Sagrannus Gaming: Android Top 5

Well, here we go for a little jaunt down a path that I have not yet trodden. I am going to look at mobile games (gasp), specifically games on Android. Worse still, it will be a Top 5 list. A few guidelines for how I am doing this. All of the games featured are available on the Google Play Store, and I will list their US Price. Naturally, these are my Top 5, based on how much I have played them over the last few months. So let us start at number 5…

No images: Still good.

5^th – Godville
Developer: Godville Games Limited
Price: Free (In-app purchases)

With a mature rating, this casual game is an interesting one. Billed as a game that requires no player input, Godville is something of a text based adventure – just one that you observe more than play. You might think that this would be boring, but it really isn’t. You can interact with your hero, punishing them or rewarding them, and even give them instructions (they may not do what they are

told, be warned). There is plenty of humour in the writing, and you really can leave the hero to wander for months at a time without any input from you. An amusing little sojourn from the usual, involvement heavy, wallet hunting dreck that you can find on mobile platforms.

A beautiful village.

4^th – Dungeon Village
Developer: Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Price: $4.99

In essence, like most Kairosoft games, Dungeon Village is a

management game. You manage a small fantasy town, aiming to grow it into the most successfully dungeoneering village around. You play host to heroes (many of whom, this being Kairosoft, are parodies of celebrities and fantasy heroes) who go adventuring. You can organise dungeon runs, and give ‘gifts’ to the heroes, which they then use in their quests. Should heroes be sufficiently impressed by your little town, they will seek to move in. This game is a bundle of fun, and a good example of how fun Kairosoft games are.

All the sushi trains.

3^rd – The Sushi Spinnery
Developer: Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Price: $4.99

Ever wondered what it would be like to run a Sushi shop? No? Well, regardless, you can now find out with yet another Kairosoft management game. As always, the art of Kairosoft is great, with that pixelated charm that makes one long for early Final Fantasy games. Key to the enjoyment of The Sushi Spinnery is the option to develop your own Sushi dishes, and to enter them in competitions. This, along with good pacing, makes the game extremely fun, especially when you win awards for Cheeseburger sushi…

Design you pyramid like the Pharoahs of old.

2^nd – The Pyraplex
Developer: Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Price: $4.99

Okay, so there is a trend here. I like management games, I think they work really well on mobile. I also like the way Kairosoft do things, [1] The Pyraplex is a twist on the tower building management game, and on the surface very similar to their game Mega Mall Story. However, you have crafting stations, the need to gather resources, house staff, and trade with neighbours. This adds significant depth. As well as adopting the Combo system from MMS and renaming them as Power Spots, The Pyraplex introduces a clever building element; every year, your pyramid is judged for how pyramidy it is, adding an extra challenge to the game. Possibly one of the deeper Kairsoft games, I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves management games, and for some reasons hasn’t got this yet.

and I like not have pay-to-win setups. Most Kairosoft games have an up-front price, and that is it.

1^st – Fiz: Brewery Management Game
Developer: Bit By Bit Studios
Price: $2.99 

Baby's first brewery.

Beer and management! What could possibly go wrong with such a combo?
Very little, as it turns out. With a fun narrative, and great gameplay, Fiz sucked me in from the start. The challenge of running a micro-brewery, and crafting beers to suit various challenges, and keep your small company afloat is surprisingly fun. The gameplay is well taught in the tutorial, and

relatively intuitive. The art style is charming, and reminiscent of old SNES and Gameboy games. Also, unlike many management games, it is quite challenging, which only serves to make the game even better. For its price, it is an absolute steal.

Notable Absences

I am sure that people expected Fallout Shelter to appear here. It isn’t here for two very good reasons. Firstly, I haven’t played it on Android, only on iOS. Secondly, I don’t like it that much; it doesn’t really go anywhere, and there is no narrative.
Other Kairosoft games certainly could have been here, notably Game Dev Story, Anime Studio Story, and Pocket Clothier. But this is a Top 5, and they didn’t quite make it, but are still worth a look. I hope this Top 5 has been interesting.

Sagrannus

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[1] There are a few that do have various in-app purchases. Not only does that count against them, but they also tended to be the lesser Kairosoft games anyway.