Mobile games to play on the go for the 2021 holidays

William Davis Published 14/12/2021

The best mobile games will give you something to do during holiday travel, whether you’re in the car, on a plane, or on a one-horse open sleigh.

Holiday travel can be a pain. There’s plenty to look forward to, but a road trip in the cold is never particularly fun. A good mobile game can make things a bit more bearable, which is good news because 2021 was a big year for mobile games, with several high-profile releases and major updates to established titles. These three mobile games will make the miles more tolerable.

Genshin Impact

Pretty much anyone that plays games on mobile devices or consoles has probably already heard about the Best Mobile Game of 2021. Genshin Impact is an open-world exploration game similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Even for those who aren’t a fan of the game’s gacha mechanics, the opening quests and starting area are a great way to pass the time while traveling for the holidays. 

Genshin Impact is available on all mobile devices as well as PC and PlayStation. The best mobile game of 2021 has full crossplay between all platforms, so there’s plenty of freedom to do small daily quests on the phone and switch to PlayStation, Xbox, or PC for larger story quests and cutscenes. Though Genshin Impact is a big game, it’s not hard for new players to get into the swing of things.

Monument Valley

The Monument Valley series is the best mobile puzzle game to play during the 2021 holiday season. The levels consist of impossible Escher-esque platforms that players must manipulate to reach the goal. Every single screenshot is a work of mind-bending art. The music also twists and turns depending on how the player interacts with the game world.

Monument Valley is available on all mobile platforms. The game costs $3.99 on the Android Play Store and the Apple App Store. Anyone that runs through the original and wants more can find Monument Valley 2 for a similar price. 

PUBG Mobile

PUBG: Battlegrounds is already one of the most popular battle royales on PC and console. The mobile version, PUBG Mobile, takes all the pulse-pounding action and fast gunplay and shrinks it down, making it the perfect competitive game for the holiday season. Players can even team up with friends and family in duos or squads to take on the world together.

PUBG Mobile currently has an ongoing crossover with League of Legends’ Arcane series, so fans of Riot Games’ MOBA have extra incentive to start playing during the holidays.

PUBG Mobile is available for free on all mobile platforms with lots of in-app cosmetic purchases. Unlike the other games on this list, PUBG Mobile requires constant access to the internet to play. It’s also not available in some countries. If you’re able to play it, PUBG Mobile is the best mobile game to get your competitive kicks while you console or PC is stuck at home.

Read Also

News

Kalshi signs deal with FIFA’s official World Cup partner ADI Predictstreet Khizar Mundia Prediction markets have gotten a significant boost, as FIFA has partnered with ADI Predictstreet for the World Cup 2026, and here’s how Kalshi will be involved in the tournament. There has been significant chatter about prediction markets giving serious competition to sports betting, especially as the former are allowed in regions where the latter is banned or severely restricted. Prediction markets have reached a turning point, as FIFA has made ...

Kick

How to Create a Kick Channel and Reach 10 Concurrent Viewers Khizar Mundia The streaming space is attracting many new creators, and this guide explains how aspiring streamers can create a Kick channel and work toward reaching 10 concurrent viewers. Many viewers assume that content creation is an easy job, but building a successful streaming career requires considerable time and effort. Creating a channel may be the easiest part of the journey, but there are many other variables involved in growing an audience. ...

Dota 2

Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...

Slots

These are the best Originals to play at Duelbits Casino Ian John Innovation is one of the driving forces when it comes to attractions available at modern crypto casinos. Sure, these sites will offer a range of third-party slot games, table games and the like but providers like Duelbits have taken that offering a step further. That comes in the form of their own Originals series of games. These fast-paced, quick-to-play offer simple mechanics, transparent gameplay, the ability to wager a wide ...

Twitch

Forbes releases 2026 Top Creators list featuring YouTube stars MrBeast and IShowSpeed Khizar Mundia Forbes has revealed its 2026 Top Creators list, featuring several prominent digital personalities, including Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson and Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. Forbes is widely regarded for its annual rankings, with the global media company curating several lists, ranging from the World’s Billionaires list to the 30 Under 30 franchise. The company has now revealed its 2026 Top Creators ranking, evaluating creators based on annual earnings, total followers, average engagement ...

Twitch

The top streamers to follow during the 2026 World Cup Khizar Mundia With the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway, fans have more ways than ever to follow the action beyond traditional broadcasts. Many creators are producing tournament-themed content, but these are the top streamers worth watching throughout the competition. The tournament is being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico and many streamers are supporting their favorite teams and broadcasting unique content centered on the tournament. Crypto casino Stake even organized ...

Twitch

Streamer Braeden reveals Twitch earnings: Who is he and what content does he stream? Khizar Mundia Braeden was recently seen during Kai Cenat’s Streamer University tryouts, and the streamer has now revealed his monthly Twitch earnings. Braeden is a rising creator who keeps his fans intrigued with his IRL streams. The streamer has collaborated with some well-known names, including Braden “Clavicular” Peters, Nick “Lacy” Fosco, and Kai Cenat. He’s known to stream popular events such as the Miami Swim Week Fashion Show and also take part ...