Mobile games that raised Gen Z

Remember the days back in 2014 when we had zero worries about jobs, deadlines, bills, school, homework, and your Android (or your mother's), which opened a world of fun with just a tap?

Long before these fancy games today, there was a simple era with simple games that glued you to the screen, making your pointer finger have six packs. Pure nostalgia, right?

Remember Jake, Tricky and fresh, the cool kids who spray painted trains and ran away from the grumpy inspector and his doggo?

All you had to do was swipe up (jump), down (roll), left and right (to switch lanes) to dodge trains or barriers by collecting those shiny coins and power-ups.

The colourful graphics, hoverboards, and the zeal to beat your score made you stick to this game. 

Before Subway Surfers, there was Temple Run, where the only motto was "Run for your life".

After taking a golden idol from an ancient temple, you had to run for your life while being chased by some demon monkey creatures. You had to tilt your phone to collect coins and swipe in different directions like Subway Surfers.

But no tunnels here; instead, you have to jump over roots, slide under fire traps. That satisfaction after you were this close to bashing yourself on a tree root or made a perfect turn to stop yourself from drowning in the sea was not only a pure joy but also cost your fingers to have six packs.

The jungle theme, close calls, and the friendly race on who scores higher kept that generation glued to the screen.

Moving on with Candy Crush, that was not only a pure hit with mothers and kids but also had everyone asking for lives on Facebook.

This saga challenges you to match colourful candies in rows of three to five to make them disappear. Special combos like striped ones, wrapped ones, and rainbow ones, as well as the ultimate colour bomb created from matching 4 to 5 candies, help you clear the board. But the cherry on top was those "Sweet!" "Divine!" "Tasty!" that you got by clearing the levels. While some levels were super easy, others made you want to throw away your phone with just those five lives.

Then, your Android had Fruit Ninja, which made an entire generation a master of fruit slicing. Juicy fruits like bananas, oranges, watermelons, and pineapples would fly across the screen, and you swiped your fingers to slice them up before they hit the ground. But you had to be careful with those pesky bombs. It was so simple yet so much fun. 

And let's not forget Dr. Driving, which was your first pretentious driver's license. You had to drive around the city with challenges like parking while following road rules.

Zero competition, just driving a certain distance without crushing. Most importantly, who doesn't love upgrading a car? Another gem from that era is Piano Tiles, which challenges you to tap faster and faster as the tempo increases, combined with music and reflexes.

Equally popular was BMX Boy, which was all about doing cool tricks on your bike while avoiding obstacles. It was simple, but collecting those stars and landing those perfect jumps required a whole new level of patience.

"The zombies are coming", and your army? Plants! You strategically place those pea shooters, sunflowers, cherry bombs and walnuts to stop those zombies from reaching your door. Who knew gardening could be a battle for survival?

Next is Clash of Clans, which made everyone a village chief. Here you had to build your village, train your army and attack other villages to earn gold and elixir. Joining a clan, donating troops, and clan wars were the fun part of this game.

What a nostalgic lineup, no? Apps like Minecraft Pocket Edition, Flappy Bird, Jetpack Joyride, Bounce Ball, Angry Birds, and Hay Day kept that entire generation glued to their screens. They remind us of simpler times, endless fun with broken screen protectors.

So which one was your favourite? Share with the writer at rrahmanmegh@gmail.com