Is there any mobile games out there that aren't just money grabs?

Pharone

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I've gotten to the point where I just feel like every mobile game made today is nothing more than a money grab. I have no issue with supporting the developers that make these games, but its getting to the point where I just can't find anything anymore that isn't a non-stop in-your-face pay me sucker experience.

For instance, I was playing this slot machine app that I really liked, but every single time you opened the app, it would force you through 5 to 7 in-game advertisements for buying the game's currency. Even after I gave in and did it once, they didn't go away. Even going in and out of a slot machine to the main app area of the game, it would toss you another advertisement to purchase their currency. It was insane. Even though I loved the slot machines in the game because they are the same as the real ones in casinos (but with no real currency.. not real gambling), the fact that I was innundated with the apps in-game currency advertisements non-stop, caused me to finally uninstall the thing.

Is there anything out there these days that isn't a straight up fucking money grab, or are mobile games in general a genre doomed to micro transaction constant advertisement bullshit?
 
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Sludig

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There's a similar thread below somewhere but yes all of them are aids except for a few one offs like final fantasy 7 on mobile etc
 

Chris

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I find that either they are really high quality, like Wild Rift, but it's basically playing a PC or console game on your phone. Or they are nice simple time wasters full of ad AIDS.

If I wanted to play a PC/console game I would go on PC/console or mirror it to my phone.

If I want to play the equivalent of the old flash games like a Tower Defence, there's very little.
 

Cutlery

Kill All the White People
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I find that either they are really high quality, like Wild Rift, but it's basically playing a PC or console game on your phone. Or they are nice simple time wasters full of ad AIDS.

If I wanted to play a PC/console game I would go on PC/console or mirror it to my phone.

If I want to play the equivalent of the old flash games like a Tower Defence, there's very little.

All of the Kingdom Rush games are pay once, full versions of the game. Extra heroes might be more $$, but none of them are required.

The dragon warrior series is out for mobile and pretty faithful adaptations, again, pay once, no ads or anything.

Puzzle and Dragons might seem like a money grab, but it's entirely possible to just play off the free shit they give you. No ads.

But eventually, it all gets kinda tedious, so I just play chess now. Much better game for mobile anyway.
 
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Chersk

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Another annoyance, most phone games want to have AAA graphics and whatever and they’re all equally resource intensive. I just want a game that loads quickly and doesn't immediately close if I switch apps on my phone.
 
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Chris

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All of the Kingdom Rush games are pay once, full versions of the game. Extra heroes might be more $$, but none of them are required.

The dragon warrior series is out for mobile and pretty faithful adaptations, again, pay once, no ads or anything.

Puzzle and Dragons might seem like a money grab, but it's entirely possible to just play off the free shit they give you. No ads.

But eventually, it all gets kinda tedious, so I just play chess now. Much better game for mobile anyway.
Yeah best I've found are ports of older games. Played Sonic and Final Fantasy.

I do have one of the Kingdom Rush games but the market isn't strong enough to ask for money, anything you buy is a risk.

I also enjoyed 20 Minutes till Dawn and Vampire Survivors.
 

Pharone

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I like Stardew Valley, but it isn't nearly as easy to play on mobile as it is on a PC or console.
 

Sterling

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I know so many people that play the hero collector games of various flavors. Seems like you can legit do fine in those games FTP or low spend, but spending definitely makes things faster/easier.
 

Sludig

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Not sure how much it costs, seems free via my verizon play pass or whatever on google. But Crying suns seems like a alright FTL of sorts. Few times controls get real shit and would be more ideal on PC, standard game speed just about too fast so lots of pausing etc .
 

Pharone

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Not sure how much it costs, seems free via my verizon play pass or whatever on google. But Crying suns seems like a alright FTL of sorts. Few times controls get real shit and would be more ideal on PC, standard game speed just about too fast so lots of pausing etc .
Just downloaded that and going to check it out. Was free with gamepass. Normally $8.99.
 

Tholan

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Also, if you have a Netflix subscription, they have some games that are adds free / without in game purchase. Townsmen gave me a few good hours of play while in airports.
-
 

Sludig

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Made it through the first cluster enabling a fresh run on chapter 2 on my first run but was like 6-8 hours while at work. Definately digging Crying suns though not sure yet I'd want to spend $10, but if you can get it free, should be great for at least a week or two for folks. Certainly trial and error deciding what guns and fleet you like, lots of stuff good on paper but kinda because of the interface and play speed hard to use correctly.
 

Adebisi

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World of Goo


That's it
That's all of them
 

Xarpolis

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Most of the phone games have in-game purchases, which is shit. If you want something that doesn't have that, look at the old final fantasy remakes. Zero in-game purchases. Other games have that as well, but you can search for games that don't offer in-game purchases on google or something.
 

velk

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I actually had a lot of fun with Dungeon Maker, it's kind a hybrid monster evolution/tower defense game - you build a dungeon with various rooms of traps or monsters and get attacked by waves of heroes etc.

Roguelike, with various upgrades that let you bring some stuff over from runs for future runs, as well an almost nonsensical amount of other misc unlocks and upgrades.

Looks like a gacha game, but isn't. ( You get upgrades at random by buying card packs from a shop with gems, but you can only get the gems from actually playing the game - no clue why they structured it like that ). Has microtransactions, but they are unlocks of things you can do in-game anyway ( i.e. pay $5 to unlock Viper ooor beat wave 500 with a specific restriction to unlock Viper ).

It was, uh, $3 I think ? Probably best value I've had for a mobile game. I ended up getting the expansion as well for another $3, but the expansion is all super late game stuff, it doesn't add anything to the early game, so it's perfectly fine to play through and if you still want more, getting the expansion.

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