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Why are games so popular during COVID-19 lockdown?
It's simple. With more people stuck at home with nothing to do - they play games.
Since the pandemic began, studies show the people are not only playing more but playing for longer. Online, mobile entertainment has proven to be the #1 form of at-home entertainment during the 2020 global lockdown.
We’re having to compete with FORNITE more than Hulu - Netflix
Games are becoming a substitute for social connection with more people (especially older generations) rediscovering casual gaming or experiencing it for the first time. Many game developers are seeing an increase in their daliy active users duing the pandemic, mobile game developer Touchten Games reported a 10 to 15% rise in daily active users for their games in the Asian and American markets.
Playtime increased by 62% and spend grew by 5% to 30% as countries went into lockdown - GameAnalytics CEO Ioana Hreninciuc
Did you know?
- 20-30% increase hyper casual mobile game downloads in the first week of April.
- Twitch's average viewership has doubled.
- Steam hit 20.3m simultaneous players, 11% above the previous high.
Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just looking for a new way to pass the time, we've got the 20 best free mobile games that will help you fight quaratine blues:
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Play the mobile game from the franchise that’s taking the world by storm. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a free-to-play social simulation mobile game where you find new furniture and design your very own campsite to suit your style. Pocket Camp offers you a relaxing escape from your dreary living room and into the serene great outdoors you long for, full of wholesome interactions it's the perfect companion during lockdown lonliness. If you own a Switch and the newest AC instalment, New Horizons, you can unlock Pocket Camp exclusive items in New Horizons when you link both games to your Nintendo account.
Best Features
- Participate in Fishing Tournaments and Gardening events all year round
- Meet 100+ quirky animal neighbours and become best friends
- 1000+ pieces of furniture and 300+ pieces of clothing to choose from
- Design your campsite however you want
Release Date: October 2017
Genre: Simulation
Developer and Publisher: Nintendo
LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed
Play as your favourite minifigures in a colourful LEGO universe full of action, battles, sets and heroes. Don't be discouraged by the age rating, playing with LEGO has never been more fun! LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed is a vibrant reimagining of the classic LEGO characters, brought to life in a fun, easy to play role-playing game. The game's larger than life animation and irreverent humour is on par with the recent popular LEGO films, it ties in nicely with the rest of the LEGO universe.
- Collect your favourite LEGO heroes
- Build classic LEGO sites: City, Castle, Ninjago, Pirates
- Battle other players in multiplayer quests, campaigns and events
Release Date: April 2020
Genre: Role-Playing, Strategy
Developer and Publisher: Gameloft
Two Spies
Two Spies is a turn-based spy training program where you face off against an opponent in Cold War Europe. Sneak to gain cover, control cities' informants to capture areas of the map, deduce your target's location – or trick them into revealing it – and strike to win the round. Its simple gameplay and design is elevated by a great idea, it's a fun, strategic game if you tricking and outsmarting your opponents.
Best Features:
- Exciting Board-game style maps
- Realtime turn-based strategy gameplay
- Learn the ropes of being a spy with a training bot
- Play matched games against opponents online
Release Date: December 2019
Platform: iOS
Genre: Strategy, Board Game
Developer: Royal Pixel Service
Mario Kart Tour
Mario and friends go global in a new Mario Kart instalment as they race around courses inspired by real-world cities as well as classic Mario Kart courses. In-game destinations rotate every two weeks and you can unlock all your favourite Mario heroes and villains throughout the tour. Mario Kart Tour is a thrilling modern recreation of the original kart racing game, the levels are unique and those deadly weapons are sure to cause multiplayer mayhem on the track. The mobile controls are suprisingly seamless and easy to grasp for any player type, making it an enjoyable multiplayer, racing experience.
Best Features:
- Race to 1st place in Frenzy mode with an arsenal of powerful items on the racetrack
- Collect drivers, karts, badges and Golden Stars
- Bonus challenge courses like Vs. Mega Bowser, Goomba Takedown and more
- Compete to increase your online rank
Release Date: September 2019
Genre: Multiplayer, Racing
Developer and Publisher: Nintendo
Opus: Rocket of Whispers
If you're looking to settle down with a heart-warming narrative, look no further than Opus: Rocket of Whispers - an award-winning 2D adventure game that takes place after an apocalyptic plague in the distant future. The story follows the journey of a witch and the son of a rocket engineer who set out to launch a space burial for the spirits whose lives were taken by the plague. You're instantly captivated in the story and taken on an emotional journey into the beyond, it's a mix of stunning animation and atmostpheric soundscapes. Opus: Rocket of Whispers is the perfect experience to immerse youself in in the comfort of your own home.
Best Features:
- Beautifully-crafted story
- Enchanting art style and dialogue
- Incredible soundtrack
Release Date: September 2017
Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4
Genre: Adventure, Indie
Developer and Publisher: SIGONO INC.
Publisher: Fly High Works, Coconut Island Games
Get aCC_e55
This endearing cyberpunk, puzzler offers you levels of fun combined with well-designed gameplay. Get aCC_e55 is an isometric puzzle quest where you rotate the room to solve the tasks and puzzle in order to escape. Despite it's room escape theme, Get aCC_e555 is suprisingly relaxing and stress free, allowing you to tap and explore a myraid of different combinations. It's detailed 3D art and seamless gameplay makes for the ideal game to play when you're aching to escaping your own room.
NOTE: This game and its first level can be downloaded for free however to unlock the full version of the game it costs $2.99 AUD
Best Features:
- Addictive gameplay
- Nice minimilistic graphics
- Room rotation mechanics
- Many riddles and puzzles
- Hints and help
Release Date: October 2019
Genre: Puzzle, Room Escape
Developer: UnderAir, Andrew Kyznetsov
Last Day on Earth: Survival
The survival shooter Last Day on Earth is set in a post apocalyptic world: in 2027 the world saw an outbreak of an unknown infection that destroyed almost all the human race. With hours worth of survival horror fun, you can upgrade your hero, equip your house, loot abandoned territories, hunt wild animals and other survivors – the new world has new rules.
Best Features
- Keep an eye on your character’s life stats such as hunger and thirst
- Construct fortifications with traps or go raid other survivors’ territories
- Equip your survivor with weapons to hunt wild animals and destroy crowds of mutated zombies
- Explore the large and deep-laid world
Release Date: May 2017
Genre: Action, Multiplayer
Developer: Kefir!
Ailment
If you’re looking for a free-to-play story-driven action-packed game with lots of guns, hordes of enemies, super intense game-play with horror ambience and sci-fi movie references, then Ailment is the perfect game for you. Dive into this old-school pixel-art adventure, play the intense solo play campaign or master your skills playing PvP with your friends or players around the world.
Best Features
- Rescue mission single player campaign
- Challenge your friends in PvP multiplayer mode
- Tons of different unlockable weapons
- Atmospheric sound effects
Release Date: May 2019
Platform: iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Xbox
Genre: Action, Adventure
Developer and Publisher: Ivan Panasenko
Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall
48 years before the events of the Game of Thrones TV show, Lord Commander Brynden Rivers, better known as “Bloodraven”, disappeared while ranging beyond the Wall. Now it’s your turn to take command of the Night’s Watch. Stunning graphics and compelling new storyline, it's an exciting addition to the GOT narrative, with intuitive character and skill growth, it's a robust and well-designed game made for those who can't get enough of the GOT series.
- Collect Game of Thrones Characters like Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Jaime Lannister and others
- Explore, range and send your ravens beyond The Wall unlock and upgrade Items, Tactics, Traits, and Abilities
- Command the Night’s Watch and recruit characters from around the Known World
Release Date: March 2020
Genre: Adventure, Strategy
Developer and Publisher: Behaviour Interactive Inc.
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Tiny Room Stories: Mystery Town
You are a private detective. After receiving a letter from your father, asking for help, you go to the small town of Redcliff. The city is completely empty. Explore the city, find clues, solve puzzles, open locks to advance your investigation. Tiny Room Stories is a mixture of escape the room and classic quests, and if you're up for a little mystery it's full of twists and turns that'll keep you guessing. The best thing about the game is that there's always something to investigate and solve with new episodes releasing every month.
Best Features
- Fully 3D levels that can and should be rotated to inspect them from another angle.
- Variety of locations from the usual residential building to the ancient catacombs.
- Plenty of puzzles
- Detective story, with unexpected plot twists.
Release Date: June 2019
Platform: Android
Genre: Puzzle
Developer and Publisher: Kiary Games
Fortnite
Fortnite has come to mobile! Squad up with your friends far and wide and compete to be the last one standing in Battle Royale, or use your imagination to build your dream Fortnite in Creative. Build your fort as you battle to be the last one standing. There hasn't been a battle royale quite as outrageous and epic as Fortnite and the mobile game is shaping up to be a very popular instalment to the franchise. Although the controls are limited in comparison to the PC and Console versions, the mobile game offers easy multiplayer madness in just a few taps.
Best Features
- Connect with Fortnite friends online on the go so the party never stops.
- Shape the battlefield by building your own cover.
- Team up with your friends around the world or in the same room!
- Play the full game anytime, anywhere across all consoles!
Release Date: September 2017
Platform: iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Xbox
Genre: Multiplayer, Battle Royale
Developer and Publisher: Epic Games
Pengiun Isle
Build you're very own arctic ecosystem in Penguin Isle, a theraputic idle sim where you collect a variety of penguins by creating each of their own habitats.
Best Features
- Easy and simple gameplay
- A variety of penguins and arctic animals
- Cute animal animations
- Beautiful arctic scenery
- Comforting melody and the sound of waves
Release Date: September 2019
Genre: Simulation, Idle
Developer: HABBY
Sonic at the Olympic Games
Join Sonic and his friends as they explore Tokyo and stop Dr. Eggman from taking over the city. It's up to Sonic and his friends to save the Olympic Games. This game is a friendly reminder to stay postive during uncertain times, hope for a brighter future and to look forward to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
Best Features
- Compete in over 15 Olympic events
- Challenge friends or players around the world and win the gold medal
Release Date: May 2020
Genre: Sports, Arcade
Developer and Publisher: SEGA
AI Dungeon
Imagine a world that you could explore infinitely, continually finding an endless amount of entirely new content and adventures. AI Dungeon is a first of its kind text adventure game that allows you to do anything you can imagine.
Release Date: December 2019
Genre: Text-based adventure
Developer: Nick Walton
Rest in Pieces
It's up to you to save all the poor souls that have been trapped in the dream demons porcelain nightmares. Awaken little Georgina from her evil clown dream, help others awaken from their frightening nightmares. Rest in Pieces begs you to save as many souls as you journey through the realms and battle against ghoulish bosses.
Best Features
- Battle bosses to awaken the souls
- Unlock and collected unique figurines
- Save all 21 souls and unleash 7 deadly nightmares
Release Date: September 2019
Genre: Action, Horror
Developer: Team Itatke
Sky: Children of the Light
Winner of Apple's iPhone Game of the Year and from the creators behind Journey (2013 Game of The Year), comes a breath-taking social adventure that is set to warm your hearts. Sky is a beautiful display of dreamlike visuals and fluid animations as your every move is accompanied by a harmony of aetheral sounds. The entire game is an elevated experience that is enjoyed with others, which is exactly what we need in this time of disconnect.
Best Features
- Explore 7 dreamlike realms to uncover the secrets along your journey
- Socialize with like-minded players from around the world
- Express yourself with an array of character customizations
Release Date: July 2019
Genre: Multiplayer, Adventure
Developer and Publisher: thatgamecompany
Call of Duty: Mobile
One of the best mobile games to release in 2019, Call of Duty: Mobile is easily one of the best games in the COD franchise. Activision's free-to-play mobile success is packed with hell-raising game modes like 100 Player Battleground, 5v5 Team Death Match and classics like Domination, Search and Destroy and so much more. It's hard to believe it's for free! If you're looking to play with friends or connect with others, COD: Mobile offers hours of thrills and challenges for all to enjoy.
Best Features
- Competitive Multiplayer functionality, play with friends in a battle royale
- Play iconic multiplayer maps from the franchise
- Unlock classic COD characters, weapons, and gear
Release Date: October 2019
Platform: iOS, Android, Web Browser and Windows Phone
Genre: Battle Royale Multiplayer, Action
Developer and Publisher: Activision Publishing Inc.
Left to Survive: Zombie Games
Danger lurks everywhere. Survive against zombies using rifles, grenades, shotguns, and anything in your arsenal to secure safe havens and save survivors. Build your encampment to defend yourself against enemy attacks. Left to Survive is great for dedicated players as new weapons and accessories are constantly added to the game and a lot of the rewards received from Base Raids and PvP battles are well worth the effort for your adventure.
Best Features:
- Kill hordes of zombies and challenge bosses
- Thrilling PVP, test your survival skills against live players
- Build, defend and customise your base
Release Date: July 2018
Genre: Arcade, Action
Developer and Publisher: My.com B.V.
Pokemon Go
Yes, Pokemon Go. I know what you’re thinking, how can I play if I can’t explore outside? You'd be happy to know they’ve made it easier to play Pokemon Go indoors during lock down, embracing real-world gaming from home. Niantic has made changes to Pokemon Go to limit the need to go outside, Pokemon Go’s Adventure Sync connection let’s your mobile device track steps to earn in-game rewards even while you’re not playing, their newest update will work better with indoor movement and activities like cleaning your house and cooking which will count toward game achievements.
Best Features:
- Discover and catch Pokemon from the comfort of your own home using AR Mode +
- Level up and evolve your Pokemon
- Compete in epic Gym battles
Release Date: July 2016
Genre: AR, Role-playing
Developer and Publisher: Niantic in collaboration with The Pokemon Company and Nintendo
Bleached Az
Now here's game that's helping nature reclaim the Earth! Based on the viral 2008 Aussie cartoon, Beached Az, the team returned in 2019 to launch a hilarious new mobile game full of colourful characters, confrontational humour and social purpose. Save the hopeless coral from the dangers of plastic pollution and over fishing, the game promotes ocean health awareness and motivates players to actively contribute to environmental conservation. Every swipe of goes towards planting trees, with 20% of revenue going towards Carbon Neutral's Plant-a-Tree Program.
Best Features:
- Easy to pick up and fun game play
- Simple social message
- Hilarious characters and hours of dialogue
- Unlock exclusive Beached Az videos
Release Date: October 2019
Genre: Arcade, Casual
Developer: Chaos Theory
Games don’t only offer entertainment but also opportunities for us to connect with our family and friends during social distancing. They can also help maintain and improve our mental heath, physical well-being, and cognitive skills from the comfort of our own homes.
Game industries across the globe are advocates for safety messages against COVID-19 from the World Health Organisation (WHO). They're encouraging players to #PlayApartTogether, urging them to practise physical distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and other powerful preventive actions people can take to fight COVID-19. telling everyone “Wherever you are, whatever game you play, you can make a difference.” Activision, Twitch, Riot Games and YouTube Gaming are among many industry leaders joining the program.
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