Hogwarts Mystery lured fans in with the dream of living out their wizarding school fantasy, then slammed them with paywalls at every turn. Running out of energy mid-scene became the norm, and unless you were willing to pay, progress crawled to a halt.
(Image Credit: Jam City)
Once the pride of PES fans, eFootball 2022 crashed hard on mobile with clunky gameplay, odd AI, and sky-high system requirements. Add in aggressive microtransactions, and it’s no wonder loyal players gave up on it fast.
(Image Credit: Konami)
Hot Wheels World's Best Driver had variety, flashy vehicles, and solid brand power, but none of it mattered once you tried to steer. The clunky, frustrating controls made the whole experience more crash than thrill.
(Image Credit: Firebrand Games)
Crazy Octopus is less of a game and more of an ad-delivery machine, constantly interrupting play with forced ads. Combine that with frequent crashes and a frustrating stamina system, and it’s hard to enjoy for more than a few minutes.
(Image Credit: XTPublishing)
Neo Monsters starts off promising but quickly becomes a grind filled with confusing mechanics and steep difficulty spikes. Unless you're ready to spend money or sink hours into repetitive events, the fun runs out fast.
(Image Credit: ZigZaGame Inc.)
Elite Squad tried to mash up the entire Clancyverse into one game, but the result was forgettable and dull. Battles mostly played themselves, progression hit a wall fast, and outside of a few familiar faces, no one cared about the roster.
(Image Credit: Ubisoft)
Rise of Kingdoms looks polished at first, but quickly turns into a soulless grind where waiting replaces gameplay. With aggressive pay-to-win systems, endless timers, and matchmaking that punishes new players, it’s more about spending than strategy.
(Image Credit: Lilith Games)
Scarface had the license and potential, but ended up as a generic, forgettable free-to-play game. With unbalanced pay-to-win mechanics and none of the charm or strategy of its competitors, it feels like a missed shot at something bigger.
(Image Credit: Fuse Powered Inc.)
Command & Conquer: Rivals takes a legendary RTS series and turns it into a mobile pay-to-win grind. Beneath the decent mechanics is a game where money beats strategy, and longtime fans were left with a bitter reminder of what could’ve been.
(Image Credit: EA Redwood Studios)
Hero Wars starts simple and fun, but quickly turns into a grind built to wear you down and push you into spending. Between shady UI design, unhelpful support, and a system that seems rigged to frustrate players into paying, it feels less like a game and more like a trap.
(Image Credit: Nexters)
Six:Guns had the potential to be a fun Wild West shooter, but it’s dragged down by constant bugs, dull missions, and battery-killing performance. Add in the aggressive push for in-app purchases, and it quickly starts to feel more like a cash grab than a game.
(Image Credit: Gameloft)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile took a beloved franchise and buried it under paywalls and timers. Instead of creative park-building fun, players got a hollow, freemium shell that felt nothing like the games they grew up with.
(Image Credit: On5)
Pillowfight Girls tries to rely on suggestive marketing instead of offering any real gameplay or value. The result is a clunky, ugly, and frankly embarrassing experience that feels outdated and tone-deaf even by early mobile game standards.
(Image Credit: Frozen Codebase)
Even by the low standards of movie tie-ins, Kick-Ass: The Game manages to disappoint. This game is short, broken, ugly, and barely playable, like someone rushed it out over a weekend and called it a day.
(Image Credit: Frozen Codebase)
This mobile spin-off strips away everything fans love about Final Fantasy and replaces it with endless tapping and no gameplay. On top of that, it wasn't even free - players had to pay just to download it, then got hit with nonstop microtransactions for characters and progress.
(Image Credit: Square Enix)
Not every mobile game lives up to the hype or even basic expectations. From broken controls and shady monetization to games that just completely miss the point, these titles crashed and burned spectacularly.
Whether they were overhyped disasters or straight-up unplayable, here are 15 of the worst mobile games ever released.
