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Mobile Game of the Year 2016 - Voting

M

More_Badass

Member
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2015 Results | Voting
2014 Results | Voting
___________________________________________________________________________

Mobile had another great year in 2016. Ports ranging from indie gems like Snakebird and Human Resource Machine to classic titles such as Rome: Total War graced devices. Many dozens of exclusive games from both established developers and promising newcomers released each month. And of course, a certain plumber is making his grand debut later this week, so 2016's torrent of excellent and interesting releases isn't over just yet.

So...on to the voting!

Guidelines
  • You may vote for any mobile game released in 2016, on any mobile platform (IOS, Android, Apple TV, Windows, etc.). Go by the date when the game released on a particular platform.
  • Dedicated handheld platforms such as Vita and 3DS are excluded.
  • You must nominate at least three games and include a comment for each for your votes to be counted.
  • You may list up to 10 games for your ballot. The games must be numbered, and consecutively listed in numerical order from 1 to 10.
  • You may list any number of honorable mentions in your ballot, and these must be indicated by an "x."
Sample Voting list
Code: 
1. Game A ; Comment on Game A.
2. Game B ; Comment on Game B.
3. Game C ; Comment on Game C.
4. Game D ; Comment on Game D.
5. Game E ; Comment on Game E.
6. Game F ; Comment on Game F.
7. Game G ; Comment on Game G.
8. Game H ; Comment on Game H.
9. Game I ; Comment on Game I.
10. Game J ; Comment on Game J.

Honorable Mentions
x. Game K ; Comment on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. Game L ; Comment on Honorable Mention Game L.

Scoring
I'll be using the common scoring system, seen in the general GOTY, Narrative, etc. threads. Honorable mentions will not receive points.
Code: 
1. Game A ; 4 points
2. Game B ; 3 points
3. Game C ; 3 points
4. Game D ; 2 points
5. Game E ; 2 points
6. Game F ; 2 points
7. Game G ; 1 point
8. Game H ; 1 point
9. Game I ; 1 point
10. Game J ; 1 point

Due to the sheer volume of games that release on mobile, it can be difficult to find a definite list of 2016 releases. Here are a few sites that might help:
- Metacritic's Best iOS/iPad games of 2016
- Android Gaming thread
- GAF's monthly iOS threads: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Voting concludes on Friday, January 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM PST.

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P

Pachimari

Member
I'll update my list before deadline.

1. Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
2. Pokémon Go ; ended up spending $120 on microtransactions. My niece got into the game. Everybody got into it, and it was something unlike anything else.
3. Lumines: Puzzle & Music ; My favorite puzzle game since Tetris, and my favorite PSP game. The series finally arrived on mobile with slick and responsive controls and fan favorite tracks.
4. Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic
5. Super Mario Run
6. Yokai Watch: Wibble Wobble
7. Rodeo Stampede ; The core gameplay grabbed me. The controls is smooth and responsive, and it build upon the gameplay of Crossy Road.
9. Final Fantasy IX ; Who can deny Final Fantasy? This port was a very solid one. Here's hoping VIII finds its way to mobile next year.
9. Hexcells
 
A

Already Torn

Banned
1. Apollo Justice Ace Attorney ; One of the greats
2. Pokemon Go ; The most anyone's cared about a mobile game since GOAT Flappy Bird
3. Severed ; This game looks cool
 
C

cropduster

Member
1. Severed; Severed was not one only of
the best mobile game I played this year, but maybe the best overall game I played.
2. Steamworld Heist; Really fun strategy game with cool story. I played it first on 3ds and then on iPhone.
3. Crashlands; The first crafting game that ever kept my attention. Great on both iPhone and iPad.
4. Reigns; Just getting into this and loving it.
5. Super Mario Run; I'm looking forward to seeing different ideas from Nintendo on Mobile, but overall, it's a pretty good game
 
BennyBlanco

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
1. Clash Royale ; Only mobile game that has ever held my attention for months on end. Still fun. Real time, lagless multiplayer. Never spent a penny on it.
 
S

Saucycarpdog

Member
1. Love you to bits - Puzzles were incredibly varied and fun, and the story was filled to the brim with charm and wit
2. Teeny Titans - This came out of nowhere and blew me away, fun and fast gameplay with Pokemon-like addictive collecting.
3. Dungeon Warfare - I always thought I was done with the tower defense genre till this game came out; satisfying game play that stands out and feels unique compared to other TD games
4. Leap of Fate - Addictive rogue-like gameplay loop, subtle progession system, and unique themes and visuals had me playing this for dozens of hours
5. Reigns - An incredibly unique choice-based ruler sim that feels right at home on mobile with it's swipe mechanics and minimalist aesthetic

I'll probably be adding more later on.
 
A

awp69

Member
This is going to be tough. I also usually try to not include ports but there were some good ones this year. Hmmm..
 
Peterthumpa

Peterthumpa

Member
It's outrageous that it's been another year with almost none to a few shitty Android releases. Real mobile gaming is iOS only, basically.
 
D

daegan

Member
1. Mystic Messenger ; Incredibly compelling design, monetization that isn't evil characters that despite a lot of fantastical story elements write texts the same way someone you know does. It really is a great, interesting game which takes the mobile format and makes it work in a way nothing else does - almost like EA's Majestic updated for the modern world.
2. Pokemon Go ; Of course.
3. Reigns ; I had a really good time ruining the lives of my subjects.
 
K

killercow

Member
Each year it's difficult to list the best mobile games of the year. This year's no different and I have yet to play some great games like Banner Saga 2, Sorcery 4 etc. We also had an extremly good year for ports but I couldn't list them all (Jade Empire, Rome: Total War, Bully etc). So this is the list of games that I've played and that I know are great:

1. Steamworld Heist ; An astounding turn-based RPG with a lot of hearts... uh bolts.
2. Severed ; An excellent port of a dark, moody Zelda-like adventure
3. Samorost 3 ; The same crazy worlds that you've come to expect from Amanita in their most compelling game to date
4. Circa Infinity ; A mesmerizing "circle platformer" that's unlike anything you've ever played
5. Love You to Bits ; Point-and-click has never looked this good
6. Clash Royale ; I'm still shocked to see it here on this list but damn, it's addictive and surprisingly easy to play without paying
7. Reigns ; A unique take on management, like Tinder but for Kings.
8. Space Marshals 2 ; A confident sequel that's even more polished and filled with content
9. The Battle of Polytopia; The best Civilization-like game on mobile to date
10. Lumines: Puzzle & Music ; Finally, the king of rhythm/puzzler game is back and with Rez's OST to boot.

Honorable Mentions
x. Lost in Harmony ; A unique story-driven musical platformer that you have to experience
x. Momoka: An Interplanetary Adventure ; A cute, heart-filled platformer that will send you to the deepest corners of the solar system
x. Warbits ; Advance Wars on mobile done right
x. Klocki ; A small, laser-focused puzzler that is as brilliant as it is simple
x. Solitairica ; A solitaire rogue-like that, while a bit unbalanced, is well worth playing
x. Invisible Inc ; Another great port of an excellent stealth game
x. _PRISM ; It might not be The Room 4, but it's got some neat ideas of its own
x. The Swords ; A strange tale of vengeance that never cease to implement new ideas
x. Lost Socks ; A gorgeous yet hardcore runner
x. Lost Frontier ; Another take on Advance Wars but western-themed
x. Snakebird ; I'm not smart enough for this one but if you are, you'll relish in its intricate puzzles
x. Concrete Jungle ; A fun take on city management with a dash of CCG
 
H

hydrophilic attack

Member
1. Sorcery 4 The Crown of Kings ; The conclusion of Inkle's adaption of the Sorcery! gamebooks. As the series have progressed, it has moved farther and farther from its inspiration and is better for it. The time travel mechanics introduced in 2 and massively expanded on in 3 have here been incorporated into the core narrative, making the game so much more than the book it adapts. Full of humour, puzzles, and secrets this is adaptive and interactive storytelling at its finest. I can't wait to see what Inkle works on next.

2. Reigns ; Mixture of kingdom management sim and rogue like with very intuitive Tinder-like swiping gameplay. The game manages to do a lot with a very simple system where you constantly have to make yes or no decisions that balance the power of the church, military, health of your workers and treasury. If either is allowed to grow too weak or too powerful your reign will meet an early end, after which you will play as the successor, which still needs to deal with consequences of some of your predecessors' decisions. At first you will try to only survive as long as possible with each new king, but eventually meta-narratives starts to take form covering specific characters, the development of your kingdom, and the curse of your line.

3. Slither.io ; a massively online multiplayer adaptation of the prototypal mobile game success Snake. Simple fun and perfect for short gameplay bursts on the bus or in the bathroom.

4. Final Fantasy IX ; One of the best Final Fantasy games in its best version yet. What's not to like?
 
P

purseowner

Member
1. Taiko no Tatsujin+: It's the greatest rhythm game series ever on a touchscreen phone. The translation to mobile works perfectly and is most welcome given I play these on handhelds often.

2. Lumines - Puzzle and Music: Addictive bog-occupying musical crack. They shouldn't have brought this to mobile - it eats away my time and I spend twice as long in bathrooms.

3. Snakebird: Fiendishly clever puzzler with such wonderfully vibrant graphics and derpy characters that you'll be grinning too much to be frustrated when you inevitably hit a roadblock.

4. Severed: Drinkbox visual design + Metroid Prime-esque perspective = heaven. Like a Wii-era first person combat game without the motion control frustration and with ten times more style.

5. Pokémon Go: It took over the world if only for a few months and reignited my nostalgia. Job well done.
 
D

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
1) Clash Royale;
quite possibly my most played game of the year, not only referring to mobile either... heck it might even earn a spot in the top10 most played games EVER! I've been gaming since I was 4yo, now 35y ago so it wouldn't be a small feat. getting in the company of Super Mario Kart, SFII, Winning Eleve/PES, Sensibile Soccer, Lemmings and whatnot! Even better is that I truly enjoyed most of my time with it, only f2p game to ever held my attention and successfully earning money from me.

2) Super Mario Run;
Short but really sweet, the one-finger controls are deliciously refined.

3) Neo Turf Masters;

4) Invisible Inc.;

5) Steamworld Heist;

6) Lost Socks;


Unfortunately there's so many I haven't played yet like Solitarica, Severed, Titan Quest, Yokai Watch, Love You To Bits, Reigns...
 
C

Coxy100

Banned
1. SteamWorld: Heist ; So addictive. Great strategy game and perfect for trips to the loo.
2. Rome: Total War; When this first came out in 2004 on PC I was obsessed - to then be playing it on a mobile device is a dream. The later Total War games are 'better' but this port is flawless - runs great on mobile.
3. Crashlands; fun crafting - don't normally like this genre.

Number 1 is a clear winner for me.
 
G

Gamecocks625

Member
1. Super Mario Run - Mobile take on Mario made by the best creator in the business. So good.
2. Neo Turf Masters ; the best arcade golf game on iOS. It's a Neo Geo classic and an absolutely perfect port on top of that. Incredibly charming and addicting.
3. Lumines Puzzle & Music ; wonderful adaptation to the touch screen with classic skins like Shinin. So much better than the first Lumines iOS attempt from several years ago.
4. Rush Rally 2 ; THE best off-road racer. Constantly updated, 60fps with incredible graphics, controls that feel just right, and from a developer who's worked on console hits.
 
D

Dinjooh

Member
1. Pokémon GO; Took me by surprise and ended up spending way way too much time on this addicting piece of software.
2. Rome: Total War; Been my go to toilet game lately, highly recommended.
3. Final Fantasy IX; As a fan of anything FF this was great to play, plus it's not a shitty port.

I take it it's a bit too cheesy to vote for a game you worked on, so I'll refrain from doing that.
 
M

MyleMan1010

Member
1. Clash Royale; Very addictive and easy to play. I come back to this game more than most, mobile or not released this year.
2. Pokemon Go; The game took a very simple but fun concept and attached it to a very popular franchise. People that don't play games or like Pokemon ended up wandering around parks trying to catch Pokemon. That's a pretty big deal.
3. Lumines; Great music and very fun to play.
 
S

Stoze

Member
1. Blackbox ; A brilliant little puzzle game that almost redefines what it means to utilize your hardware/controller in gameplay and design. Aptly named, Blackbox is the ultimate mobile game in terms of thinking outside the box, maybe more so than almost any game I've ever played. I technically haven't beaten all of its puzzles, because realizing what a couple of them require you to do to solve them is both ridiculous and utterly fantastic.

2. RYB ; Like Hexcells meets The Witness, RYB is a game that teaches its rulesets and tests you merely through simple shapes, color, and excellent puzzle design. It manages to build and culminate its mechanics together seamlessly at a steady pace, creating a difficulty curve that makes you feel smart but still maintains some difficulty. I have some issues with the overly generous 3-try fail system and how the elimination process evolves, but I think it's a standout puzzle game on a platform littered with great ones.

3. Tomb of the Mask ; Kind of like Pac-Man on steroids, TotM is a fast-paced vertical runner that requires swift thinking and a nimble thumb. With popping pixel art and swipe controls that feel absolutely sublime, it takes the throne as the most addicting mobile arcade game this year.
edit: This was before I played the new sub-par campaign and saw more intrusive in-app purchase stuff, both added recently. I made this vote strictly for what is now called "Arcade" mode which is still great.

4. Able Black ; A wonderfully written sci-fi interactive story that drowns you in its dark atmosphere and esoteric puzzles. Slick presentation with a well-told existential narrative, it's something that isn't easily forgotten.

5. Lost Socks: Naughty Brothers ; On one hand this is one of the most frustrating games I've played this year, and on the other hand it's the only one that scratches that Rayman itch, in a good way. A very well designed autorunner platformer that plays much better than you expect with on-screen buttons, Lost Socks is brutal (especially if you're going for 100%) yet incredibly satisfying.

6. The Battle of Polytopia ; Previously known as Super Tribes, this game is a simple yet elegant distillation of the Civilization games. It manages to convert the time it takes to play one Civ game from dozens of hours to a couple dozen minutes. By stripping out the fluff and emphasizing rock-paper-scissors gameplay, it becomes a very fun reimagining without taking up too much of your time.

7. Super Mario Run ; A solid autorunner with a level of polish that feels about in line with Nintendo's traditional offerings. The game has mostly great level design that comes from the Mario name, but more interestingly is how the game manages to take lives (now bubbles) and the timer from the platforming series and really make those count for once. That would be due to the restructuring around its collectible colored coins, which can be a fun challenge and one that has a surprising amount of work put into it. Toad Rally mode lost me thanks to some poor design decisions, but the 24 or so main levels provide some good precision platforming and have a healthy amount of challenge and replayability.

8. Pokemon GO ; While I'm not a fan of the game's core gameplay when it's in your hands, the augmented reality aspect and its real world impact is something else. I don't think I've ever seen and been a part of such a profoundly visible phenomenon take place because of a game. It's awesome to behold even if I haven't touched it since those first couple weeks.
 
S

Stoze

Member
They don't make my list because I played them on PC, but I have to shout out Steamworld Heist and Invisible Inc..Two of the best turn-based strategy games I've played and they would've both topped my list easily had I played them on iOS.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Stoze said:
They don't make my list because I played them on PC, but I have to shout out Steamworld Heist and Invisible Inc..Two of the best turn-based strategy games I've played and they would've both topped my list easily had I played them on iOS.
Click to expand...
This was a seriously fantastic year for ports. I'd say the best I can remember since I've gotten into mobile games. Everything from Hexcells and Snakebird to Invisible Inc and Steamworld Heist
 
J

Jeff6851

Member
1. Pokemon Go ; it took the world by storm. It was a unique experience going out to the park and walking around town with all my friends while searching for Pokemon. It's a shame the game came out when it was hot as hell or I would have done it more. Like pretty much every F2P mobile game, it died pretty quickly but for the month I played it it was great fun.

2. Into the Dim ; Prob won't get many votes but it was one of the 15 or so mobile adventure games I stuck with for more than a few minutes. The health system is done poorly in an effort to generate more microtransactions (sorry I can't go into more detail, I don't remember exactly how it worked, I just remember it was awful). The final boss is incredibly cheap as well and it took my several tries to beat him. Still, it's a fun little game to pass the time in.

3. Really Bad Chess ; chess but with different numbers of various pieces. Maybe you'll have four queens, maybe three knights or rooks. The only thing that's certain is that you'll have one king.
 
S

Stoze

Member
More_Badass said:
This was a seriously fantastic year for ports. I'd say the best I can remember since I've gotten into mobile games. Everything from Hexcells and Snakebird to Invisible Inc and Steamworld Heist
Click to expand...

It's weird because I initially thought Mini Metro and Hexcells were mobile games that came to PC within the last year or two simply because of their look and feel, but it's the other way around. I had to do a double-take when I saw Mini Metro was only just released a couple months ago for iOS and Android.
 
M

Makonero

Member
Stoze said:
It's weird because I initially thought Mini Metro and Hexcells were mobile games that came to PC within the last year or two simply because of their look and feel, but it's the other way around. I had to do a double-take when I saw Mini Metro was only just released a couple months ago for iOS and Android.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Mini Metro is as perfect a mobile game as I've ever played. Still trying to get the last few expert modes unlocked for a few different trains.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Greatest Ever said:
Man, I really am liking Hitman Go and Lara Croft Go, but Deus Ex Go is not anywhere near those two. Shame.
Click to expand...
LC Go was this huge meticulous evolution. Their GDC talk on how they attempted to both advance the GO formula and distill Tomb Raider's "essence of adventure" to a turn-based puzzler is fascinating and insightful. I highly recommend watching it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn4MzuvliDs

That's where Deus Ex failed IMO. It feels like a blatant quick effort to coincide with Mankind Divided, failing back on Hitman's format, rather than a game precisely designed to capture the essence of what makes Deus Ex tick and evolve the GO style again
 
R

rhandino

Banned
1) Pokemon GO: One of the few times me and my brother enjoyed a mobile game together and capturing mons was a lot of fun for a LONG while.

2) Clash Royale: It was so much fun that I stopped playing because it was eating into my time to do other things T_T3
 
NeoRaider

NeoRaider

Member
Didn't really play many mobile games this year but here are 3 that i really like:

1. Severed ; Started playing it few days ago and this might be one of the best mobile games i ever played. That art style, that atmosphere, that music... everything about this game is amazing!

2. Deus Ex GO ; Not as good as Lara Croft GO, but still very good. Loved the animations, music and challenging puzzles.

3. PinOut ; Basically a pinball endless runner game. Very stylish, with simple but addictive gameplay.
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
Don't feel good making a list before Super Mario Run & Binding of Isaac drop.... will edit this post later.
 
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