Kaamos

Unique, mobile-friendly gameplay, quality pixel art, and no IAPs or data collection—what’s not to love? Match-3 RPGs are nothing new to the mobile market (stretching all the way back to the legendary Dungeon Raid), but Kaamos has its own twist on matching mechanics, plus great atmosphere and an almost deckbuilding-lite aspect to the way the tile system interacts with gear. There’s a fair amount to sink your teeth into here, but there’s nothing obtuse, and, critically, it can all be managed with one thumb in portrait orientation. This is a winner on all fronts—I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys roguelites or Match-3s. It reminds me of the good ol’ days of mobile gaming.

This game is addictive. I have not been able to put it down. One thing that would make it more exciting is some way to get permanent rewards between runs.

It’s hard to find a really tight board builder match-3 design. Kaamos does an amazing job radically changing the dynamics of the board with highly impactful, difficult gear choices. The grim setting and the narrative elements really set this title apart.