Get your spell-caster on, explore castles, and lop off heads. Lop off lots of heads.
Battle for Wesnoth
Position your elven archers so they can take down orcs on horseback. Send scouts across the river and behind enemy lines. You’ve got to fight if you’re going to rule the land of Wesnoth. If you’re new to the moving-pieces-around-a-map strategy genre, this isn’t the place to start. Our army was wiped out during the tutorial.
WIRED Complex gameplay will keep you coming back for months.
TIRED Learning curve is more of a vertical line.
$3.99 iOS | $3.99 Android | Battle for Wesnoth
Final Fantasy 3
Previous mobile ports of classic Final Fantasy games have been pretty uneven. (The iOS version of the original is downright brutal.) But this 3-D remake feels great. You can tap anywhere on the screen to advance the turn-based battles, meaning you can plow through them as easily as if you were holding a controller. And for a touchscreen game that lasts 40 hours, comfort is key.
WIRED Simple, natural controls. Amazing orchestral soundtrack.
TIRED Graphics pulled from Nintendo DS are a waste of a retina display.
$16.99 iOS (iPad) $15.99 (iPhone, iPod) | $15.99 Android | Final Fantasy III
Zenonia 4
You won’t understand what’s going on with the swords-and-sorcery story line if you jump right into the fourth iteration of this action RPG (it involves time travel and your future self), but who cares when slashing up monsters and going on quests is this much fun? It’s free to play, which means you can spend real-life cash to buy upgrades like powerful helmets and pickaxes without having to grind.
WIRED Vibrant graphics. Satisfying thwack when you strike enemies.
TIRED Only one control option.
Free iOS | Free Android | Zenonia 4
Chrono Trigger
This time-traveling, dimension-hopping romp is one of the most beloved RPG adventures of the classic console era. But it doesn’t quite make the leap to mobile unscathed. The controls are imprecise at best, and the graphics, ported over from the Super Nintendo, look blurry instead of pixel-crisp. Still, it’s a fantastic game with wonderful writing and music.
WIRED A polished, thrilling, classic RPG for your phone.
TIRED Lackluster port job. Messy control scheme.
$9.99 iOS | Chrono Trigger
Mage Gauntlet
This action role-player features 16-bit-styled pixel artwork that makes it look like a long-lost vintage game. You’re an apprentice magician looking to pick up the tools of the trade while taking down bad guys, and you can alternate hacking and slashing with magic spells that you find along the way. It’s generally difficult to control characters using touchscreens, but Mage Gauntlet’s scheme is nearly perfect.
WIRED Old-school charisma. Satisfying hack-and-slashery. Funny dialog.
TIRED Enemy designs aren’t as appealing.
$2.99 iOS | Mage Gauntlet
Smartphone Sorcery: The Best Fantasy RPGs for Mobiles
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Smartphone Sorcery: The Best Fantasy RPGs for Mobiles
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Smartphone Sorcery: The Best Fantasy RPGs for Mobiles
