5 boredom-busting mobile games

“Spot it Duel” Image: Dobble Game via AFP Relaxnews

Whether whiling away time on transport, waiting to check in to your hotel room, or just chilling in a shady spot, mobile games can help pass the time for five minutes or an hour. Or maybe even more, depends on how hooked you can get.

Aside from the ubiquitous Candy Crush and Angry Birds, here’s a pick of addictive mobile games to keep you busy.

Matching symbols

The card game Dobble, known internationally as Spot It, sees players race to match identical symbols on round cards. A mobile version, called Spot It Duel, is also available. The aim is to be the fastest player to find identical symbols on the cards picked. Choose the symbols you’re matching wisely and you’ll build up combos, winning even more points. A “Worldwide Arena” mode allows players to battle against others all around the world.
* Spot it Duel. Free. iOS and Android

Building blocks

The concept of 1010! is simple: assemble the bricks to form lines. Once a horizontal or vertical line is completed, it blasts away, leaving space free for more bricks on the grid. The aim is to make sure there’s enough space to fit in the three different-shaped bricks at the bottom of the screen. If there’s no room to fit them in, you lose. There’s no time limit to this game, but beware, it’s dangerously addictive.
* 1010! Free. iOS and Android

Precision

In Stack, you just stack colored blocks as high as you can without toppling the tower. If you don’t line the blocks up quite right, a chunk of the block falls off, making the tower smaller. With cool graphics and pastel tones, the game is stylishly designed and doesn’t require much brain work. It’s addictive and infuriating; you’ll want to start over every time to beat your score.
* Stack. Free. iOS and Android

Vocabulary

In 94 Seconds, players have exactly 94 seconds to find words starting with a given letter: a job starting with S, a vegetable beginning with B, and animal beginning with I. The more original or unusual the word, the more points you score. But beware, because 94 seconds isn’t long.
* 94 Seconds. Free. iOS and Android

Monument Valley 2. Image: Dobble Game via AFP Relaxnews

Optical illusions and logic

Monument Valley 2 is a puzzle-style brain teaser based on optical illusions and logic. Players guide a mother and her child through a world of magical architecture, discovering illusionary pathways and various puzzles. To solve the puzzles, players interact with the game’s environment, moving around architecture to guide the pair on their way. The graphics are superb and the music’s great too.
* Monument Valley 2 is priced at $4.99/€5.49/P250+ for iOS. JB

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