Know the Different Types of Mobile Games Available

Boy playing game on mobile phone

Maskot / Getty Images

You might know your way around mobile games, but do you know the difference between an adventure game and an RPG game? Games that can be played on phones come in all flavors, each catering to a different audience and skill-set. Here is a rundown of the types of games you’ll find available for you to play on your phone.

Action

Action games, which require sharp reflexes to be successful, are the most varied category of mobile games. In this group, you will find exciting action games that feature shooting galleries, old-school arcade games, fast-moving fighters, crash-producing races, and other motion-oriented characters and vehicles.

Adventure

Adventure games span a wide variety of experiences, and not all involve war or fast action. Instead, they typically blend reflex testing and puzzle solving, and take you to exciting, interesting places and situations. Because the focus is more on entertainment and engagement than combat and competition, the pace is a bit slower than that of an action game.

Inside the virtual world of an adventure game, you might become a passenger on a starship, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, a paranormal investigator, a character in a classic work of literature, or any number of other personas. In your role, you'll be charged with solving a problem, mystery, puzzle or another conundrum that will challenge your brain and imagination. Some games even have you choose your own path through a story, for an ending that's dependent on your actions and choices.

Card

Card games are among the most popular genres. These include solitaire, poker, rummy, euchre, and other familiar favorites. The selection doesn't end with the traditional titles you've probably played around your kitchen table, however. Some virtual card games step over into the adventure category a bit, placing you in imaginary realms with circumstances and outcomes that depend on the draw of a digital card.

RPG

Role-playing games (RPGs) are complex pastimes that involve journeys, heavy storylines, diverse characters, and hours of play. Some phones don’t yet have the tech power or the memory capacity to handle RPGs, so you should check the game's technical requirements before downloading and installing.

As you play an RPG, you'll take up the role of a character, living out stories that take you to faraway places and imaginary worlds. You'll make decisions and choose actions within those realms and watch as the consequences unfold. Popular settings range from the medieval to the purely imaginary to modern-day realist. Some even take a page from the popular Dungeons and Dragons motif. Whichever you choose, an RPG is a fun way to become someone else in a different world for a while.

Sports

Sports games let you take up real-life activities such as basketball, football, and baseball without leaving your chair. While they can be complex, some mobile sports games focus on one particular part of the experience, such as making as many two- or three-pointers as you can within a predefined period.

Strategy

With an emphasis on forethought and planning, strategy games are usually about taking turns on a battlefield or other competitive arena. Chess, checkers, and many classic board games fall into this category, as do more unusual titles. The strategy game genre covers anything involving army placement and one-on-one combat. It requires and develops logic, intuition, and focus on an experience any brainiac can love.

Was this page helpful?