Brandon Sanderson may be best known for his critically acclaimed novels, but he is also rather famously a huge fan of video games. He regularly discusses them in public and has even detailed his top ten games of all time – the likes of Bloodborne, Breath of the Wild, and Civilization make the list. Suffice it to say, Sanderson not only loves games, he has the evidence to back it up, and his frequent discussions on the medium are a blast to listen to and engage with.
Of course, every now and then, Sanderson has a controversial take that sets the internet ablaze. However, recently, he has taken a rather universally accepted stance against mobile games and tackled the topic of how the medium has never really reached the heights it should. His scathing takedown of mobile games is a fun watch, but, more importantly, comes with a rather refreshing insight into one of his favorite mobile games, which is, arguably, one of the few good titles on the market.
Luck Be A Landlord Is One Of Brandon Sanderson’s Favorites
It Is The Game That Inspired Balatro
In a lengthy video posted to Brandon Sanderson’s personal YouTube channel, he explains that there is a “problem” with mobile games. He goes on to state, rather succinctly, that “mobile games suck“ and that they are “Skinner boxes designed to extract as much money from you as possible.” It is hard to argue against him, especially when so few games in the mobile market are ever critically acclaimed or widely regarded as must-plays. It is a shame, and a problem that absolutely needs to be resolved, but one that, arguably, feels insurmountable.
Sanderson does note that there are a few good eggs still left in the basket, including the underrated game that inspired Balatro, Luck be a Landlord.
Fortunately, Sanderson does note that there are a few good eggs still left in the basket, including the underrated game that inspired Balatro, Luck be a Landlord. It is a roguelike deckbuilder with an incredibly engrossing gameplay loop and fun visual designs that garnered a 93% Very Positive rating on Steam. Sanderson is a big fan, confirming that it “scratches the same itch” as Balatro while still offering something a bit different. Now that we’ve all played Balatro to death, it is worth checking out its inspiration and one of Sanderson’s few favorite mobile games.
Great Mobile Games Can Be Hard To Come By
The Market Is Flooded With Bad Games
Beyond Luck be a Landlord, Sanderson also recommends Sagrada – a mobile adaptation of a real-life board game – Plants vs Zombies, Monument Valley, Kingdom Rush, Balloon Tower Defense, Reigns, Highrise Heroes, Isle of Arrows, and Ticket to Earth. All are great suggestions – which is perhaps unsurprising considering Sanderson’s great taste in games – and are worth checking out. However, beyond these recommendations and a few other notable titles, there are too few good original mobile games on the market.
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Brandon Sanderson Chose Not To Play This Game With A 97 On Metacritic, & He’s Missing Out On A Masterpiece
Acclaimed author Brandon Sanderson spoke out about his favorite games of all time, but missed a genuine masterpiece for one particular reason.
The mobile gaming scene has become so oversaturated with low-effort, mind-numbingly boring, and simple games that even when there are good games worth playing, they get immediately buried. Of course, those who are glued to their phones and keen on playing great games have likely sourced a few worthwhile ones, but for the general consumer, it can be hard to navigate app stores to find something genuinely great. It is disappointing that it has gotten to this point, but hopefully, one day the market will change, and the kinds of games Brandon Sanderson is recommending will finally get the spotlight.
Source: Brandon Sanderson/YouTube, Steam
Luck be a Landlord
- Released
- January 6, 2023
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Developer(s)
- TrampolineTales
- Publisher(s)
- TrampolineTales
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- January 6, 2023
- Platform(s)
- PC, Android, iOS
- How Long To Beat
- 3 Hours
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 69 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
