Mobile gaming is currently one of the most profitable segments in the entertainment industry, accounting for 77.4% of all gaming-related revenue according to Statista. It is astounding to see how much mobile gaming has grown over the years considering smartphones themselves were released just 16 years ago, an event that would later change the world we knew.
Considering that Unity is the game engine behind more than 70% of the top mobile games in the market, many newcomers to the industry, having heard of its beginner-friendliness and its easy-to-use interface, have started dabbling with this fantastic tool.
This is why, in this article, we will take a look at the advantages of making your mobile game with the most popular game engine and see 7 successful mobile games created with Unity.
Have a good read!
Why develop mobile games with Unity?
There are many pros associated with Unity when it comes to mobile game development. Let’s take a look at some of those:
- It supports 2D and 3D game development: with Unity, you can create all kinds of games with top-notch performance while not sacrificing your visuals all that much. It also natively supports AR and VR development, and they are on the rise;
- Its Asset Library is huge: you can either buy assets or get some for free in the Unity Asset Store, with over 45,000 3D assets and 10,500 2D assets to choose from;
- It has a massive community: Unity is currently the most popular game engine, so chances are you will always find some useful resources to help you out;
- It lets you develop for multiple platforms: with Unity, it’s possible to publish your creation to most desktop and mobile platforms, making it a one-stop solution for all things gaming. However, keep in mind that you might have to adjust some things to meet specific platforms requirements, but they’re usually not a hassle;
- It’s free… kind of: you can use Unity completely free of charge until your game has generated over $100,000 in revenue in the last 12 months. Check this page for more information on their pricing model;
Example of mobile games created with Unity
Now that we have seen the advantages of creating your game with Unity, let’s take a look at some successful games developed with this fantastic game engine.
Temple Run 2
Developed and published by Imangi Studios, the second iteration of the world-renowned “Temple Run” was built from scratch using Unity, currently the most popular game engine, giving it the visual overhaul it desperately needed and adding new mechanics to the game.
While the original version of the game wasn’t created with Unity, its Android port was, and so were all spin-offs, allowing Imangi Studios developers to easily port their creation to other platforms.
In any case, “Temple Run 2” remains one of the most popular free mobile games, boasting over 500 million downloads and around 10 million reviews since its debut.
Monument Valley 2
“Monument Valley 2” is a mobile puzzle game that has received critical acclaim. Unlike “Temple Run 2”, this title is the sequel to the original game, which was developed with Unity and published by Ustwo Games.
In this indie game, you play as Ro’s mother, exploring beautifully crafted isometric environments and teaching her child about its mysteries by going through a series of mazes and structures. However, there’s a catch: they are filled to the brim with optical illusions and seemingly impossible objects, which create a unique atmosphere.
“Monument Valley 2” is a highly praised mobile game that offers a premium gaming experience at a low cost. Available for just $3.99, the game has been downloaded over a million times and has received an average rating of 4.7 stars from over 66,000 reviews, showcasing Unity’s potential in creating memorable gaming experiences.
Alto’s Adventure
Writing a listicle on mobile games created with Unity without mentioning “Alto’s Adventure” would be a travesty. Developed by Snowman and published by Noodlecake, this game is a side-scrolling endless runner where players control a snowboarder as they navigate through various terrains and catch llamas on the way.
As with all endless runners, “Alto’s Adventure” falls under the “easy to learn, but hard to master” umbrella, having dozens of levels to beat, hundreds of achievements to unlock, and even allowing you to buy perks to enhance your next run – gotta grind those high scores!
For a 2D game, “Alto’s Adventure” is like candy for our brain: the minimalist graphics and the perfect use of parallax coupled with its atmospheric soundtrack make it one of the most mesmerizing mobile gaming experiences ever.
Available for free for Android users (and at the low cost of $1.99 for iOS players), “Alto’s Adventure” has been downloaded over 50 million times and possesses an average rating of 4.6 stars from 647,000 reviews.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Brought to you by the creators of World of Warcraft (WoW), “Hearthstone” is Blizzard Entertainment’s take on a digital collectible card game (DCCG). The game allows you to collect cards and build decks with many known faces of the WoW universe, like Sylvanas Windrunner, Khadgar, and Medivh, and compete against other players online, allowing players to go rampant with their creations. While the game’s balance isn’t perfect, there are viable deck archetypes for all types of players – control, burgle, aggro, midrange, zoo, you name it.
Did you know that every single card has custom voice lines and sound effects, with legendary cards having special animations, with new sets of cards being printed every 4 months? All of this has contributed to the game’s success, which became the gold standard for DCCGs.
Furthermore, “Hearthstone” has other game modes bundled with the base game as well: it’s possible to enjoy a Teamfight Tactics-like game called “Battlegrounds”, which completely twists the base game while still keeping true to its origins – cards – or “Mercenaries”, which combines RPG and roguelike elements with the most iconic WoW characters.
Despite being a popular free-to-play game, boasting over 50 million downloads since its release, “Hearthstone” is well-known for low-key encouraging players to spend money on cards, which tanked its reviews – it sits on a low average rating of 3.8 stars across 1.88 million reviews.
Axie Infinity
In “Axie Infinity”, players take on the role of a breeder, raiser, and trainer for creatures called Axies. These cute, blob-like creatures come with a wide variety of traits and unique abilities.
Players can then battle other players’ teams of Axies in a turn-based fight, which takes inspiration from Pokémon’s complex rock-paper-scissors combat, receiving tokens and sometimes NFT assets by defeating other players, which you can later sell to other players for real money.
The game follows a pay-to-play model, but it’s possible to make money by playing it. So much so that many Filipinos were paying their bills by playing “Axie Infinity” and other NFT games during the Covid pandemic, which ravaged the world in 2020-2021.
All this made “Axie Infinity” the leading NFT mobile game in the market – and it was created with Unity by Sky Mavis, a Vietnamese game development studio.
Mobius Final Fantasy
Developed and published by Square Enix, a Japanese game studio best known for creating the Final Fantasy series, Life is Strange, and NieR: Automata, games which received universal acclaim, “Mobius Final Fantasy” is a role-playing game that you can experience with 3 different characters – Wol, Meia, and Sarah Cornelia. Like most JRPGs, the combat follows a turn-based system, the visuals are pretty, the plot goes deep, and the soundtrack is astounding.
Sadly, Square Enix shut the game down in June 2020, but it boasted over a million installs while it was up, providing many hours of fun for Final Fantasy fans.
Crossy Road
Likely the most straightforward game in this list, “Crossy Road” was developed and published by Hipster Whale, an Australian game development studio. It is an endless runner that takes heavy inspiration from “Frogger” – going up and down while trying to avoid moving obstacles, such as cars and other hazards – but with modernized visuals and mechanics, making the game much more enjoyable. Like “Alto’s Adventure”, “Crossy Road” is yet another easy-to-learn, but tough-to-master game.
While playing the game, it’s possible to collect some coins, which you can use to unlock more than 260 special characters (called mascots) with the so-called “Prize Machine”, a gumball-style machine that will spit a random mascot for 100 coins. There are even many secret characters, which have special unlock conditions. The “Marathon Runner”, for example, can only be obtained by playing as the “Cheerleader”. Some mascots will even add different visual elements related to that character, which increases replayability by a bit.
“Crossy Road” is currently one of the most popular free mobile games created with Unity on Google Play Store, having achieved the hallmark of 100 million downloads and having an average rating of 4.6 stars over 4.54 million reviews.
Exploring the Unity-Powered Mobile Game Phenomenon
The Unity engine has firmly established itself as one of the best game development platforms, and it shines brightly in the world of mobile game development. Some of the top games made with Unity have left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. Titles like “Untitled Goose Game” have garnered acclaim for their innovative game design and development. Unity’s flexibility allows developers to create mobile games that span various genres, from action role-playing games to virtual reality rhythm games.
Additionally, Unity is the go-to choice for building mobile games with stunning graphics and responsive gameplay. Whether you’re looking for a critically acclaimed puzzle stealth game or an online multiplayer social game, Unity is the engine behind many amazing mobile games that offer a great gaming experience on a variety of mobile devices.
Wrapping it up
As demonstrated in this article, Unity is a game engine used all over the world, fostering a community of over 2.5 million registered developers. Developers are capable of creating stunning and immersive gaming experiences across a variety of platforms, including desktop, mobile (iOS and Android), and even consoles such as the Nintendo Switch.
The versatility and capabilities of the Unity game engine have made it the go-to choice for game developers looking to create high-quality games, especially in the realm of mobile gaming.
Speaking of smartphone game development, do you have a fantastic idea for a game, but lack the time and/or the technical skills required to bring it to life? Then look no further than Main Leaf!
We are a Brazilian game development studio that specializes in creating top-notch games using Unity and Unreal Engine. Having done so since 2010, our roster of 70+ seasoned experts is ready to help you create the game of your dreams – be it a simple mobile game or a fully-fledged game for PlayStation 4.
Contact us today by requesting a game quote on our main page. We can’t wait to work together with you!
