I find myself spending a lot of time on my phone these days, especially when I’m waiting for my kids. I can no longer watch gymnastics or swim, I have to wait in my car. I can’t go with my kids to the dentist, I have to sit in the waiting room. So I spend a ton of time scrolling through my phone, whittling away the minutes until my kids are done with their activities. So, I’ve become a bit of a phone gamer. These 6 gaming apps for your phone are definitely worth getting.
I grew up with brothers who game and have a husband who games. I have girls who love Roblox and Fortnite. But, I have to admit, I’ve never been much of a gamer myself. Back in the 90s, I did love Dr. Mario and MarioKart on the Super Nintendo or N64 (and…. I’m old), but I really left all my gaming abilities in that bygone era.
Until recently, that is. When I found myself endlessly scrolling and needing something to do besides stare at other peoples’ photos on Facebook or discover products I definitely didn’t need on Instagram. So, I took up gaming on my iPhone, and I’m not even sorry about it.
6 Gaming Apps for your phone
There are so many apps out there for iOS and Android, it can be overwhelming. There is literally a game for everyone. There are racing games and logic games and games you play with others and games where you create your own virtual world. There are beauty games and puzzles games and just so many games!
Here are a few awesome app games to add to your home screen:
New York Times Crossword: I love doing crossword puzzles. In fact, back when flying on airplane was a thing people did, I was the person who couldn’t wait to sit down in her seat and open her in-flight magazine to test my knowledge and attempt to complete the crossword puzzle inside. Discovering this app made me so excited to take on a daily challenge. The app is free, and while the complex crosswords and other in-depth puzzles require a monthly subscription, the daily mini crossword is free and it is something I look forward to solving every day!
Words with Friends: This app may not be as hot now as it was when it debuted in 2009, but it is still one of my favorite gaming apps. Whether I’m playing with an actual friend or a virtual internet stranger, I enjoy this online version of Scrabble endlessly. My 11-year-old and I just started playing together, and we get really competitive with one another! I like to think it is helping her increase her vocabulary. Regardless, it is a fun way to give your brain a work out!
Mario Kart Tour: This app totally brings me back to my teenage years, hanging out in a friend’s basement playing Mario Kart. Although this isn’t as good as the original game, it is a nice time-waster that makes me feel young(ish) again. Race Mario around different tracks and try to be the first one to cross the finish line. So much harder than it sounds! The app and game are free to play but there are in-app purchases available.
Solitaire Cube: I don’t even know if I want to count up the hours I have spent on this game, constantly trying to beat my own high score (which is 4,005!). No matter how many times I play, Solitaire never gets any easier. I’ve read that 4 out of 5 games of Solitaire are supposed to be winnable, but I think I only win about 1 out of 5! That’s okay, though. Practice makes perfect, right? This app is free and it is free to play the novice version of the game, although you can also play versions where you bet money.
Block Puzzle: Tetris fan? I definitely was and still am! Nothing is more infuriating than watching your screen fill up with lines of blocks you know you aren’t going to be able to clear before you hit the top and get the notification that your game is over. Block Puzzle is a fun way to test your ability to fit different sizes and shapes of squares into a straight line to make the line disappear. This app is free.
Wildscapes: This is a game my oldest has worked hard to pull me into, and I’m getting there. She loves building her zoo and solving all the puzzles within the app that allow her to add to her zoo and collect new animals. She is so proud of her zoo! She wants me to start building my own zoo, although I’ve mostly helped her complete puzzles to add to hers. This app is by the same folks who brought us Homescapes and Gardenscapes, both of which are fun games if you are into creating your own virtual world by solving puzzles!
My list could go on and on. I asked friends about their favorite apps and literally got more than 100 apps they loved to play, and then went through my top gaming apps on my own phone. Ultimately, these were the apps that were mentioned over and over again. Happy gaming!