Mobile gaming is an incredibly diverse space. You've got everything from The Walking Dead to Candy Crush. Critical Ops to Angry Birds. iPhone to Nvidia Shield (lol).
But there's one genre that often goes unappreciated. Overlooked. Disregarded.
(I'm going to stop listing things in threes now.)
Oh, that genre is the gamebook. Gamebooks are often ignored because people think they're boring, or they think books are a pastime from a bygone age, or because- No, Oscar! Don't list another item for comic effect!
Basically what I'm trying to say is that gamebooks might not be the biggest genre in the world, but they are home to some of the most engrossing experiences out there. So let's take a look at some of the best ones out there!
Out There Chronicles
Out There Chronicles is the sequel to 2014's FTL-alike Out There. Except the sequel took a rather different approach to the original. Rather than managing your ship and taking care of its inhabitants, Chronicles sees you live through a story - and that's about it!
It's an interactive fiction: you have to guide Darius, a lost traveller, to his safety - and to rediscover his past. Checkpoints are a neat touch, allowing experimentation in the branching path, and the ability to retry if that experimentation leads to some… untimely ends.
Give it a shot if you like reading, and SPACE (the coolest of the worlds)!
Sorcery! series
Sorcery! is a four part series of gamebooks centred around Kings, magic, monsters, reading, your iPhone, a nice cup of tea, some slipper socks and oh dear I'm just describing my ideal night in now aren't I?
Anyway, Sorcery! 4 just came out, and it's well good, so now's the perfect time to jump on board.
Now, about that tea...
The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga is not, as you might expect, a six episode slog about a sign printing company.
It is in fact a tale of vikings and battles and those funny hats you wear once a year to that fancy dress party your friend has.
As well as having the traditional branching storyline, The Banner Saga also has an incredibly deep strategic combat system. So this is a gamebook worth checking out even if you don't like books! Amazing, really.
Lifeline...
Lifeline... is an enthralling (and spooky) tale of a man who gets stuck on the moon with no one for company - except you, via your phone. The fella's tale is one that has you hooked from the very start, and with top notch writing from Dave Justus (The Wolf Among Us), this is a game everyone should try.
80 Days
80 Days is made by Inkle, the team behind Sorcery! - and it shows. 80 Days is quite possibly the greatest gamebook out there, with some of the richest characters and miniature storylines I've experienced in a game. Essential.
Device 6
Device 6 is the most pleasantly original gamebook I've played. Its interactivity is so unique, it needs to be played to be fully understood. Just know there's some ingenious puzzles to solve, and the best environmental storytelling this side of The Last of Us.
Also essential (promise).
