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Are there any good casual/low-stress mobile games that aren't filled with microtransactions?

Are there any good casual/low-stress mobile games that aren’t filled with microtransactions? For example: easy puzzle games, match-3 games, low-difficulty adventure games, or clicker-style games.

So far, the only good examples I’ve found are Monument Valley, Suika Game, and (sort of) Vampire Survivors.

I’m personally looking for games that have more progression or variety, but any suggestions are welcome.

ICastFist ,
@ICastFist@programming.dev avatar

You can check out whatever is available on F-Droid. I personally enjoy playing Freebloks once in a while, it’s a mobile version of the Blokus boardgame

An alternative is checking out itch.io, searching with the proper tags, like puzzle, might yield decent results for your tastes.

You can also get Cookie Clicker or play the web version

PeterLossGeorgeWall ,

To add to that try puzzles, lots of nice games in there. I particularly like flow

FryHyde ,

Was gonna suggest the same thing! I like Net.

Razzazzika ,

Gardenscapes is the original match 3 and build a mansion and is still my favorite. There are micro transactions to get additional power ups, but the fact that they are constantly updating with new seasonal events and you never run out of levels

fpslem ,

the original match 3

Shariki and Bejeweled would like a word.

Razzazzika ,

You didn’t build a garden in bejeweled. I said original match 3 and build. I was playing bejeweled on a flip phone. Didn’t know about shariki.

Plagiatus ,

I liked egg inc for a while, if you’re looking for clicker type games.

Other than that I can recommend

  • Stardew Valley
  • Peglin
  • Sudoku
  • Nanograms
  • Dungeon Village 1 & 2

Multiple of these are paid, but I’m 100% on board with paying a small amount for an app rather than paying a multiple of that for in-game Battlepasses and whatevers.

It annoys me a lot to say this, but Netflix has some excellent games in their roster. So if you have a Netflix subscription, check those out. I personally very much enjoyed

  • Storyteller
  • Into the Breach

But they also have ports of some very good PC games like Spiritfarer, Terra Nil or World of Goo.

sag ,

Peglin is available for Mobile?? Adios

verity_kindle ,

Any little casual simulators by Kairosoft, the pay to play “full versions” are pretty cheap. Manage a lil apartment building, manage a tiny sushi restaurant, manage a little Japanese village. 8 bit style, very soothing. The free versions are quite limited in scope and cut you off from further progression after a few levels, but no microtransaction reminders, either. The mention of “Dungeon Village” reminded me, is that Kairosoft?

Plagiatus ,

It is indeed

Fedizen ,

slay the spire has a mobile port

JPAKx4 , (edited )

One time purchase:

  • Peglin ✨
  • Luck be a landlord ✨
  • Forager
  • Dicey dungeons
  • Dead Cells (optional DLC)
  • Bloons Tower Defense 6 (out of the way IAP) ✨
  • Terraria
  • 20 minutes till dawn (has a non premium option with some micro transactions)

Free:

  • Antimatter dimensions (long idle-ish game) ✨
  • Legends of Runeterra (just play the story modes) ✨
  • Team fight tactics (cosmetics only)
  • Plague inc (and probably rebel inc, but I haven’t played that yet) ✨
  • Super Auto Pets (cosmetics and extra optional sets) ✨

Star on the ones I’d specifically recommend for casual play

CrayonRosary ,

You need to make a bulleted list because your lists came out as jumbled paragraphs. At a minimum you need to put two spaces at the end of each line to preserve line breaks.

I’ll fix it since you put in all the effort to write that up.

One time purchase:

  • Peglin ✨
  • Luck be a landlord ✨
  • Forager
  • Dicey dungeons
  • Dead Cells (optional DLC)
  • Bloons Tower Defense 6 (out of the way IAP) ✨
  • Terraria
  • 20 minutes till dawn (has a non premium option with some micro transactions)

Free:

  • Antimatter dimensions (long idle-ish game) ✨
  • Legends of Runeterra (just play the story modes) ✨
  • Team fight tactics (cosmetics only)
  • Plague inc (and probably rebel inc, but I haven’t played that yet) ✨
  • Super Auto Pets (cosmetics and extra optional sets) ✨

Star on the ones I’d specifically recommend for casual play

SoGrumpy ,

^^ A real Bro!

JPAKx4 ,

Had no idea, thanks

verity_kindle ,

Bro, kind and generous.

DragonTypeWyvern ,

I reached Challenger on Teamfight Tactics in a couple seasons and I’ve gotta say it honestly gets a bit tiresome how often they change the game. Mortdog and Co do a great job on balance but you just can’t swap from set to set that often and expect things not to break. Plus they like to nerf the things I like the most, and that’s inexcusable.

I also didn’t really care for it as mobile game because you can’t hop in and out, you start a match you need to finish the match and they’re not short. Even the “quick” mode is like fifteen minutes long.

In other words? Great desktop game for people that don’t mind the meta changing entirely every six months. Great “mobile” game if you want to kill no less than thirty minutes.

JPAKx4 ,

I didn’t star it for a reason lmao, it’s a good game but not great casually

Obi ,
@Obi@sopuli.xyz avatar

Not sure if it fits your criteria but the only mobile game I play is pinball deluxe. If you like real pinball, then you’ll love it, it tries to stay as true to real pinball as possible on some/most tables, it does have small transaction stuff you can buy but I still haven’t bought any including all the additional tables etc after playing it 6 months + and if you did, then it’s just an 8€ one time buy to get all the content and remove the ads, I’m gonna get that once I actually get bored of the “free” tables.

verity_kindle ,

Yass, this was a daily driver for six months straight. The missions are actually fun and help you get access to free tables. Nice surprise, graphics are gorgeous.

thefrankring ,
@thefrankring@lemmy.world avatar

Tetris

jelloeater85 ,
@jelloeater85@lemmy.world avatar

Low stress??? More like, where is that damn long piece!??

thefrankring ,
@thefrankring@lemmy.world avatar

That stresses you out bro?

jelloeater85 ,
@jelloeater85@lemmy.world avatar

When you get it, it’s life, when you don’t, despair ❣️

thefrankring ,
@thefrankring@lemmy.world avatar

Damn, I hope you’re not too traumatized

squidspinachfootball ,

Tetris with touch controls is not my favourite way to enjoy Tetris though

PlexSheep ,

Foss alternative with a really good UI: Lightblocks

verity_kindle ,

You animal. have you no mercy? XD

UndeadSlayer ,

Some good games I recommend are Alto’s Adventure / Odyssey, any bejeweled game, Cell to Singularity, Idle Slayer, Monument Valley, Reigns, Sky Force Reloaded, and Stick Fight Shadow Warrior. Hopefully that’s enough!

verity_kindle ,

Reigns is so stressful, do not want! What are you trying to do, I’m spiraling just being reminded!

Sylvartas ,

Mindustry is amazing, and free somehow

ICastFist ,
@ICastFist@programming.dev avatar

Definitely not casual or low stress, especially as you progress through the planet, but a great game nonetheless

Sylvartas ,

Whoops, yeah I skimmed over that part

twoface ,

I really like Usagi Shima. There is not much gameplay, but it’s a nice game to just relax for a few minutes. Also “Really Bad Chess” is a nice twist on chess. :D

PlexSheep ,

My recommendation l is going back to the basics: chess, especially lichess.org

You can choose a mode however you want, and it may or may not be stressful. Multiplayer with friends or random online people, choose a time between 30 seconds for a game and infinity to move.

If you don’t want to play right now, you can solve tactical exercises.

lapping6596 ,

Blooms TD 6 - fun tower defense game with solid progression and everything can be earned by playing what I think is a reasonable amount.

PlexSheep ,

BTD5 too. This is a very good recommendation.

Cagi ,

Pixel Dungeon: Roguelike, infinitely replayable. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.watabou…

Auralux: A simple real time strategy game. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wardrum…

2048: Simple to learn, difficult to master puzzle. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androbr…

My Boy: A Game Boy Advance emulator (Game files, called ROMs, not included). play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastemu…

Manos ,

I’ll second Pixel Dungeon. It’s the only one I’ve played, but it perfectly fits OP’s reqs.

kevindqc , (edited )

The first link says not found :( maybe not available in Canada? Seems this one is a good replacement, will try it out? play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shatter…

Other ones say it was made for an old version of Android or incompatible, and can’t be downloaded (I have a pixel 5 with android 14)

Strayce ,

Short answer: yes.

Shattered Pixel dungeon is based on pixel dungeon, adds a bunch of new stuff and is reasonably actively developed.

mrvictory1 ,

Install from computer: adb install --bypass-low-target-sdk-block FILENAME.apkliliputing.com/how-to-install-old-apps-on-android…

mox ,

Or the well-maintained and developed derivative:

shatteredpixel.com

f-droid.org/…/com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldu…

Gumus ,

The original Peggle. There’s a free APK available on speedrun.com. Works flawlessly even on modern Android.

https://www.speedrun.com/peggle_deluxe/resources/ehelq

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I got free of this addiction years ago.

I hate you.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Word Cookies. I absolutely love it. You can pay for things, but it is absolutely not necessary and is basically only if you feel the need to use boosts that allow you to cheat your way past the level. I think it costs $2 to go ad-free.

It does give you regular popups asking if you want to buy coins, which I admit is annoying, but they are unnecessary to enjoy the game. There’s also endless opportunities to get coins and other boosts for free. I have something like 80,000 coins and dozens of boosts and other than the $2 to go ad-free, I’ve never given them any money.

You do have to have certain word skills to enjoy it as much as I do. If you’re the sort who can crush it at Boggle, it’s the game for you.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/6d8cdf52-9118-4bd7-b477-e7bc3ea2beda.png

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