Parents' Guide to Mobile Strike

Though kids do have to strategize a bit, this is less a game than a repetitive round of "tap and wait" and plays just like all the others of its kind. After a long tutorial that walks players through building and upgrading a range of military structures and buying premium currency from the in-game store, there's no narrative or explanation of the setting. The term "game" applies very loosely here, since all a player does is tap buttons, wait for timers to count down, and stare at static map icons. As a strategy game, it does offer some degree of planning by making your success depend on how efficiently you collect and use resources, but the payoff -- in terms of satisfying visual effects -- is small. Post-battle, your only reward is a results screen that dryly reports the resources you've gained or the troops you've lost. Truth be told, the most entertaining aspect of the game is monitoring the player chat, which is a constant stream of silliness and trash talk. The game has strategy alright -- a strategy for separating gamers from their money.