The world of mobile gaming has never been more popular, nor indeed has the titanic industry of social media. Naturally, the two have intertwined, with many of the world’s most popular and addictive mobile games actually getting their start on Facebook. Let’s take a look at some of the revolutionary mobile games that had relatively humble beginnings online.
Words with Friends
A multi-player word game played by millions around the world on iOS, Facebook, Android and many others, Words with Friends, while not officially associated with the Scrabble brand, is almost identical in gameplay and appearance to Scrabble. The games are almost indistinguishable, but for those who somehow are not familiar with the rules, it is played thusly: each player receives seven random letters, each worth a certain number of points; these letters must be played on a crossword-style board.
The game proved immensely popular on 2009 release, becoming one of the early Facebook game sensations before being released for mobile devices. Part of the reason for its meteoric rise was the ability for players on the social network to play up to 30 games at once. Despite the name of the game, one can play not only against their friends but also against complete strangers, greatly expanding the worldwide reach and appeal of the app.
Zynga Poker
Zynga Poker is the world’s biggest gambling game by a huge margin – and no one wins or loses any money. You might know it as “Facebook Poker” but Zynga Poker is, like many of the world’s most popular real-money online casinos, available to play on the go via mobile devices. Free-to-play mobile poker games like Zynga Poker are becoming increasingly more popular because they are convenient to play i.e. on the daily commute.
Boasting millions of players, Zynga Poker gives you all the excitement and intensity of high-stakes poker bluffing and bravado without the need to risk any of your money. However, if you do want to jump straight to the highest stakes without risking your free chips, you can buy millions of chips for just a few dollars.
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga is perhaps one of the most successful Facebook games and indeed mobile games in the history of the industry. It is one of the first “freemium” games, i.e. games that are free to play but can be upgraded in various ways for small fees. In fact, this model was so successful that it is now standard practise for Facebook and mobile games.
Based on the classic “match three” game format influenced by Tetris and made famous by the Bejeweled series, to say that Candy Crush took the world by storm upon release would be an understatement. In 2014, shortly after its iPhone release, over 93 million people around the world were playing Candy Crush Saga on Facebook and mobile.
