Anybody that has ever owned a smartphone has at one point or another played some sort of popular game on their mobile device. But what is it that turns a little game into something that you can’t seem to stop playing? “Just one more level” seems to be something we often say to ourselves but that’s never actually the case.
What exactly makes games on your smartphones so addicting? Well, other than them being just easy, fun, and free (most of the time), there’s other factors that go into the science behind this.
If the player is somewhat rewarded for doing a certain task, this triggers the addiction. This is caused by a chemical called dopamine inside your brain. When we are rewarded, we feel happy, and we just want more of that feeling. Here I’ll be going over the top 5 addictive games on your smartphone. You should think twice about playing them if you already have a very busy life!
Photo by: pianotiles2.com
5. Piano Tiles 2
Piano Tiles started off with a simple concept: pressing buttons that resemble piano keys as the screen scrolls up.The further you progress into the game, the faster the scrolling gets. We often get an adrenaline rush when the game becomes fast paced (or at least I do). Piano Tiles 2 is a sequence to the popular game Piano Tiles.It’s the same concept with a lot of new different features. Some of these additions include more songs, the ability to continue the game if you fail, and much more!
Photo by: werateapps.com
4. Crossy Road
The idea is simple: you tap your screen in order to move your character further across the street, and the faster you tap, the faster you move. You must achieve the furthest distance possible without getting ran over by the vehicles. There’s no actual ending to this game, so why do we find this to be one of the most addictive games? Because it has a lot of replay value, which is crucial for any game’s long-term success. This is achieved by having a reward system through which the player is able to earn coins throughout the game by either achieving a good score or collecting goodies they find on the ground. You’re able to then use these coins at the prize machine to unlock new characters!
Photo by: cepkutusu.com
3. Subway Surfers
This is one of my personal favorite smartphone games to play whilst I’m out and about or on the bus. If you’ve all heard of Temple Run and enjoy the concept of the game, then you’re going to take a liking to Subway Surfers. Unlike Temple Run, the game has three different columns you can run down, and you can change columns by swiping side to side, and you’ll usually need to do this to avoid obstacles. What makes this game really addicting is that there are many coins to collect in the game. They also have power-ups, which make it feel a lot more action packed. What’s more is that you can use the coins to upgrade the ability and duration of these power-ups. You can buy new characters and lives if you die with these coins as well. This is one of those smartphone games you’ll find yourself playing when you shouldn’t be.
Photo by: quizup.com
2. QuizUp
QuizUp has a different take on gaming compared to the other games mentioned on this list. If you’ve ever played any sort of knowledge-based, trivia game, then you’re instantly going to understand how this game works.You’ll be paired up with real people online in order to see who can answer the questions the fastest. It’s a very competitive quiz game.It has categories with almost every topic you can think of. What’s more is that you’ll get to choose which categories you’re interested in to make your experience more enjoyable. You can also message other players, level up, and tons more!
Photo by: agar.io
1. Agar.io
By now we’ve all heard of this game. Popular YouTube users played a crucial role in popularizing this game a lot! Why is this game addicting? I am still not entirely sure, yet I’ve spent hours on it. It’s one of those strange concepts that seem dull on paper but works perfectly in practice.You are a small cell, and the goal is to gain as much mass as possible without being swallowed up by larger cells. To add a bit more intrigue to the game, the developers have included several Easter eggs, skins, customizations, and a lot more! There’s also leaderboards in every server to see how you rank against others.
Featured Image Source: Thinkstock/AntonioGuillem