Brawl Stars

Competitive action games usually feel like a compromise on a touchscreen. Brawl Stars is the one that doesn't. Supercell built a top-down 3v3 brawler around the limitations of thumbs instead of fighting them, and the result is the most genuinely competitive thing I've played on a phone.

How it plays

Matches are short — usually two or three minutes — across modes like Gem Grab (hold the gems), Showdown (battle-royale free-for-all), and Brawl Ball (football with guns). You pick from a deep roster of brawlers, each with a distinct weapon, super move, and gadgets. A virtual stick aims and moves; a tap or drag fires. It sounds fiddly and somehow isn't.

What's great

The moment-to-moment feel is excellent — readable maps, snappy abilities, real skill expression. There's serious depth in brawler matchups and map control, so it rewards getting better rather than just grinding. Crucially, the 2024 progression overhaul made unlocking brawlers far more generous; new players reach the fun much faster than they used to. Events and seasons keep it fresh without feeling like a chore.

What holds it back

The roster is now huge, and fully levelling everything is a long, slow climb — patience or a wallet. Matchmaking occasionally throws you against higher-invested players, and like any live-service game it's engineered to keep you checking in daily. It can quietly eat a lot of time.