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We’re living in the age of the smartphone, and having a portable, camera-equipped computer in your pocket 24/7 is brilliant – at least in theory. You can connect with the whole world, wherever you are; take and share photographs on the fly; instantly find answers to any question that pops into your head; and entertain yourself during life’s duller moments.

But social media platforms, mobile games and streaming services are designed to be as distracting as possible. That’s how most of them make money. The more time you sink into browsing and tapping their content, the better – for them. For us, the temptation to spend more time on our phones than on real-life connections and responsibilities is increasingly tough to resist. Various studies suggest this unhealthy relationship with our phones may play a part in rising levels of anxiety and depression – especially among the younger generation. So, how do we rebalance our usage?

Lo-Fi Room, the upcoming rhythm action and object hunting game, is currently on the hunt for playtesters to play and provide feedback. The developer plans to send out codes for lucky players to get involved before the end of December.

So if you'd like to give the game a try ahead of its release for iOS and Android next year, head on over to the Google Form and register your interest by entering your email address. If you're selected you'll be asked to give your thoughts on the game through a feedback form.

Music and art collide in Vectronom, a rhythm-based 3D platformer that may have missed your radar if you were too busy soaking up the sun during its initial release last year.

While the game doesn’t blatantly tell you to stay indoors, it does encourage you to bop to the beat in the comfort of your own home by immersing you in a puzzle platformer in isometric view. Your goal is to get from Point A to Point B by navigating obstacles that change in sync with the beat, so you’ll be forced to observe from a distance, memorize how the patterns shift, and then take the plunge. You’ll need to have the chops to solve environment-specific riddles that often require you to time your movements to the rhythm of the music.

When Canada legalised cannabis in 2018, tons of entrepreneurs leapt at the chance to enter this newly legitimised industry – from boutique, backroom growers to factory-sized franchises. Not to forget all the ancillary businesses popping up to make the magic happen, including packaging companies, marketers, couriers and so on. The market for legal cannabis in Canada was valued at CAD$1 billion in 2019, and is projected to climb beyond the CAD$4-billion mark in 2021.

All good news for pot lovers, then. But in this complex, emerging marketplace, knowing where to find just what you want can prove tricky. That goes for both ends of the supply chain, whether you’re buying, selling, or both. Enter stage right: Leafythings.

Now available for free on iOS and Android, Leafythings is an app that seeks to be your one-stop shop for all things pot in Canada. Enjoy up-to-date information about anything and everything cannabis-related.

It features starred reviews for products, delivery services, doctors, dispensaries and more (so no more pot-luck). It connects medicinal and recreational users with verified, licensed providers. It even explains – in plain English – Canada’s cannabis laws, including how to go about getting licensed as a grower or seller.

On the latter point: if you’re a retailer, you can easily use the platform to market your products or services directly to the rest of us, without the eye-watering sums or hugely competitive auctions found on many directories.

But it’s more than just a marketplace app – it’s an educational tool. There are compendious details on every strain under the heat lamp; beginner tips and tricks, whether you’re wondering how to keep weed fresh or how to smoke regularly without burning through your money; and recommendations for the best products for what ails you. First-time rollers and veteran Cheech and Chongs alike are sure to learn something new.

The app is a natural extension of the Leafythings website, which was established in 2019 as an online directory empowering and connecting Canada’s cannabis users and businesses. As the country’s cannabis offerings grow ever greater – like some sort of supersized sativa – it’s good to have a comprehensive resource right at your fingertips, helping you to see the weed for the trees.

Leafythings app is available to download for the Canadian market for free from Google Play or the App Store now.

Following its successful debut on PC and Nintendo Switch last summer, retro-themed platformer Pixboy has made the lead to mobile devices.

The award-winning indie hit, which was developed by a two-person team at Oaky Games, has drawn comparisons to classic platformers such as Super Mario Bros, Commander Keen and Shovel Knight. Its visuals are monochromatic, reminiscent of the Game Boy and old MS-DOS titles, and a chiptune soundtrack compliments this design.

Raziel: Dungeon Arena's October update offers a little bit more than usual Halloween-themed outfits you often get this time of year, though those are here too. But beyond that, there is a new character, mercenary system and much more.

In need of some assistance in battle? Then you'll probably be a big fan of the new mercenary system. This will allow you to recruit a loyal companion who will join you on the battlefield, bringing their own unique abilities with them. They can also be equipped with your choice of weapons and armour to add more strategic depth.

Some of the greatest mobile games are actually the simplest ones, and it’s this philosophy that Mulled 2 was built on. Out now for iOS and Android, the puzzle sequel takes the accessible mechanics of its predecessor and builds on them with enticing community features and more.

IKIN's popular endless runner Presidents Run has returned to iOS and Android just in time for the 2020 election season. It will see players choosing their favourite candidate and guiding them on a literal run for presidency to gather as many votes as they can.

These votes will also be tracked globally too, so players will be able to see who the current frontrunner is through a novel spin on the usual leaderboard system. The statistics can be found in-game and on its official website with daily, weekly and all-time filters.

MU Origin 2 developer Webzen continues to churn out new content for the popular MMORPG and, true to form, it’s just released another update. This one encourages lapsed players to return to the game with the promise of new quests and rewards.

The update kicks off a special event which runs between 12th October and 8th November, and during this period, users who’ve left the game for more than seven days can make a comeback to take part in the Warrior Return Quest.

Raziel: Dungeon Arena is available now on mobile and will appeal to fans of both comic books and old school dungeon crawlers. Not only will you hack 'n' slash your way through mobs of enemies but there's also fully-narrated animated comic to enjoy, too.

The plot is just as much of a focus as slaying the undead. The developer Indrasoft took the time to ensure Raziel: Dungeon Arena has engaging narration and realistic voice acting to immerse players in the singleplayer campaign, which takes place over 10 chapters and 60 levels.

Matchy Catch is a new hyper-casual puzzler from Jyamma Games, the Italian studio behind the Pong-inspired puzzle-adventure Hi-Ball Rush. It’s only the developer’s second game for iOS and Android devices, but it promises to be every bit as fun and addictive as its hit debut release.

Sporting a refreshingly simple interface, Matchy Catch is all about sequence reproduction. Players are presented with a sequence of objects to memorise and attempt to recreate using their touchscreen. This plays out across a series of challenging levels where there are combos to master and bonuses to bag along the way to boost your overall score.

It's easy to forget that the youngest millennials are now between 23 and 24 years old. They're well into adulthood, basically. And with the responsibilities of adulthood comes significantly less time to play video games.

So it's no surprise that many are now gravitating towards games designed for shorter play sessions. And this isn't just something we see on mobile – all you have to do is look to the overwhelming success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons to see that console gamers are similarly drawn to titles that can be experienced in bite-sized chunks.

The Bonfire: Forsaken Lands was a big hit when it arrived on mobile two years back, winning over fans and critics with its pleasing blend of town building and survival elements. Hoping to stoke these flames of success, developer Xigma Games has unveiled a standalone sequel, The Bonfire 2: Uncharted Shores, and it’s available now for iOS devices.

Like the previous game, The Bonfire 2 is a town building sim with survival components mixed in, but the developers have expanded on this template. Players are thrust into a procedurally generated map that they must explore and build a community on. This means charting the furthest reaches of its land and sea in search of resources to support and sustain a growing settlement.

Rocat Jumpurr is a roguelite platformer from developer Mousetrap Games. You might already be familiar with it if you follow the Big Indie Pitch, where it won first place during this year's Pocket Gamer Connects London competition. Following its success there it is now available for iOS and Android.

If you're a fan of both cats and explosions then Rocat Jumpurr has you covered. The aim of the game is to take our feline hero through various randomly generated levels. However, the only way he can move is to use the significant recoil from the rocket launcher he takes into battle.

Developer Yuyosoft Innovations' Global Spy launched last month for iOS and Android, though if you missed it at the time, we're here to tell you why it's well worth a go.

This one's all about international espionage, tracking down elusive spies, and travelling the world via the most efficient routes.