Six Cool Games For Holiday Travel 2017

If you're already a Switch owner, you're probably basking in some Zelda or Mario goodness as you travel around the country (or the world!) to snack on turkey, ham, or cheeseballs with your family, friends, or dog. Or maybe you're just staying in and kicking back with some games and pizza. I'm not going to judge. If you don't have a Switch, however, you're probably furtively trying to find a solid game to play before you board that flight, pile in for the road trip, or listen to Grandma Gwindleshins drone on and on about the good old days in front of the fire. Here are some great picks you can enjoy on the phone or your tablet as you traverse the holiday season.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (iOS, Android)
Nintendo's mobile take on Animal Crossing lets players build up a camp. Sure, there are mobile timers and cooldowns that give pause, but you can feed a dog apples and he'll give you gifts. If that's not enough, you can also feed them oranges, pears, and fish. Maybe even have a cookout. So even with the "use this currency to speed up your timer" nonsense and few environments to explore, you can scratch that simmy-crafty-friendmaking-camp creation itch.

Hell, you may bake even more pies and cakes in the game than you ever will during the holiday season. And maybe there's nothing wrong with that. Don't tell anyone that I just keep fishing and catching bugs. I mean, I need rare materials so I can make a bench. Or a rock band stage. And don't forget to upgrade your camper! You can watch us play the game here, or by just watching the video above.

RO: Idle Poring (iOS, Android)
Ragnarok Online's glory days may be far behind us, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the blast from the past – today! As an idler game, progression happens whether or not you're playing and there's no need to tap the screen incessantly like a "clicker" title. Build up a character and assemble an army of pets, all inside the lovable RO universe. Like the original game, take on big boss MVP monsters, gear up and job change, and team up with a guild to smash monsters and give each other roses. It's a nice, relaxing option that only requires checking in on about once a day – a big bonus if you're actually doing something else on vacation or attempting to catch that connecting flight. A chill choice, and it has porings which are super cool. That's what the season is all about, right?

South Park: Phone Destroyer (iOS, Android)
Yeah, it's probably pretty pay-to-win, but hey – where else can you summon Manbearpig and have it beat up on a dozen replicating Ikes? The South Park flavor resonates behind this Clash Royale-style brawl, and that almost makes it worth putting up with collecting and upgrading your Cartmans to get the edge over your opponents. Thankfully, when you're tired of getting beat up by credit-card warriors in PvP, you can spend quite a bit of time playing various campaign encounters, which are fun to play through and give pretty decent rewards. If you enjoy South Park humor, this one is worth firing off on your phone for a laugh or two, and you might even get sucked into the competitive ladder.

Hearthstone (iOS, Android)
I feel like this one makes the list every year, but there's a good reason. Despite a metagame that can get bogged down from time to time by shaman aggro or jade golems, stuff like tavern brawl, arena, and friend duels keep me coming back for more even when I'm dead tired of facing down druid after druid. Quests could be a pain to complete before, but since you can do battle with friends now (and are even explicitly rewarded for playing with them in some cases) it's the perfect time to sidle up to someone and go for that big topdeck. If they play Jade druid on you, remember to put a serious amount of coal in their stocking.

Terra Battle 2 (iOS, Android)
You might have to roll the dice to get the best characters and weapons, but the strategy/RPG mix of Terra Battle 2 is pretty fun. While it's still struggling to catch up to provide content for endgame players, there's a wide variety of characters to collect and weapons to turn into screen destroyers. It has a bit of that old school Final Fantasy feel while still maintaining a flavor of its own, and its soundtrack is fantastic.

Clash Royale (iOS, Android)
While I may have cooled some on this title as I stare at my crates waiting to open, it has done a great job of providing new units, game modes, and features over the years.

For more holiday mobile game suggestions, head here to read my 2016 mobile game suggestion list.