In the .biz realm, we often find ourselves wrapped up in the investments, deals and stats of the gaming world (and rightly so), but it’s also important to highlight the games themselves - the fruits of the labour that can only appear after years of research, funding and, of course, development.
So here are the most exciting new mobile games right now, the developers and publishers behind them, and why, exactly, they've made the cut.
Trance Tank
If trance tunes are your cup of tea AND you like tanks, it's likely rare that you find the opportunity to merge the two in your daily life. Unless you take your tank collection to the night club…
Or, unless you try out developer Christian Streinz’s latest launch Trance Tank, merging fast-paced shooter action with somersaulting tanks and techno beats. Oh, and it’s a 2D platformer sometimes too. There are six different tanks to unlock through accumulating points in-game and songs are made by the very way you blast your enemies, with clear inspiration from everything trance, techno and chiptune.
Trance Tank has launched as a premium game exclusive to iOS, with a small upfront fee for the full experience. It marks Christian Streinz’s newest release in the footsteps of Tireur de Couler, Weltraum Tinte, Funzel and more.
Legend of Snow Knife Heroes
The latest in Chinese-style martial arts games, Legend of Snow Knife Heroes is currently in soft launch in, unsurprisingly, China. This new mobile title from Acing Surplus follows Love in the Jianghu of Jiuzhou and open world MMO Return from Great Ambition, both having a strong Chinese identity that isn’t lost on the latest release.
As a top 10 in the strategy genre on Apple’s App Store at the time of writing, Legend of Snow Knife Heroes is certainly one to watch, offering a colourful world with plenty of characters and unique skills to master, martial arts gameplay, and of course, strategy. It integrates MMORPG elements too, creating a true sense of warfare with other players in the setting of the Three Kingdoms.
AppMagic data suggests Legend of Snow Knife Heroes is already well on its way to 100,000 downloads in China, over halfway there in under three days.
Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat
Capcom’s Devil May Cry series has landed on mobile in the form of a new entry from NebulaJoy, a project with deep involvement from main series staff. The result is Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat, a mobile title with the free and flexible gameplay the series is known for, along with plenty of action, strategy and RPG elements too.
Classic scenarios and characters like Vergil, Nero and Lady make a comeback, with high-quality art and 3D visuals and even an "undisclosed brand new plot of the original series" to top it all off. Available now on iOS and Android, we can only wait and see if Capcom can set a trend of incredibly successful mobile iterations. Considering RPGs made 30% of all mobile game revenue last year, the answer may well be obvious already.
Cornsweeper
It seems like Apple Arcade has been landing an exciting new game every week lately, and this time around it’s Robert Morrison’s arcade game Cornsweeper, iterating on Minesweeper-style gameplay with a distinctly yellow hue. And aiming for a "chill, lo-fi" vibe with its OST, it's up to players whether they’re in it for the popcorn, the secrets, or even to meditate.
70 levels have each been hand-crafted to form a meticulously defined experience, with a "toy-like sense of discovery" really summing everything up. The main objective is to pop popcorn without burning any, giving just enough urgency to this generally chilled-out game.
Go Go Magnet
Oh BiBi’s Go Go Magnet has just released globally as a new easily accessible, highly creative cartoon-like experience on mobile. The objective is to become "the greatest treasure hunter ever" in a colourful, humourous world, with mysterious islands and ultimate crews to discover.
Fishing takes place in a wacky, whimsical way in Go Go Magnet, with a magnetic hook replacing bait, and gold replacing the fish. There are maps and hidden fortunes to find too, providing casual gameplay for those looking for a relaxing time and competitive multiplayer for those more determined anglers.
Oh BiBi’s previous releases include Dino Factory, SUP Multiplayer Racing and Beast: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team, each with a distinct artstyle and strong sense of character.
