Remember when mobile phones were just used for sending messages and making calls? No, us neither. It's only been twenty years or so since mobiles entered our lives, but during that time they've gone from communication devices to mini-computers which run every detail of our day to day lives. For many people who live on the move, their phone is their connection to their calendar, email, contacts, social media accounts, and personal file storage. We'd be lost without them - and yet we haven't even mentioned one of the most fun things they do yet!

As you probably guessed from the title of this article, we're here to talk about mobile gaming. Now that high-speed internet is available almost anywhere, and mobile phone screens have HD displays, there's no reason why playing video games on your phone shouldn't be as enjoyable and interactive experience on your mobile device as it is on your games console. Millions of people play games on their mobiles every month - and we've got the lowdown on the games people are playing right now! 

We'll get into our top five in a moment, but before we do, it's important to clarify what you're not going to see here. Although mobile slots are often classed as mobile games, we're not going to include them in this list. Mobile slots on website like KongCasino.com should have a category of their own - they're games of chance instead of skill, and are based on beating the odds rather than beating an opponent. We've got no issue with mobile slots (and if you asked us for our opinion, we'd say either Fluffy Favourites or Chilli Heat were close to the top of the popularity charts right now as far as mobile slots go), but we're focusing purely on the games which are intended for entertainment, not gambling. Let's check out that top 5!

OK, who’s surprised to see this one down in fifth place? Given the amount of publicity Fortnite receives, it’s no surprise that most people would assume that it’s still the most popular video game in the world in any format. It isn’t a million miles away - fifth place certainly isn’t bad - but it’s not as popular right now as it was in its peak. Part of the reason for that might be the popularity of the game we have listed in first place, but it may also have a little to do with the negative press it’s received in some quarters. Contrary to the popular saying, not all publicity is good publicity, and Fortnite has found itself blame for everything from children deciding to stay off school to spikes in gun violence. That’s a harsh charge to level at a game which features cartoonish violence as opposed to the outright gore of a Call of Duty game - but then Call of Duty isn’t marketed at children. Fortnite might be down right now, but we’re sure its popularity will recover when the next season of Battle Royal is released. 

This game might not generate anything like as much publicity as the other games in the top five, but that doesn't mean people aren't spending huge sums of money on and in it. It was released in 2016, and generated its first billion-dollar in revenue in less than twelve months. Tournaments, clans, clan wars, and leagues have all proven to be popular with the game's loyal players, offering different methods of dressing up what is effectively the same game. The 'cards' element of the gameplay is also good for those who are drawn to 'collect' and 'trade' style games. Several countries have esports leagues based on this game - some of which have a top prize of over a million dollars. Even now, three years after its release, it's still winning awards for 'Best Developing Game' from major websites. It might not look like much to play, but to those who understand what it's all about it's the best mobile game out there. 

For all the praise and plaudits we just showered on Clash Royale, it's not even the most popular mobile game with 'Clash' in its name. That honor goes to 'Clash of Clans,' and you probably already have an impression of how many people are playing this from the fact that the game is regularly advertised on television. It also has a habit of showing up as one of those annoying commercials which interrupt the YouTube video you're enjoying. The strategy-based game reminds a lot of vintage gamers of the old classic 'Civilization,' although playing it live against other players through your phone network is quite an evolution. As of the end of 2018, Clash of Clans had been downloaded more than six hundred million times, and was generating one million dollars in revenue every day. 

If you thought 'Clash of Clans' was a blast from the past, we have news for you. At ten years old, 'Minecraft' is still outperforming almost everything when it comes to mobile gaming. If you don't get this game, we don't expect you to start getting it now. By this point, you'd expect everybody who would love 'Minecraft' already owns it in some format, and everybody else has given it a try and failed to work out the appeal. That's apparently not the case. It's still being bought and downloaded every day, and as of earlier in 2019 is officially the biggest selling video game of all time. We have bad news for the haters, too - it's probably about to become more popular. A new game - 'Minecraft Earth' - is coming out shortly, and will allow gamers to virtually create 'Minecraft' buildings in the real world using augmented reality via phones, and allow other people to interact with those buildings. Imagine 'Pokemon Go,' but on a bigger scale. 

This is the game that's knocked 'Fortnite' off its perch - and yet it's done it by being largely the same game. In PUBG - Which stands for 'Player Unknown Battle Grounds' - one hundred people are parachuted onto a nightmare island, and must then fight for survival until only one of them remains. Sound familiar? It should do - it's literally the entire plot of 'Fortnite Battle Royale.' In defense of PUBG, it's intended to be taken a little more seriously than 'Fortnite,' and makes use of the 'Battlefield'game engine to provide superior graphics and more realistic fighting. It's so popular that during exam seasons in many countries, children are banned from playing it. Can it defend its position at the top of the chart, or will 'Fortnite' come roaring back to reclaim what's been lost? We'll find out soon!