Badland
2013 · Action Adventure
Badland is a game that proves mobile devices can deliver atmosphere and artistry without compromise. Its silhouetted world is gorgeous, its physics engine is endlessly surprising, and the first few hours offer some of the most creative level design in mobile gaming history. The experience does wear thin if you push through all 100 stages in quick succession, and the ad interruptions in the free version test your patience. But taken in shorter sessions, the way mobile games are meant to be played, Badland holds up remarkably well over a decade after release. It won Apple's iPad Game of the Year for good reason, and new players discovering it today will understand why within minutes.