XCOM: Enemy Within. Honest mobile games for Android and iOS

Funny thing. Another honest game, and it's a port again – a port of a huge, turn-based strategy from PC and consoles. Yes, yes, X-COM: Enemy Within has been available on iPhones for few years now. And I think with the power of modern smartphones, the game from Firaxis can really show teeth.

It's the same, overwhelming game that thousands of gamers around the world have fallen in love with – another game perfectly suited for mobile. Sure, there are times when the controls don't quite work the way they should, but overall, the small screen works pretty well here, especially as the menu and button sizes have been appropriately adapted.

And the game itself? It offers everything we've come to love about this series. Tactical, slightly random clashes with the UFOs, base-building, getting money, even some charmingly pretentious story that makes Independence Day look like a great novel. But at least we feel we're participating in actual events, not random battles.

Too bad our soldiers don't have their own identity as in Jagged Alliance 2, but you can't have it all... Maybe one day. For now, let's savor one of the best turn-based strategies for mobile devices. A strategy that doesn't rip us off.

1. XCOM: Enemy Within on Google Play

Final Fantasy VI

We've had a few examples of PC and console games well-suited for mobile, but in this respect, the 2-D jRPG seems unique. Many mobile games are strongly inspired by this exact genre, and they mostly look like stencils from RPG Maker. Well, not surprisingly: these are games that are easy to handle, yet they can boast depth of gameplay and plot. The best evidence is probably Final Fantasy VI.

The first Final Fantasy was supposed to be the studio's last game in this style – but it delighted everyone so much that it started a series that's still giving us new games. And if any part besides the seventh deserves to be called the "ultimate fantasy," it’s certainly part six. This was a powerful farewell to 2D, a successful, incredibly emotional game. It's a beautiful, touching story, though it's ostensibly about saving the world.

The devil is in the details, however. Each of the companions is a well-made character, and even if they look like a stereotypical ninja, the creators always have a surprise for us. It's hard not to get bonded with the main characters: Locke, Celes, Terry, Shadow... I could name the whole crew, actually. They're a colorful team who face off a vast militarized Empire and a diabolical clown wizard, Kefka, whose laughter will haunt you at night.

This game, despite pixelation and 26 years of age, still looks great. And it delivers more than 50 hours of fun. Turn-based combat is still engaging, even though it looks simple. This game will draw you in. It's funny, engaging, touching; it will hurt you and then help to pull it together. Final Fantasy VI is a tour de force.

1. Final Fantasy VI on the Google Play Store

Stardew Valley

Mobile games about farming mostly bring to mind mutations of FarmVille and the thousands of dollars kids have spent in the game using their parents' credit cards. However, it so fortunately happens that lovers of horticulture have an extraordinary item available on smartphones, and known from other platforms. Stardew Valley is another gem that looks like a jRPG, but has slightly different mechanics under the hood.

Yes, there are RPG elements – including a relaxed storyline – but the cornerstone of the gameplay is running a farm. We play a guy grown tired of life as a corporate, who one day receives a letter from his grandfather.

On the envelope, it says it should only be opened when he becomes tired of the life he has. Fed up with the city life, he packs things up and... goes farming. Of course, the farm initially consists of a few sad plots of land, and a dilapidated hut.

Our job is to breathe new life into the estate. Fighting weeds, rebuilding the farm, dealing with the not-always-cooperative residents of Stardew Valley, solving everyday problems. Doesn't that sound like a hit? It is, and it's engaging, too. In addition, the game looks beautiful and is the prime example of the finest pixelart.

1. Stardew Valley on the Google Play store