The 10 Most Influential Mobile Games of All Time

Mobile games are becoming more advanced every day, in terms of graphics, quality, and the ability to entertain players. These games have influenced not only the mobile gaming market but also the industry as a whole. After all, phones are not becoming more powerful each year so people can make better phone calls.

But these games have significantly changed how games are designed for mobile devices, growing so much in sales and popularity that they have become massive franchises or “broken the gamer bubble” to reach casual audiences. Today, we see thousands of people on public transportation, at diners, malls, and more, frantically swiping their fingers across screens.

You’ve probably played one or more of these games on your phone, and this discussion is about them. Let us know in the comments if you enjoy these games, and feel free to ask any questions. Also, check out our article on 10 offline mobile games you can play.

The classic Snake, or "the snake game," was one of the first mobile games to become a global phenomenon. Available on Nokia phones starting in the late ’90s, it popularized the idea that phones could be used for gaming, paving the way for the future of mobile games.

Its addictive simplicity established a model that inspired many other casual games.

The concept of Snake originated in 1976, when the company Gremlin released an arcade game called Blockade. This game featured mechanics where two players controlled lines that grew as they moved around the screen, trying to block their opponent.

Snake remains relevant today and has been reimagined in many forms, including 3D, multiplayer, and even virtual reality adaptations. Recent games like Slither.io took Snake's basic idea and transformed it into something new.

This game demonstrated the true power of smartphones as gaming platforms to the world. Angry Birds, developed by Rovio, used touch screens intuitively, introduced a stage-based monetization model, and paved the way for casual games featuring charismatic characters and addictive gameplay.

Angry Birds’ mechanics are simple and had already been widely explored in "Siege"-style games, which were plentiful on sites like Click Jogos. However, its success was driven by colorful design, fun physics, and progressively tougher challenges. It stood out during a crucial moment in the popularization of smartphones and helped consolidate the casual mobile gaming market.

The concept was simple: Green pigs stole the eggs of a group of birds, who, very angry, sought to recover their eggs by launching themselves from giant slingshots onto the pigs' forts! The goal is to destroy all the pigs in each stage with the fewest shots possible. A 10/10 for the birds' determination, but 0 for their intelligence, using themselves as projectiles instead of other items against stone walls!

Another game that took full advantage of touch screens, Fruit Ninja turned the simple act of swiping a finger across the screen into addictive gameplay. Released in 2010 by Halfbrick Studios, it quickly became one of the biggest successes of the smartphone era.

Its success reinforced the idea that mobile games could be accessible to everyone. Fruits and objects would appear randomly on the screen, which players would then slice through swiping motions. The game included modes for combos, cutting specific fruits, avoiding bombs, and more.

With millions of downloads worldwide, Fruit Ninja inspired countless versions, spin-offs, and adaptations for platforms like Xbox's Kinect and PlayStation's VR. Its impact on the mobile market was massive, helping define the casual gaming genre and showing how simple, well-designed gameplay can become a phenomenon.

Arguably one of the most profitable and influential games in mobile gaming history, Candy Crush Saga popularized the microtransaction model based on limited lives that “recharge” after a few hours and progress-through-level formats connected to social networks. Its impact on freemium game design was enormous.

Match-3 mechanics have existed in games since the ’80s. In 1994, a Russian computer game called Shariki required players to match three or more colored bubbles to eliminate them from the screen. Bejeweled, released by PopCap Games in 2001, brought the style back to prominence. However, Candy Crush Saga made the genre so popular it became synonymous with it.

It popularized the freemium monetization model, where the game is free to play but offers in-app purchases for extra lives, boosters, and other advantages. It became a reference point for countless other mobile games.

The meteoric and unexpected success of Flappy Bird proved how a simple yet challenging game could go viral thanks to social media. It received coverage in TV news and newspapers, and its sudden removal from app stores only added to its legendary status, inspiring countless clones and difficult games.

In Flappy Bird, players tap the screen to control a bird’s altitude, guiding it through a maze of green pipes without hitting them. The objective is to achieve the highest score and cover the longest distance possible. Despite its simplicity, a heavier-than-needed tap could ruin hours of gameplay.

The overwhelming success of Flappy Bird even caught Nintendo’s attention, leading them to accuse the game of copying the green pipes from Super Mario Bros. At the height of its popularity, creator Dong Nguyen decided to remove it from app stores, citing the game's impact on his personal life as the reason.

While ARQuake (a modified version of the classic Quake) was one of the first augmented reality games, Pokémon GO was the most revolutionary mobile game in terms of social impact, bringing augmented reality to mainstream audiences and encouraging millions of players to explore the real world to catch Pokémon.

Using your phone, you’d walk around your neighborhood or city to catch Nintendo/Game Freak’s creatures. You could collect, evolve, and battle them in gyms. Pokémon GO became a worldwide phenomenon thanks to its innovation and Pokémon’s appeal and still attracts new players and updates today. However, its fame wasn’t without controversy, involving accidents and even fatalities caused by people trespassing to catch Pokémon.

While its initial trailer differed significantly from the final game, there’s no denying Pokémon GO’s colossal success. Its geolocation-based gameplay model influenced many subsequent titles, including games from franchises like The Witcher, Monster Hunter, and Minecraft.

Though Temple Run, released by Imangi Studios in 2011, was one of the first big successes of the runner genre, establishing mechanics like swiping to jump, duck, or turn, it wasn’t the most popular. It inspired countless follow-ups, including Subway Surfers, launched in 2012 by Kiloo and SYBO Games.

Subway Surfers managed to surpass Temple Run in both popularity and longevity. In 2018, it became the first mobile game to reach 2.7 billion downloads, and in 2023, it remained one of the world’s most downloaded games. Players run along subway tracks in a fictional city, avoiding obstacles, collecting coins and items, and trying to achieve the highest score.

Its continued success can be attributed to frequent updates, seasonal events, and its vibrant aesthetic, which appeals to younger audiences. Subway Surfers also inspired several similar franchise-based titles, featuring characters like Sonic and Lara Croft.

Developed by Supercell, Clash of Clans was one of the first mobile games to master multiplayer real-time strategy with microtransaction-based monetization. It established a model combining base-building, resource collection, army creation, and asynchronous combat (you can attack another player’s village even if they’re offline), which countless other mobile games followed.

Clash of Clans’ influence goes beyond gameplay. It solidified the free-to-play with microtransactions model, where players can speed up construction and gain other benefits by spending real money. This system has been widely adopted across the mobile gaming industry.

Before mobile graphics became truly impressive, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing by Gameloft showcased the potential of Java games to deliver a fast-paced and thrilling racing experience. It featured licensed cars, detailed tracks, and impressive visuals for its time, setting new standards for mobile racing games.

This game was one of the first to utilize sophisticated 3D graphics and arcade-style mechanics on mobile platforms. It inspired a series of follow-up racing titles, including the continued success of the Asphalt series and the overall advancement of mobile racing games.

Before Asphalt 4, there were some 3D mobile games, but they were more limited in terms of graphic detail and performance. Titles like Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004) used 3D graphics, but they weren’t nearly as refined as Asphalt 4, proving mobile devices could get close to the visual quality of portable console games like the PSP.

Although best known for its social media version, FarmVille (developed by Zynga) was a pioneer in bringing the concept of social and casual games to mobile devices.

Its gameplay, based on timed cycles (planting, harvesting, building, and expanding), influenced many other casual mobile games like Hay Day and Clash of Clans. This style became extraordinarily popular and even spawned memes like the player demanding their Green Coins.

Although it started as a social media game, its adaptation for mobile devices marked a significant evolution in social gaming and monetization through microtransactions and constant progression.