Going on holiday? Pack some pixels
AUGUST sees many of us jetting off to sunnier climes to spend some quality time with the family. And while there’s nothing more relaxing than a week on the beach, it’s nice to have a distraction.
If reading isn’t your thing, you can still feed your gaming fix poolside with some great games on your phone.
Something to bear in mind is that although many of these games are free, there’s in-app purchases they want to push.
So if you’re planning on letting the kids loose on any of them, make sure you’ve locked down purchasing rights.
Words of caution over, here’s some of the best mobile games to download and take away with you.
TOTAL PARTY KILL (PEGI 3) Free (£3.99 to remove ads)
THIS delightful puzzle-centric platformer puts a spin on 16-bit classics such as The Lost Vikings.
You start each level with three characters – an Archer, a Knight, and a Mage – each with their own special skills to help you solve the puzzle and escape the dungeon.
The old school graphics belie just how taxing this game can be and don’t get too attached to the characters as you often need to sacrifice one or two of them to win your freedom.
There’s around 60 levels to complete, so plenty to keep you occupied while you soak up the sun.
GRAVEYARD KEEPER (PEGI 16) £9.49
BEAR with me here, I’m about to explain why a cemetery management sim is great fun.
I’ve actually sunk hours into this game because it takes the depressing role of town gravedigger and turns it into an entertaining pastime, chock full of dark humour.
As this is a premium title, it means that you don’t have to grind for hours to earn the resources you need to craft items.
And you’re rewarded for cutting corners and thinking creatively, like selling ground-up bodies to the butcher or hosting a witch-burning party.
The game has great 16-bit graphics, chip music and cute characters – especially Gerry the talking skull.
PAC-MAN (PEGI 3) Free
SOME games need no introduction. – this Pac-dot-eating, ghost-chasing arcade icon is one of them.
Enjoy classic arcade action as you guide Pac-Man through the maze, avoiding Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde – until you eat a power pellet, then the hunted becomes the hunter!
See how many mazes you can clear before you fall to the some of the cutest baddies ever created.
ALTO’S ADVENTURE (PEGI 3) Free
SNOWBOARDING has never proved so relaxing.
Alto’s Adventure is a gorgeous Alpine-themed game which sees you guide Alto down the side of a mountain, pulling tricks, twists and big air all the way.
The minimalist graphics are surprisingly effective and the fluid gameplay makes the one-touch controls very easy to pick up.
What’s even better is there’s a Zen Mode which means you can’t die – just board past endless mountain scenery to a soothing soundtrack.
REAL RACING 3 (PEGI 3) Free
STILL want to get the blood pumping while you’re poolside? This racer could be the one for you.
For a mobile game, the cars in Real Racing have been meticulously re-created – and there’s a roll call of 39 real-world racetracks to burn some rubber on.
As well as racing, you can spend time customising your vehicles and entering events to race against other players.
As you’d imagine this game is quite resource-intensive (takes up about 1.5GB of space), so make sure you have enough room left on your phone to take videos and pictures of the family while you’re away.