YvoCaro Plays: Even More Great Mobile Games for Summer

Welcome to another YvoCaro Plays! If you like these bits of gaming thoughts, you can find the previous ones here.

It’s time for the third edition of games that we reviewed and gave a stellar verdict, and are also available as a mobile game. Because if you’re anything like me, gaming on a console while on holiday just doesn’t work. No idea why, honestly, as my Switch (or 3DS/DS before that) always travels with me.

I made a list last year with games that got Two Thumbs Up that could be your travel companion, and one the year before that. But there are new ones that are well worth your mobile time! Time for another list of 10 games, and mind you, the list isn’t ranked.

10. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

Available in the App Store and Google Play. The first chapter is free, the others you have to pay for. The full game costs approximately. € 6,99 (check your own store for the exact price)

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a silly noir-style detective story about a duck on the hunt for truth. During the gameplay, you need to solve puzzles, interview suspects, and figure out who is responsible for stealing lunches. Mina gave the game a Two Thumbs Up in her review.

9. Subnautica

Available in the App Store and Google Play. The full game costs approximately. € 8,99 (check your own store for the exact price) Be aware that this is a first-person game, if you’re prone to gaming sickness.

In Subnautica, you descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. You have to craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more – all while trying to survive.

CJ reviewed the game a while back and liked it a lot, saying, “I love finding new creatures, and they even change with the in-game ‘seasons”. Frankly, I can’t see how this game could possibly get boring since I am enjoying myself so much”.

8. Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy (Universal)

Available in the App Store. The full game costs approximately. € 2,99 (check your own store for the exact price)

In Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy, we play a young journalist who has been entrusted with a critical mission: to fulfil the last wishes of a legendary explorer and bring back the last egg of the mythical “Great White Bird” to its home, the mysterious, faraway land of Amerzone. Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is a classic point-and-click adventure reinvented for the modern age of gaming in stunning detail. It is a 2025 remake of the 1999 legendary quest game Amerzone by Benoît Sokal. While the game is a remake, it still has new gameplay added.

Kalina gave it our highest praise saying: “It’s a gorgeous, well-crafted game with smooth gameplay, no technical hiccups, great puzzles, and a well-crafted in-game world. So, if you love adventure games, you should try Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy. You’ll probably love it as much as I did.”

7. Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Available in Apple Arcade, but you need a paid subscription to play it.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure has been on Apple Arcade for a while already, but I think it reached a much bigger audience when it was released on Nintendo Switch and Steam. Many have compared it to Animal Crossing, and though I do not entirely agree, it is a wonderful game. It combines building friendships, questing, exploring, and collecting, all set in a bright and colourful world. Special events are rolled out in a staggering tempo and you’ll never have to be bored playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

Lynne reviewed the game, gave it Two Thumbs Up and said in conclusion: “I wasn’t sure if the Hello Kitty cuteness and the daily nature of progress would work for me, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the game. Even though we are at the start of 2025, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a strong contender for one of my games of the year.”

If you are thinking of starting with the game, we have a guide lined up for you as well!

6. LOK Digital

Available in the App Store and Google Play. You can try for free, the full game costs approximately. € 6,99 (check your own store for the exact price)

Margaret reviewed this puzzle game on Steam, and gave it our highest rating. She said in conclusion:

“LOK Digital is a remarkable translation of a pen and pencil puzzle game into something that can easily be picked up and played as a video game, courtesy of publishers Draknek & Friends. The new dimension allows the world of the LOKs to come to life in even more vibrant ways, despite their monochrome world, and even the puzzles themselves go through some neat changes to suit the environment.

It’s a delight to enter a new section of the game and see what the little blobs are up to now, and the game’s thoughtful pacing reduces frustration when new words are introduced. With some 90-odd puzzles (and dailies), it’s a game you’ll be sad to wrap up.”

5. Teeny Tiny Town

Available in the App Store and Google Play. You can play for free, and spend money if you want on extra packs that allow for things like unlimited turns, themes, etc.

Your task in Teeny Tiny Town is to create a town from the very basic materials that the level starts with and then merge, merge, merge until you begin to see the fruits of your labour and a new town is born. Anni reviewed this merging game on Steam, where you get the full experience (all the packs you can buy separately on mobile are included). She gave it our highest rating; you can check out her review here.

4. Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town

Available with a Crunchyroll subscription, for which you need to pay a monthly subscription of at least the Mega-Fan tier (€ 9,99), for which you can play more games. (Check your own store for the exact price)

I reviewed the game myself, and absolutely loved it (read my review here). I hadn’t expected to like Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town as much as I did. I was never a big fan of the little boy when my daughter wanted to watch the anime many years ago, so I was a bit sceptical at the start. But I have really warmed up to him, even though he is still a strange little boy.

Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is full of details, little adventures and bigger mysteries. Some of the interactions made me smile, and I was never left frustrated or in a rush. It is not for gamers who want to be bowled over by fast-paced action or striving for bigger and better goals. Instead, this is a game to curl up with on the couch and see Shin chan’s world with a kind of childlike wonder. If you want to know more about this game, don’t miss our interview with Akira Nagashima, the producer of the game.

3. The Star Named EOS

Another game you can play with a Crunchyroll subscription.

A short but memorable point-and-click adventure. In the game, you collect items in your inventory to be used almost immediately in puzzles. The story progresses by recreating old photos and, in some rare cases, putting together torn pictures and letters. The way the scene changes when a photo is recreated is not only seamless but also almost cinematic.

Most puzzles involve opening a box by figuring out combination locks with symbols, mazes, sliding puzzles, etc. While there is no hint or skip button, none of the puzzles are complicated. The developers have achieved a perfect balance between challenge and difficulty.

Kalina reviewed the game and gave it a Two Thumbs Up.

2. Sunset Hills

Available in the App Store and Google Play. You can try for free, the full game costs approximately. € 9,99 (check your own store for the exact price)

Seven years after the war, author Nico boards a train, embarking on a captivating journey through countries and cities. In this charming and cosy adventure, you will uncover a heartwarming yet poignant story of war, friendship, and self-discovery in a beautifully crafted world filled with colourful characters and adorable pups.

Kalina reviewed Sunset Hills and gave it our highest rating!

1. Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon

Available in the App Store and Google Play. You can try for free, with optional VIP Premium or VIP Lite payments.

Recently reviewed by James on Steam is Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon. Instead of another sweeping action-adventure like its predecessor, Oceanhorn, Chronos Dungeon shifts gears entirely. In this game, you will dive into a dungeon-crawling spin-off that emphasises fast-paced action, local co-op and good old-fashioned pick-up-and-play fun.

James said in his conclusion: “Oceanhorn, Chronos Dungeon is a delightful detour from the mainline series. Whether you’re playing alone or teaming up with family and friends, the game offers hours of fun wrapped in a nostalgic, approachable package. Its streamlined gameplay, couch co-op, and charming pixel visuals make it perfect for both casual players and veterans of the genre. If you’re looking for a game to jump into without needing a big time investment, or one that brings everyone together on the couch, this one is well worth your time.”