The post Christmas lull is over and you’re no doubt wondering how to fill that strange period of no-man’s land before everybody is back to work. Gaming apps can be a wonderfully fun waste of time, but it can be frustrating having to sift through the rubbish to get to the good stuff. This year there have been some gaming apps that stand out from the crowd; here’s our pick of them.
Get Your Brain Working With Online Poker
For those who enjoy getting their grey matter working, poker is a fun way to improve the speed of your decision making. Sites like PokerStars offer an easy to use mobile app that will allow users to get their brains to work and, with such a simple user interface, players might wonder why it’s taken so long to take the plunge. The other handy thing about playing a game like poker, is that you can take your skills into the real world with you. If you really take to it you could try your skills our at the local casino, or even organise a poker night with friends.
Pick Up A New Language With Duolingo
Caption: Learn a new language with Duolingo
If you’re the kind of person who can’t stand wasting time, but to whom the idea of playing on your phone for a couple of hours also appeals greatly, then you’re not alone. The makers of Duolingo struck a chord with so many of us when, all the way back in 2011, they announced the release of a new language game. With it’s cute graphics, addictive gameplay and proven track record at being amongst the best ways to learn a new language, not only is this game fun but you’ll have a valuable skill for life by the end of it.
Cut the Grass (Virtually)
If you’re proud of your front lawn, or even if your back yard is a jungle but you’d happily put your focus into someone else’s, then Cut the Grass could be the perfect game for you. Owing to its simplicity, it’s also a really low megabyte game to download, so perfect if you’ve filled your phone up already with all of our other suggestions. The aim of the game is simple – cut the grass. You begin with a low level knife, which takes a while, but gets the job done. As you progress you can upgrade your knives to ones with higher stats and also plant new grasses. It’s a wonderful, slow paced, meditative game, and its simplicity really is its best feature.
Embrace Retro Gaming with Mario Kart Tour
Anyone who loves gaming will be familiar with Mario Kart. Wel,l it probably comes as no surprise then, that Mario Kart Tour made it to the top of the download charts for 2019. The game is simplified so that you can easily play on your phone, with the controls being easy and intuitive – no working out required. The same old tunes are still there, which will provide a hit of nostalgia to any 90s gamers. Red shells, banana peels and blue shells still make their presence felt and the cup events keep the gameplay feeling fresh and interesting. Get yourself back into Cheep Cheep Lagoon or Rock Rock Mountain and allow yourself to feel like a big kid again!
Get Creative with Minecraft
Minecraft took the world by storm when it was released, but if you’ve been living under a rock then there’s the slimmest chance that you might not have noticed the phenomenon. Now with the Minecraft Pocket Edition you can treat yourself to the game for your phone. At the beginning of the game you are dumped into the middle of a randomly generated world and given no objectives other than to make yourself a shelter. For those who prefer their gaming to be a bit more regimented, Minecraft probably isn’t the choice for you. However, for those who are free-thinkers and creatives, you’ll be up for hours of fun in your own sandbox world. Use the materials around you to create any structure you want and ensure that your home remains safe from the monsters. Of course, if you’d rather not worry about monsters either then there’s a safe mode which allows you to create totally uninhibited, which is great for the big dreaming architects amongst us.
