Top 5 Mobile Games of 2022

The best mobile games aren’t just for train rides. Plenty of these stole time from my console nights because it was so easy to jump in for five minutes, get a quick fix, and bounce—that’s the beauty of mobile.

— Dylan Blight

5.) Disney Mirrorverse

Kabam

An eye-catching premiere got me to download Disney Mirrorverse earlier this year, and I’ve been checking in semi-regularly since. Heroes and villains team up against a bigger threat, so you can field teams like Ursula from The Little Mermaid alongside Merida from Brave. Combat is simple but satisfying, and stages only take a few minutes—perfect waiting-room gaming.

— Dylan Blight

4.) Vampire Survivors

Poncle

I’d been hearing about Vampire Survivors all year, but only jumped in when the mobile version shadow-dropped at The Game Awards—and got hooked fast. The auto-attacking roguelike feels tailor-made for phones; your main job is steering your character through the chaos. Having also tried it on PC, the maps have been adjusted smartly for a vertical screen.

This release also has refreshingly unintrusive monetisation: optional ads for a revive or bonus gold at the end of a run—that’s it. It’s an excellent entry point on mobile, and still strong enough to stand alone.

— Ashley Hobley

3.) Pokémon GO

Niantic

It was a mixed year for Pokémon GO as Niantic rolled back some stay-at-home tweaks, but we landed in a place most players seem okay with. Mega Evolution changes finally made me care about them, the new Postcard feature helped build global connections, and the Ultra Beasts event—paired with fun marketing—made wormholes feel fresh and exciting again.

— Dylan Blight

2.) Apex Legends Mobile

Respawn Entertainment, EA

Lightspeed & Quantum, working with Respawn, did a stellar job bringing Apex Legends to phones. Fewer Legends, sure, but it runs great and feels right. Thoughtful tweaks—larger ammo stacks, auto-looting, auto door open—show real care for mobile play.

With its own battle pass, events, and mobile-exclusive characters, Apex Legends Mobile was an awesome pick-up-and-play shooter when you had 20–25 minutes to spare.

— Ashley Hobley

1.) Marvel Snap

Second Dinner, Nuverse

Marvel Snap nails what mobile can be when smart monetisation meets great design. It packs real strategic depth and an engaging collection track, then constantly flips the script with wild locations and card synergies. It’s everything I love about card games in bite-sized rounds built for phones. I haven’t even bothered with the PC version—did you remember there is one?

— Wil James

Dylan Blight, Ashley Hobley, Ciaran Marchant, Wil James & Jacob Hegarty compiled this Top 5 list. The video games nominated must have been released, or received a sizeable update, between December 13, 2021 – December 13, 2022 and been available in Australia.