With the recent start of the school year,  many students find themselves with little time for recreational activities. Time management has become a more daunting task, especially with school fully back in-person. Going out with friends is difficult with a busy schedule, and students are often too tired after their daily tasks to do much. Playing a game on their phones seems to be a more viable option; in fact, an option that many enjoy even without a lack of time. Many free mobile games offer the opportunity for an easily accessible break. However, not all of them are worth students’ precious time, and as such students should know the most worthwhile of them to play. Available in both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, two games have especially proven themselves worthy of people’s time: Genshin Impact & Cookie Run: Kingdom.

The first contender, Genshin Impact, has engrossed millions of players around the world. Before its release, the game even gained 21 million pre-registrations(Active Player). Currently nearing its first anniversary, Genshin Impact already has a revenue of $174 million (Holywood Reporter). The title’s massive popularity comes from its well-written storyline, colorful characters, beautiful soundtrack, and high-quality graphics. In addition to captivating with its “very interesting storyline,” says Audrey Do(11), players like Maggie Wang(9) “like to play Genshin Impact because it contains different cultures and the art techniques are really good.” She also adds, “Genshin is nice to play as a break from school.” Besides being available in 13 text languages and 4 voice-over languages, the game is also accessible via PC and Playstation. Players find themselves launched into the vast world of Teyvat, in which those blessed by god-given elemental powers reign supreme. Through the eyes of the protagonist, an outlander a.k.a Traveller, players explore using the open-world feature and their exceptional abilities to fight a variety of enemies. Most characters must be obtained with “primogems” (the game’s premium currency), through a gacha banner system. The player is joined by members of the charming Knights of Favonius–Amber, Lisa, and Kaeya– for free after completion of the prologue. As of now, the game’s storyline is still ongoing with the recent release of the new Inazuma area and its “Omnipresent God” ruler, the Raiden Shogun. Ultimately, this game is ideal for those looking for a quality, content-packed game on par with paid console games.

Another enjoyable game is Cookie Run: Kingdom, the 2021 successor to the 2009 Cookie Run series (Cookie Run Kingdom Fandom). In contrast to Genshin Impact, the game’s aesthetics are fairly simple, but it is still a quality choice that should not be ignored. Players collect Cookies- tiny heroes who come in many vibrant flavors-while going through the game’s story on a mission to rebuild the lost Cookie civilization and kingdom. Fundamentally, players invest resources to empower their Cookies and crush foes. Fortunately, unlike most gacha games, players do not have to invest much time into this game in order to succeed. Surprisingly, the game makes it fairly easy to obtain currency to summon Cookies, and allows players to gradually collect pieces of them to assemble as well. As a result, the game has a somewhat relaxing gameplay, and is perfect for quick breaks. For those who enjoy a casual but sweetly entertaining game, Cookie Run: Kingdom a solid choice.

All in all, free mobile games of good quality can often act as easily accessible stress relievers. In the present day, students have the luxurious advantage of technology, but this advantage also acts as a burden. Students are told they can work better with the aid of technology, but with it they should also learn to and be allowed to play better as well. Student or not, all people need a dose of fun in their lives and a method of letting off steam; mobile games are one of the many prominent methods used for this reason. Depending on a person’s preferences, a certain game may entice them more than another, but an array of fun options are available for just about anyone.