The year's best mobile games are SmartRead. Honors 2023

The mobile game industry seems to be improving yearly, and our selections for the best mobile games of the year 2023 indicate that this trend isn't going to stop anytime soon. The SmartRead team members have all managed to narrow down their favorite two games of the year to just two, and they've explained why, especially for you.

We have also selected our choices for the Switch games of the year, should you be a bigger lover of Nintendo. Go see whether your favorite game made the list by going over there. Over the holidays, you could even discover a new Switch game to enjoy.

Here is our selection of the top 2023 mobile games.

Ruby's choice for Honkai Star Rail, Editor

You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to my fun on the Honkai Star Rail. Hoyoverse's regular updates and interesting occurrences have kept me captivated by this turn-based game more than any other this year. Because everyday chores have delectable rewards, I picture me playing every day for the foreseeable future.

Honkai Star Rail is a game that's well worth trying if you like turn-based combat over Genshin Impact. It has a captivating plot, distinct characters, and regular updates that will keep you entertained for a year or more. We go into further detail in our Honkai Star Rail review as to why this game is just amazing.

Deputy Editor Kayleigh's choice is Mortal Kombat: Onslaught

It should come as no surprise that one of my choices for mobile game of the year is Mortal Kombat: Onslaught—I LOVE Mortal Kombat, I love beat 'em ups, I like action and adventure, and I love role-playing games. Because MK:O is a team-based collecting game, it requires some strategic thinking, thus choosing the appropriate characters is crucial. This is what draws me to the game. I'm more of a "smack random buttons and hope for the best" sort of person, so this is new to me. I own those three, unless I'm taking on the roles of Cassie, Mileena, or Sonya.

I like learning about fresh stories in this universe, but I also enjoy a good amount of mythology, especially one as complicated as MK's. As usual, it is up to warriors from many worlds to stop Shinnok, who is headed for total devastation this time. Kitana, Jade, Jax, Sonya Blade, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero are just a few of the combatants you may enlist to help you put an end to evil once again.

Tilly, the Guides Editor, recommends Disney Dreamlight Valley: Arcade Edition

Disney Dreamlight Valley is a cute little game that perfectly combines escape and nostalgia in a little, cozy packaging. It may be a bit off-putting for people to join at this point, however, since Gameloft has decided that Disney Dreamlight Valley free-to-play is no longer planned. Additionally, a lot of the exciting, future characters and new features are related to the new A Rift In Time expansion.

Fortunately, the whole game, all past and future Disney Dreamlight Valley updates, and the brand-new A Rift in Time extension are now available to Apple Arcade subscribers as of December 2023 via the Disney Dreamlight Valley: Arcade Edition. I don't really mind that the premium in-game store and battle pass-style Star Path are the only things lacking.

With no additional fees beyond the purchase of an Apple Arcade membership, we may now freely explore the magical Disney world in the palm of our hands, farming, creating, decorating, and befriending all of our favorite characters. And I'm not sure what else could be magic if that.

Connor's choice, Staff Writer

, is "What the Car?"

What the Car? is much more outrageous than What the Golf?, so prepare to be amazed. It has a vehicle on a bike, a car with legs, and a car on a trampoline! It's absurd, but in the greatest kind of way, offering hours of engaging gameplay that will make you laugh. Even better, after you've completed every task in the main game, you may continue play to your heart's content thanks to a library of levels that other players have made.

My Apple Arcade membership is easily justified by the amount of time I've spent in What the Car? alone in 2023, and even writing this blog makes me want to get back on and give it another go as soon as I have the chance. Gran Turismos, Asphalts, and Forzas are yours to keep. Thank you very lot. I'll be driving a vehicle on giraffe legs across a cartoon universe.

Daz's selection, Staff Writer: Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Everyone and their mother has heard of Hello Kitty, even if you're not familiar with the larger ensemble of adorable characters. Although she has acted in a good number of videogames throughout the years, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is one of the better ones. Become a cute mascot and assist the team in bringing a deserted island resort back to its former splendor in this RPG and life simulation only to the Apple Arcade.

As you can see from my Hello Kitty Island Adventure review, the game was already fantastic when it first out. However, in order to keep growing the Hello Kitty community and bringing new players into the charming world of the game, Sunblink and Sanrio have worked really hard to provide fresh content updates and corrections on a regular basis. It's great to see lesser-known mascots like Big Challenges, the sassy little 'gator, joining the list as a Sanrio fan.

Gubbins, Staff Writer; Holly's choice

A game supported by Unpacking's creator and John Green must be amazing, and Studio Folly's absurd word game Gubbins is just that. You create words by arranging letters on a blank screen that looks like a Scrabble board. Any vocabulary. However, the adorable Gubbins may also greatly assist or impede your progress by shifting letters or obstructing areas. They provide just the right amount of difficulty to entice you to return for more, and I did just that.

I play Gubbins every day with my breakfast and love to play it again when I have some free time to attempt to surpass my score by creating crazy words using a randomly chosen letter combination. If you like word games as much as I do, I strongly suggest it.

Ruby's selection for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is .I may come out as a bit prejudiced, but I like Final Fantasy VII beyond all else. Granted, I may come off as a bit prejudiced, but for those of you who haven't played the original Final Fantasy 7 or want to play a brief refresher before picking up Rebirth in February, I believe that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is a fantastic, appetizing addition to the collection.The game has included several events since I released my Final Fantasy Ever Crisis review, such as a partnership with Final Fantasy 9 and a wintry holiday trip where you may obtain exclusive gear and weapons. As they continue to release additional chapters, I suggest you start the game as soon as possible and work your way through the main plot gradually.

Kayleigh's selection for Sonic Dream Team

Alright, so when I initially learned about Sonic Dream Team, I wasn't sure what to anticipate. I was aware that it was a fresh game with a fresh plot, but other than that, I had little information. It turns out, however, it was a good thing since it allowed me to really enjoy the game and not have any misunderstandings. Once again, Eggman is up to no good, and Sonic and friends need to stop him.Yes, friends. You may play as Rouge, Creme, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, and the title character in Sonic Dream Team in addition to the main player. Even though I like Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, I must admit that playing as the other three—especially Rouge—is enjoyable. You may traverse the numerous dream realms with the aid of each character's unique powers. There is no replaying Green Hills in this game—every level is brand-new. At least in this game, Sonic will undoubtedly make a return to Green Hills in a later installment.

Tilly's selection for Settlement Survival

Building cities is rather therapeutic, and Settlement Survival satisfies that strange mental itch that has been bothering me for a while. Gleamer Studio's distinctive fusion of survival and city builder, which had achieved tremendous success on Steam back in late 2022, set its eyes on a mobile release in early 2023, and I was captivated right away. Although I had not previously played the PC version, I purchased it on Steam after spending hours on the mobile version.The goal of the mobile version is to provide all the enjoyment of the full version at a much lower price, and it succeeds in doing so. Even though some of the features and finer details are missing, it still works incredibly well on a small screen. You can construct your own medieval-style settlement, create a society and trade network, send your little friends on adventures, and then just sit back and watch as your world grows—or shrinks. At first, a lot of people die. Wondering? To learn more, see our Settlement Survival mobile review.

Connor's choice, Rytmos

I bet you've never heard of this small mobile gem, yet I had some of the most captivating gaming experiences of the year when I was using Rytmos. With sounds influenced by Ethiopian jazz, German krautrock, Zimbabwean Mbira music, and many more genres, Rytmos is a puzzle game that is also a global music museum. All you have to do is plug in your headphones, launch Rytmos, and get swept away from the mundaneness of daily existence with its captivating riddles and unique soundtrack.As stated explicitly in my 9/10 Rytmos review: This game looks amazing in addition to having an amazing sound. Every problem transports you to a stunning new planet and has its own unique puzzle game elements, such as challenging late-game levels that truly make your mind work. Even if Rytmos isn't a free-to-play mobile game, I think it's still worth paying the little entrance price to discover a fantastic universe of amazing audio.

Daz's selection for Project Sekai

Project Sekai isn't a brand-new mobile game, but I would be lying if I said I hadn't found it to be the one that had had the most influence on my life. Since its first worldwide release in December 2021, this Vocaloid rhythm-game-slash-visual-novel from Sega and Colorful Palette has taken up all of my time. I wish to extol the virtues of it as the second anniversary draws near.In addition to being an intricate and entertaining rhythm game with many of solo and cooperative game options, Project Sekai also has some of the most moving visual novel storylines I've ever read, with the main characters being the adolescent members of five distinct musical groups. It is not necessary to be an enthusiast of Vocaloid in order to relate to the Project Sekai characters. – Miku and her friends serve as just incidental characters, serving as mirrors that reflect the virtues and vices of the main characters back to them. Through this game, I've also gained a ton of friends, for which I am very thankful.

Holly's selection for Monopoly Go

With its Coin Master-like action on the traditional game board, Monopoly Go completely revolutionized the mobile gaming industry. I was checking in every few hours to make sure I had used up all of my dice in this addictive gaming loop, which involves rolling the dice, moving around the Monopoly board, and earning tons of cash.In Monopoly Go, there are ongoing events and collect-a-thons, so you're always working toward a goal and being rewarded with cash, boosts, and heaps of cash. It's also rewarding to break down the carefully constructed boards of other players, despite the fact that it may look impolite. Hey, they'll target yours as well! You will get engrossed in this game, so whatever the mustachioed Monopoly guy put into it is effective.Did the game you love the most make the list? If not, it could be included in our lists of the top mobile RPGs or games .