The Trail and Paper Wings: this week’s top mobile games

Welcome to Gearburn’s Mobile Game Picks of the Week, a weekly series in which Hadlee takes a look at the latest, most entertaining, or time-consuming mobile games on portable screens.

It’s been a rather crazy week in South Africa, but you know what makes things a bit better? New mobile games. Well, new mobile games that are actually good…

Anyway, we’ve rounded up some of the latest and greatest titles once again. So let’s get on with it…

PinOut (free – Android, iOS)

Coming from the team behind the wildly popular Smash Hit, PinOut is effectively pinball meets endless running and an acid trip.

The game offers the basic pinball mechanics, but introduces an endless mechanic, as you only encounter more paddles and stages the higher you go. Of course, there’s a time limit in place, so you’ll need to see how far you can get.

The addition of trippy visuals and retro-style music makes for a polished experience you should add to your download list.

The Trail (free – Android, iOS)

Did you know that Peter Molyneux’s studio has released a new game? Yep, it’s called The Trail and it’s actually a gorgeous little experience.

The game is pretty much a more peaceful version of Oregon Trail with light base-building mechanics and resource management, as you explore the Frontier and craft/trade/collect items.

The Trail is free to download, but weighs in at a hefty 400MBs or so on Android.

High Risers (free – Android, iOS)

Spotted by Pocket Gamer, High Risers is the latest title from noted mobile developer Kumobius, so what’s it all about then?

Well, you’ll be automatically running left and right in a skyscraper, bouncing off the walls of the building as you try to scale it. You’ll then need to time your jumps to avoid floors with no walls to bounce off of. View the video for a better idea of the concept, but it’s actually pretty simple in theory.

High Risers does have in-app purchases, but it’s definitely not pay to win.

Paper Wings (free – Android)

Originally in Google Play Early Access, Paper Wings is another rather innovative title this week.

You’ll be controlling an origami bird of sorts, flying about to catch falling coins before they hit the ground. It all sounds like every mobile game ever, but the control scheme and avian physics makes for an oddly satisfying experience.

Paper Wings may have just emerged from Early Access, but it’s definitely a polished experience already.