For the gaming industry, the 2000s were a decade of expansion, marked by innovations in technology, storytelling, and marketing. One of these innovations was the introduction of popular mobile phone games, some of which permanently altered the way we view gaming.
Angry Birds
In the 2010s, Angry Birds merchandise could be found everywhere—from plush toys to tabletop games to backpacks and pillows. Even the CEO Kati Levoranta commented on the angry birds phenomenon, saying she hoped the success of the game would promote greater diversity in the tech sector.
This game, which was released in the early days of smartphone gaming, embodied everything the platform did well: it was simple to use, completely free to play, and had gameplay that was both intuitive and basic yet deceptively challenging. This franchise has gone through several iterations and was even turned into a film series.
Flappy Bird
2014 saw the success of Flappy Bird, which is an understatement. Unexpectedly, this game stormed the App Store. Keep a flapping bird in flight while dodging pipes and other obstacles was all there was to it in terms of gameplay.
The game was incredibly challenging, to put it mildly, and numerous YouTube playthroughs were inspired by it, leading to the creation of numerous memes. According to productmint, the app was removed from the app store after the creator allegedly harassed users.
Shadow Fight
One of the most complicated games ever to be released for a smartphone is probably Shadow Fight. Shadow Fight, a fast-paced strategic combat system with items and various things, is modeled after classic fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter.
Shadow Fight will continue to be a classic mobile game for many due to the astounding level of skill and knowledge needed to succeed at it.
Stickman series
Flash games and point-and-click games were commonplace on the internet in the early 2000s. The Stickman series was one of the most well-known of these. The game featured stick figure men engaging in various activities, such as skateboarding and riding motorcycles.
This game series became a huge hit as soon as it was released on the App Store. Multiple levels and simple portability made the gameplay suitable for mobile games. Although the game’s growth was unavoidably stunted by the app’s pay-to-play structure, it cemented its reputation as a game to remember.
Geometry Dash
It’s possible that Geometry Dash is the most challenging and replayable game on this list. The object of Geometry Dash is to move a square across the screen without running into any spikes. It’s not surprising that it has endured the longest given its high replayability; the upbeat electronic music in the background adds to the game’s fast-paced, high-stakes atmosphere.
