Last week I read the words I'd been hoping for and got so excited I almost cried: Stardew Valley is coming to mobile on October 24th. While, my colleagues know of my love for the game I think my reasons behind it have always been a bit of a mystery to them.

The wonderful thing is that everyone's reasons for loving it are different, though some of you lovely gamers reading might experience the same sort of deal.

With the season of creepy stuff and spooks upon us, it feels right to chat about our favourite spooky games, doesn't it? Everyone's got one that stuck with them regardless of the platform. Whether it's the rhythmic drums of Slenderman, the gross mutilated family of Resident Evil 7, or the static radio sounds from Silent Hill 2 (AKA the greatest horror game of all time), everyone's got that one game that rubs them up the right and wrong ways.

In mobile it's a little trickier, only because it's tougher to balance the content and controls in such a way that the experience doesn't feel cheap or underwhelming. That's not saying there aren't tons to choose from, of course. We're very much spoiled for choice.

If any of you guys read my ramblings over on Pocket Gamer you might know how much of a fan I am of Stardew Valley. Hands-down, I'm not ashamed to say it's one of my favourite games in the world, but it's not on mobile. Wah.

That got me thinking – what options do we really have on mobile that might scratch that adorable farm-building, people-friending itch? No dead ringers just yet, but these five mobile games should satiate that need.

Remember when Minecraft was all the rage? Back before battle royale became the coolest thing to play it was all about the sandbox survival game… though it's apparently still rated one of the most watched video games on YouTube.

Minecraft is one of those games you think you're going to hate, but once you start playing it's rather hard to stop. Whether you're going about in survival mode or just having a bit of fun in creative mode, there's something for mostly everyone.

When it comes to getting the Minecraft experience on mobile there are a few games you can dig into. One won't be surprising at all, of course, but the others should give you food for thought.

I'm sure you've played The Sims at least once in your life, if not to escape your own uncertain existence then likely to trap your Sims in the pool or set the house on fire and remove all of the doors. What? No, of course I've never done that… *ahem*

Whichever version of the game you've played or picked up there's always a similar pattern. Make your Sim, figure out what their aspirations are, build up your house (probably use motherlode in the cheats menu), and make friends with other Sims as you go.

These five games will give you that familiar feeling of managing your new non-existent dependents whilst also getting something out of it yourself – whether you want to build a successful life overall or just revel in a bit of drama

Not too long ago we talked about all of the finest kitty-cats mobile gaming had to offer, but what about the best dogs on the market? You don't have to have thumbs to be an awesome protagonist.

If you've got a fur coat, a big heart, and love belly rubs, you can be a hero too. It may not be something you think of much, but in these games man's best friend is more than just a sidekick or emotional blackmail. These are the best pups.

Mobile games come in many shapes and forms and have many, many protagonists. Do you know what the best protagonist/context for a game is though? Cats.

Worshipped by Ancient Egyptians, idolised by internet culture, and probably one of the only animals that'll get away with scratching up your sofa, cats are always fun to watch. Why? Well, because they're adorable, duh. Even when they're trying to be all serious and go off on quests and things, you can't help but notice how cute their outfits are or their fuzzy ears.

But this just isn't about the best cat-themed games. No, it's about the best cats in mobile gaming. If your favourite feline isn't on the list below, be sure to tell us in the comments below what games you love the most. And if you love lists, click here to check out all of the awesome ones we've written for your eyes to soak in.

I'm sure this won't come as much of a shock to you, there's a good chance Apple will be showing off, or at the very least announcing, the next generation of iPhone. We wouldn't be so sure about it if there hadn't already been so many leaks, but we could still be surprised.

As is standard, we want to know everything about it: what it's like, how thin it is, whether the glass is actually shatter-proof, if it has a headphone jack, how much it'll be – I'm sure you've had a few thoughts.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of solid information floating about at the moment, but we've had a bit of a dig and here's everything you need to know about it so far in one helpful place. Aww, aren't we nice?

Apple's still not officially confirmed any of this, so do take everything with a pinch of salt for now.

Earlier this month, Elizabeth brought a few fantastic mobile game heroines front and centre, and I'm so excited to see more of them in recent titles and the promise of titles to come.

If a game is good, personally I'm not too fussed on who the leading figure is. Man, woman, frog hybrid, racoon, dog, alien, whatever, I'm down for it. However, growing up there was always one protagonist that I admired more than any other – Lara Croft.

Some of you may absolutely leap at the chance to climb onboard an aeroplane. Some of you may not be too thrilled at the idea of flying, but will get on with it without much fuss. Some of you may be paralysed with fear, like me, from the moment you step in the airport.

However you handle flying, this is a handful of games you really shouldn't be without. I mean, it's not the end of the world if you don't have them, but they're good fun and a good distraction for those less tolerable of air travel – trust me.

Alright, get your 'weeee-woooo' girly jokes out of the way early, folks, 'cos I'm about to crack open the lid on love in adventure games so hard the jar will shatter. Too much? Sorry, it's been a while.

Truthfully, I'd never really thought much on it when I was a nipper. Adventure games were, and are, my jam, but it's only been the past decade or so years that I've started paying attention to the plotlines more enthusiastically. It's not all about jumping from one deadly platform to the next – it's about WHY we're taking the leap.

After all, love comes in many shapes and sizes and affects people in a bunch of different ways. Plus, whether you want to admit it or not, love makes things a lot more interesting (yes, even the clichés).