Top 10 Worst Mobile Games of the Decade
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the worst, most despised, and most underwhelming mobile phone games that were released in the last 10 years, from 2014 until today.
#10: “A3: STILL ALIVE” (2020)
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If you were looking for a top-quality mobile game that was an MMORPG and a Battle Royale… then 2020’s “A3: STILL ALIVE” isn’t for you. Created by Netmarble, the developers behind “Marvel: Future Fight” and “Star Wars: Force Arena,” “A3” was praised for its cutscenes and graphics that seemingly made it look great. However, underneath that shiny and pretty surface was a hollow shell with a lacking story. Another main criticism was the auto-questing system, which essentially turned the game into a viewing experience with little need for interaction. However, while the system is optional, its constant availability made it too tempting to use and thus ruined the experience for players.
#9: “eFootball 2022” (2021)
Like the video game equivalent of Pepsi versus Coke, back in the day, football fans would argue about the superior game of their sport, “FIFA” or “Pro Evolution Soccer.” This battle later evolved into the mobile market. But in 2021, Konami, the company behind “PES,” released a rebrand with “eFootball 2022.” And it was badly botched for consoles, becoming Steam’s most hated game at one point. The mobile version was heavily delayed to 2022 due to a litany of performance issues. But once it arrived, it immediately disappointed loyal players. Firstly, the system requirements only meant really new devices were supported. But the complicated gameplay, strange AI decisions during matches, and the abundance of microtransactions forced long-time supporters to uninstall the game.
#8: “Forza Street” (2019)
On consoles, the “Forza” franchise is one of the best car racers around. But on mobile, it’s a vastly different story. In 2018, “Miami Street” was released on PCs by publisher Electric Square. One year later, the game was rebranded as “Forza Street” for mobiles. It wasn’t a typical racing experience. Instead of spinning the steering wheel, making last-minute directional changes, and knocking against your opponent for an advantage and carnage thrills, players pressed buttons in a far more hands-off affair than was expected. The free-to-play venture was praised for its visuals. Yet, the lack of gameplay made it a dull experience while encouraging players to splash out for microtransactions. Only a few years into its release, “Forza Street” had its servers switched off.
#7: “Mario Kart Tour” (2019)
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Playing “Mario Kart” on the go through your phone sounds like a fun way to spend the soul-destroying commute to work. Many people felt the same when 2019’s “Mario Kart Tour” came out as it broke Nintendo records for their most downloadable mobile games. However, even with that, it was still seen as very underwhelming. Players did enjoy the simple control system and the good performance. But the bombardment of microtransactions made the experience feel cheap and tacky. Another Nintendo cash grab was 2016’s “Super Mario Run.” Upon its release on the Apple Store, it was seen as too easy until it demanded money for the complete experience. This negative reaction reportedly caused the company’s share price to drop by 11%.
#6: “Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff” (2014)
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Taking inspiration from EA’s “The Simpsons: Tapped Out,” developer TinyCo put out their own freemium mobile game based on an animated sitcom with 2014’s “Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff.” While the Quahog building game featured a dabble of the actual voice actors for the characters and was written by the show’s writers, the gameplay itself wasn’t well received. The quests and creating buildings took a lifetime to complete. If you got bored enough, TinyCo tempted you with speeding it up by splashing actual money. While players gave in from time to time, the cost quickly got expensive and turned them off from the experience.
#5: “Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad” (2020)
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On the surface, a tactical mobile game that featured beloved characters from Tom Clancy’s gaming universe sounds like a good idea. After all, who doesn’t want to see Sam Fisher take on the “Rainbow Six” gang? But in reality, it turned out to be a disaster in 2020. For starters, the villainous organization in the Ubisoft project had a raised fist logo that resembled the Black Lives Matter movement, forcing the company to publicly apologize. Mix in regular crashing, repetitive 5v5 battles, and the gacha system meant “Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad” had a very short life on cell phones. In 2021, Ubisoft announced the game’s servers were to be shut down.
#4: “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery” (2018)
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The “Harry Potter” franchise has had a rough time in the mobile world. On top of the short run of Niantic’s “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,” there was 2018’s “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.” Made by Jam City, it excited nostalgic fans with the lure of living their fantasy of being a magical student and meeting characters voiced by some of the film’s actors. Yet, when it was released, it was heavily criticized for its aggressive pursuit of microtransactions. After your avatar is freed from Devil’s Snare in the early story, you can either wait ages for the energy to recharge or splash the cash to get it done immediately. To make it worse, it worked as “Hogwarts Mystery” grossed $55 million in almost three months.
#3: “Pokémon Rumble Rush” (2019)
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As big and as long-lasting a franchise as “Pokémon” is, there are bound to be a few flops in the company’s vast library. But, boy, nothing has come close to the overwhelming hatred that 2019’s “Pokémon Rumble Rush” produced. Developed by Ambrella, who had created the “Rumble” spin-offs since 2009, “Rumble Rush” had players controlling toy Pokémon battling other monsters through islands. Yet, the dull grinding progression, the many bugs, and the poor controls made the experience horrible. Not even the thrill of battle was fun enough to make up for it. A year into its life, “Rumble Rush” was shut down. Then, Creatures, one of the companies that owns Pokémon, bought and disbanded Ambrella shortly afterward.
#2: “Dungeon Keeper” (2014)
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Fans of the 90s cult classic “Dungeon Keeper” were excited to play the 2014 revamped mobile game. Instead of fans excitedly managing and building their dark dungeons, this version went in a vastly different direction with a tower defense approach. And the players were livid. But to make it worse was the very aggressive approach towards microtransactions in this apparent free-to-play experience. So much so that in the UK, original commercials for the 2014 version were banned for being misleading. This hyper-fixation of squeezing every drop of cash from players ruined any chance it had of being good or fun. Instead, the rebooted “Dungeon Keeper” was described as an anti-game. In 2022, “Dungeon Keeper” left with a whimper as Electronic Arts closed it down.
#1: “RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile” (2014)
Many people have fun yet disturbing memories of playing “RollerCoaster Tycoon” and flinging virtual guests into the air. So, when Atari announced “RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile,” nostalgic fans were ready to relive that experience as they built the park of their dreams-slash-nightmares. Instead, many of the franchise's features were stripped away, and the roller coasters were pre-made. To make it worse, long build waiting times, dull objective following, and the overuse of the classic villainous microtransactions took all the joy away. The game was already premium, yet it requested more finances from players. After being slandered everywhere and by everyone, Atari quickly shifted “Tycoon 4” to a free-to-play system, which made it slightly less hated.
What’s the best mobile video game port you've played? “Titan Quest?” “Knights of the Old Republic?” “Death Road to Canada?” Or something else? Let us know below!
