The Best Cross-Platform Games To Play On Mobile

Mobile gameplay is fast solidifying its place in every genre in the gaming world. The concept of being able to play the most complex games on mobile devices the size of palms is genuinely intriguing. Most developers today offer mobile-friendly technology, which is another factor in the popularity of mobile gaming.

Most game software companies now offer their games with the same display and gameplay quality across all devices. Mobile gaming gets even more interesting when cross-platform play is thrown into the mix. Imagine playing the same game on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, PlayStation 5, or Nintendo. That’s what these games are here to provide!

Updated January 19, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Mobile gaming has come a long way since its inception, but gaming studios that make games for mobile tend to stay in that space, and those who make games for PC and consoles tend to stay in their lane as well. But, as with anything when it comes to gaming, there are exceptions to the rule. In fact, more and more bigger games that are released on the major platforms have also started releasing on mobile, even if as a watered-down version with worse graphics to account for the hardware limitations. And the number of games that not only release on mobile and other platforms but offer cross-platform playability on top of that are rarer still.

16

Old School RuneScape

Timeless MMORPG Now in Your Pocket

Old School RuneScape

Free-to-Play

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RPG

Adventure

Systems

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Old School RuneScape is one of the top Android MMORPGs for a good reason. Many players remember RuneScape fondly because it was one of the first freely available massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Jagex spared no expense in bringing the cherished classic to mobile devices.

The user interface has been refined for mobile use, yet it retains all of the functionality of the desktop version. It’s easy to pick up and play, and it works well for quick bursts of gameplay. Players can always resume where they left off because their progress will be saved between devices.

15

Shadowverse

Anime-Inspired Strategy

Shadowverse

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Released

June 17, 2016

Developer(s)

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Cygames

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For iOS and Android devices, Cygames released Shadowverse as a free-to-play digital collectible card game in the middle of 2016. The Windows and macOS versions were released later in the same year. The game features anime-style art reminiscent of a previous title from the developer, Rage of Bahamut.

In Shadowverse, card game matches are set between two players referred to as leaders in the game. Each leader starts with a defense level of 20 and three cards. Players take turns playing from their decks with the objective of reducing the opponent’s defense level to zero. Another way to get a win here is to use special cards, such as the Victory Card.

14

Brawlhalla

2D Fighting Action

Brawlhalla is a free-to-play fighting game in the vein of Super Smash Brothers. And like Super Smash Bros, it features a large roster of characters that players can select to fight multiple rounds in a 2D arena with the goal of defeating the opposing character in a best of three.

In addition to the standard 1v1 format, Brawlhalla also has the option for 2v2s, where four players slug it out in a hectic frenzy of action that’s as chaotic as it is fun. There is an ELO system in place that ensures that players are only facing off against others of their level. And since the game has crossplay built into it from the ground up, this means that someone on a PC can match against someone on a console and have a fair match without any hiccups.

13

Teamfight Tactics

Auto Chess on the Go

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Although it was originally implemented as a mode in League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics has since branched off into its own game genre and acquired significant traction. Each of the four teams of eight players will face a new opponent at each level of the game. Users can engage in friendly competition across platforms to find the best synergies and resources.

The game is broken up into levels and rounds, and each round begins with an instant battle between the two players who were drawn at random to fight each other or against automated foes. They can play it for free on your Android or iOS smartphone, and it’s one of the best player-versus-player games out there.

12

Among Us

Crewmate or Impostor?

The American company Innersloth created the multiplayer social deduction game Among Us. It was published in 2018 and released across eight platforms by the end of 2021. Among Us takes inspiration from the horror movies The Thing and The Party Game Mafia. Among Us features a mixture of cool and bright colors. The game is set in space with cartoon-like astronauts who do the major work here.

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Each player gets to play as an impostor or crewmate. The crewmates have to complete certain tasks in the form of minigames and puzzles and hopefully eject the impostors. The impostors just have to sabotage the ship and kill or eject all the crewmates in order to win. The impostors are usually up to three and unable to complete real tasks that do not involve sabotage.

11

Pokémon Unite

Fast-Paced MOBA Action

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Released

July 21, 2021

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

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The gameplay in Pokémon Unite, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), is more streamlined and takes place at a faster pace, making it ideal for unexpected team battles. Goals can be scored with wild Pokemon that have been captured, trained, and eventually used in battle.

Players can invite others to join them as they battle wild Pokémon, discover new areas, get experience, and level up. It has a vast roster of playable characters, all of whom have their own special moves and abilities. Matches in Pokémon Unite last 10 minutes, much as in the free-to-play MOBA League of Legends. Pokémon Unite is available for both iOS and Android devices.

10

Roblox

Play, Build, and Explore

Roblox is actually more than just a game. It is a platform with a creation system that lets users create games and play games created by others. It was released for Windows in 2006 and soon came to other platforms in the years after. At launch, its reach was relatively small, but its use and popularity began to grow rapidly in the 2010s, a growth that surged during the pandemic.

Roblox gives users the creative freedom to make experiences (games) of their own using the Roblox Studio engine and the Luau language. These games are also buyable on the platform through one-time purchases and repeated microtransactions. The platform has grown to be a minor-friendly space in which players can buy, sell, and create games.

9

Mindustry

Tower Defense Meets RTS

Mindustry

Systems

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Released

September 26, 2019

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Mindustry is a mix of a lot of different gaming concepts that are hard to grasp at first but quickly start making sense with more playtime. It combines Factorio’s building mechanics with monster wave attacks of tower defense games and a light sprinkling of StarCraft-style RTS mechanics to set up mobile defenses before the waves start coming. It’s an addictive, fun romp that can get incredibly intense at times and fairly chill at others.

In addition to mobile, Mindustry is also available on PC, and for fairly cheap as well, and has full crossplay ability for two players, one on mobile and the other on PC, to play with each other in seamless crossplay.

8

Frozen Synapse

Tactical Combat, Turn-Based Mastery

Frozen Synapse is one of the most underrated mobile games out there, with an incredibly unique concept that’s executed with perfection. It’s a turn-based tactical battler where two sides face each other, in a top-down view inside a pre-rendered environment with a select number of combatants on each side. On a player’s turn, they simulate how the battle would play out by placing their units and watching what happens. Then, they lock in their choice and see what the other player did, who has exactly the same information as well as the ability to simulate battles from their sides. It’s a

Unlike most multiplayer games, Frozen Synapse uses a system similar to chess, where one player makes a move and then waits for the other one to make a move before it’s their turn. Best of all, this is all in asynchronous multiplayer, which plays out even when the other player is not in the game itself. One party can select their optimal course of action, set it for that match, and close the game. Whenever they re-open the game sometime in the future, whether it be an hour, a day, or a week later, they’ll find what their opponent decided to do and go from there. It’s a stress-free think-as-much-as-needed approach that’s very rare to see in online multiplayer games like this. And of course, Frozen Synapse supports seamless crossplay across all platforms, mobile included.

7

Hearthstone

Epic Card Battles in the Warcraft Universe

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Released

March 11, 2014

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OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Hearthstone, a strategy game developed and published by Blizzard, takes place in the Warcraft universe and receives frequent updates in the form of new content, tournaments, and contests. The game can be played in a variety of ways, from ranked battles to drafted arena duels to solo quests.

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This online card game is free to play and offers the exciting opportunity to compete against friends anywhere in the world. Players of digital TCGs can blow up booster packs and let loose devils in their games. Cards can be one of five distinct types: minions, spells, weapons, heroes, or locations. Hearthstone is available for Android and iOS devices.

6

Minecraft

Timeless Block-Building Fun

Minecraft is a sandbox game that Mojang Studios created in the Java programming language. The gameplay revolves around “mining blocks,” which translates into finding useful 3D objects and creating something out of them. It was released fully in 2011 as a game set in a three-dimensional open world where players could source food and raw materials, craft items, and build necessary structures.

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Minecraft also came with a bunch of game modes—somewhere players could fight mobs, and others involved competitions with players from other worlds. Although there is an achievement system in place, there are no specific goals to accomplish, so players can play the game however they want.

5

Asphalt Legends Unite

High-Octane Racing

Gameloft released Asphalt Legends Unite in 2018. It is a multiplayer video game with a focus on car racing. It is the fifteenth game in the Asphalt series, and as expected, it comes with improved features, including an autopilot mode, better control options, and a new car lineup.

In Asphalt Legends Unite, there are five car classes: D, C, B, A, and S, each with a higher performance level. Players get to unlock the cars, customize them, and race in any of the five game modes: career, club, seasonal events, daily events, and multiplayer.

Epic RPG Action

Systems

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Released

May 12, 2020

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Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

OpenCritic Rating

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Weak

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Released in 2020. The Elder Scrolls: Blades is an action roleplaying game that is free to play. As a spin-off of the Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda Game Studios created it. The game is played from a first-person perspective and is well-optimized for mobile gaming with features like swiping, tapping, and touchscreen stick controls.

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Often referred to as Blades, this game features three game modes: Abyss, Town, and Arena. Abyss is an endurance game in which the player must drive as fast as possible in an endless dungeon, while Arena is a PvP multiplayer mode, and Town is a story mode with non-player characters and quests.

3

Marvel SNAP

Superhero Card Battles

Systems

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Released

August 22, 2023

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Developer(s)

Second Dinner

OpenCritic Rating

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Mighty

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Marvel SNAP is a strategy card game that allows players to build decks featuring all the well-known heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe, with a lot of the lesser-known ones thrown in as well. Visuals are downright incredible, and the animation is on point. Gameplay is punchy, quick, and doesn’t take up much of the player’s time, which translates excellently on mobile, where game sessions on the shorter side are preferable. Players can choose to raise the stakes of any game by doubling the amount of ranking points on the line or retreat gracefully if the situation looks untenable.

Card collection in Marvel SNAP is grindy, to say the least, which is the only major gripe players have with this otherwise excellent game. Getting anywhere close to a ‘good’ deck in pool 3 or later will take hundreds of hours of playtime, daily log-ins, and a bit of luck. Luckily, the matchmaking system tends to pit players against players with similar progression, which, thanks to the frankly staggeringly large player base, is quick and fast, no matter the skill level.

2

Fortnite

Epic’s Infamous Battle Royale

Released in 2017, Fortnite offers three versions with game modes that are variations of the same gameplay. Of the three games: Fortnite Battle Royale, Fortnite Creative, and Fortnite: Save the World, the first two are free to play, while the third is not. Fortnite Battle Royale is, as the name implies, a battle royale game in which 100 players attempt to end up as the last standing out of 100 players.

Fortnite Creative is a game aimed at unleashing the creativity of players, giving them total freedom to create arenas and new worlds. Fortnite: Save the World is a shooter/survival type of game in which a maximum of four players battle strange creatures and defend specified objects with the strategies and defense mechanisms they create.

1

Genshin Impact

Anime-Style Open-World RPG

MiHoYo is the creator of the action-themed role-playing game Genshin Impact. It features an open-world game environment with magic battles and impressive characters. The anime-style game is free-to-play and has a Gacha monetization system for purchasing weapons and characters.

Genshin Impact takes place in a fantasy world with parties of four, where a player gets to control one of the characters in the party. Switching characters is also allowed during combat, giving players the privilege of combining a variety of offensive and defensive attacks.

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