I was having a chat with a friend the other day about story-driven games, and it got me thinking—can smartphones really deliver deep, emotional narratives? Or are they still mostly for quick, casual stuff? I played a game a while ago where you just went through someone’s phone and discovered their story through messages and photos. It actually stuck with me more than some console games. But still, there’s this idea floating around that mobile games are “less serious.” Curious what others think about that.
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Kinda stumbled into this thread while browsing during lunch. I haven’t played many mobile games outside of puzzles or card stuff, but I’ve definitely noticed that the app store now has whole sections for “narrative” or “interactive stories.” Might check a few out just to see what the hype is about. Always cool to try something different when the usual stuff gets boring.
That’s such a good question, and I totally relate. I used to think mobile games were just time fillers, but some of them seriously hit different now. There’s this one called If Found... where the story unfolds through erasing diary pages—it’s simple but incredibly moving. It made me realize that storytelling on phones isn’t about flashy graphics, but how the interaction feels. I found this great article that breaks that idea down really well: https://www.greatandhra.com/articles/news/touch-screen-storytelling-small-screens-big-stories-144877. The piece dives into how touch-based storytelling has evolved and how even small screens can carry big emotional weight. Definitely worth a read if you're into the narrative side of games.