5 new mobile games to try this week – September 5th, 2024

We gamers might be used to vanquishing sinister spectres on the spiritual plane, but what if that ghost uses words as a weapon instead of supercharged laser beams and mind blasts? The pen is indeed mightier than the sword in Phantolex, which will not only put your vocabulary to the test, but it will also challenge just how sneaky you can be when it comes to tricking your otherworldly opponent. Take turns placing letters on the table, and once you’ve successfully driven your enemy to spell an actual word, you win.

As you progress through the levels and earn points, you can unlock special powers with mana to help you dominate your foe. It has a cute little beanie hat, by the way, and puts on a little frowny face when it’s losing – so if you have the heart to take that precious phantom on, then you truly are a ruthless word wizard.

Build your own pocket-sized empire from scratch in this mobile 4x strategy game set in the Bronze Age. On your neverending quest to quench your thirst for power, you’ll raise armies, deploy your fleets, and expand your territories in strategic locations to maximise your reach. Every so often, opportunities will come knocking, and it’s up to you to make the difficult decision of picking just one with every turn, with different victory conditions you need to fulfil to grab rewards.

There are eight handmade maps across 52 empires that will test your tactical talents, as you look on the king of kings’ works and despair.

Don’t you just love it when a game lets you send hordes of enemies flying with a single ground smash? As you can probably tell from the title, Smashero gives you plenty of smashing action across a 3D hack-and-slash RPG.

Think Dynasty Warriors Musou-esque attacks but with cartoonish vibes, plus more than 90 skill combos your can tinker around with using Swords, Bows, Scythes, and Gauntlets. And if that sounds like too much work for you, the handy auto-battle system makes sure you can still bring on the pain without lifting a finger.

What kind of shifty shenanigans were you up to when you were five years old? Childhood innocence and wide-eyed wonder aside, there’s plenty to look back fondly on in Five Years Old Memories, a charming new hand-drawn game that’s out now on iOS.

The interactive narrative takes you through everything from riding bikes on a field to tidying up your things at school, all based on the dev’s personal interviews with family and friends.

Rewrite history in this new indie strategy game where, as the title suggests, you’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of the Spanish Civil War and turn the tide of battle in your favour. Make your mark across 52 cities, deploying soldiers and conquering provincial capitals as you see fit.

Strategise the most efficient use of your units with each battle, from heavy artillery that can strike fear into the heart of any opponent to warplanes that rain death and destruction from above. And if you’re feeling a little bit more creative, you can also try your hand at the mission editor feature to carve your own path across history.