Best Indie Mobile Games of All Time

Indie mobile games are where you find the stuff that feels different. No giant tutorial, no endless popups, just a strong idea that pulls you in fast. Sometimes it is cozy and relaxing. Sometimes it is brutal and addictive. Most of the time it is the kind of game you end up recommending to friends like you discovered a secret.

This list of indie mobile games is a mix of genres on purpose. A few are perfect comfort games. A few are pure skill tests. And a few are short story experiences that stick with you after you close the app.

Quick List of Indie Mobile Games

1. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a cozy indie life sim where you rebuild a farm, make friends in town, and slowly turn your mess of a plot into something you’re proud of.

Gameplay

You spend your days planting crops, fishing, mining, and upgrading your tools, then you decide how hard you want to grind. It can be super relaxed, or you can min-max your farm like a maniac.

On mobile, it’s built around touch controls and a mobile-friendly UI, so it plays nicely on a phone.

If you care about co-op, mobile has an experimental hidden multiplayer feature tied to the 1.6 mobile update, but it’s intentionally tucked away and may be a bit buggy.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A chill game you can play for years without “running out” of stuff
• ✅ A little bit of everything: farming, mining, fishing, crafting, and relationships
• ✅ A great offline single-player vibe on mobile
• ✅ Optional experimental co-op on Android and iOS if you want to try it

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Slow starts where you feel broke and weak for a while
• ❌ Games that feel like daily routines, since this one kinda is
• ❌ Inventory juggling and planning your day
• ❌ Experimental multiplayer quirks if you expect flawless co-op

2. Dead Cells

Dead Cells is a fast roguelite action platformer where you fight through a shifting castle, die a lot, then come back with new gear and permanent upgrades.

Gameplay

You run through 2D levels with snappy dodges, parries, and weapon combos, and the layout changes each run. When you die, you lose the run, but you spend Cells to unlock permanent upgrades and new weapons for future attempts.

The best part is the build chaos. One run you’re melting rooms with a fast melee setup, next run you’re playing safer with traps and ranged tools.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ Super clean combat that rewards skill and timing
• ✅ Runs that stay fresh because levels and loot change
• ✅ A real sense of progress from permanent unlocks
• ✅ A tough game that still feels fair when you learn it

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Dying and restarting, because permadeath is the point
• ❌ Getting punished for sloppy dodges and greedy attacks
• ❌ Replaying early areas while you’re still learning
• ❌ Paying extra for some DLC content on mobile, if you want everything

3. Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire is the indie deckbuilding roguelike where you build a busted card combo run-by-run, then try to climb a tower full of fights, events, and loot.

Gameplay

You pick a character, then choose paths through the Spire with battles, shops, elites, and random events. Combat is turn-based, and every turn is about spending energy smart and planning what your next draws will do.

After fights, you add cards and relics, and that’s where the magic happens. One good synergy can turn your deck into a machine. One greedy pick can brick your run.

If you want extra challenge, Ascension adds harder modifiers, and Daily Climb gives you a seeded run with a scoreboard.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ Deep strategy without needing fast reflexes
• ✅ Runs that stay fresh because the layout and rewards change
• ✅ Big combo moments when your deck starts popping off
• ✅ Extra modes like Ascension and Daily Climb for long-term replay

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Turn-based pacing and lots of thinking per fight
• ❌ Losing a run late and restarting from the beginning
• ❌ RNG offers where the game refuses to give you what you want
• ❌ Reading-heavy games where learning systems is the fun

4. Monument Valley

Monument Valley is a short, artsy puzzle game where you guide Princess Ida through impossible buildings that mess with your eyes in the best way.

Gameplay

You tap and drag parts of the world to rotate stairs, slide platforms, and connect paths that only work from certain angles. Most puzzles are chill brain teasers, not sweaty logic exams, and the whole thing feels like playing inside an optical illusion poster.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A super relaxing puzzle game with gorgeous visuals
• ✅ Clever perspective tricks that make you feel smart without being brutal
• ✅ A game you can finish in a couple sittings
• ✅ Something that feels like a premium mobile classic

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Short games, because it’s more of an experience than a forever grind
• ❌ Puzzles that are super hard, since this one stays pretty gentle
• ❌ Games with lots of action or deep progression
• ❌ Paying up front, since it’s a premium app on mobile

5. Florence

Florence is a short interactive story game about love and life, told through tiny mini-game moments instead of big action scenes.

Gameplay

You tap, drag, and swipe through little scenes that match what’s happening in the relationship, like texting, talking, brushing teeth, and awkward arguments. It’s super simple to control, but it hits hard because the interactions change with the mood.

It’s also a quick play. You can finish it in one sitting if you want.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A story-focused indie game that feels personal
• ✅ Short sessions with lots of memorable moments
• ✅ Light puzzles and mini-games, not hard challenges
• ✅ A calm vibe with strong art and music energy

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Games that are mainly story, not skill tests
• ❌ Short games you can finish fast
• ❌ Lots of reading or deep systems, because it keeps things simple
• ❌ Replaying for progression, since it’s more of a one-and-done experience

6. GRIS

GRIS is a calm indie platformer where you explore a gorgeous watercolor world and slowly unlock new movement abilities as the story moves forward. It’s built to feel peaceful, not punishing.

Gameplay

You walk, jump, and solve light environmental puzzles. You are mostly figuring out where to go and how to use your newest ability to open the next path. There’s no combat and no traditional game over pressure, so it’s a vibes-first play.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A short, beautiful indie game you can finish in a few sittings
• ✅ Chill platforming with light puzzles, not sweat-level difficulty
• ✅ A game where music and visuals do most of the storytelling
• ✅ Something you can play when you want to relax

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Games without combat, builds, or big skill tests
• ❌ Short games that end before you can really settle in
• ❌ Getting a little lost sometimes, since it’s more about exploration
• ❌ Paying up front, since it’s a premium mobile game

7. Mini Metro

Mini Metro is a minimalist strategy game where you design a subway map for a city that keeps growing, then try to stop your lines from turning into a total traffic jam.

Gameplay

You drag subway lines between stations, assign trains to each line, and redraw routes as new stations appear. Your resources are limited, so every new line, tunnel, carriage, or extra train is a real choice.

There are multiple modes like Normal, Endless, Extreme, plus Creative mode if you want to build freely, and a Daily Challenge if you like competing.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A chill strategy game that slowly turns into panic, in a fun way
• ✅ Constant little optimizations and satisfying clean maps
• ✅ Modes for both relaxing and suffering
• ✅ A Daily Challenge to test your skills against everyone

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Juggling limited resources, because that’s the whole game
• ❌ Watching one crowded station ruin your perfect plan
• ❌ Games with action combat or story, since this is pure systems
• ❌ Redrawing lines over and over when the city expands

8. Reigns

Reigns is a swipe-based decision game where you rule as a monarch and try to survive longer than five minutes without the church, people, army, or money meter exploding.

Gameplay

You get card prompts from advisors and weirdos, then you swipe left or right to decide. Every choice shifts one of four meters, and if any meter hits zero or max, your reign ends and you start again as the next ruler.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A super quick indie game you can play in tiny sessions
• ✅ Funny surprises and dark little story threads that unfold over many runs
• ✅ Simple controls that still make you think, because every swipe has a cost
• ✅ That swipe-left swipe-right vibe, but used for strategy choices

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Restarting a lot, because dying is the whole loop
• ❌ RNG chaos where a couple bad cards can end a great run
• ❌ Games that feel minimal, since it’s mostly choices and consequences
• ❌ Wanting deep combat or long missions, because this is pure decision drama

9. The Room

The Room is a spooky-calm puzzle box game where you poke, spin, slide, and unlock a mysterious device in a dark room, like you found a haunted safe and decided to mess with it anyway.

Gameplay

You zoom in on the box, inspect tiny details, flip switches, open hidden panels, and solve layered mechanical puzzles that chain into bigger reveals. It’s all about observation and tactile problem-solving, not speed.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ Puzzles that feel physical, like you’re actually handling the box
• ✅ A creepy mystery vibe without jump-scares
• ✅ A premium single-player experience you can finish in a few sittings
• ✅ That brain-tingle moment when a hidden mechanism finally clicks

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Getting stuck and needing to step away for a bit
• ❌ Slow, careful puzzle pacing instead of action
• ❌ Games that are mostly story dialogue, because this is mostly hands-on puzzles
• ❌ Paying up front, since it’s a paid app on mobile

10. Alto’s Adventure

Alto’s Adventure is a chill endless snowboarding game where you chase smooth lines, rescue runaway llamas, and stack clean trick combos while the mountain vibe shifts around you.

Gameplay

You tap to jump, hold to flip, and try to land clean so you keep speed and combo points. The terrain keeps changing, so you are reacting to hills, gaps, grinds, and sudden obstacles as you push for a longer run.

If you want pure relaxation, Zen Mode drops the pressure so you can ride for the vibes instead of sweating the score.

Play it if you want:

• ✅ A premium-feeling indie game with cozy, calm energy
• ✅ Simple controls that still reward good timing and clean landings
• ✅ Quick sessions that turn into oops one more run
• ✅ Zen Mode for stress-free rides

Skip it if you hate:

• ❌ Endless runners where you repeat the core loop a lot
• ❌ Losing a great run because you clipped one rock
• ❌ Games with deep systems, builds, or long story arcs
• ❌ Paying up front for a mobile game

Final Thoughts on Indie Mobile Games

The best indie mobile games are the ones that feel like they respect your time. You can play for ten minutes and still get a satisfying little moment. Or you can fall into a longer session and suddenly realize you have been playing for an hour.

If you are not sure where to start, pick one cozy game, one brainy puzzle, and one action pick. That trio usually gives you a good taste of what indie games do best on mobile.

Explore More Games

• Cozy games like Stardew Valley
• Games like Monument Valley