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  • 2013 was an unbelievable year for mobile games. More than any other, the year has proven that

  • the mobile platform can be more than viable source of top quality entertainment. With

  • so many outstanding titles released this year, narrowing down the absolute best was no easy

  • task. We here at Game Mob have spent the last month scouring the App Store coming up with

  • our favorites. Many hours of deliberation and a little bit of arguing has brought us

  • to our final list. It should be noted that to earn a place on this list, the game had

  • to be released, at least at launch, as a mobile exclusive. So sit back, relax and enjoy. Here

  • is

  • THE TOP TEN MOBILE GAMES OF 2013

  • NUMBER 10 Hundreds

  • Released in the very first week of 2013, Hundreds is a love letter to design. Utilizing intuitive

  • controls and game mechanics so well suited to the platform, Hundreds is sublime to play.

  • A challenging puzzler that will not only test your brain, but your reflexes as well. Developed

  • by Semi Secret software with elegant design that only Greg Wohlwend can bring to a title,

  • Hundreds is an outstanding game and that is easily worth your time.

  • NUMBER 9 Plants vs Zombies 2

  • When we initially got our hands on the soft launch of this title earlier in the year,

  • we were apprehensive when it came to the "freemium" aspect of the game. Instead of the steady

  • progression we were once used to, we were met with IAP barriers and a frustrating grind.

  • Since then, PopCap and EA have significantly tweaked the monetary system, making PvZ2 extremely

  • fun to play. Sure, a few of your favorite plants are still locked away, only to be purchased

  • with real-world money, but there's no denying the evolution of the game, as well as a much-needed

  • facelift definitely adds to the gameplay experience.

  • NUMBER 8 Kingdom Rush: Frontiers

  • Last year's Kingdom Rush took the basic concept of a tower defense game and introduced a few

  • challenging mechanics. Instead of simply placing and forgetting towers, the game required a

  • lot more interaction from the player. Hero characters are an upgradeable tour-de-force,

  • that you can relocate depending on the situations you're coming up against. The player must

  • also use skills during times of crisis to sway the outcome of a specific scenario. Kingdom

  • Rush: Frontiers isn't so much an evolution of the original, but just more of what made

  • it so great. With a load of new hero characters, amazing new map designs and more of the polish

  • introduced in the original, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers nets a safe place in our Top-10

  • list.

  • NUMBER 7 Infinity Blade III

  • The Infinity Blade games are no stranger to accolades when it comes to the world of mobile

  • gaming. IB3 is a technological marvel. With some of the best graphics you'll see on a

  • mobile device and gameplay that started a genre, Chair and Epic Games have done it again.

  • This time around, Infinity Blade introduces two playable characters, a host of new locations,

  • challenging combat and all-new Clashmobs (kind of an epic boss that can only be defeated

  • by millions of players world-wide working together). There was never any question as

  • to the inclusion of this stunning entry to the series in our Top-10 list.

  • NUMBER 6 Oceanhorn

  • For as long as people have had smart phones capable of playing complex games, there has

  • been a cry for a game along the same vein as The Legend of Zelda series. Oceanhorn delivers

  • in every way. Gorgeous graphics, a smooth framerate and an interface that's extremely

  • easy to use make the game one of the best zelda-like titles available today. Add the

  • fact that you've got music by Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito, two of the finest RPG composers

  • alive. Oceanhorn is an incredibly polished, well written adventure.

  • NUMBER 5 The Room Two

  • Ever since playing the original, we were hooked on this new style of game. This level of interaction

  • with a touch-screen feels so natural, almost like holding a real-life ornate lock-box in

  • your hands, being able to push, pull, turn and flick at its tiny details. And it's these

  • controls that really make The Room stand out. Combined with an eerie, paranormal storyline

  • and challenging puzzles, The Room Two is a complete package. We would definitely like

  • to see more!

  • NUMBER 4 Year Walk

  • The Swedish ritual of taking a vision quest through a forest is an odd concept to base

  • a game around. Simogo have not only pulled it off, but have made one of the most satisfying

  • horror themed puzzle/adventures out there. With graphics reminiscent of animated paper

  • cut-outs and a brilliantly creepy ambience, Clever puzzles will have you scratching your

  • head and the genuinely thrilling story-telling is thoroughly engaging.

  • NUMBER 3 DEVICE 6

  • Having a game in any Top-10 list is quite an achievement. Simogo managing to pull it

  • off twice in a single year? Amazing.

  • Following up from their critically acclaimed, and our Number 4 title of 2013, Year Walk,

  • comes DEVICE 6. DEVICE 6 brings together suspenseful storytelling within an interactive adventure

  • game. You follow the footsteps of a young, misguided girl named Anna. As you uncover

  • more of the game, the well designed puzzles that intertwine the story will keep players

  • glued to their devices. Filled with unique and vivid imagery, layered with the ambient

  • music, DEVICE 6 is an experience unlike any other and has certainly set the bar for text-based

  • adventures.

  • NUMBER 2 Badland

  • Badland is a game of pure wonderment. You control a bunch of funny-looking, furry, flappy

  • things and your one goal is to make it to the exit pipe at the end of each level. With

  • an aesthetic similar to that of Limbo, only with vivid color, Badland is utterly gorgeous.

  • The sound design is perfect. From the machinery in the background, to the insects and haunting

  • sounds of unknown monsters, everything is intensely creepy. Even the objects you're

  • avoiding in the foreground has some sort of eerie, ancient feel to it. You've simply got

  • to play this one to experience it. Brilliant.

  • NUMBER 1 Ridiculous Fishing

  • Vlambeer is like little engine that could. The quirky development team from the Netherlands

  • has been the victim of more than one cloning attempt where less scrupulous developers have

  • taken it upon themselves to copy their designs, almost verbatim and launch them before Vlambeer's

  • titles ever saw the light of day. Some people say that Vlambeer bring it upon themselves

  • by being very open about the development process, even going so far as to live-stream coding

  • sessions. But Vlambeer took it all in stride and delivered one of the finest games ever

  • released on mobile platforms.

  • Ridiculous Fishing is the story of a weary old fisherman on a quest to avenge his father's

  • death. Uhh, at least I think that's what it's about. Cast your lure and guide it down as

  • far as you can. As soon as you hook something, you start reeling in your line, snagging as

  • many fish-like things as possible before they reach the surface and fly in to the air. When

  • they do, blast them out of the sky with an array of weaponry and earn cash for each one

  • killed.

  • A silly concept it may be, but one that simply works. I can honestly say that Ridiculous

  • Fishing is a perfect game.

  • There you have it folks, our Top-10 mobile games of 2013. As always, top-10 lists are

  • subjective, so don't feel too bad if your favorite game didn't get a mention. Go ahead

  • and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We'd love to get your input.

  • Thank you so much for joining us and for your ongoing support throughout 2013. Have a wonderful

  • holiday, and stay safe!

2013 was an unbelievable year for mobile games. More than any other, the year has proven that

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