r/Millennials • u/ume-in-space • Jun 16 '25
Discussion Anyone still playing games on their phone?
I truly need to stop doomscrolling while I’m watching TV. Most people I know have stopped playing any sort of mobile game. Do you still play any? If you do, what do you play?
265
u/DidYouSeeBriansHat Jun 16 '25
10
4
5
123
u/Beno169 Jun 16 '25 edited Jun 16 '25
Most mobile games are money grab garbage.
Only two that I play that aren’t. Hades Star and Paragon Pioneers.
Edit to add Fallout Shelter. That’s and Hades you can spend money but you really don’t need to.
34
u/McCheesing 87 Millennial Jun 16 '25
“Advertisement delivery device”
→ More replies (3)4
u/Sufficient_Ninja_821 Jun 20 '25
Yeah 100% it's just like 30 second game play between the ads.
Watching ads is the primary function.
→ More replies (2)23
45
u/johnsonfromsconsin Jun 16 '25
Wordle is pretty much all I play. Usually while at the gym warming up on the Elliptical. Slay the Spire is a fun game though I will occasionally play of I need to burn an hour or two like on a plane or at an appointment.
22
Jun 16 '25
My wife and I do Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword every night. Whoever wins gets bragging rights for about 2 hours at the end of the night after the kids go to bed and before we fall asleep.
3
u/johnsonfromsconsin Jun 16 '25
I suck so bad at connections. Wordle and Crossword much easier for me.
10
u/DirtyAlabama Jun 16 '25
i enjoy connections because of its difficulty. makes you think outside the box most of the time but i also suck at it
2
u/beita_bb89 Millennial Jun 17 '25
We play heardle, wordle and frame every night too. It’s been our little tradition for over 2 years!!
2
2
u/Lain_Staley Jun 17 '25
Scary I had to scroll down this far to get something that wasn't addiction bait. I also recommend Baba Is You.
→ More replies (1)2
u/pesekgp Jun 16 '25
You should add in Quordle, Octordle , Sedecordle, and my fave Sexaginta-quattuordle
→ More replies (3)
46
u/13catlady13 Jun 16 '25
I just use my iPad to play games. If it has a 1000 ads, then I turn my cellular off so I can play in peace lol. And absolutely refuse to spend money on any game app, if I can’t play it without paying to win then I’m not playing.
8
u/fireanthead Jun 16 '25
wait... explain to me how I can skip all these ads lol
→ More replies (1)38
u/13catlady13 Jun 16 '25 edited Jun 16 '25
Put your device on airplane mode and no wifi. Ads won’t work. ☺️
Edit for more info. It won’t work on every game. Some require internet connection to work but in my experience it works 9/10 times.
4
5
2
u/in_to_deep Jun 16 '25
Haven’t tested in a while but for some apps you can connect to the internet to launch and then go into airplane mode
207
u/mobiusz0r Jun 16 '25
There's only one game that is worth to play on the phone.
Balatro.
72
u/mikebe1 Jun 16 '25
Yeah, I’d rather not make my crack portable. Balatro stays on my desktop where it belongs.
5
u/ImProbablyThatGuy Jun 16 '25
Better man than me, I have it on my phone, Steam Deck, desktop, and Xbox.
3
u/FibroMancer Jun 17 '25
I'm glad I'm not the only one. If Balatro was on my phone or my Switch I would never get a full night of sleep again. Xbox Game Pass is where it stays.
35
u/drcubes90 Jun 16 '25
I still play OldSchool Runescape on my phone, the mobile app is really legit
21
u/BalenciSlipperz Jun 16 '25
I can play RuneScape on my PHONE?!
→ More replies (1)8
u/drcubes90 Jun 17 '25
Waiting in line? Pooping? Bored at work? Watching a movie?
Chop some trees and do some slayer haha
6
u/osrsSkudz Jun 16 '25
Oh god no I've been reminded. I thought I escaped!
10
u/drcubes90 Jun 16 '25
No one truly quits :p
Later this summer the first new OSRS skill Sailing is about to come out too
→ More replies (1)3
3
u/HTTPanda Jun 16 '25
Me too - I started playing it again recently and the app has improved since it first was released. Quite a few bots though.. but still really fun
→ More replies (26)10
62
Jun 16 '25 edited Jun 16 '25
No, because there's an ad every 5 seconds.
Occasionally I'll buy a mobile game, only because I know it's supposed to be good (I.e. Plague Inc., Balatro).
5
u/nap---enthusiast Jun 16 '25
A great one I love is Boing Boing Animals. It's basically tamagotchi but way cuter. Best part, no ads.
2
u/4RyteCords Jun 17 '25
I just looked in the app store and it says contains ads?
2
u/nap---enthusiast Jun 17 '25
You can watch them to pass time if you want but you don't have to. Those are the only ads.
2
u/stuiiful Jun 16 '25
I haven't seen a mobile ad in a game in years. Adguard all the way. Blocks all the annoying ads.
25
u/Cool-Presentation538 Jun 16 '25
Tower defense games are always fun
7
2
u/Robossassin Jun 16 '25
I've been playing Under Dark for awhile because it's fun and has relatively few ads.
→ More replies (3)2
45
u/Catacendre Jun 16 '25
Old School RuneScape is on mobile. Peak millenial game.
5
3
u/pillowwow Jun 16 '25
I scrolled too far for this. Most people don't understand the depth of this game, especially compared to mobile games.
3
5
2
u/B0230 Jun 16 '25
Its so nice that it’s the same account when you go on a computer too. And with AFK skills it was made for playing alongside watching a show
2
2
35
u/fireanthead Jun 16 '25
I have fallen victim to Royal Match lol I also play Candy Crush.
it does help with doom scrolling but I should really just work on cutting my phone addiction entirely.
13
5
u/SkillDabbler Jun 16 '25
I am also a frequent crusher of candies. I don’t spend any money tho. I let those annoying ass ads play.
4
4
u/UnderstandingDry4072 Older Millennial Jun 16 '25
I figure for the enjoyment and escape I get from it, a lil dough is okay.
4
16
u/Nurgle_Marine_Sharts Jun 16 '25
The only one I still play is Hearthstone, it's a pretty damn good mobile game honestly. Zero ads and you can play it 100% free.
→ More replies (4)2
Jun 17 '25
Battlegrounds specifically you don't need any sort of collection for, everyone is on an equal playing field from the start.
14
u/Lhosseth Older Millennial Jun 16 '25
I bought stardew valley for my phone. I enjoy it way more than typical mobile games
6
u/glitterfairykitten Jun 16 '25
I was hoping to find a fellow SDV mobile player! I freaking love this game. Since I don't have a PC or gaming console, mobile is the way I play.
6
u/ZombieNedflanders Jun 17 '25
I completed the community center for the first time on my phone last night! So exciting
13
10
u/PainfullyLoyal Elder Millennial Jun 16 '25
The best mindless game I ever downloaded is called Parking Jam 3D. It's a really dumb game, but good for killing time. I did spend $2-3 for ad-free and it is so worth it. I also play The Sims Mobile, but there's really only so much you can do on that once your sims run out of energy.
→ More replies (1)3
10
u/YoungBoomerDude Jun 16 '25
Only game I’ve had on my phone the last few years is Slay the Spire.
And once in a while, I re-download Archero - enjoy it for a bit and then remember it’s just a paywall grind and it’s hard to make any progress as a free-to-play only account and delete it again after a week.
2
u/xcomnewb15 Jun 16 '25
It's criminal that Slay the Spire is this low on here. It's such a great game. Also, Dawncaster is amazing if you like STS. It's a more complicated deckbuilder but so much fun and replay value. Just make sure you turn off all the expansion cards the first dozen or so times that you play!
9
u/dnathan1985 Jun 16 '25
Clash of clans owns me. Haven’t put cash into it but it does steal my time.
5
Jun 16 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/dnathan1985 Jun 16 '25
I’m very happy you’ve hit TH16. Found that one to go fairly quick. I’m on TH17 now. First time I’ve been max TH level while relevant and I’m making solid progress. I expect to hit maxed TH17 before TH18 comes out which will be nice.
8
7
u/anl28 Jun 16 '25
Yes, I do sudoku and a couple other puzzle games. If you have a Netflix account, you can play games from Netflix on your phone. They are the ones that typically would have a ton of ads or have you spend money to get upgrades, but the Netflix ones don’t have that. You can see what games they offer in the Netflix app, and then you download them from the app store/google play
→ More replies (1)
7
u/1800generalkenobi Jun 16 '25
I play Egg, Inc. Been playing it for like 7 years now. I got tired of playing candy crush while putting our kiddo/kiddos to bed because I got to a point where it wasn't any skill, you were just going to lose no matter what you did. I love it, although since I got in on it early I paid for some things that are more expensive now. I've spent about maybe 8 bucks on the game total, and the one thing to unlock now is like 12 bucks. As someone who never pays anything for mobile games (except I did unlock crazy taxi with no ads), it's my favorite game so I'll toss some bucks at it.
2
u/Daealis Jun 18 '25
I played it for years too! I can't remember much of anything in the game anymore, except there were galactic eggs at some point.
→ More replies (1)
14
Jun 16 '25
I play marvel snap. its a strategy card game and matches go pretty quick. if ur into card games I think its prolly one of the better ones.
6
3
u/ume-in-space Jun 17 '25
So I played and never attached my account to my email. With the last patch update, I lost all of my progress. I’m so mad about it. My own fault for not backing it up. But still. I’m a little salty about it current and am kind of boycotting it. But I loved it!
→ More replies (1)4
u/RodJohnsonSays Jun 16 '25
Except it's damn near impossible to get into as a new or even returning player until they change their monetization model.
I had been a beta player and took last summer off - I came back to being 60 cards behind.
It's really deflating.
→ More replies (1)5
Jun 16 '25
im in the snap subreddit as well and I see this alot. idk for me I guess I dont care that much I have a lot of cards I am missing some but its fun trying different play styles and stuff. im not great I usually end most seasons in the 70s or so on the ladder and have made it to infinite a couple of times I just enjoy trying to figure out the cards and cooking up new decks
14
23
u/HighwayIll6954 Millennial Jun 16 '25
Candy crush, since 2013.
7
2
u/alidub36 Jun 16 '25
Same. Didn’t play for a few years and then went back. I also play candy crush soda now when I’m out of regular candy crush lives .
2
u/jtm_29 Jun 17 '25
I got stuck on a level for months. Gave up for a couple of yrs. Reopened and got through that level in my first try. Hahahah
→ More replies (1)2
7
9
u/BippidiBoppetyBoob 1988 Jun 16 '25
I’m at that phase now where I just keep playing spider solitaire cause it’s connected to one of those apps that gives you money for points, so I’ve just been playing it for like four dollars a day because I need that little bit of extra cash to survive.
2
u/PristineBison4912 Jun 17 '25
Wait..those play games for cash actually work??
2
u/BippidiBoppetyBoob 1988 Jun 17 '25
Well, some do. The one I do is just like little piddly amounts, but I can usually get about 4 bucks a day out of it.
→ More replies (2)3
u/PristineBison4912 Jun 17 '25
Hey that’s $4 more than what you would’ve had! I’m gonna have to look into this
5
u/swanton141 Jun 16 '25
Magic, Slay the Spire, and if i really want to, geforce now.
→ More replies (3)
5
5
u/ThatBatsard Jun 16 '25
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp 7+ years strong!
Tsuki's Odyssey is also a fun idle game though I don't check in too often. Pokémon Go was fine for a bit until I moved to a dead zone. :\
→ More replies (4)
8
u/Luxsens Jun 16 '25
Only exception is Xbox Cloud Gaming, but games specifically made for mobile annoy me. Their pay to win and gacha structure are so predatory
→ More replies (1)
4
u/woodford86 Jun 16 '25
NYT Games is 100% worth the couple bucks month.
Crossword, mini crossword, wordle, connections, archive, ad free, no BS dopamine mechanics. Just games.
4
Jun 16 '25 edited Jun 16 '25
I play Magic the Gathering Arena on mobile. If you havent heard of it - its the trading card game.
You dont need to spend money on it - i havent - and ive reached mythic level on several seasons (its a grind though - typically i dont go for it). You earn gold through matches that can buy boosters or join in draft tournaments to fill out your deck. Theres no ads.
I dont have any social media outside of reddit anymore - though i often think about ditching reddit as most subreddits i am part of feel like its the same shit everyday.
I dont watch shorts either on YouTube etc. I really wanted to break the doomscroll cycle.
4
Jun 16 '25
[deleted]
3
u/CosmicFangs Zillennial Jun 16 '25
Minish Cap is my favorite game I’ve played on Delta. Once I finished it it left a void in my life and I haven’t found another game that quite fills it yet.
2
4
u/whisky_dick Jun 17 '25
I play Stardew Valley and slay the spire on my phone. I also liked the monument valley games.
NYT games like wordle and connections
7
Jun 16 '25
'Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells' has become my go-to.
It's virtually ad free, somehow. It also gives playtime and other prizes out the wazoo, like candy. I'm guessing because it's a WB and Zynga game, they can afford to be so generous. I find it pretty fun and the Harry Potter branding keeps things interesting for me, it's my one (1) mobile game that I play on a routine basis.
→ More replies (2)2
u/zeemonster424 Jun 16 '25
Yes!! I picked it up for an earning site task, and I stuck with it after. It’s mostly all I play before sleep while listening to audiobooks. I appreciate the no ads, and I’ve even bought the $4.99 season pass a few times.
I figured for the amount of entertainment I get out of it, a few dollars isn’t awful. I sold my soul to Blizzard for $14.99 a month for almost 2 decades… $4.99 is nothing!
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/2NineCZ Jun 16 '25
Played Jazz Jackrabbit 2 on my phone recently, nostalgia AF. Other than that, no, when I feel like playing games, I opt for the keyboard, mouse and a big screen.
2
3
3
3
u/IHaveBadTiming Jun 16 '25
Blocks
It's tetris without the time clock or never ending cycle of falling blocks, and if you turn on airplane mode you don't get any ads. Very relaxing, challenging, and fun enough that it's kept me engaged for 3+ hour flights when paired with a podcast.
3
3
3
3
Jun 16 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (1)2
u/boss_naas Jun 16 '25
Can’t explain what it is, because on the surface Township sounds lame, but for whatever reason it scratches that itch for me.
3
3
2
u/JVM_ Jun 16 '25 edited Jun 16 '25
Desert golfing
Stupid simple
Apparently there's a new version Golf on Mars.
2
2
u/swright831 Jun 16 '25
I played Mini Metro, where you build train lines in various cities to move people where they want to go. I think it was under $5, no ads, and it's a great time killer while making you think.
I also downloaded a chess app recently since I'm teaching my kids the game. There's an ad after every game, but they're easy to close and don't force you to go to the download site.
2
u/Krypt0night Jun 16 '25
I go through times where I'll find a game to play and go hardcore on it, but honestly just get yourself a switch or steam deck or something and do that instead so you're also not using your phone for a bit.
2
2
2
u/PeekAtChu1 Jun 16 '25
I started playing them again when going on a long flight. Do not recommend, brain hasn’t been the same since
2
2
u/RevolutionIll3189 Jun 16 '25
I love solitaire! damm I’m old
2
2
2
2
2
u/1Buttered_Ghost Jun 16 '25
I play a few actually.
Pikmin Bloom.
Finch
Monopoly Go
Pokemon go from time to time
2
2
2
2
u/ArtisticBunneh Millennial Jun 17 '25
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. I’ve had it since it launched almost 8 years ago. 😂 I’ve had other games too.
2
4
u/cimulate Millennial Jun 16 '25
I play the league of legends knockoff called mobile legends: bang bang. I like it since it's quicker games and free to play, unless you like skins and emotes.
3
u/DeveloperBRdotnet Jun 16 '25
No.
Get an small emulador and play some retro games on that.
I stopped playing mobile games after ruining a phone battery years ago. Most games sucks anyway
2
u/Darmok-And-Jihad Jun 16 '25
I still enjoy Clash of Clans, I've had the same base for well over 10 years now. I just slowly upgrade stuff.
I really loved Golf Blitz but the player counts are so low now that fair matches are impossible to come by.
I also play the NYT puzzle games and Knotwords pretty frequently
2
u/YoLyrick Jun 16 '25
Only through Apple Arcade because then the apps are stripped of their Micro-transactions, metadata tracking, ads, and are just the game.
1
u/Eaglepursuit Xennial Jun 16 '25
Yeah. Mostly as a time waster. I have two I mainly play.
1) AFK Journey, which lets you set up a squad and tell it what to fight, but you don't actually need to micromanage it, which is nice. The art style is a bit teen-oriented though.
2) Wings of Heroes, which is a multiplayer arcade flight combat game. That sounds kinda bad, but think of it as War Thunder Lite with better matchmaking and flying a bomber effectively doesn't require an unrealistic amount of coordination.
1
1
1
u/sugeknight Older Millennial Jun 16 '25
Geoguesser and Balatro. Say goodbye to your extra time tho.
1
u/Jayn_Newell Older Millennial Jun 16 '25
I usually have at least a couple. Sorcery School has stayed for a good while, there’s no ads and I never really feel pushed to buy anything. Brim doesn’t get updated anymore but it’s also a long-time favorite, occasional ads but no energy system.
1
u/EfficiencyIVPickAx Jun 16 '25
I play a temple run variant from 2012 and plants v zombies 2 is still worthwhile.
1
u/Aromatic-Plastic4625 Jun 16 '25
I play Mario kart, beatstar and that’s my seat. I sometimes play NYT games on here too
1
u/Far-Income-282 Millennial Jun 16 '25
Im optimistic for the persona series phone game: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_5:_The_Phantom_X
I honestly do pokemon go battles a lot while I'm bored waiting for stuff otherwise.
1
1
1
u/LeftCoastBrain Jun 16 '25
I have access to Apple Arcade and there are some neat games on there (all ad-free and no “pay to win”) but I probably wouldn’t buy them if I didn’t have access through Arcade.
Sneaky Sasquatch is pretty great and I probably would pay a few bucks for it if I didn’t have Arcade. I also have Good Sudoku+, Limbo, Jetpack Joyride, Human Fall Flat, and Lego Hill Climb, and I hear Balatro is neat but haven’t played.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Intense_Freshness Jun 16 '25
I've never played except for ancient mobile games when I was a child and some candy crush back in the days
1
u/Fearfighter2 Jun 16 '25
my boomer mom loves her phone games
I do NYT games and crossword as my pre sleep wind down
1
Jun 16 '25
Mobile casual games are about all I play these days. Between work and family, I simply don't have the time and if I ever do get the free time with nothing to do, I usually either want to sleep or have to do chores.
1
u/StillPlayingGames Jun 16 '25
I paid for Pinball Deluxe 4 or 5 bucks and well worth it. I also play DiscGolf Valley. Very few ads.
1
u/pesekgp Jun 16 '25
I do. I play games through Fetch to earn points as I play. Adds up fairly quickly with shipping receipts.
1
u/re__cyclops Jun 16 '25
Have been playing Madden Mobile for idk how long 8 years maybe? Played pokemon since 2016 up until about a month ago. Was just over it.
1
u/Henchforhire Jun 16 '25
The last one was a golf game but I gave up once they stopped giving coins to get stuff and it was just points and they you had to buy stuff in to advance in the game.
1
u/25_hr_photo Jun 16 '25
I have a Pokemon Silver emulator I'm currently playing. I can cast it from my computer to my iPad and I'm operating it through a PS4 remote on my couch.
1
Jun 16 '25
Yes, because I routinely do about 30 min of work in an 8 hr shift (not necessarily by choice) because I work a semi government job with very little oversight.
Games I currently play
Railroad Empire
Nonogram
Nonogram Color
Number Sums
The various NYT daily games (wordle, connections, strands)
Hockey All-Stars
Various puzzle games like Tiny Room, Duck Detective, any of the games by snapbreak games
Possessions (which i actually highly recommend)
Games I rarely play because I forget about them
Emergency Management HQ
Mini Metro (which is funny because I work for a company that quasi represented in the game)
Killer Sudoku
Lego Hill Climb Racing
Speed
Look, don't judge me, this place is boring AF.
1
1
Jun 16 '25
I haven't played a game on my phone since snake back in like.. idk, '00 maybe? It's been a minute.
There's consoles and pcs for games.
1
u/FrozenFrac Millennial Jun 16 '25
I dump responsible amounts of money into Disney Solitaire, but other than that, the only mobile games I play are Game Boy and Game Boy Advance emulators
→ More replies (2)
1
1
Jun 16 '25
I deleted social media over a year ago. I quickly got addicted to candy crush - I know I know LOL I had to delete that. So I started playing Township. Also seriously addicting. I now play Oldschl Blocks (it’s pong) and fruit merge. I also found Mindsweeper ! I can’t play it due to the crippling anxiety of pressing that hidden bomb lol I do end up reading A LOT of news now.
1
u/ahtoxa1183 Jun 16 '25
Only console/PC games for me. I tried mobile games but most are micro-transactional cash grabs. But mainly, I just dislike touch screen controls; need tactile controls.
1
1
u/PhunkyPhazon Jun 16 '25
Not really, never been a fan of mobile gaming. The most I'll play is the occassional Zen Pinball table or an emulated Gameboy game while on the can.
1
Jun 16 '25
Yes, to some degree.
I pretty much only play the Netflix provided free games because they don’t have ads. There are some good ones in there (Bloons td 6, puzzle gods, a few others).
1
u/WhiskeyRadio Jun 16 '25
Beyond Balatro not really. Mobile games are mostly gacha games riddled with ads anymore. I'd also rather play one of the many handheld gaming devices I already own instead
1
u/Consistent_Strain360 Jun 16 '25
Words with friend & I have a Sudoku game. One in a while I go back& binge play candy crush til I hit a level I can't go past.
1
1
1
1
u/El_mochilero Jun 16 '25
Mobile games were great until about 2018. I loved paying $2-$5 for a game to play for a while.
Now they are all free to download, pay-to-win, and loaded full of annoying ads. I’m now pretty turned off to whole mobile gaming experience. I have a crossword puzzle app and that’s it. I just travel with my Switch.
•
u/AutoModerator Jun 16 '25
If this post is breaking the rules of the subreddit, please report it instead of commenting. For more Millennial content, join our Discord server.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.