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My 10 best games of the past 10 years - Simon Byron

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iOS + Android + 3DS ...
My 10 best games of the past 10 years - Simon Byron

Industry veteran lists his portable picks from the past decade

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Heard about Pocket Gamer celebrating its 10th anniversary this March?

As part of the fun we've blackmailed former PG members into giving us a quick rundown of their favourite ten games of the past ten years. (We've also asked them to relive their PG moments, Simon included.)

Thing is, sometimes the character of these past colleagues is simply too strong to bend to our demands. Or they simply don't care about our carefully constructed thematic consistency.

Either way, you get instances such as this, with Simon rebelling by providing 12, not ten games. (It all balances out, though: Mike Rose was two short on his list.)

They've not been asked to rank these so don't take the order below as set in stone. Rather, think of these games as a collection of digital experiences that will enrich your life, taking you to a place you hadn't considered you'd ever get to.

Or perhaps look through the list and mock their choices.

Create your own list

If you do disagree, here's the magic bit: you can give us your list.

See the 'Create your own Top List' button at the bottom of the article? It's not a trick. 

You'll need to be registered with PG (and logged in) if you aren't yet.

Click on that button and the rest should prove relatively straightforward.

(You can also create lists from within your Pocket Gamer user profile, at the bottom of the 'Logged in as [x]' dropdown menu.)

You can list your all-time favourite portable games, your favourite endless runners, shooters, candy-covered-pony-featuring titles, or even your favourite game making studios.

We all love lists. Share your thoughts and you can soon see your selection on the PG site.


What's all this, then?

The Pocket Gamer 10th anniversary is a month-long celebration of the last decade of mobile games running March 10th - April 10th and featuring a stream of retrospective articles and fun stuff, supported by our friends at Gram Games, Gamevil, JoyCity, Rovio, and Nordeus. Head over to the PG 10th anniversary homepage for more information.
Click Here To View The List »

1
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K
Available on: iOS + Steam
Genre: Strategy
Find out more about XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Supreme translation of the home version - immensely playable, despite bugs.

2
The Banner Saga

Available on: iOS + Android + PS Vita + Steam
Genre: RPG, Strategy
Find out more about The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga

Beautiful if sometimes overwhelming turn-based combat.

3
Candy Crush Saga

Publisher: King
Available on: iOS + Android + Windows Phone
Genre: Casual, Puzzle
Find out more about Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga

I know it has its critics, but it's the game that got my mum into gaming.

4
Angry Birds Star Wars

Developer: Rovio
Publisher: Rovio
Available on: iOS + Android + PS Vita + Windows Phone + Windows 8
Genre: Action, Puzzle
Find out more about Angry Birds Star Wars
Angry Birds Star Wars

The Star Wars version had me obsessing over three-starring everything.

5
Flight Control

Developer: Firemint
Available on: iOS + Android + Mobile + Windows Phone
Genre: Casual, Line-drawing, Puzzle
Find out more about Flight Control
Flight Control

The perfect introduction to touch-based gaming.

6
Broken Sword: Director's Cut

Developer: Revolution Software
Available on: iOS + Android + Steam
Genre: Adventure
Find out more about Broken Sword: Director's Cut
Broken Sword: Director's Cut

Still breathtaking in its ambition, point-and-touch so much more intuitive than pointing and clicking.

7
Minecraft - Pocket Edition

Developer: Mojang
Publisher: Mojang
Available on: iOS + Android + Windows Phone + Xperia Play
Genre: Adventure, Brain training
Find out more about Minecraft
Minecraft

Easily the greatest babysitter ever invented.

8
World of Goo

Developer: 2D Boy
Available on: iOS + Android + Steam
Genre: Casual, Puzzle
Find out more about World of Goo
World of Goo

One of the most inventive and charming puzzle games ever made.

9
New Star Soccer

Developer: New Star Games
Publisher: New Star Games
Available on: iOS + Android + PS Vita
Genre: Sports
Find out more about New Star Soccer
New Star Soccer

Easily the best football game on mobile.

10
Lara Croft GO

Publisher: Square Enix Montreal
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Puzzle
Find out more about Lara Croft GO
Lara Croft GO

Hitman was interesting, but Lara is on a whole new level. So, so clever.

11
Heads Up! Hot Dogs

Developer: Sugoi Papa Interactive
Publisher: Adult Swim
Available on: iOS
Genre: Action, Arcade, Casual
Find out more about Heads Up! Hot Dogs
Heads Up! Hot Dogs

The perfect party game.

12
Threes!

Publisher: Asher Vollmer
Available on: iOS + Android
Genre: Puzzle
Find out more about Threes!
Threes!

Hands-down the biggest drain on my mobile devices. An original idea, wonderfully implemented.

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Joao Diniz Sanches
Joao Diniz Sanches
With three boys under the age of 10, former Edge editor Joao has given up his dream of making it to F1 and instead spends his time being shot at with Nerf darts. When in work mode, he looks after editorial projects associated with the Pocket Gamer and Steel Media brands.