Review
Clash Royale
Brilliant design, ruined at the edges by a card-levelling system that sells power directly.
No. 49 in The Noteworthy 50 · Mobile Arena
Brawl Stars
Supercell's best-feeling game — a top-down arena brawler with more modes than most console shooters.
Brawl Stars is the best-feeling game Supercell has made. The twin-stick controls on a touchscreen are responsive in a way that should not be possible, aiming has a satisfying weight, and every brawler's attack pattern is distinct enough to change how you move. For a free mobile game, the moment-to-moment craft is exceptional.
The mode variety carries it further than its peers. Gem Grab is a contested-objective control game. Brawl Ball is football with guns. Heist is attack-defence. Showdown is a compressed battle royale. Each demands different brawlers and different positioning, and the rotation keeps a three-minute game from calcifying.
The economy, improved
For years the progression was the game's biggest weakness: brawlers came from randomised boxes, and star powers — significant passive upgrades — came from the same lottery. Supercell's 2024 overhaul replaced much of that with deterministic progression and a more generous free track, and the response was a substantial resurgence in both players and revenue. It is a rare case of a publisher being rewarded for making a system fairer.
It is still not neutral. Brawler levels and gadget access affect outcomes, and paying accelerates all of it. But the gap between a free player and a paying one is narrower here than in Clash Royale, and the underlying game is more fun to play. Of Supercell's catalogue, this is the one to install.
What works
- Controls and game feel are the best of any mobile action game
- A large roster of brawlers with genuinely distinct playstyles
- Many modes — gem grab, showdown, brawl ball, heist — keep it fresh
- The 2024 reworks materially improved progression generosity
What doesn't
- Brawler acquisition still leans on randomised drops and currency
- Star powers and gadgets are meaningful power gated behind progression
- Matchmaking can be lopsided when brawler levels differ
- The store's currency layering obscures what things actually cost
The Catch — what it will cost you
Better than Clash Royale, still not clean. Brawlers, star powers and gadgets are progression-gated power, and the acquisition path involves randomness plus currency. Supercell's 2024 overhaul made the free path considerably more generous and the game's reputation improved accordingly — but a paying player still gets there faster and stronger.
Who it's for: Mobile players who want fast three-minute PvP with real character variety.
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Overwatch 2
Superb character design and gunfeel, undercut by broken promises and a monetisation model built on the ashes of a better one.