For a long time, I was only playing a handful of mobile games, but my library has slowly expanded to include some new fun additions as well.

Stranger Things: The Game

The Good:
Stranger Things: The Game is an extremely well-designed mobile game that plays more like a console video game than a mobile one. The graphics are great and invoke a lot of nostalgia with the pixels and incredibly detailed style. Some of the battles can be unforgiving, but ultimately the game is rewarding and fun to play. The puzzles were a pleasant surprise, both challenging but also fun to solve. The best part of the game for me was unlocking the cast of Stranger Things, as every single character unlocked has unique and interesting abilities that enhance the gameplay. Being able to switch out the characters at will is also fun and allows battles to be approached in a variety of different ways. The game also includes a variety of collectibles to find, enhancing the experience because of how much content there is to discover. The game definitely evokes the tone and feeling of the show while creating a new story to play, making it one of the most unique mobile games out there.

The Bad:
As mentioned, the game’s combat system is pretty unforgiving, and the lack of precision with the touch controls can be devastating. Solving puzzles that require precise timing is also difficult when the touch controls aren’t accurate, causing easy puzzles to be difficult to solve and frustrating. Some of the puzzle designs can also be rather redundant, often requiring switches to be activated in order to open multiple doors to leave the area.

Overall:
Stranger Things: The Game is a lot of fun to play, and I was surprised at how much care was put into making the game feel unique and interesting. It is far from a cheap retelling of the show, adding fun and unique features that cement feelings of nostalgia for old style, 2-D worlds as well as allowing it to play like a traditional video game, rather than cash cows that mobile games often tend to be.

4 Jim Hoppers punching everyone out of 5

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp

The Good:
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is adorable. I’ve been looking forward to this game for a while and I’m having a lot of fun with it. The game is extremely fun and casual, and the graphics are excellent and easily on par with Animal Crossing New Leaf. The entire point of the game, while simplistic, is extremely fun. I enjoy meeting new characters in the game, fulfilling their requests, and inviting them to visit my campsite. It’s a simple but effective system that encourages constant playability. I also appreciate that the game makes outside purchases optional, allowing players to gain the resources in the game without being a cash cow. The touch controls are responsive and accurate. The game is everything I expected from a mobile Animal Crossing, and it’s a unique and addictive idea.

The Bad:
The long load times are unfortunate though, and it requires excellent Internet connection to be able to function properly, often causing it to lose the connection multiple times and making the game difficult to play.

Overall:
Other than a handful of issues with Internet servers, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is a blast and I’m absolutely loving it. Nintendo clearly designed Animal Crossing Pocket Camp to be a casual but fun game, and it shows. Fans of the original series will enjoy the relaxing quality of this game and the fun it offers in a unique way that doesn’t rely on luck or other cheap ploys to be fun or rewarding.

4.2 cute campsites out of 5