Nintendo and Goblin Sushi bring fun to smartphones.

Cat magicians, goblin sushi and a new Nintendo game: These mobile games are worth playing on iPhone and Android.

Lost in the mobile games jungle? Our selection avoids free-to-play traps, developer psychological tricks, and endless advertising. Instead, we focus on games that impress with original ideas, fair payment models, and simply good gameplay! From quick puzzles for in-between moments to surprisingly expansive adventures, there's something for everyone this time around.

Among the games available for iOS and Android: cats summon the undead, goblins roll sushi, Nintendo turns your own photos into minigames, and a little crab raids a temple. As different as the concepts are, all the titles are perfect for short gaming sessions on the go or on the couch.

Nintendo Pictonico: Minigames with family photos

It's not every day that Nintendo releases an official mobile game featuring Pictonico. It's that time again. This is a collection of minigames that rely on the integration of the user's own photo gallery on their smartphone or on newly taken photos.

Instead of pre-made characters, your own pictures become the central element of the game. This allows you to create small, often wonderfully silly party games in just a few seconds, which really shine when played with friends or family. The focus is less on gameplay depth and more on spontaneous, humorous rounds and the most original results possible.

The faces of family and friends are cleverly copied into the game, for example onto the heads of game characters, allowing you to pull the nose of familiar faces or wash the head of loved ones on the screen.

The free demo version only offers a brief glimpse into the game. Those wanting more can choose from two different purchase sets, containing either 50 or 30 additional short games. While these games are quite pricey on their own, the fast-paced photo-clicking is especially fun when played with (younger) children.

Available for iOS (15.5 and above) and Android (8.0 and above); Set 1 (50 games) 8 Euros, Set 2 (30 games) 6 Euros.

Nekomancer – Tower Defense: Attack of the Zombie Kittens

The Japanese word for cat is "neko," and a necromancer (with an "r") summons the dead. Accordingly, in the mobile game Nekomancer – Tower Defense, we play as a furry wizard facing hordes of undead cartoon monsters. As is typical in the tower defense genre, we fend off this onslaught with turrets, defenses, and traps.

The cute presentation and the entertaining yet solid gameplay make the usual free-to-play mechanics forgivable, at least for a while. The defensive combat is simpler than the multitude of menus and additional options might suggest. In-app purchases of currency and upgrades are optional, and a one-time payment turns off the ads.

Available for iOS(15+) and Android(from version 7.1); generally free of charge.

Goblin Sushi: Enjoy your meal!

Running the best sushi restaurant in a mine as a green goblin: This dream comes true at Goblin Sushi. The menu features delicacies of varying complexity, all rolled by hand. The guests have specific requests and limited patience, and the landlord also expects regular payments. Goblin Sushi is stressful, but highly entertaining.

The gameplay loop, familiar from other restaurant games, is spiced up with random elements and upgrades: New sushi experiments, as well as improvements to the restaurant and kitchen, constantly bring variety. This game from a Swiss indie team benefits from larger screens, but is also a lot of fun on a smartphone. It's also available for PC in Early Access.

Available for iOS(ages 13 and up) and Android(from version 7.1); around 6 euros. For Windows PC in Early Access.

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