Top 34 best soft launch mobile games for iPhone, iPad or Android

• Publisher: Brainium Studios LLC
• Platform: iOS
• Country: Australia, Canada and USA

Starship Survivor is the next title from Branium, developers of several AppStore twists on classics (like Solitaire, Sudoku), and marks their first time straying beyond casual, word or card gameplay.

It's a familiar, twin-stick style space shooter where you have to fight against masses of enemies and the bosses that follow them. Last year they implemented mote bundles which are microtransactions to help you push further into the game via upgrades - that said, the developers have gone on record priding themselves as having it as a completely free to play game that is free of both paywalls and gates.

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• Publisher: Sega
• Platform: Android/iOS
• Country: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Turkey.

Sonic Rumble sees the blue blur returning to mobile, this time as a battle royale of sorts. In the mould of games like Stumble Guys and Fall Guys, it appears we can expect to dash around obstacle-filled courses, dodging the numerous hazards that threaten to eliminate us at every turn. It's definitely a set-up that suits Sonic and co, but is it entering a market that's already been conquered by Scopely? Only time will tell.

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• Publisher: Puzza
• Platform: Android
• Country: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States

Casual strategy games are all the rage these days, particularly on mobile. Anything that gives you a slight hit of feeling clever without required in-depth tactics that take forever to learn. Century Games' Crown of Bones is the latest attempt at sliding into that niche. It sees you joining the Skeleton King and his army as they battle through numerous realms.

It sports a colourful art style that reminds me somewhat of little toy towns and villages, something you might have created in real life as a child, perhaps. As for the gameplay, it pretty much consists of increasing your numbers, upgrading your troops and toppling your opponents. There are a few special items thrown in for good measure as well.

• Publisher: Rovio
• Platform: iOS/Android
• Country: The Philippines

The blue blur seems to be popping up on mobile constantly at the moment, and I'm sure long-time fans aren't going to complain. Since Sega purchased Rovio, their interest in mobile has, unsurprisingly, increased slightly. With Sonic Blitz, they're looking to dip their toe in the card-battler world. I could spend a while regurgitating the App Store description to you or speculating on what we might expect from Sonic Blitz, but that seems silly when Catherine has actually played it. So, check out her Ahead of the Game article to get her hands-on thoughts. Okay, I'll spoil it for those who don't want to click. She enjoyed it.

• Publisher: Nordeus Belgrade (Android), Nordeus (iOS)
• Platform: Android/iOS
• Country: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, and Taiwan

If you're a football fan, you're probably already aware of Nordeus as the folks behind the popular management sim Top Eleven. With their latest effort, Top Goal, they are swapping the touchline for the pitch as you take direct control over your squad, having a more active role in the outcome of a match. Still, it seems some of the strategic side remains as you build your squad and choose your formation before taking on other players in PvP.

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• Publisher: Netmarble
• Platform: iOS and Android
• Country: Indonesia, The Philippines, Iran, Thailand and Canada

As you've probably guessed from the title, The King of Fighters AFK is an idle entry in the popular series. It sees you creating a team of five characters before setting them off to do battle with other teams. According to the developers, you don't have to worry about 'tedious grinding', although I've always assumed it was part of the genre.

One aspect of KoF AFK I do like is the retro-inspired aesthetic. The battle screen has that old-school RPG vibe with pixel sprites and backgrounds. Whether that's a big enough selling point for fans of the series, however, remains to be seen.

Oh My Anne is a match-3 game based on the popular novel series Anne of Green Gables. Players proceed through the story by completing levels and associated challenges.

It's certainly interesting to see Neowiz deciding to take established, historical (1908~) novels and their IP and spin them off into games. There's a question to be asked about brand recognition and 'crossover IP' when those IPs are not ones from the current vogue. We regularly see Warhammer and Marvel crossover games, but those things are currently 'in', Anne of Green Gables — and Oh My Anne — targets a different audience and plays on different rules of advertising.

Could there be a Dracula, Canterbury Tales or Beowolf games on the horizon if this takes off?

• Developer: My.Games
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: Brazil, the UK, and the Philippines

Monopoly Go has proven quite the hit since it first released, with people across the globe, scrabbling to get free dice rolls so they can hop around that familiar board some more. Of course, when something does well, imitators are sure to follow, and My.Games are keen to see if they can move in on Scopely's turf. However, rather than cynically copy the whole idea verbatim and make it look different, they are throwing additional mechanics into the mix, hopefully helping it stand out on its own rather than being dismissed as 'another one of those'. Here, you'll also find battles, castle-building and accrue a group of heroes. It's Monopoly meets D&D, in short.

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• Developer: Dream Games
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, Mexico, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Israel, and Ireland

Vigilant: Burn & Bloom is an interesting game, both in terms of its aesthetic and genre. Art style-wise, it has this beautiful hand-drawn look going on that isn't all that similar to anything I've seen on mobile for quite some time. It reminds me of something you might see in a children's fantasy picture book.

As for the genre? Well, it's trying to be a lot of things at once. Billed as an endless survival game, it incorporates elements of resource management, tower defence, and first-person shooting. Whether or not that will all come together nicely remains to be seen, but I admire the ambition.

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DeNA have taken a stab at the popular HunterxHunter IP with their 3D RPG Hunter's Journey. Much like a lot of anime fighters, it looks amazing, with 3rd person fighting interspaced with generous cutscenes and narrative. We've seen a fair bit of it in action now, and while we're not too familiar with the anime that it is adapted from, everything has looked phenomenal.

Here's the App Store Description (Translated):

"Hunter's Journey" is a genuine mobile game authorized and adapted from the famous Japanese IP "HUNTER x HUNTER", dedicated to creating an immersive 3D role-playing adventure experience. Through the combination of classic scenes, plots and delicate animation storyboards, the hunter's world view is truly restored. During the exploration of the main storyline and dungeons, all Hunter candidates can transform into original characters and visit Whale Island, Dore Port, Lost Melo Wetland, Sky Arena, Youkesin City... Enjoy exploring the Hunter world, and interact with Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio adventure and grow together!"

Disney Realm Breakers sees all your favourite childhood characters and beyond joining forces to protect the multiworld of Noi. It's a strategy game, meaning you'll deal with the deadly Scourge using your brains rather than relying on reaction speed. With characters from across Disney's wide range of IPs like Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story and The Incredibles, making a team featuring your favourites shouldn't prove too difficult.

While it could be argued that Ragnarok Begins is almost global - being that it has been released in most major markets now - there are some notable absences in its regions of release (France, The Southern Hemisphere, anybody?). It originally slipped into Soft Launch back in October 2022 and has been getting regular updates (including in-game events) every other week since then.

Ragnarok has changed a lot over the years, and Ragnarok Begins' features list is incredibly different than the Ragnarok Online of old. There's a card system for upgrading weapons, armour and accessories - which are customizable, there seem to be more players on screen than I've ever seen in the series, and Midgard is larger than ever.

While it might seem as though the era of endless runners has passed on mobile, several still do very well, particularly if they have brand power behind them. Zapak hopes that Ben 10 Alien Run can join that list, putting a lot of stock in the popular children's cartoon pulling in the younger generation.

In it, you will dash around while transforming into one of nine different aliens, each bringing special abilities to the table. That might be creating a shield to block an enemy attack in one instance while another can clear the path ahead with laser beams. On top of that, there are the usual daily challenges and missions you'd expect from the genre.

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Dig into the list of games below and find out what you could be playing later this year, or right now if you've got the right account in the right region.

Midgard Heroes: Ragnarok Idle is the latest spin-off to the popular MMORPG Ragnarok Online, which, in turn, is inspired by Norse mythology. In it, you will face off against 50 of the game's bosses, all of whom have been revamped slightly to fit the idle RPG format.

Pretty much from that description, you likely already know what to expect. Your character will battle on in your absence, meaning that all you have to do is swing by now and then to upgrade their skills and equipment to make them more proficient in battering more foes.

NetEase's Stumble Guys killer, Eggy Party, is rapidly moving toward its global release with seven new regions granted access to it in January of 2024, before that it was simply in the SEA region.

What's the big appeal? Well, if you're not sold in by the constant party, cheerful colours and multiplayer mania of Eggy Party, then maybe the map creation will be the thing to grab your attention. A bumbling race to the finish might be fun, but doing it on a map that you - or one of your friends - created is vastly more fun.

With March of Nations, developer Starfox Game promises a military strategy sim that combines tactics with more casual elements. There are four countries to choose from - the USSR, Germany, the USA and Japan, with each offering different troops to recruit. They range from regular infantry to tanks. Of course, a mixture of each variant will prove crucial in winning your battles. There are also commanders available who can turn the tide of battle with their special abilities.

Outside of the battles, your time is spent creating and developing your base of operations, something that's increasingly common in mobile games across multiple genres. As for game modes, March of Nations boasts several PvP options, including Arena and Legion Battles.

• Developer: Playstudios
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Brazil, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and the Philippines

Despite originally coming out in 1984, Tetris remains as relevant as ever, with variants regularly released, helping keep it at the forefront of our minds. Playstudios are hoping it can grab a piece of that action with their latest effort, Tetris Block Party. It's a PvP-focused take, seeing you trying to eliminate other players' bases by dragging and dropping Tetrominos into the right spots.

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• Developer: Rollic Games
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Finland, and Denmark

Bullet Heroes sees you taking on the role of an elite sniper tasked with eliminating dozens of villains who are predictably up to no good. With each foe you dispatch, you can snag a few extra bullets, something that's also achieved by breaking the numerous blocks dotted around the place. The further you progress, the more upgrades you'll find for your ever-growing arsenal.

• Developer: Zynga
• Platforms: App Store/Google Play
• Country: Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom

Zynga, who you likely know for, well, many things, are working on a new addition to their growing merge catalogue. FruitFall – don't forget the double capital Fs – tasks you with merging fruits to beat each level. Simple, right? Judging by the store description, expect this to become more difficult as you progress.

At first, it'll likely be a case of simply merging fruit, while the latter stages will introduce troublesome crates and frozen fruit that need thawing out before becoming useful. Zynga claims each level brings something different, keeping the challenge fresh and fun. Time will tell if that's the case

• Developer: SayGames
• Platforms: Android and iOS
• Country: United States, Brazil, Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, Switzerland and Taiwan

The Vampire Survivors-like has proven a hit on mobile, but the idle RPG is also an enduring beast in its own right. Clearly aware of this, SayGames has decided to blend elements of the two genres in Chainsaw Juice King. The bullet heaven side of the equations sees you heading out with your titular chainsaw and slicing up fruit.

It's not for sport, though. There is a purpose to your massacre. The aim is to create an all-powerful juice empire. So all that fruit you've unceremoniously hacked to pieces will go towards making a sweet profit. Aside from that, you'll need to handle other aspects of your business, such as upgrading your gear and hiring staff.

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• Developer: Homa/Naga Studio
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: iOS - United States. Android - France, Poland and the United States

Now, this one immediately sparks a feeling of Deja Vu. Ah, yes. Gumslinger from Itatake, right? No, apparently not. The less-creatively-named Jelly Gunfight: Showdown is - apparently - another game entirely, coming from French developer Homa. As with Itatake's game, Jelly Gunfight sees you battling in duels against wobbly characters. You'll take turns firing shots at your opponent, using the various weapons and abilities at your disposal.

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• Developer: Haiku Games
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, France, Germany and Denmark

As you'll likely have guessed from the name, Puzzletown Mysteries sees you unravel mysteries by solving puzzles. There is also a town involved. The overarching whodunit is whether poor Gladys slipped from her balcony or if she received a little push before toppling over the edge, while you'll also look into a case of stolen cats.

• Developer: Nanoreality Games
• Platforms: Android
• Country: USA, Spain, France, Finland, and the UK

Nano World is - as they often are - a bright and cheerful merging puzzler from developer Nanoreality Games. The team is really doubling down with the whole teeny tiny world idea, it seems. As is often the case with the genre, Nano World looks to throw in a bit more than merging objects together, promising city-building and exploration elements. To get an idea of what to expect, check out the video below.

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• Developer: Pavel Siamak
• Platforms: Android
• Country: India, United States, the Philippines, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Norway, Belarus, Brazil, Indonesia, Kuwait, and Qatar

While they seem easy enough to develop on the surface, word games are tricky to make great. It's certainly possible, as we've seen plenty of popular examples over the years, but breaking into the existing pool isn't for the faint-hearted. You can see the appeal for developers, though. It's a genre that most people can enjoy, so if your game takes off, the rewards are great.

WordPix is an attempt at breaking into a tough arena. Rather than entirely relying on guessing letters, WordPix – as the name implies – takes an image-led approach. Facing off against other players, you take turns guessing words from a list by dragging and dropping letters. Each word has an accompanying picture that provides a clue. However, you only have five random letters at your disposal, so there's a strategic element at play here.

• Developer: Krafton
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: US and Canada

It might sound flippant, but describing Abyss of Dungeons as a fantasy Escape from Tarkov – or Arena Breakout if you want a mobile reference – gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. You'll be battling through dungeons in search of precious loot to extract, getting the job done with one of the six available classes.

Alongside Abyss of Dungeons' enemies – The Dark Swarm – you need to contend with other players, so venturing into those dungeons alone might not be advisable. Instead, you probably want to take a whole team, picking different classes that synergise well with one another to help ensure your victory.

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• Developer: GFAL
• Platforms: iOS
• Country: Malaysia

Diamond Dreams is looking to bring a sense of elegance to the match-3 genre. The whole idea is that you're working towards crafting some stunning jewellery that, I have to say, looks far better than it possibly needs to. Dann was certainly intrigued when he spent some time with it.

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• Developer: Supercell
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: Global but invite only

Supercell releasing a new game is always exciting, partly because you can never be too sure how long it'll stick around but mostly because they usually come up with something good. Mo.co could be described as a more arcadey approach to something like Monster Hunter since it sees you gearing up and heading out into its colourful world to cut your foes down.

Customisation appears to be the big thing here, as it often is when it comes to anything multiplayer. Whether that's your character's threads, gear, or weapons, it promises plenty of choices, which helps keep things interesting once you're au fait with the gameplay. It certainly looks promising, so let's hope we can get our hands on it soon to find out.

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• Developer: Netflix
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Finland, Poland, Australia and Chile

With Netflix shifting their gaming catalogue towards promoting the various TV shows available on their subscription service, and sadly away from cool indies, it felt inevitable that we'd eventually see something designed around getting you to play something daily. Enter Netflix Puzzled, a name that tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

Each day, you'll be able to work your way through a series of brainteasers to help your brain wake up in the morning or to unwind in the evening. The real appeal for me is the lack of adverts. Thanks to Netflix Puzzled being included in your regular subscription, you won't have to worry about irksome ads popping up whenever you find the solution to the latest puzzle.

• Developer: LINE Games
• Platforms: Android
• Country: United States, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the Philippines and Canada

Hello Kitty and her other Sanrio pals remain a popular force on mobile, so the arrival of another game isn't particularly surprising. This time, it's Hello Kitty Friends Match, which, as the name implies, is a match-3 puzzler. As is customary with the genre nowadays, beyond the levels, you can expect to work through the story while bringing colour to a darkened village and restoring it to its former glory.

• Developer: Hidea
• Platforms: iOS and Android
• Country: Iraq, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Canada, Indonesia, the UK and the US

Cats & Soup has made a name for itself in recent times with its lovely aesthetic and focus on feline companions. While it's still a fairly familiar idle RPG, the focus on cosiness helped it stand out from a massive crowd. Evidently buoyed by its success, a spin-off called Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe is now in the works. Once again, the team are taking on a familiar mobile genre, bringing some warm-fuzzy cuteness to the merge-and-match realm. The aim is to cook delicious recipes, build a lovely home for your kitties, and make friends with new cats.

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• Developer: Moonton
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa

The Lite version of mobile games is something we've seen previously, with PUBG Mobile Lite being the example you're likely most familiar with. Predominantly, this is a stripped-back version designed with lower-spec devices in mind. From a business and consumer perspective, it means more people can play something than before, which is usually a good thing. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Lite then, will let more people enjoy Moonton's excellent MOBA.

• Developer: Jam City
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: Argentina, Chile, Mexico, the Philippines, Uruguay

The humble match-3 will likely never lose popularity on mobile. It's simple to understand and great for playing on the go since it hits a nice spot between relaxing and engaging the brain. It's not surprising, then, that we often have big franchises delve into the genre. The latest to try their white-gloved hand is Disney with Disney Match Magic 3D. In it, you'll remove colourful clutter. No, really. Check out Catherine's preview to learn more.

• Developer: Warner Bros
• Platforms: Android
• Country: Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines

While George R R Martin might have no interest in finishing his own book series, there is still plenty of Game of Thrones content to enjoy. Dragonfire is the latest, a tile-based strategy game that lets you put the titular fire-breathing winged beasties to work. But it's not simply sending them into battle. You will hatch and train them, taking your little fiery friend from a cute baby to a creature capable of barbecuing enemy villages.

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• Developer: Uken
• Platforms: iOS/Android
• Country: Canada and the Philippines

Mattel Match: Toybox looks to bring together the company's many toys under one roof, including Uno, Masters of the Universe and, of course, Barbie. How? You might ask. Through match-3 puzzling, that's how.

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