Mobile Timekilling

I don't do much mobile gaming but I am a fan of pointless time-killer kinds of games.  They are perfect for those times when you are waiting in line or just waiting for anything (I have a tendency to get a bit impatient so being able to shift my focus off of the wait helps tamp down the frustration or nervousness that I can feel).  In a perfect world I would have a book handy and read rather than waste my time with more brainrot on my phone, but packing around a physical book just isn't very convenient (and no, I have zero desire to do any reading on my phone).  Here are my picks for games to distract yourself from the inevitable waiting.

1.) Candy Crush

It's a classic and there's constantly some kind of in-game event to keep pulling you in.  They added in a seasonal type event where you collect these digital "pins" and it's oddly satisfying to cobble together an entire set.  Candy Crush is perfect because you can generally finish up a level in a few minutes and it's not particularly mentally demanding--match candies, pew pew, collect rewards.  The main downside...ads.  It's true that you can skip many of them but if you fail a level and want those sweet extra turns, you can expect to be wasting time with multiple ads.  It's the perfect time to stop looking at your phone and see how much longer you might be waiting.  At least they aren't depressing ads for medications (although I find many TikTok ads to be annoying).

The season of ultracite has commenced in Fallout Shelter!

2.) Fallout Shelter

I started playing Fallout Shelter when it originally came out (like 2014-ish) and had very few fun features.  Luckily the game has drastically changed since that time and there's plenty to keep you coming back.  In honor of the Amazon Prime Fallout series, they recently introduced seasonal "experimental vaults." These vaults are only active for 40 days and have specific objectives that must be achieved to earn a special kind of XP that will unlock random rewards (like lunchboxes, caps, weapons, pet carriers, etc.).  You start your vault from scratch and there's some kind of fun gimmick with each season--the Fallout series themed seasons (that recently ended) featured a special currency that allowed you to spin the "lucky wheel" to earn random rewards (like different tiers of weapons, outfits, pets, stimpacks, radaway, etc.).  They also featured special characters from the streaming series who could be unlocked by completing special quest lines.  The current season is related to Fallout 76 and features the Scorched (a kind of ghoulish-baddie) who periodically raid your vault.  Killing the Scorched is much easier if you use special "ultracite" weapons that can be crafted from two new rooms--the ultracite mine (finally a place for your high endurance vault dwellers!) and the ultracite weapons lab.

The seasons feature is great because it gives you a reason to keep playing.  It's fun to level up a vault over a short period and try to accomplish all the tasks that are part of the season (I can pretty consistently get all but 2 of them).  There are some ads (optional though) but it's not as egregious as Candy Crush.  I would also say that Fallout Shelter generally isn't as good as Candy Crush for taking a few minutes to knock out a level or objective.  I find myself playing for a chunk of time (depending on the level of my vault) but it's still very casual and low pressure.

If you're looking for the perfect mobile game to offer up some minimally mentally demanding games for wasting time, these two are both great options.

Have a great weekend and find some time to do some light gaming!

A Little Mobile Gaming

I don't have anything new happening on the PC gaming front--I've decided to revisit one of my strategy favorites, Against the Storm, largely to see what has changed since the last time I played.  I've barely dipped my toes back into the storm cycle but I'm already intrigued by what I've seen.  I also purchased a DLC pack featuring a new playable race (frogs) awhile back and hadn't touched it.  In the future I'll report on all the new changes (and the frogs!).  So, for this week, I thought I'd talk about a couple of my personal mobile favorites.

I know that people have a tendency to cringe when mobile gaming is brought up.  Let's be real though, you probably have a couple of games lurking on your phone that you like to pop open from time to time.  My personal mobile gaming style tends to be games that are convenient for times when you're stuck waiting for something--the types of games that can be played in short bursts and that can be quickly closed with no feeling of losing out.  Currently, I like to spend my short lunches (we get 30 minutes--and that counts one of the few bathroom breaks I get throughout the day) managing my Fallout Shelter vault.  I originally played Fallout Shelter when it first came out and basically reached the limit of what was available--my vault was maxed out with inhabitants and there was literally nothing else to do.  Luckily/smartly the game has been expanded so that there doesn't feel like there's much of an end to it.  

Fallout Shelter includes cute pets!

When I originally played Fallout Shelter all you could do was manage the production in your vault and send dwellers out to explore the wasteland.  Now, there are questlines where you can send your dwellers out to accomplish certain goals (after a navigating a build full of combat scenarios) for rewards; there's an entire crafting system for weapons and outfits; there are collectible pets that are not only cute, but provide buffs for your dwellers; there are collectible themes (from the Fallout series) that can be used to decorate your vault; and, in true mobile gaming fashion, there are plenty of opportunities to interact with ads to earn rewards (of course...but they're actually not too egregious).  The game has totally changed since those olden days!

One fun aspect of Fallout Shelter has been the crossover content with Amazon Prime's Fallout series.  You can do quests to unlock special characters from the series.  There are also outfits, pets, and themes associated with the series!  

This new and improved Fallout Shelter is perfect for short bouts (and also longer ones when you're trying to manage all your junk and items).  I don't turn on notifications or anything (not like I can just up and play whenever), but like to try to complete quests during my lunch break or after work.  If it has been awhile or if you enjoy Fallout and are looking for something fun for your phone, give it a go. (*You can play it on PC through Steam...I'd recommend mobile though) And just a disclaimer--yes, there's the normal micro-transactions and whatnot, but it isn't pushed on you very much.

My other favorite is THE stereotypical mobile game--Candy Crush.  I love a good match 3 and Candy Crush is one of those never-ending types that manages to be challenging enough to be fun.  There are plenty of in-game competitions, challenges, and events to keep you engaged.  It's much more egregious when it comes to ads, microtransactions, and all the normal mobile gaming sins.  It's great for short bouts when you just want to play a level or two (and some are ridiculously easy and can be completed in a few minutes).  Popping all those little candies is just so much fun though!

Have a great weekend and enjoy some gaming time (even mobile!)!