The world of mobile gaming has boomed in recent years, seeing a host of incredible indie games as well as old console favorites make the jump from the big screen to the portable, handheld device. With such an array of games to choose from, whether it be solving difficult puzzles or setting foot inside a digital open-world, it seems the mobile gaming market really does have something for everyone.

As mobile memory has increased, the library of games has only grown bigger and better, with many that are able to establish a narrative that would have seemed nothing short of a pipe-dream back in the days of flip-phones and Nokia bricks. So, for those looking for a story to get well and truly lost in, here are some of the best storylines within mobile gaming — all available to play right now.

Updated September 8, 2022 by Jacqueline Zalace: New mobile games are releasing every month! Because of this, we've added a few more games to this list that are packed full of meaningful story.

19/19 Grand Theft Auto Series

GTA on a mobile
  • Available On: iOS, Android

It may be a little obvious that the GTA series has a wonderful storyline, but a lot of mobile players end up overlooking it in favor of other mobile story games. Nevertheless, the Rockstar franchise makes some incredible games that have all been brought to Android and iOS.

They each have a lengthy storyline with loads of side missions. There's so much to do you'll end up clocking in more hours than you ever thought you would.

18/19 Six Guns

Mobile Games Six Guns
  • Available On: iOS, Android

Gameloft was the top-tier game developer for mobile games back in their day. They created some incredible games designed for mobile so they didn't need to compete with consoles or PC styles of gaming. This is the case for one of the best story mode games Android and iOS have to offer, Six Guns.

Made entirely for mobile, Six Guns was essentially Red Dead Redemption on mobile, just with a bit less realism and graphical fidelity to it. However, that's made up for by a storyline filled with shocks, twists, and emotional punches. It's a pretty challenging game, but well worth it for that amazing storyline. It's best played without a single hint as to its plot so you get the whole experience as intended.

17/19 Leo's Fortune

Mobile Games Leo's Fortune cover
  • Available On: iOS, Android

While many mobile games skimp out on the graphics, Leo's Fortune manages to excel in terms of both narrative and visual presentation. The storyline is gripping, emotional, and thought-provoking, although that's mainly because of the riddles and traps you need to look out for.

Nevertheless, this game looks stunning and incredibly realistic so you'll get even more engrossed as you help Leo find his lost fortune. Just be cautious of the controls, they're a little hard to master.

16/19 Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath

Mobile Games Oddworld Stranger's Wrath HD
  • Available On: iOS, Android

As one of the most unique open-world mobile games on the market right now, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath has one of the best storylines out there. You play as a bounty hunter who's trying to capture their bounties so you can pay for your surgery. But when people begin to hunt you down instead, you need to survive.

It's a classic storyline where the hunter becomes the hunted that will leave you always wanting more. The gameplay itself is challenging but unbelievably unique and memorable.

15/19 Jade Empire

Mobile Games Jade Empire gameplay
  • Available On: iOS

Jade Empire was previously a console and PC-only game but eventually moved over to the mobile platform. For this, mobile gamers couldn't be luckier.

It's essentially GTA but in ancient China! Ultimately, Jade Empire is a wonderful open-world experience that has a wonderful communications feature meaning you can interact with almost everyone you end up meeting! As for the storyline, it has a twist that you'll never see coming. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work on Android right now, but it's all good for iOS.

14/19 Bully

Bully Anniversary Edition Showing Loading Image and Jimmy with the Principal

  • Available On: iOS, Android

Bully was the PlayStation 2 brainchild of Rockstar back in 2006, seeing a swell of popularity that quickly saw it released onto a host of other devices, including iOS and Android.

Playing as 15-year-old teenage rebel Jimmy Hopkins — the newest student at Bullworth Academy — you must take part in missions around the school to rise through the social ranks. Your goal is to try and unite the high school cliques. With some shocking twists and betrayals, as well as some trademark Rockstar comedy, Bully is a game that's stood the test of time and is well worth trying out, or even going back for another playthrough, if you've picked it up before.

13/19 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

Brothers A Tale of Two Sons promotional image of both brothers and them hugging on the floor

  • Available On: iOS, Android

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is the emotional adventure of two brothers Naiee and Naia and their journey to the tree of life to find the cure for their dying father's illness, having only recently lost their mother.

It's definitely not a game to be taken lightly, trading in the action and drama for an emotionally charged narrative of love, family, and above all else, trust. It's a definite tear-jerker, but a game well-worth your time nonetheless.

12/19 The Silent Age

The Silent Age Episode One promo image on a mobile and Joe in the 70's

  • Available On: iOS, Android

A definite head-scratcher, point-and-click adventure The Silent Age is a great-looking game that doesn't rely on flashy action sequences or hard puzzles to keep its player's attention. It instead focuses on an edgy, time-traveling mystery that has quickly seen it become one of the best free mobile games available.

Playing as Janitor Joe in the early 70s, you accidentally discover an old, dying man in your company's basement. This man entrusts Joe with a time travel device that he must travel back in time to give to his younger self, all to halt an apocalyptic event that causes a human extinction after 1972. No pressure there, Joe.

11/19 Oxenfree

Oxenfree official playstation image and the characters by a fire on the beach with dialogue choices

  • Available On: iOS, Android

If you're looking for something altogether more spooky, Oxenfree explores that classic 1980s horror trope of a bunch of unruly teenagers wanting to make the most of those last summer months, all for everything to go horribly, horribly wrong.

After accidentally opening a ghost-rift at an overnight beach party on an old military island, the night takes a terrifyingly more supernatural turn as the island's cryptic past begins to creep up into the present. Playing as Alex, you must unravel the island's multiple mysteries, aware that the way in which you play and the choices you make could have a more lasting impression on the story's outcome and the fate of your friends than you might think.

10/19 Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery

Swords & Sworcery Image and Gameplay showing a pixelated temple and sword with a man staring at a triangle like apparition

  • Available On: iOS, Android

A 2D adventure classic, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery is a 2D-pixelated masterpiece with stunning retro artwork, a beautiful soundtrack, and an atmosphere unlike any other. Sold as an 'exploratory action adventure with an emphasis on audiovisual style,' it's unlikely you've ever picked up anything quite like Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery before.

You take up the role of a traveling warrior monk, keen to traverse this fantastic mythic realm and solve an abundance of mystical, musical mysteries. It's a great game to play alone, or co-operate on with friends, and is sure to keep you all whittling away the hours as you uncover the peculiar happenings of this beautiful little game for yourselves.

9/19 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Sith Lords Title Image and shot of using the force on droids

  • Available On: iOS, Android

Easily among the best Star Wars games of all time, Knights of the Old Republic II was a perfect fit for mobile, giving players the freedom to fight as a Sith Lord-crushing Jedi on the go.

With excellent writing, lovable characters, and an enormous story mode full of some truly shocking twists, it's a game that's managed to retain its fierce popularity all these years on, and with good reason. It's quickly become one of the most loved RPG stories in all the galaxy.

8/19 Broken Age

Broken Age Official Image and Vella on the beach at the sacrifice

  • Available On: iOS, Android

A point-and-click adventure made by gaming greats, Broken Age is a game that values story over gameplay, and that's definitely not a bad thing.

Without spoiling too much, Broken Age features two controllable characters; Vella, a girl navigating a strange world on land, and Shay, a teenage boy raised in a spaceship by A.I. Both decide to fight back against their lives, beginning a converging storyline that has delighted players with its slapstick-humor, endearing investigative puzzles and a world-hopping adventure unlike anything ever seen before.

7/19 The Wolf Among Us

The Wolf Among Us Mobile Image of Bigby transforming and Bigby smoking a cigarette with Crane

  • Available On: iOS, Android

Telltale is an undisputed master of "choices matter" storytelling, with one of its best being the episodic mystery drama The Wolf Among Us. Here, investigator Bigby 'Big Bad' Wolf is given the task of looking into a string of mysterious murders, before quickly becoming embroiled in the mayhem himself.

Set in a fantasy land of myth, legend, and folklore, The Wolf Among Us features a vast array of characters from popular fairy tales and a mysterious storyline that has made it a firm favorite in the Telltale library. It's a great starting point for the Telltale un-initiated, and with it now being available for mobile, there's no excuse in not picking it up for your next lunch break or long train ride.

6/19 The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead Season One Mobile Poster Image With Lee, Clementine and Zombies in the distance and Lee and Greg Holding back a door from Zombies

  • Available On: iOS, Android

Unsurprisingly viewed as one of the best Zombie games ever created, Telltale's The Walking Dead puts you in the middle of an all-out zombie apocalypse as the recently arrested Lee, a man trying to survive the undead infestation alone before coming across a young girl named Clementine alone in her house.

Being a game where you're constantly surrounded by flesh-eating zombies, it's unsurprising to learn that no one in this game is safe and that your quick actions could have very real, and very severe consequences. So get ready to kill some zombies, make some difficult decisions and end up sobbing and throwing your phone across the room, especially after that horrendous cliffhanger ending. Don't say that we didn't warn you.

5/19 Life Is Strange

Life is strange mobile image of Max putting out her hand and Max looking at Chloe in her bedroom

  • Available On: iOS, Android

The undisputed Queen of your choices mattering in the gameplay, Life is Strange has you play as photography student Max Caulfield, who realizes she possesses a time-reversing superpower after saving her ex-best friend Chloe from being shot. From here, Max decides to put her powers to the test, helping Chloe to locate missing girl Rachel Amber, and uncovering the dark truths hiding beneath Arcadia Bay.

It's a beautiful game with a simple message and perfectly challenges you with some of the toughest decision-making in gaming history. In a world of action-packed games and dark, twisted narratives, it's refreshing to see a game as simple and beautiful as Life is Strange continue to make an impact on the gaming industry. We can only hope Life is Strange 2 won't be too far behind.

4/19 Tears Of Themis

official art with tears of themis characters
  • Available On: iOS, Android

Tears of Themis is a hybrid mystery visual novel, otome game, and gacha game published by miHoYo. This company is also responsible for bringing us Genshin Impact. Although Tears of Themis may not be as popular, it's filled with a complex story and mysteries that you must solve.

While playing gacha games, it's easy to breeze through the story, but Tears of Themis has a compelling plot that will leave you wanting more. As a young lawyer living in Stellis, you will need to use your wits (and charm) to survive.

3/19 Octopath Traveler: Champions Of The Continent

kota's smithy in the nameless town
  • Available On: iOS, Android

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent is a new mobile game that takes place in Orsterra years before the original 2019 game. Like its predecessor, Champions of the Continent is filled with a deep storyline and unique characters. Through the game, you will come across various NPCs that help with world-building and immerse you in Orsterra.

This is a gacha game that presents you with three stories to choose from; Wealth, Power, and Fame. Depending on which you choose, you will experience a different story. Fortunately, you can pick more than one story, and are able to complete all three to get the best experience.

2/19 Fate/Grand Order

fate grand order promotional art
  • Available On: iOS, Android

Fate/Grand Order is one of the most popular mobile games ever. Based on the Fate/Stay Night series, this is the ultimate gacha game with hundreds of characters called Servants. A majority of these Servants are historical figures, such as Medusa and Oda Nobunaga.

This mobile game was first released in 2015. Since then, new chapters have been added quite consistently, taking you through a strange world with the Chaldea Security Organization. After completing the main story, you can participate in the countless events that occur, as well as complete stories for specific Servants.

1/19 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series

Opera FF6 Pixel Remaster 2
  • Available On: iOS, Android

Lastly, we have the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games. These are classic Final Fantasy games that you can now play straight from your phone! The first six games in the series have been remastered, allowing you to explore these classic games.

Since these are originally RPGs, you will get more story than a typical mobile game. There are no elements of gacha or a stamina system; instead, you can play for as long as you want. If you are interested in classic RPGs, then these Pixel Remasters are perfect.

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