Normally, mobile games are mostly just for passing time for MeinMMO author Max Handwerk. However, there are two games that are exceptions. He introduces them to you here.
Usually, I’m not a big mobile gamer and prefer to play on the PS5 or Switch. Accordingly, most of the games I have on my phone are free. Pokémon GO has been a major player for years, Pokémon TCG Pocket is a new addition, and otherwise, I enjoy playing small skill games.
For me, most are rather a temporary distraction.
But two games on my phone are exceptions. I’ve invested money and definitely more than just a little time into these two gems. They are
- the great Vampire Survivors
- and Slay the Spire
Both games are not necessarily hidden gems, but I hadn’t known about them until then. I learned about them through my work here at MeinMMO. I wrote an article about Vampire Survivors in 2023, as the jump to mobile was approaching. And I came across Slay the Spire in the comments on YouTube, when Balatro announced its mobile release.
Both have been considered hits for years (Vampire Survivors has 98% positive reviews on Steam, Slay the Spire 97%) and both sounded so exciting in their mobile variants that I had to install them. And I believe they will never be removed from my phone.
What do the games cost? Slay The Spire cost me 9.99 euros in the App Store. Vampire Survivors is actually free and offers a lot of content. However, it has a DLC store that currently offers 5 expansions. The cheapest costs 1.99 euros, the most expensive 3.99 euros.
So far, I’ve only bought one expansion for 1.99 euros, having been more than sufficiently occupied by the base game. However, I would certainly be willing to buy additional expansions if I feel that I’ve completed everything else.
What makes these games special to me? I will go into the great, time-consuming gameplay of both games in a moment. However, there are a few points that I want to highlight:
- Both games do not feature annoying ads. In Vampire Survivors, there are optional clickable advertisements for bonus rewards, but you can simply ignore them and don’t have to watch them. Buying a DLC gives you the option to remove them completely.
- There are no hidden costs, time locks, or blockades in either game (full DLCs excluded).
- I don’t feel ripped off or held back in either game.
- And both are completely playable offline.
This makes them ideal games for long train rides, flights, bus tours, or similar activities. I’m often on the go and have found great companions in both games for those times when you just have to wait.
What makes Vampire Survivors and Slay The Spire stand out?
Both games are indie games, but far from unknown. They are available on various platforms, but in my opinion, they both shine as mobile adaptations that can be played perfectly via touchscreen. Below is a concise summary.
Vampire Survivors: This game sets you in pixel graphics on various maps. You take on the role of different characters and must survive as long as possible. Waves of increasingly stronger enemies appear, which you must withstand.
To succeed, you collect upgrades for various weapons and abilities, some of which synergize with each other. While at the start you only have a whip that strikes every few seconds, in the end, you unleash a storm of effects on your countless enemies that is almost impossible to track. Nevertheless, you can still die, as your opponents have quite a few tricks up their sleeves as well.
Meanwhile, you navigate the map, find new characters, search for secrets, and similar things.
At the beginning, you still go down quite quickly. However, once you internalize the game principle, you quickly figure out the different enemies and maps. Nevertheless: if you die just a minute before you finish certain stages, you are almost forced to try again immediately.
I’ve had more than one train ride where I wished for a few more stops to complete the level.
Slay the Spire: In the card game roguelike Slay the Spire, you fight your way out of the namesake “Spire” by building card decks. It’s a series of battles at the end of which you always receive a new card for your deck.
The further you go, the better your deck becomes, and the higher your chances of surviving the next duels. It’s quite a strategic game: When do I block an enemy attack, when do I attack? In what direction do I build up my deck? Do I upgrade a card at the campfire or rest to regenerate health?
You receive further upgrades through relics that provide you with different effects. Thus, you become ever more powerful – but you must never get overconfident. For death, and thus the restart of your run, is always just a foolish gameplay away.
For me, both games have become essential when traveling, and I now genuinely look forward to waiting times to dive into one of these games.
Of course: They are mobile games, and both the graphics and art style of both games will certainly have their critics. But both games stand out because of their gameplay. By presenting you with seemingly insurmountable obstacles that become slightly more achievable with each attempt. And when you can finally overcome an enemy you previously struggled against, it’s an incredibly exhilarating moment. If you enjoy such games, both might be for you. By the way: Slay the Spire is getting a second part, which was announced at the Game Awards 2024.
