The idea of having smartphones was conceived about twelve years ago, a phenomenon that changed the mobile industry forever. With the upgrades, these phones not only proved to be communication devices but also a core source of entertainment for billions of people.

This is mainly because of the adaptation of tech like processors in these small devices and also the readily accessible internet. And more and more people have continued to gain access to smartphones and with that more people get to play mobile games that are conveniently available.

Who would have thought that we would have such good graphic games just on the palm of our hands? Either way, a lot of mobile games have come and gone over the last ten years but a number of them have truly left a mark and paved a way for the next decade in mobile gaming.

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Angry Birds

Image courtesy Rovio

Literally everyone can remember being insanely addicted to this game that just involved you using a bid to kill pigs. You may not know this but Angry Birds was first made for the iPhone as a premium game costing $1.00 (about Kes.100). But with the growing demand and extension to Android, Rovio, the developers had to make it readily accessible to the growing number of players.

Luckily though, Rovio continued to make a whole franchise for the game that included sequel games, collaborations and even a couple of animated films and TV shows. The influence might not be as huge right now as it was but it definitely was memorable to play the game.

Candy Crush Saga

Image courtesy Variety

I personally know a couple of people that still play this game to date and it only goes to show you how influential it has been over the many years. Just in 2018, Candy Crush Saga was reported to be the most downloadable game of all time on iOS, according to App Annie. But don’t let the game’s cute and welcoming art style fool you. Candy Crush Saga is an extremely challenging puzzle game. King also pioneered lives for the game, providing players with new challenges, events, and content continuously.

So, it’s no wonder that after seven years the game is still among the highest-grossing games on both iOS and Android.

Temple Run

Image Courtesy GameSpot

We all have to admit that we never once liked to get caught up by the terrifying monster straight from the golden cave. It was our sole purpose in life to get to escape as far and score the maximum points. Developed by Imangi Studios, Temple Run was clearly made as a lightweight mobile game but still impressive and enjoyable for every phone no matter the specs. Moreover, the game got so popular that a sequel to it was developed later on to add on some characters, maps and more interesting features and eventually add on to the fun.

The feeling of knowing a monster was just behind you ready to devour any time you tripped or bumped into an obstacle was nothing short of thrilling. If you asked some, they would actually still jump on to the game even today and yes it is still available.

Pokemon GO

Image Courtesy Niantic

It would have seemed like a complete lie if you told anyone ten years ago that we would be able to play augmented reality games using just our phones. Thanks to Niantic, iOS and Android users all over the world have had access to such a game for years. And even though not everyone has been able to completely understand the game to this date, Pokemon Go really did attract its own loyal following that is still obsessed with the game to this day.

But the game especially got famous after some controversy around it being too distractive. But even then, more players did continue to have a try at this new form factor of a mobile game. Despite that, the game clearly was the first of its kind and has paved the way for other AR mobile games that have followed and more that are to come including an Angry Birds AR game.

PlayerUnknown Battleground (PUBG)

Image courtesy Tencent Games

Where do we even start with this one? Talk of interactive, competitive and outrightly addictive. Of course, PUBG was extended to mobile devices as a kick to the almighty Fortnite that was only available to iOS and Samsung Galaxy devices.

Yes, it was a huge hit to Fortnite but a wonderful move for PUBG developers and its players. And clearly, the evidence is in the numbers with PUBG Mobile still leading charts all over in iOS and Android platforms. Even though there is some new competition now, the idea of having a battle royale game conveniently in your pocket could very well be one of the best things to happen to mobile games. So, whatever happens from here, it’s huge thanks to the likes of PUBG Mobile among more.