Even for those who love to trot around the globe, there are times when we’re travelling when the excitement stops, and a little boredom sets in. Waiting for a train, sitting on a plane, crashing in your hotel after you’ve worn yourself out trudging around museums and city streets. Those who travel frequently for work probably experience boredom more often — even short commutes can get monotonous, and quickly. So, how to entertain yourself when ennui and exhaustion close in? Well, with mobile technology and the ubiquitous internet, the answer lies in the palm of your hand — there are literally millions of games to choose from, whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a sudoku master, or even totally new to gaming. Here are a few ideas.
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Hearthstone
Hearthstone is essentially a card game which draws on the Warcraft universe for its characters and rules — players take on the role of powerful heroes and use strategy to reduce their hero’s health to zero using their resources (known as Manna Crystals).
Visually stunning, making the most of the mobile platform’s graphics capability, and accessible, it’s great for hardcore gamers and newbies alike. As well as PC and Mac, bored travellers can find the game on iOS and Android.
Pokémon Go
An augmented reality (AR) phenomenon on its release, Pokémon Go took the world by storm in 2016, captivating the imaginations of players all over the world. The game encourages outdoor exploration, exercise, and social interaction among players, and as the first major AR title, it showcased the power and versatility of mobile technology. The game also introduced a social approach to gaming, with many players convening in the same locale. Similarly, positive assessments noted the potential health benefits of outdoor activity.
For those unfamiliar with the premise, players must use their device to locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémons in the real world. Pokémon Go is available for Android and iOS. Pokémon Go regularly introduces updates, events, and new features to keep the game fresh and engaging. This includes special community events, limited-time challenges, and the introduction of new Pokémon.
Casino games
We’ve seen online casinos go from strength to strength, and now most have their own dedicated app on Android and iOS, featuring all sorts of casino games, bonuses, and promotions. The game development behind poker, roulette, blackjack, slots and more is now so powerful that features from the wider world of gaming are now on show. Notably, cutting-edge graphics and sound, storylines, and gameplay.
Slot machines particularly lend themselves to these developments, and themed slots covering all kinds of things from popular culture abound, such as rock music, film, sports, history, and TV shows. Card table games and roulette benefit from live dealer games, using video streaming technology. Some casinos even have virtual reality (VR) capabilities, fully immersing players in the atmosphere of gaming halls across the world.
Jetpack Joyride
There are many mobile endless runner games, but none are quite as fun, good-looking, and moreish as Jetpack Joyride. Players control the protagonist, Barry Steakfries, as he negotiates a secret laboratory wearing a stolen jetpack. Avoiding obstacles, such as lasers, missiles, and electric fields, Barry must collect coins, power-ups, and new vehicles — these introduce different capabilities. There are also mission-like objectives to be completed.
Jetpack Joyride was originally released just for iOS in 2011, but made its way onto Android, as well as console and PC.
League of Legends: Wild Rift
No list would be complete without a mention of one of the world’s most popular games, League of Legends (LoL). Players have to strap in for hectic 5×5 action — ideal for fans of MOBA games. Necessarily for a mobile version, LoL: Wild Rift features smaller arenas, and the action is usually faster-paced, making for shorter games. But the core gameplay mechanics are in place, and players can choose from a wide range of champions, all with different attributes.
This version of LoL is available for all mobile devices, iOS, and Android, and is well-adapted and intuitive, without sacrificing the strategic and action-based elements of the Mac and PC versions.
Grid Autosport
Many games from the world of consoles and PC have been adapted for mobile, but none quite so fully and faithfully as Grid Autosport. A fast, smooth, arcade-style racer, it feels realistic and is an immersive and exciting experience. Players can choose from a wide range of cars, including McLaren, BMW, Audi, and Ford, depending on their driving style across a variety of race types, including standard circuit races, time trials, and drifting. Single career mode is available, but as with most console games, multiplayer mode is popular. Grid Autosport is available for both iOS and Android.
However exciting the voyage, all travellers need downtime. And commuters need that grey hour brightened up. These are just a handful of the wonderful games available on mobile platforms today, but many more await your discovery should these not be sufficient.
