, abilities and ammo upgrades are thrown in, all while having to think ahead of your enemies. It's a tactical dance that becomes more layered the better you get, and it's immensely rewarding when you pull off some gunslinging magic that old Clint would be proud of.

A Little to the Left

Despite my desk acting as a literal contradiction – it's organised chaos, honest – I detest clutter or things being where they shouldn't. Everything has a place it belongs and should, therefore, be there whenever it's not in use. It bothers me even if I can't see it.

For instance, if someone's moved the kitchen scissors and is not in the process of snipping through paper, I will hunt them down and return them to their home. The scissors, that is, not the person. It's as cathartic for me as it is a little annoying. Why can't my brain just let it go? I'm not sure, but it sure loves it when everything's back in order.

For that reason, when I first heard about A Little to the Left, it felt like that oddball part of my personality was being specifically targeted. It doesn't disappoint, either. Each level tasks you with bringing order to the chaos, and it's always delightful to see everything neatly organised before hopping to the next mess. It's not perfect for the reasons outlined in Catherine's A Little to the Left review, but when it clicks, it's an almost therapeutic experience. 

The old reliables

And that's all of 2024's releases that tickled my fancy this year. However, the world doesn't exist in a bubble of twelve months. Once another January rolls around, all the good stuff that came out previously is still waiting for you to play it. Unless, of course, your favourite game happened to be developed by Square Enix. Then it probably shut down.

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go has been a faithful companion anytime I walk somewhere, alleviating some of the boredom from seeing the same old streets, trees and houses constantly. I've snagged a good number of Shinys and Perfects (Hundos for the well-versed) throughout the year, and that rush of seeing either pop up hasn't waned over the years. 

I do harbour some fears for its future, though. With the addition of the Gigantamax Raids, Pokemon Go is starting to adopt some of the more annoying mobile gaming practices, specifically asking me to stump up extra cash to get more rewards. Niantic has also recently added Max Mushroom, which increases your damage in said Raids. Of course, it's not ads popping up constantly and doesn't affect other areas of Go. It just has me slightly concerned that it might eventually spill over.

Vampire Survivors

For my money, there aren't many better mobile games than Vampire Survivors. It's perfect for playing in short bursts and pairs nicely with a podcast, music or TV show that doesn't demand 100% of your attention. On the rare occasion I go anywhere requiring lengthy travel, it's always my go-to choice for that reason. It tickles your brain enough to keep you occupied without being overly taxing.

And it's absolutely packed with content even if you aren't willing to pick up the extra DLCs, although I'd certainly recommend Ode to Castlevania. It's great stuff. Anyway, I've put hours upon hours into Vampire Survivors and still feel like there's plenty to unlock and discover. I can see myself enjoying this one for a few years to come.

What will I add to my collection in 2025?

I also wanted to take the time to shout out two games I'm very much looking forward to. While Destiny: Rising took home the Most Anticipated award at the Pocket Gamer Awards, my excitement is reserved for two indie offerings, as it often is, to be honest. 

Dredge!

I was a little late to the party with Dredge, playing it an entire year after it was initially released. Still, I found myself enamoured with it almost immediately, even going as far as bothering to get the Platinum trophy, which I rarely ever do. It's an unusual mix of unsettling and relaxing that oddly makes losing my mind somewhat appealing, as long as I get to do so while floating around fishing up eldritch nightmares in a little boat, that is.

So, you can imagine I was delighted to hear that Dredge was coming to mobile, giving me another excuse to play it through again. Initially intended to release this December, it's been pushed back to early next year. That's completely fine, though. I'd rather the developers took their time and nailed the port.

Last Spartan: Glory of Madness

I first heard about Last Spartan: Glory Over Madness at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2023 and have eagerly anticipated its release since, especially after dabbling with the demo. Billed as Darkest Dungeon meets Slay the Spire, it sees you battling through eldritch nightmares as the last remaining Spartan. Evidently, I'm a mark for Lovecraftian stuff.

Rather than building a deck, however, you construct several dice, earning a new ability to bolt onto one of the faces after every battle. These can also be swapped around, giving you plenty of customisation options that could prove crucial in a scrap. There's a whole lot more to it, of course, but brevity is king in roundups, so I'd highly recommend checking out the demo on Steam if you're interested.

And that's my 2024 and a quick look forward to 2025. It's undoubtedly been a great year for mobile gaming far and wide, despite me personally not finding much that stuck. My colleagues have, however, so do check out their lists as they pop up over the festive period.