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Killing time: 10 best smartphone games

Mobile games fill that time when you're usually busy doing nothing. From playing God to chasing unicorns, here are 10 that will have you hooked

Michael Oconnell-Davidson
Tuesday 03 December 2013 19:19 GMT

1. Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP

A fantasy epic with award-winning artistic direction, the previously iPad-only only game is an action adventure played out in a mystical fantasy world. You wander through doing battle, solving mysteries and interacting with the various inhabitants. It has a fantastic soundtrack and a brilliantly subtle sense of humour - great if Angry Birds and the like doesn't satisfy your on-the-go gaming needs.

£2.99, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

2. Minecraft Pocket

Do you miss playing with LEGO? If so, Minecraft could be the game for you. Build a home, survive the wilderness and harvest minerals on this, the world’s most popular building simulator.

£4.99, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

3. The Sims 3

If living life vicariously is up your street, then look no further than the ever-popular life simulation game. You can create digital avatars, decide what makes them tick and help them realise their hopes and dreams. Be warned: it's addictive.

£4.27, play.google.com and £4.99, itunes.apple.com

4. Flight Control

Flight Control is a touch based air traffic simulator. That might sound like a breeze, but you won’t say that when you’re diverting planes in an effort to stop mid-air collisions; Flight Control is simple and surprisingly fast-paced - it's especially exciting if you have a tablet or a phone with a larger screen.

£1.95, play.google.com or 69p, itunes.apple.com

5. Limbo

Limbo is a critically acclaimed platform game previously exclusive to the Sony Playstation 3. Essentially a dark and brooding spin on games like Super Mario Land and Sonic the Hedgehog, Limbo is perfect if you want something familiar yet serious, and have a longer distance to travel. Not on Android. Yet. 

£2.99, store.apple.com/uk

6. Robot Unicorn Attack

Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking: Robot Unicorns? But I’m deadly serious. (And according to my girlfriend, nothing quite starts a conversation like a Robot Unicorn.) In what can only be described as a horse-centric free-running game, Robot Unicorn Attack is cheap, great fun, and good-humoured, coming with one of the most unique premises of any mobile game I’ve seen.

61p, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

7. Doodle God

Stuck in a position with plenty of responsibility but no real power? It’s okay. Kill some time with Doodle God, a puzzle which allows you the power of a deity. Create your own world by combining elements, solving brain teasers and - hopefully - blowing off a little steam after a rough day in the office.

£1.49, play.google.com and 69p, itunes.apple.com

8. Boson X

Boson X stars a scientist running endlessly through a particle accelerator. While that sounds like a recipe for disaster, trust me: Boson X is great fun, enjoyable in short doses and never gets boring.

£1.49, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

9. Super Hexagon

A veritable time sink, Super Hexagon’s frantic gameplay is addictive to the point of infamy, with players tasked with avoiding waves of obstacles at increasing speeds; devilishly simple, it’s the perfect app if you want action you can leap in and out of.

£1.99, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

10. GTA III

The original version of GTA was the most astute carnage simulator ever made, and this third installment brings to life the crime-ridden world of Liberty City and its cast of undesirable characters. Now it's available on mobile devices, you can scratch the itch to blow up cars from the back seat of a taxi.

£2.99, play.google.com and itunes.apple.com

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