There was such a wide variety of games to check out on mobile devices this year, and I’m admittedly not even as deep into the library as a website solely focused on mobile games. As you’ll see, I’m a big fan of Apple Arcade as a service, even if some fantastic games can get hidden on there and lost to the year. It is, however, another year I continue to be annoyed there’s so much jank on the general games app store store on all platforms, killing the discovery factor for those looking to check out some actual GOOD games on their phones or tablets.

Nonetheless, here are my picks for the best video games releases on a mobile platform for 2023.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (Super Evil Megacorp)

If Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate had been on something other than Apple Arcade, it would have been discussed more in 2023. Hades very heavily inspires it but takes that game’s roguelike design and throws everybody’s favourite turtles into the mix. Villians react to you in different ways after you complete more runs; you can upgrade and unlock different weapons, talk to characters in your HUB, and do something that Hades didn’t let you do — which is play in co-op. I played some on my phone, but the game was a lot more fun on a tablet or Apple TV with a Bluetooth controller.

4. finity. (Seabaa Inc)

This Apple Arcade match-four game isn’t about mindlessly moving blocks around and making combinations that give you that endorphin of seeing things explode on screen; you need to think about the future. Your move will become ‘finite’ as you, after several turns, lock a block into place and be unmovable. So, while going for small combinations of blocks is sometimes necessary, planning ahead and pulling off massive combos is the best way to succeed. And like the best match-four games, finity. is ridiculously adding with a “one more game,” mentally giving me plenty of time spent playing when I said I’d move away from the couch ten minutes earlier.

3. Marvel Snap (Second Dinner Studios, Nuverse)

Marvel Snap was our pick for the best mobile game of 2022, and once again, it’s made its way back onto our list this year. Unsurprisingly, it’s kept up with updates, new game modes, and constant meta-shifts and balances to keep players engaged and re-building their favourite decks. The best thing about Marvel Snap continues to be its short playtime, guaranteeing you can get your card game fix with even just five minutes to spare in a day and with such a varied about of deck types and characters in the game now, there’s something here for every play style.

2. Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Sunblink Entertainment)

Hello Kitty Island Adventure starts with your character and a whose-whose of Sanrio characters jumping out of a crashing aeroplane. It’s ridiculous. Naughty Dog could never. And when you land on the island below, everyone is like, okay, we’ll all live here now; please help us do things and build homes. The game is inspired by Animal Crossing, but it is not like that’s a bad thing. Hello Kitty Island Adventure expands on the genre by spending more time adventuring, not just gathering and performing ‘work.’ Although some of these elements may not be for all players, it’s something I appreciate about the game, which was great to play everywhere, either touch or with a controller, as long as you had an Apple Arcade subscription. 

1. Gubbins (Folly Studio)

The word game that took the world by storm this year was Gubbins. It’s from the small Melbourne-located Studio Folly; somehow, it found its way to the eyes of everybody’s favourite nerd, Hank Green, who helped promote and invest in the game himself in exchange for 10% of future profits to go to charity. On paper, Gubbins is a relatively simple word game. You drag tiles to the screen, slide your finger along them to create words, and attempt to play through all the tiles you’re handed within a level building for the best score and words. But then insert the gubbins themselves, creatures who can have randomised positive and negative effects on your game state, the psychedelic art style and the fact you can merrily make rude, crude and swear words to post on social media and Gubbins is easily the best mobile game of the year.