16 of this year’s best indie mobile games from Asia

It’s been one heck of a year for indie games, more so for those on the mobile platform. Mobile penetration and growth has been rising steadily over the past couple of years in Asia, and so has the quality of mobile games produced by indie developers. Here are some of the best ones we’ve seen all year.

Dojo Slash (Korea)

Dojo Slash, developed by the solo South Korean developer Jinmann Kim, is really something. Its pixel art visuals are easy on the eyes, and its simple-to-pick-up gameplay belies the true complexity of this game. Dojo Slash is, in our opinion, the epitome of an indie game: fun, simple to play yet tough to master, and great for both hardcore and casual gamers. Download it for iOS, or read our full review here.

Super Awesome Quest (Southeast Asia)

There’s never truly a final build when it comes to freemium games, and Super Awesome Quest has gone from being ridiculously imbalanced to a great joy to play. I’m personally enjoying the difficulty level of this tile-flipping, board-based mobile RPG developed by Boomzap Entertainment. My only gripe is that I still need to grind it out for upgrades. Mobile game players just don’t have that sort of attachment to a game to grind! It’s still worthy enough to make this list, though. Download it for Android or iOS.

Protect Teddy (Malaysia)

This is without a doubt my favorite iOS game of the year. Protect Teddy is an endless running/hack-and-slash game developed by Penang’s Dilectus Games. It’s got a cute yet definitive art style, monsters straight out of a children’s storybook, and the best sound effects and gameplay combination ever. I love it. Download it for iOS. If you don’t have an iOS device, read our review.

Pirate Kings (Israel)

Pirate Kings is a simple mobile game where you spin a wheel to inflict damage, set up shields, earn gold, or steal gold from friends. It’s driving people in Singapore and Malaysia nuts. While it doesn’t have much by way of gameplay, it’s a game that hasn’t been done before, and for those willing to try it out, it’s pretty addictive and smart with its monetization. Try it out on iOS or Android.

Roto (India)

We first discovered Roto at Casual Connect Asia 2014, and were blown away by it. Roto sees you moving a ball across the screen, but it’s not as straightforward as that. The ball is caught in the orbit of different rotating planets, and you need to jump from planet to planet to get it to the endpoint of each map. Simple, zen-like, and awesome. Roto is developed by Lucid Labs and is now published by Weraku Games. Try it on Android or iOS.

Flappy Bird (Vietnam)

No description needed really, but if you want a refresher, click here.

Shapist (Singapore)

Shapist is really brilliant. Like Roto, it’s an exercise in bringing meditative zen-like calm to the mobile game. Shapist needs you to move shapes around to reveal the center of each board, after which you’ll move on to the next level. Developer Qixen-P Design likens it to a physical puzzle, and we can’t agree more with that assessment. Try it for Android or iOS, or read our full review here.

Walkr (Taiwan)

Walkr is a bit more passive compared to the rest of this list. This app from Taiwanese studio Fourdesire puts you in control of a spaceship that you can use to explore a crazy galaxy filled with planets made of fruits and more. The catch is, this spaceship is powered by steps – physical footsteps, to be exact, and you must carry your iOS device around in order to generate energy with which to keep on exploring. Well-designed and an absolute joy to play with, Walkr can be downloaded for iOS only.

Kittentaxi (Korea)

Kittentaxi is all kinds of crazy. It employs a rough, hand-sketched art style to illustrate a vertical running game split into stages where two cats have robbed a bank and must now make their grand getaway. You can also shoot at vehicles chasing you and toss bombs at them…As cats…With fistfuls of hard cash in their paws. Kittentaxi is developed by the Wonder People Co. and available on Android and iOS.

Jump Smash Legend (Malaysia)

While definitely not your typical indie game, Jump Smash Legend is one that will make you sit up. Think the NBA 2K franchise, but for badminton, and on mobile. Jump Smash Legend is the second game in this realistic badminton sports game series developed by Mediasoft, and its next iteration will be on the console. Mediasoft currently also has a five-year sponsorship deal with sports brand Li-Ning. Talk about pushing boundaries. You can try the latest version of the game on Android.

Vimala Defense Warlords (Indonesia)

Vimala Defense Warlords is one of the more polished mobile games to come out of Indonesia’s budding game development industry. Developed by MassHive Media, this strategy game is a little reminiscent of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, in the sense that it requires users to conquer the map – tower by tower – via customizable squads. The game promises a lot more depth once you unlock a second game mode, though its slow pace is keeping me from commenting on that. I’m still duking it out in skirmishes – but that’s my only gripe. Try it out on iOS.

Go Kane (India)

Go Kane is a very simple game, more of a visual novel with some math problems and a quirky storyline. It needs to be applauded for how it dared to turn drug dealing into a game. India-based dev Supersike Games will tell you that it’s not actually about drugs – but satire or not, its subject matter is still obvious. It’s a brave and humorously illustrated story about one man’s attempt to save his girlfriend by earning money the quickest way he knows how to. Try it on Android. It was banned on iOS!

Run Run Super V (Philippines)

Running games are pretty passe – and thanks to an oversaturation of the genre it’s hard to make one that stands out from the crowd nowadays. Run Run Super V from Altitude Games has done so with decent success, though. This running game makes use of super sentai, or power rangers, and allows you to fight with giant kaiju at intervals. The running bit of the game lets you collect gold and experience, so that you can level up to fight kaiju. Run Run Super V is still in alpha and Altitude Games is taking its full launch slow, but you will be able to try it if you’re an Android user in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. If not, you also can read our review.

Hue Hue Blaster (Philippines)

Simple seems to be the name of most Asian indie devs’ games. Hue Hue Blaster is another minimalist indie game that makes use of mixing colors to give you a brain-stretching arcade experience. I say brain-stretching because when – apart from kindergarten – have you needed to think about mixing colors to form other hues? Hue Hue Blaster is a simple shooter that needs you to mix the right colors to zap enemies of the same color, and it’s tougher than it sounds. It comes with four different game modes to cater to every sort of gamer. Try it on Android. It is developed by Skillshot Labs.

Z-Infect (Philippines)

Z-Infect is a zombie-themed physics game. You’re a zombie box, and you must tilt or swipe at your screen so you can finally fall on top of, or next to, the human box, and turn it into a zombie box as well! Its user interface leaves a lot to be desired but the gameplay is still fun and poses enough of a challenge. Z-Infect is developed by MyPlayYard – which appears to be just a placeholder name for two individuals – and is available on Android.

Hues (India)

Hues might have borrowed its gameplay concepts from the ever-popular Threes, but it does it so well it deserves a mention here. Boasting the best user interface I’ve seen in a game from India, Hues has you combining colors rather than numbers. Try Hues on Android. It’s also available on Windows Phone and Blackberry, and is developed by ReFocus Labs.

This list is obviously not comprehensive, so if you have a game that you think deserves a spot here, leave a short explanation why in the comments!